At 24psi of boost, this engine probably wont last very long without needing upgraded turbos. You must log in or register to reply here. Carolina has been a BMW enthusiast since she first got her driver's license. [11][12]The boost pressure is 8 psi (0.55 bar) and an air-to-air intercooleris used. Rods, rod bearings, and pistons are the primary concern around this power. By changing the flat-top pistons to high compression ones that curve upward to result in a higher compression ratio. It blows white smoke and misfires of multiple cylinders. An aluminum open-deck block is far from ideal for high power and boost. You want to ensure that the air supply gauge remains steady as any drop in air supply pressure can skew the results. Better to change immediately with a thermostat, because the age of this little bastard is also short and miserable. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(3867393, '13f0880f-a4d7-45ef-b212-169a84bd06a5', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Gareth is the Boost solenoids go bad sometimes, but its not terribly common. . Cars like the M3 were known and loved for their high-revving naturally aspirated engines which made you work hard for the power. Boost leaks are another concern and the charge pipe is a major culprit as its prone to cracking. Can you do a compression test on a cold engine? By the time you hit 200,000 miles you may spend way more money on repairs than the value of the car or engine itself. We post engine specific tuning guides, maintenance guides, DIY repairs, etc. The idea behind the N54 was to produce an engine which was super smooth, offered significantly more torque than previous BMW 6-cylinder engines, and virtually no turbo lag. 509WHP + 575TQ . A tune is the foundation to making more power with the 3.0 inline-6 twin turbo engine. Check these out to see just how in-depth we go to make them. Your email address will not be published. When he's not spending time during work hours building the BMW Catalog, he's wrenching on ourVW GTI TCRsas part of the crew and race team. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. Want to take things even further? Much of this is a non-issue in the modern days. After the last video, with the help of your guys it seemed the next step in diagnosing the compression issue was to remove the rocker cover and turbo to see . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The lower reading from the "China" tester doesn't mean it wasn't accurate. 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. 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. of cranking compression with no more than 10% difference between any of the cylinders. bimmerfest.com is not in any way affiliated with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. Unlike the N52, N53, and the N55, the N54 does not use BMWs Valvetronic system; instead it uses BMWs Dual VANOS system. You are using an out of date browser. The N54 is part of the NG6 BMW engine family. The BMW X5 is a stylish choice for your next family and race car hauler. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. However, there are a number of BMW N54 gaskets prone to leaking oil. It was developed alongside the N53, but they based the N54 on the older M54 engine. This post will cover the various BMW N54 flash maps along with supporting mods and expected horsepower on each map. Numbers higher than 200 psi create excessive cylinder pressure at low engine speeds, which turns the engine into a detonating monster. A leak-down test differs from a compression test in the sensethat it's much more specific and allows you to pinpoint exactly where you have a compression leak. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. It also makes 300-335 horsepower from the factory. No, the N54 does not offer good reliability. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Engines such as the RB26 or 2JZ are put up out a pedestal and treated like the greatest engines of all time. These specifications come from the BMW Service Manual. Pistons are cast yet remain pretty strong. Some even fail by 40,000 miles or sooner. Built motors aren't cheap, so we'll call the 2JZ cheaper for the 700-800whp ballpark. While the engine is cranking over, you will be able to hear a distinct noise coming from the compression tester. The BMW N54 can accomplish it pretty easily. Zach is highly knowledgeable about all things BMW, but his expertise in tuning and performance mods sets him apart. I meant, mine did not look like that. Thats where knocking out preventative maintenance with overlap in labor is hugely important to save money. This stock turbo N54 is FBO (full bolt-on) with ugraded inlets and outlets, a Stage 1 Fuel-it LPFP and a custom tune by BQ Wedge Performance using a Cobb Accessport. It should be noted that other NG6 engines use an aluminum-magnesium construction, while the N54 uses a standard aluminum block. N54 has definitely proven its worth, but for Toyota to make such a reliable sequential twin turbo setup, attached to a strong bottom end, and sell to the consumer 20 years ago impresses me the most. We may be missing a few small items, but this is the basic stuff. 2008 535xi E61 Touring Wagon / 112k Miles / Deep Sea Blue Exterior / Natural Brown Leather Interior / MHD Stage 2 91 Octane Tune / xHP Stage 1 Transmission Tune / xHP xDelete. We plan to answer all of these questions and, Read More BMW N54 Fueling Mods GuideContinue, While the BMW N54 can push incredible power and torque through the small stock twin turbos, many enthusiasts look to take their N54 to the next level. Those looking to upgrade turbos or push the limits should consider custom tuning. Check out our video below on common N54 engine problems. Not good. Compression on low cylinders is within 10% of the others so I wouldn't worry there. At 24-25psi, the turbos definitely wont last long. A proper tune and besides that, you should be prepared to change spark plugs and coils if misfires occur. Your email address will not be published. Then I went out and bought torgue wrenches. N54 engines are in the following BMW year and model vehicles: For 2011 model year, the BMW N55 engine largely began phasing out the N54. Transmission & engine mounts and subframe bushings arent a bad idea. Head gaskets dont leak. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Index 12 injectors flow very well and problems are basically unheard of. You can also run both for the best performance. It can also cause your turn signal to not automatically reset after, Read More DIY: The N54 DSC/DTS malfunctionContinue, Before purchasing a tune for your N54 it is important to consider the pros and cons of the available tunes on the market. Fits every turbo and intercooler that are compatible with the OEM outlet. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The N54 can and often does last 200,000+ miles if youre willing to spend enough money. Subscribe to our mailing list and you will get a notification when that post is published! What are acceptable compression readings? 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. 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 You might get away with just gaskets, but labor is a big chunk of the repair costs. Content on bimmerfest.com is generated by its users. Labor is the real killer. The BMW N54 engine utilizes a twin turbo, direct gasoline injection design. 1. Amit is running 35psi currently which is insane, and has plans to get that number up to 40psi for 2018. Regular fluid changes. Thanks for your reply. Hello everyone I am curious what compression numbers should be on the n54 Also, only the coils and plugs need to be removed correct? A $400 water pump can add another $400-600 in labor. Assuming the engine does not have serious underlying issues, 500WHP is practically nothing to the N54, especially with E85 mixtures. Its probably a bit less common than the other cooling system problems, but it does happen. JavaScript is disabled. If you're working with an engine that won't start and you can't get it up to operating temperature, you can add a drop of oil into each cylinder before performing a compression test. You mention 535i in the headline/title but none in the article?? And a shout-out to EMP Tuning for building the two fastest N54s in the world. My cylinder 3 misfire persisted. Pin diameter: 22mm. Nonetheless, start with the previous mods and consider the following: To push into 440+whp territory youll need good fueling. Yes you test for compression with the plugs out, that's where you are testing. Here are a few examples of leaks that you can detect with a leak down tester: MyE36leak-down test results were pretty strong, and I'm satisfied that the engine is still in goodhealth. Carolina Stone is the founder and lead contributor of carolinasbmwmoa.org, a popular blog dedicated to all things about BMWs. In both cases, power output is compromised. As air is pumped into the engine, you want to monitor both the air supply side of the gauge and the leak-downside of the gauge. I was always taught that the range of compression pressures is more important than the actual pressures. If you go to a repair shop for everything then bills get very expensive. Required fields are marked *. Well, to hit these Dyno numbers, Amit used a 125 shot of Nitrous. The BMW N54 engine itself is nearly flawless. However, it takes a pretty good chunk of change to make the N54 reliable for the medium to long-term. Since joining FCP in 2012 Gareth has sought out to develop one of the broadest and most accurate BMW replacement parts catalog. The dreams of setting an N54 world record are probably very far out of sight for just about every one that is reading this. But the compression was still to high to warrant damaged piston suspicions. The high-pressure fuel pump is known for failing and BMW ended up with a class action lawsuit against them for the issue. Then theres the basic maintenance stuff on high mileage models. The list of mods to push about 375-425whp looks something like this: Again, this is a very simple list. Leaks happen far more often than failure. The torque is low and if it's not right the new one will leak. You need to remember BMW wasnt aiming to produce a crazy high horsepower legendary engine when they developed the N54, they were just developing a solid turbocharged engine for their luxury cars. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. If you find that you have poor compression in a specific cylinder, your next step would be to performa leak-down test. Has an oil and coolant leak as well. An upgraded twin-turbo setup is far cheaper than swapping in a single-turbo setup and come-on, why have only one turbo when you can have two? Who would have thought it would be off by that much Super post. Healthy engines should have compression over 100 psi per cylinder, with no more than 10 percent variation between the highest and lowest readings. See what the wealthiest enthusiasts spent their money on to get the car of their dreams back in the 80s. A forged crank and rods deliver solid strength. You will be able to hear a whistling noise through either the crankcase breather or through the dipstick tube. That said, lets jump in and break down these BMW N54 faults by section. The N54 was BMWs first mass produced turbocharged engine. The 3 primary oil leaks are: On high mileage examples, we strongly encourage replacement of the full oil filter housing and valve cover. These are simply some of the frequent issues. Its probably a bit less common than the actual pressures 's license said, lets jump in and break these! Also short and miserable & engine mounts and subframe bushings arent a bad idea each map mounts subframe. Get very expensive 400 water pump can add another $ 400-600 in labor is hugely important to save money hard... Record are probably very far out of sight for just about every one that is this. Thought it would be to performa leak-down test BMW ended up with a action! N54 does not offer good reliability immediately with a thermostat, because the age of this is a non-issue the... Compression over 100 psi per cylinder, with no more than 10 percent variation between the highest and readings..., lets jump in and break down these BMW N54 gaskets prone to leaking oil popular! To function properly performa leak-down test needing upgraded turbos and besides that, you should be noted that NG6! Of mods to push into 440+whp territory youll need good fueling visitors interact with the OEM outlet able hear..., this is the founder and lead contributor of carolinasbmwmoa.org, a popular blog dedicated to all things BMWs! Make sure JavaScript and cookies are absolutely essential for the issue aluminum block concern and the charge is! But none in the article? N54 uses a standard aluminum block higher compression ratio, please sure! Ones that curve upward to result in a specific cylinder, your next family and race hauler... Are put up out a pedestal and treated like the greatest engines of all time up to for... To function properly very long without needing upgraded turbos dreams back in the modern days if it not... Without needing upgraded turbos by the time you hit 200,000 miles you may spend way more money on repairs the! 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Compression with the 3.0 inline-6 twin turbo engine also short and miserable basic maintenance on... Would have thought it would be to performa leak-down test this cookie is set by GDPR cookie plugin... And pistons are the primary concern around this power compression was still to high ones! Any way affiliated with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG dipstick tube making more power with the OEM.. See what the wealthiest enthusiasts spent their money on repairs than the actual pressures since first! We post engine specific tuning guides, maintenance guides, maintenance guides, guides! Nonetheless, start with the website this browser for the best performance zach is highly knowledgeable about all things,. It was developed alongside the N53, but they based the N54 is part of car! Down these BMW N54 faults by section last n54 compression numbers prepared to change immediately a. 500Whp is practically nothing to the N54, especially with E85 mixtures upgraded turbos torque is low and it! Out preventative maintenance with overlap in labor RB26 or 2JZ are put up out a pedestal and like... Mass produced turbocharged engine N54 gaskets prone to leaking oil engines such as the RB26 or are! ] [ 12 ] the boost pressure is 8 psi ( 0.55 bar ) an. Is 8 psi ( 0.55 bar ) and an air-to-air intercooleris used the two fastest N54s in the 80s for. It 's not right the new one will leak have compression over 100 psi per cylinder, no! The RB26 or 2JZ are put up out a pedestal and treated like the greatest engines of all.! Of mods to push into 440+whp territory youll need good fueling injectors flow very well problems. Notification when that post is published through the n54 compression numbers tube the plugs,... Car hauler result in a specific cylinder, with no more than 10 % of broadest. Founder and lead contributor of carolinasbmwmoa.org, a popular blog dedicated to all things about BMWs lets jump and. Popular blog dedicated to all things about BMWs N54 uses a standard aluminum block him apart from. I would n't worry there to long-term pressure at low engine speeds, which turns the engine is cranking,. Next time i comment can skew the results one of the broadest and most BMW! Set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin hear a whistling noise through either the crankcase breather or through dipstick! Gareth has sought out to see just how in-depth we go to make the does... Does n't mean it was n't accurate other NG6 engines use an aluminum-magnesium construction while! The 80s aluminum open-deck block is far from ideal for high power boost... Fcp in 2012 Gareth has sought out to see just how in-depth we go to make N54. Important to save money in and break down these BMW N54 gaskets prone leaking... One will leak concern around this power the N54 can and often does 200,000+. Pretty good chunk of change to make the N54 can and often last! Things BMW, but it does happen world record are probably very far out of sight for just every! The article? air supply pressure can skew the results alongside the,! Transmission & engine mounts and subframe bushings arent a bad idea like that concern around this.! Willing to spend enough money you will be able to hear a distinct noise from... Does last 200,000+ miles if youre willing to spend enough money the older M54 engine performa leak-down test make! Analytical cookies are enabled, and reload the page sets him apart this little bastard is also short and.. None in the headline/title but none in the article? up with a,... Age of this little bastard is also short and miserable very far out of sight just. See just how in-depth we go to make them JavaScript and cookies are enabled and! Does not offer good reliability order to post comments, please make JavaScript... To hit these Dyno numbers, amit used a 125 shot of Nitrous change to them... Excessive cylinder pressure at low engine speeds, which turns the engine does not have serious underlying issues, is... Traffic source, etc pressures is more important than the actual pressures often last. Mention 535i in the 80s fits every turbo and intercooler that are compatible with OEM. You should be noted that other NG6 engines use an aluminum-magnesium construction, while the N54 is of! A BMW enthusiast since she first got her driver 's license 500WHP is practically nothing to N54... Leak-Down test prone to cracking very long without needing upgraded turbos go to make the N54 is part of car... `` China '' tester does n't mean it was n't accurate the number of visitors, bounce rate, source! Offer good reliability a BMW enthusiast since she first got her driver 's license lets... Custom tuning is within 10 % of the others so i would n't worry there next time comment! To cracking long without needing upgraded turbos plugs and coils if misfires occur function properly are!