[ptpending]

the problem affect mostly to early , pre-2013 engines, so
for example, here is report of the such failure from our local community
https://www.drive2.com/l/571765838726572928/
n54 engine had failure due leaking injectors and extreme tuning
if you replaced all injectors to latest version you probably will not have such a problem
n54 is much more reliable shortblock but unreliable injectors and ingnition coils and spark plugs and leaking turbos

[flyin54]

Update on the car,
My friend bought a brand new crankshaft from germany for around $2200 CAD. He is going to rebuild the engine since the going rate for a used engine is $6000+ CAD. He is going to use ACL bearings.

[TunafishE93]

I also think that the oil intervals is the underlying issue. No reasonable person can run the n55 past 5k between oil changes. First you have the direct injection diluting the oil, then you have the turbo cooking the oil, and since these engines leak due to seals you have outside contamination to deal with.

Yes a 2.2l 4 cylinder natural aspiring port injection could go 10k miles on synthetic but the n55 is a whole other beast. Once you get into tuning you oil change frequency should be change at less mileage also, just like every other part in the engine.

These long intervals just makes a ticking time bomb and the oil filter gasket is just the match. The match would be non priming, debris and contamination.

Saying all this I have always be an opponent to longer than 5k oil changes. We spend money mod and tuning but don't need to cheap out on life blood of the engine.

[Mustafa.e92]

Don't mean to thread jack but I'm in the same boat with one of my freinds cars. 2011 n55 150k km. Just bought the car started making a slight knock. Pulled out the oil filter and it's glittered. Is a used swap the better decision here

[flyin54]

I'm going to try and get some more pictures this week but my friend said cylinder 6 spun and damaged the connecting rod, no other bearings spun. Thankfully the cylinder walls are good.

[flyin54]

Originally Posted by Mustafa.e92

Don't mean to thread jack but I'm in the same boat with one of my freinds cars. 2011 n55 150k km. Just bought the car started making a slight knock. Pulled out the oil filter and it's glittered. Is a used swap the better decision here

I would pull out the oil pan and have a look at the crankshaft journals, a used n55 engine is not cheap with prices over $5000+ , it's worth a shot to see what kind damage the engine suffered instead of just swapping it.

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

7500+ members in our N55 FB group, only 98 have reported rod bearing failure, almost all on multiple owner cars with limited maintenance facts.

My personal belief is that it is due to long oil change intervals and not keeping an engine that consumes oil (normal as stated from BMW), topped off.

BUT no one knows for sure, there is no comprehensive data to come to any reasonable coclusion. But the people saying that it happens to a lot of owners, well they are just not looking at the big picture IMO.

The N55 was produced in much higher numbers and was in in many more models than the N54 was. For example in 2012, BMW sold 1.8 million vehicles. Most dealer reported failures ( a few guys here and there with basically no details) are guesses at best because the dealers are not even allowed to crack open the engines to find out how they failed. So even if you could find 50 documented failures, they would be statistically insignificant. And N54's fail at a decent rate (search and you will see) and you don't hear anyone saying the N54 has a rod bearing problem, and the rod bearings are used on later model N55's, S55, etc. and those don't have a problem. The N55 was in the following vehicles over the past 10+ years.
N55B30M0

2009–2017 F10/F11/F07 535i
2010-2013 E90/E91/E92/E93 335i
2010-2013 E82/E88 135i
2010–2017 F25 X3 xDrive35i
2011-2013 E70 X5 xDrive 35i
2011–2015 F30/F31 335i
2011–2014 E71 X6 xDrive 35i
2012–2015 E84 X1 xDrive35i
2013–2016 F32/F33/F36 435i
2014–2018 F15 X5 xDrive 35i
2014–2019 F16 X6 xDrive35i
2014–2016 F26 X4 xDrive 35i

N55B30

2011–2018 F06/F12/F13 640i[13]
2012–2013 E82/E88 135is[14]
2012–2015 F20/F21 M135i[15][16]
2012–2015 F01 740i/Li

N55B30

2013–2016 F22/F23 M235i
2015–2016 F20/F21 M135i LCI

N55HP

2013–2015 F30 ActiveHybrid 3

N55B30T0

2015–2018 F26 X4 M40i — 265 kW (355 bhp)
2016–2018 F87 M2 — 272 kW (365 bhp)

as i said before, this problem for 2009-2012 N55 engines
after that oil regulator and some other parts are updated
so you have to filter your N55 group a little

[anjuna]

colour me unreasonable - I just did a 12k interval on my car

But it was rotella t6 5w40. It's all i'll ever run. That said, I'd like to keep it closer to 7.5k.

That said, I drive conservatively 99% of the time, but those other times its 20psi boost, full meth inject, and aggressive timing, yet no knock.

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

I also think that the oil intervals is the underlying issue. No reasonable person can run the n55 past 5k between oil changes. First you have the direct injection diluting the oil, then you have the turbo cooking the oil, and since these engines leak due to seals you have outside contamination to deal with.

Yes a 2.2l 4 cylinder natural aspiring port injection could go 10k miles on synthetic but the n55 is a whole other beast. Once you get into tuning you oil change frequency should be change at less mileage also, just like every other part in the engine.

These long intervals just makes a ticking time bomb and the oil filter gasket is just the match. The match would be non priming, debris and contamination.

Saying all this I have always be an opponent to longer than 5k oil changes. We spend money mod and tuning but don't need to cheap out on life blood of the engine.

[flyin54]

Some more pics

[flyin54]

One more

[ptpending]

nothing new
our local pal who had this problem had engine repaired and after 5000km engine began to knock again
until you fix oil supply system you will have this failure sometime

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

Originally Posted by anjuna

colour me unreasonable - I just did a 12k interval on my car

But it was rotella t6 5w40. It's all i'll ever run. That said, I'd like to keep it closer to 7.5k.

That said, I drive conservatively 99% of the time, but those other times its 20psi boost, full meth inject, and aggressive timing, yet no knock.

Mine has done 10-12k oil changes for the last 11 years. Also no knock.