Most engines drive the water pump with a serpentine belt. OK. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. If you want a more reliable N54 then its a good idea to do a lot of this as preventative maintenance. Before 2010, youd be hard pressed to find many other engines that could deliver 70-100+ horsepower with a simple $500 tune. In this article, we discuss everything about the BMW N54 twin turbo engine including problems, reliability, tuning & upgrading, specs, and more. Auto trans held up perfectly fine with no signs of slipping. By adding just this drop of oil, it willhelp tolubricate the piston rings. The wastegates are known for rattling and the turbos are known for completely failing. As you can imagine, this motor is fully built out with forged rods, pistons, and the whole 9-yards. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Come join the discussion about Bimmerfest events, production numbers, programming, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our site is dedicated to all things BMW Tuning related. This setup was running 25.4psi, which is still shy of Vargas turbos record of 29.3psi on the same turbos. Low compression in two adjacent cylinders typically means you have a bad head gasket. Compression pressures must be taken with all the spark plugs removed, carburetter throttles wide open, and the engine at its normal operating temperature.. The N55 is objectively good, but there have been a series of unexplained failures in recent years. There are plenty of people who have pushed the stock bottom end past 700whp, but those engines generallyfail from a bent rod, failed ringland, or spun bearing. I've used 3 - Autozone special Innova tester, the OTC tester that. Boost solenoids go bad sometimes, but its not terribly common. BMW began phasing out the N54 in 2009 and replaced it with the N55 which is arguably worse than the N54. Overall, the leak-down test will give you detailed information to determine the health of your engine and help pinpoint a failure during the diagnostic process. - Editor. However, a custom tune can help squeeze out a bit more power. The lower reading from the "China" tester doesn't mean it wasn't accurate. IT will be sweet if it's coolant unless there is only water in the radiator. A compression test determines the relative compression between individual cylinders while a leak-down test determines the sealing ability of the valves, head gasket, and piston rings. Zach is a BMW enthusiast with a passion for performance. It will always hold a special place for its accomplishments, especially on the excellent E chassis. BMWs N55 engine began production in 2009, Read More BMW N54 vs. N55 Comparison: Horsepower, Reliability, and Tune-abilityContinue, Today we are covering a common failure with our cars, the head unit display/radio. Theyre usually tired after 100,000+ miles, but may still run for a while. Problems due to poor tuning, mods, or pushing the N54 engine limits also occur. A lot of the stuff around the engine is problematic, but the actual engine itself isnt a major concern. A compression test determines the relative compression between individual cylinders whilea leak-down test determines the sealing ability of the valves, head gasket, and piston rings. Does the car have to be warm, and is there a certain procedure etc.?? A tune is the foundation. The BMW N54 engine utilizes a twin turbo, direct gasoline injection design. Regardless, this is still super impressive. This post will cover the various BMW N54 flash maps along with supporting mods and expected horsepower on each map. Poor compression can also have an effect on engine performance inregards to the balance of poweracross each cylinder. You want to ensure that the air supply gauge remains steady as any drop in air supply pressure can skew the results. Then theres the basic maintenance stuff on high mileage models. The biggest advantage of the BMW N54 is its power and potential. $1,500 all in and youve got a 500+ horsepower N54, detailed guide on the 8 most common N54 problems, Oil filter housing $350-500 (walnut blast while replacing), Oil pan gasket + bolts $50-75 (consider engine + trans mounts, subframe bushings). In everything that surrounds our engine, smart-ass engineers have laid the shortest possible resource (on purpose! That said, lets jump in and break down these BMW N54 faults by section. It doesnt typically reduce life-span by too much if at all. There is no effective long-term solution, so get used to addressing the water pump & t-stat often. 1. Almost all the cams will fall under the range of 104-116 with nice idling. Its V8 weighs 445 lbs, while the N54 weighs 429 lbs. BMW E90 N54 Compression and Leak Down Tests DIY - YouTube. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". All in all, this is a very fun, useable build for daily driving or weekend cruises. The other unfortunate aspect is that single turbo builds are very expensive. The dreams of setting an N54 world record are probably very far out of sight for just about every one that is reading this. It reallyshouldn't require any major work to bring it back within specifications. The JB4 with a back-end flash can handle anything from 300-700+whp. Why is this? Does it smell sweet? After all, engines are air pumps, andwithout compression, they tendnot to work well. 35PSI STOCK N54 Motor Compression TEST & Misfires FIX?Become a member and get exclusive discounts at https://www.ZeroTo60.com plus other unique perks and ben. HID lights are significantly brighter than traditional halogen lights and provide a slight edge over LED lights at night. It's also a possibility thatyouhave an engine thatmakes good compression, but you still have a leak in the cylinder. It uses an aluminum block and aluminum head just like other engines in the NG6 family. Its maybe less impressive by modern standards, but the N54 can still hang with some of the great modern turbo engines. Until 2006, BMW focusedon building naturally aspirated engines. Hes also the proud owner of a 600whp N54 with upgraded twin turbos and an E30 325i drift car and has a particular affinity for the S58 engine. How to Diagnose & Repair Volvo "Anti-Skid Service Required" Message, Seven New European Cars That Offer A Manual Transmission (2020 Model Year). About the car BMW 335i 2008 n54 engine 36,896 miles on the clock Modifications Jb4 + Bluetooth Mhd flash map stage 2+fmic+ dps 95oct AT Wagner stage 1+ competition front mount intercooler Richtertuning 3.5 down pipes Miltek full decat back 3" exhaust system no baffles just back box's Forge hard pipe and forge single blow off valve See what the wealthiest enthusiasts spent their money on to get the car of their dreams back in the 80s. Intake valves should be cleaned every 70,000 to 100,000 miles. N54 might never reach the status the 2JZ has gained over the years, but with the single turbo N54s being built, we shall see! 509WHP + 575TQ . No, the N54 does not offer good reliability. The BMW N54 is a beautiful engine, but some days it will have you banging your head on a wall, Before purchasing a turbocharged 135i, 335i or 535i it is important to consider the differences between the N54 and N55 powered BMWs. Tally how many spark plug wires are present. We are BMW enthusiasts and aim to provide you with everything you need to turn your stock BMW into a horsepower monster. A lot of N54s already have the updated HPFPs that dont often have problems. I meant, mine did not look like that. Its a good range where youre not stressing the OEM turbos too much. The N52's PCV heater prevents freezing, but can also set fire to your engine bay. O2 sensors, VANOS solenoids, and misc. E90/E91/E92/E93 (2006 - 2013) N54 Compression test. gareth1@fcpeuro.com. Here's a good compression test and leak down test video for an N54. Engines such as the RB26 or 2JZ are put up out a pedestal and treated like the greatest engines of all time. There are very good parts of the N54 that were way overbuilt. Quite often, the temperature rise of the gas during the compression dictates a limit for the safe or reasonable pressure rise. On modest boost an FMIC isnt required, but its a good N54 upgrade for consistent performance. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Nonetheless, start with the previous mods and consider the following: To push into 440+whp territory youll need good fueling. But, understandably, he has a desire to get behind the wheel of his own track car this season. Sure, the twin-turbocharged petrol engine provides enough power as it is. BMW N54 Engine Specs A forged crank and rods deliver solid strength. N54 stock turbos do fail naturally, though. This N54 was running FBO, with inlets and outlets, and 100% E85. Most new engines in good condition compress at around 175 psi. For the DIY crowd the N54 is awesome. It blows white smoke and misfires of multiple cylinders. Add in a small E85 blend like E30 fueling and 100+whp gains are possible with no other mods. Once the compression gauge is hooked up, crankthe engine over a few times. But Id rather not buy more cars. You can say we are somewhat N54 fanatics. Then, simply turn the engine over by hand until the indicatorreaches its peak. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. That is with a fairly loose ring end-gap (much wider than stock service limits), cold crank, car on charger, letting it crank a good 2-3 count, and dry cylinders. His experience as an enthusiast, combined with his technical knowledge, makes him an essential resource for anyone looking to improve the performance of their BMW. the standard dyno is a Dynojet and people will discount your numbers. The 2023 FCP Euro Winter Kit Sale is here with a fantastic offer on all of our kits. When I started writing this post, EMP Tuning and their Kraken N54 had the N54 world record with 920WHPwell, within the past month, that record has been beaten! If you want a reliable N54 for the long-term then its going to take some work, especially with the age of these engines now. The N54 is a fairly tough engine. Leaks happen far more often than failure. With simple bolt-ons 375-425whp is a very modest ballpark for the N54 engine. In both cases, power output is compromised. carolinasbmwmoa.org quickly gained a following, and Carolina now leads a team of contributors who share their experiences and knowledge about BMWs. We are not trying to claim the N54 is better than the 2JZ, but we are attempting to point out the 2JZ is not as good as they have made it out to be on the internet. As a general rule, a low compression ball should be used by golfers that swing the club less than 85 MPH, a mid compression ball is for swing speeds between 85-100 MPH, and a high compression ball is for swing speeds above 100 MPH. However, 600whp on quick spooling twin turbos is a different story. No such issues after flashing. Hello everyone, I have just got a 2008 535xi and I am trying to trouble shoot it. Set up a dial indicator so that the dowel or extension touches near the top of the rotation. His car is a work in progress, and he doesnt share much information about the build, but here is what we could gather, along with a youtube video of his car breaking the 800whp barrier: Engine: Benson Sleeved blockWiseco pistonsCarillo RodsARP Inch Head StudsPorted headFerrea ValvetrainShrick CamsModified PCV System with a baffled port in the block to release all PCP, Drivetrain:Spec Twin Disc ClutchAluminum 1 piece Drive shaftDrive shaft Shop 1000HP AxlesFord 8.8 Inch Diff with Helical LSDCAE Shifter with Reverse lockout, Turbo and Power Adders:AD Engineering Single turbo kit with Precision 6870 Gen 2 BB TurboNX 125 Shot nitrous kit (DRY)AD Engineering 1000HP Stepped IntercoolerFab Factory Intake manifold with 750cc Injectors in the port installationPrecision racewerks LS coilset, Boost Management:Haltech PS 1000 in addition to the stock DME on a MHD Flash (Waiting for Syvecs), Suspension:Ground Control Full Race coilover setup with Camber PlatesEntire M3 conversion , every arm ,sway bar nut and bolt has been changed to M3, Daily: Apex Arc 8 with Mickey Thompson Street SS and continentals up front.Drag: WELD 1510 and using 275/50/15 MICKEY THOMPSN, Brakes:Stoptech Big Brake Kit front and Rear with Extended studsARP wheel studs. 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