E9x rod bearings question
Discussion
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
Someone has said that on "pre-2011 cars" it's recommended to get them done around 80k miles.....
Who told you this .. a dealer?! They switched to aluminum in 2011 to meet EU requirements on heavy metals - bearings fail in either case.Just make sure you warm the car up properly i.e. drive gently until the oil is up to temperature before giving it beans. Now, and after you get your shiny new bearings.
Different car, different engine but prone to similar issues. I had them replaced on my Z4M at 78K miles and was glad I did when I saw the old ones!
While the front subframe was off I also had new engine mounts fitted although I don't know if they are an issue on E9*s. Mine were as past it as the bearing shells.
While the front subframe was off I also had new engine mounts fitted although I don't know if they are an issue on E9*s. Mine were as past it as the bearing shells.
Mr Tidy said:
Different car, different engine but prone to similar issues. I had them replaced on my Z4M at 78K miles and was glad I did when I saw the old ones!
While the front subframe was off I also had new engine mounts fitted although I don't know if they are an issue on E9*s. Mine were as past it as the bearing shells.
The engine mounts are very much an issue on the E9x series. They will be done at the same time While the front subframe was off I also had new engine mounts fitted although I don't know if they are an issue on E9*s. Mine were as past it as the bearing shells.
The rod bearings were an issue more so for earlier E9x M3 due to poor quality control from Clevite. Cars with these bearing could last less than 10k miles or do 200k miles...pretty much pot luck.
The switch to lead free bearings to comply with EU regulations allowed BMW the opportunity to switch bearing manufacturer with the hope/expectation of better quality control.
The issue for RB failure was much worse in the USA due to poor octane fuel and their propensity for sticking what ever was the mod of the day on their engines. Cars with ECU tunes tended to have poor rod bearing life especially early days...as tuners had little experience with the ionic anti knock software and would run the engine on the knock sensor.
Poor bearing QC, low octane fuel, bad tunes and inadequate oil warm up all paid their part in the USAs bad reliability.
Later lead free bearings (no point in taking an oil sample with these bearings as they have no lead!) may well have better reliability but myself I would still have them changed by a well known garage...(using plastigage and I'd want to be there to watch it done if possible)...on a recent purchase and likely every 50k miles thereafter.
The ion sensing antiknock system is somewhat sketchy...I used the same garage and the same high octane fuel when ever possible. Stick to always using OEM spark plugs and the correct Castrol 10W-60 oil.
Despite all the above they are a fabulous car...I had 2 for over 6 years and I'd have another.
The switch to lead free bearings to comply with EU regulations allowed BMW the opportunity to switch bearing manufacturer with the hope/expectation of better quality control.
The issue for RB failure was much worse in the USA due to poor octane fuel and their propensity for sticking what ever was the mod of the day on their engines. Cars with ECU tunes tended to have poor rod bearing life especially early days...as tuners had little experience with the ionic anti knock software and would run the engine on the knock sensor.
Poor bearing QC, low octane fuel, bad tunes and inadequate oil warm up all paid their part in the USAs bad reliability.
Later lead free bearings (no point in taking an oil sample with these bearings as they have no lead!) may well have better reliability but myself I would still have them changed by a well known garage...(using plastigage and I'd want to be there to watch it done if possible)...on a recent purchase and likely every 50k miles thereafter.
The ion sensing antiknock system is somewhat sketchy...I used the same garage and the same high octane fuel when ever possible. Stick to always using OEM spark plugs and the correct Castrol 10W-60 oil.
Despite all the above they are a fabulous car...I had 2 for over 6 years and I'd have another.
Edited by Max Maxasson on Thursday 13th April 10:35
Being a September 2011 car I believe (although may be wrong) mine would have had the later bearings. I hope to get the car back tomorrow. I believe they started work yesterday but it's also in for a fair bit of other work too. I anticipate a bill a fair bit above £2k.
The indy it's at have done rod bearings a lot. They've averaged 3 sets per week this year alone!
The indy it's at have done rod bearings a lot. They've averaged 3 sets per week this year alone!
Its a gamble not to have them done .... £8k - £10 for a new engine inc fitting. My car was at 128,000 and running as sweet as a nut but like everyone, I had 'RB anxiety' and they came out pretty worn ... the car had the same owner for 12 years who used it as his daily driver so I would assume that it was warmed up properly as he must have had a decent commute.
JEA1K said:
Its a gamble not to have them done .... £8k - £10 for a new engine inc fitting. My car was at 128,000 and running as sweet as a nut but like everyone, I had 'RB anxiety' and they came out pretty worn ... the car had the same owner for 12 years who used it as his daily driver so I would assume that it was warmed up properly as he must have had a decent commute.
Evolve had a 152k mile one that was on its original bearings.Just because someone owned it for that long and used as a daily driver doesn't mean it was warmed up gently. Even if someone uses it 50 miles a day but thrashes from cold it still will cause significant wear.
SlimJim16v said:
One specialist also uses ARP bolts when doing the bearings.
ACL bearings are sufficient for most. The only benefit of the ARP bolts, really, is of you're doing a lot of track work, and even then, bolt failure is basically unheard of. Are they better? Yes. Is there any remotely tangible benefit to 99.9% of users? No. E90_M3Ross said:
Just because someone owned it for that long and used as a daily driver doesn't mean it was warmed up gently. Even if someone uses it 50 miles a day but thrashes from cold it still will cause significant wear.
True, but conversely they will most likely have been driving the car at lower rpms (whereas take the extreme opposite is someone who mostly uses their car for weekend hoons and track days).E90_M3Ross said:
Evolve had a 152k mile one that was on its original bearings.
Just because someone owned it for that long and used as a daily driver doesn't mean it was warmed up gently. Even if someone uses it 50 miles a day but thrashes from cold it still will cause significant wear.
I know, I saw it as well. Just because someone owned it for that long and used as a daily driver doesn't mean it was warmed up gently. Even if someone uses it 50 miles a day but thrashes from cold it still will cause significant wear.
Who knows, I'm just stating that mine hadn't blown up by 128k miles ... based on internet folklore alone, it should have blown up way before then .... even if it was warmed up properly.
Maybe thrashing it from cold is the best thing ... we just don't know?
All we know for sure is 'the internet scare stories'.
JEA1K said:
E90_M3Ross said:
Evolve had a 152k mile one that was on its original bearings.
Just because someone owned it for that long and used as a daily driver doesn't mean it was warmed up gently. Even if someone uses it 50 miles a day but thrashes from cold it still will cause significant wear.
I know, I saw it as well. Just because someone owned it for that long and used as a daily driver doesn't mean it was warmed up gently. Even if someone uses it 50 miles a day but thrashes from cold it still will cause significant wear.
Who knows, I'm just stating that mine hadn't blown up by 128k miles ... based on internet folklore alone, it should have blown up way before then .... even if it was warmed up properly.
Maybe thrashing it from cold is the best thing ... we just don't know?
All we know for sure is 'the internet scare stories'.
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