[rajkumar145]

well done..this is jst amazing..

[thedoodab1des]

new member, first time posting - my apologies if I'm in the wrong place (not trying to highjack...).

N54 E92 - looking to acquire new index 12 injectors, found some on walmart.com marketplace for 150 each claiming to be new - is this trustworthy? Does anyone else have any experience or recommendations?

[E93Dude]

Originally Posted by thedoodab1des

new member, first time posting - my apologies if I'm in the wrong place (not trying to highjack...).

N54 E92 - looking to acquire new index 12 injectors, found some on walmart.com marketplace for 150 each claiming to be new - is this trustworthy? Does anyone else have any experience or recommendations?

There is a near 100% chance that these are fake. New index 12's are several times that cost, but that said, I would honestly recommend you buy a few, run them for a while, and report back if they are junk or work OK. If they are fake, they may still work OK, but I would not try to push 500hp on them.

I would have posted this as a new question in the following sub-forums, but not in the "sticky" section of them. More people will notice.

-- General E90 Sedan / E91 Wagon / E92 Coupe / E93 Cabrio
-- N54 Turbo Engine / Drivetrain / Exhaust Modifications - 335i
-- Mechanical Maintenance: Break-in / Oil & Fluids / Servicing / Warranty

[Shyatic]

Hi all -- currently looking at a 2011 335Xi 6 speed... I have *heard* these engines are tunable relatively inexpensively, but I'm really looking for a car to re-learn stickshift on (and teach my kids).

The car I'm looking at has 150k miles, just had the serpentine belt done, no sign of transmission fluid being changed. Just curious what you think about the model year, the engine etc -- and anything to look out for?

Thanks!

[1125ASL]

First, I can't thank the OP enough. I am extremely happy now to start my used E91 xDrive search.

From the OP: I would rather have an RWD E9X with winter tires then a X-Drive with all seasons.

At about 4900 feet elevation, we get 62" annual average snow. Winter driving conditions exist from about November through March-April. At least once I saw a blizzard in early June. Memorial Day snow storm is not big news. The major canyon to the nearest international airport sometimes requires chains/cables except for AWD/4WD. Last time I drove to the airport I was stuck behind the snow plows. One grade was so long and steep I was concerned my 2WD vehicle might not move forward if I had to stop.

Would the OP stand by his statement above in the conditions I just described?

Is 1st row entry/exit the same between the sedan and wagon?

[lomon98]

Hi everyone, newbie here,

I live in the UK and about to buy my first car. I have a budget of about 15k-16k GBP and have been looking for an automatic e92 335. It seems the n54 is much cheaper and I could get one for about 12k GBP at 60k miles or so. Knowing the common problems these engines carry, my intention would be to go for a preventive maintenance, thus my question is:

would a pillow of about 3k GBP be enough to do this preventive maintenance and/or at least be enough to cover this car's problems through a 2 year ownership period? I just wanna be realistic and don´t wanna get into a money pit, as I would daily this car.

Pd: the extra 1k GBP would be for tuning purposes

Thanks in advance!

[E93Dude]

Good on you for wanting a superb driving machine. N54 3-series are getting on 10 years old, so you need to be picky about your prospective purchase’s condition, especially coming from a northern climate. Also, these cars are now on their second or third owner, many of which either baby them or beat on them because of tuneability. Bottom line, unless you are very familiar with the platform, you need to have a mechanic look at it. A seller with a lot of service records is probably going to have taken care of it. Some Ali G lookalike from Slough who only had the car for a year…yeah, not so much.

The above aside, the other question is how much of the servicing work you plan to do yourself. Mechanics’ labour charges can well exceed cost of parts and eat you alive. Are you comfortable changing a water pump or injectors? If not, recommend you get comfortable. At lease be able to change your own brake pads…

Your 3k repair cushion for parts sounds fine for the most part. I’m not going to cover stuff like hoses, plugs and ignition coils. Common failures on E9x are:

• Water pump
• High pressure fuel pump
• Starter motor
• Oil filter housing gasket
• Valve cover gasket
• …and new injectors.
• …and blown turbos

Of the above, new index 12 injectors (final revision) could easily cost you £500 a piece, and are recommended if you are tuning for higher power. Otherwise, there are a lot of earlier used versions (index1-11) on eBay for waaay cheaper if your existing injector fails. If you buy a later model E9x you stand a better chance of it already coming with 12s, so regardless of vehicle mileage, I would look for that.

The twin turbos are also known to fail, although there are several forum members with north of 200K miles and zero problems. You can get cheap replacements on eBay or AliExpress, but those are usually cheap chinese junk that run about $800 here in the States. Good quality ones will be $1500 (each) or more. Hope your E9x has good turbos.

I could go on, but others here will have thoughts, too. I will close by telling you look at the car's condition and service records first, and mileage second. A higher mileage car with service records showing alot of known failure points have already been addressed might be a good choice. Also, invest in some diagnostic software like ProTool for android devices, or ISTA (dealership service level software) for Windows 10 (its free, but somewhat complicated to use. Protool is user friendly, but costs about $75).

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 1125ASL

First, I can't thank the OP enough. I am extremely happy now to start my used E91 xDrive search.

From the OP: I would rather have an RWD E9X with winter tires then a X-Drive with all seasons.

At about 4900 feet elevation, we get 62" annual average snow. Winter driving conditions exist from about November through March-April. At least once I saw a blizzard in early June. Memorial Day snow storm is not big news. The major canyon to the nearest international airport sometimes requires chains/cables except for AWD/4WD. Last time I drove to the airport I was stuck behind the snow plows. One grade was so long and steep I was concerned my 2WD vehicle might not move forward if I had to stop.

Would the OP stand by his statement above in the conditions I just described?

Is 1st row entry/exit the same between the sedan and wagon?

Yes.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Yes.

+2

My RWD E90 with General Arctic snow tires is a snow monster, and I prefer it in the snow over my 4x4 Jeep due to the chassis handling. Obviously the Jeep would win in deep snow where ground clearance is an issue, but the point is the car handles snow very well for being RWD, much better than I expected. I wouldn't buy an X-Drive car and all of its added complexity simply because of snowy roads. The first time I encountered snow in my RWD car, it was in a blizzard in the mountains of upstate NY. I had cable chains in the trunk in case I needed them, but to this day have never even opened the package.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

+2

My RWD E90 with General Arctic snow tires is a snow monster, and I prefer it in the snow over my 4x4 Jeep due to the chassis handling. Obviously the Jeep would win in deep snow where ground clearance is an issue, but the point is the car handles snow very well for being RWD, much better than I expected. I wouldn't buy an X-Drive car and all of its added complexity simply because of snowy roads. The first time I encountered snow in my RWD car, it was in a blizzard in the mountains of upstate NY. I had cable chains in the trunk in case I needed them, but to this day have never even opened the package.

People really do not understand how important front/rear weight balance is for handling in inclement weather. I never had snows on my E30, just all-seasons at best, but the balance was so good it just never let go in the snow. When the moment of inertia is under your butt, the car just feels so much better. The E90 is the same.

[lomon98]

Originally Posted by E93Dude

Good on you for wanting a superb driving machine. N54 3-series are getting on 10 years old, so you need to be picky about your prospective purchase’s condition, especially coming from a northern climate. Also, these cars are now on their second or third owner, many of which either baby them or beat on them because of tuneability. Bottom line, unless you are very familiar with the platform, you need to have a mechanic look at it. A seller with a lot of service records is probably going to have taken care of it. Some Ali G lookalike from Slough who only had the car for a year…yeah, not so much.

The above aside, the other question is how much of the servicing work you plan to do yourself. Mechanics’ labour charges can well exceed cost of parts and eat you alive. Are you comfortable changing a water pump or injectors? If not, recommend you get comfortable. At lease be able to change your own brake pads…

Your 3k repair cushion for parts sounds fine for the most part. I’m not going to cover stuff like hoses, plugs and ignition coils. Common failures on E9x are:

• Water pump
• High pressure fuel pump
• Starter motor
• Oil filter housing gasket
• Valve cover gasket
• …and new injectors.
• …and blown turbos

Of the above, new index 12 injectors (final revision) could easily cost you £500 a piece, and are recommended if you are tuning for higher power. Otherwise, there are a lot of earlier used versions (index1-11) on eBay for waaay cheaper if your existing injector fails. If you buy a later model E9x you stand a better chance of it already coming with 12s, so regardless of vehicle mileage, I would look for that.

The twin turbos are also known to fail, although there are several forum members with north of 200K miles and zero problems. You can get cheap replacements on eBay or AliExpress, but those are usually cheap chinese junk that run about $800 here in the States. Good quality ones will be $1500 (each) or more. Hope your E9x has good turbos.

I could go on, but others here will have thoughts, too. I will close by telling you look at the car's condition and service records first, and mileage second. A higher mileage car with service records showing alot of known failure points have already been addressed might be a good choice. Also, invest in some diagnostic software like ProTool for android devices, or ISTA (dealership service level software) for Windows 10 (its free, but somewhat complicated to use. Protool is user friendly, but costs about $75).

Thank you very much for the answer. Taking into account that it would be my daily and that I don´t want to tune it (300 hp for my first car is more than enough IMO), maybe I am better off with a N55. I have read it is way more reliable and adequate for cases like mine, again I wouldn´t want to spend more than 15-16k. On the other hand, in regards to the N54, I would probably need to take the car to the mechanic as I don´t have a garage where I can work on the car, and I have been told, every 3 months something new brakes in a N54 so maybe mechanic bills could really eat me alive as you said. Anyway, I guess I will keep looking...

[lomon98]

Originally Posted by E93Dude

Good on you for wanting a superb driving machine. N54 3-series are getting on 10 years old, so you need to be picky about your prospective purchase’s condition, especially coming from a northern climate. Also, these cars are now on their second or third owner, many of which either baby them or beat on them because of tuneability. Bottom line, unless you are very familiar with the platform, you need to have a mechanic look at it. A seller with a lot of service records is probably going to have taken care of it. Some Ali G lookalike from Slough who only had the car for a year…yeah, not so much.

The above aside, the other question is how much of the servicing work you plan to do yourself. Mechanics’ labour charges can well exceed cost of parts and eat you alive. Are you comfortable changing a water pump or injectors? If not, recommend you get comfortable. At lease be able to change your own brake pads…

Your 3k repair cushion for parts sounds fine for the most part. I’m not going to cover stuff like hoses, plugs and ignition coils. Common failures on E9x are:

• Water pump
• High pressure fuel pump
• Starter motor
• Oil filter housing gasket
• Valve cover gasket
• …and new injectors.
• …and blown turbos

Of the above, new index 12 injectors (final revision) could easily cost you £500 a piece, and are recommended if you are tuning for higher power. Otherwise, there are a lot of earlier used versions (index1-11) on eBay for waaay cheaper if your existing injector fails. If you buy a later model E9x you stand a better chance of it already coming with 12s, so regardless of vehicle mileage, I would look for that.

The twin turbos are also known to fail, although there are several forum members with north of 200K miles and zero problems. You can get cheap replacements on eBay or AliExpress, but those are usually cheap chinese junk that run about $800 here in the States. Good quality ones will be $1500 (each) or more. Hope your E9x has good turbos.

I could go on, but others here will have thoughts, too. I will close by telling you look at the car's condition and service records first, and mileage second. A higher mileage car with service records showing alot of known failure points have already been addressed might be a good choice. Also, invest in some diagnostic software like ProTool for android devices, or ISTA (dealership service level software) for Windows 10 (its free, but somewhat complicated to use. Protool is user friendly, but costs about $75).

Just found this one which does seem to check some of the common failure items replaced/fixed box. What do you think? I am a bit lost and would like to buy a car in the next 2 weeks so, again, any help is appreciated (forgive me for being so repetitive).

Thanks a ton for the help again!


PS: I am down to do some basic mechanic work but cannot DIY an oil pan gasket replacement.

[OceanView18]

In spirit of buying used well-cared for e90 BMWs, my 6-speed 2011 328i xdrive sedan in a compelling deep sea blue and dakota saddle leather combination is on sale now on cars and bids:

https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3qG...i-xdrive-sedan

Thank you !

[tac05]

This post was incredibly helpful, thank you!

[srkaje]

I just wanted to say how grateful I am for this post. This has to be one of the most in depth detailed posts about e90 series, truly amazing. Thank you for your effort.

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[holysaint]

this is a brilliant post, will be sharing with friends looking to buy rn.

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by 1125ASL

First, I can't thank the OP enough. I am extremely happy now to start my used E91 xDrive search.

From the OP: I would rather have an RWD E9X with winter tires then a X-Drive with all seasons.

At about 4900 feet elevation, we get 62" annual average snow. Winter driving conditions exist from about November through March-April. At least once I saw a blizzard in early June. Memorial Day snow storm is not big news. The major canyon to the nearest international airport sometimes requires chains/cables except for AWD/4WD. Last time I drove to the airport I was stuck behind the snow plows. One grade was so long and steep I was concerned my 2WD vehicle might not move forward if I had to stop.

Would the OP stand by his statement above in the conditions I just described?

Is 1st row entry/exit the same between the sedan and wagon?

I currently live in Denver and encounter mountainous snowy driving conditions.

Obviously an X-Drive car with snow tires will be best in heavy snow conditions but I still stand by my statement that a RWD car with winter tires will perform better than an X-Drive car with all season tires. My F30 335i with a very similar X-Drive system as the E90 does a decent job getting going with my all seasons but will skid to a stop if any sort of force is used on the brakes. Winter tires are made from a softer tire compound that does not harden in cold weather. This tire compound does a significantly better job gripping snow and ice than an all season ever would.

[marineLuke]

Lots of great information.

I just bought a salvage 2007 335 from a government auction.
The price was too good, and honestly the car looks great, it does not start, but the engine does turn and I may have already found the problem. According to the Carfax it wasn't stitched together after some major crash so I'm hoping with some gentle mechanical touch she will run again.

I'm hoping this will be a fun project not planning on using it as a daily.

Great post!

[moochsauce]

Great info here - will be using in my search for an e90 335xi!

[morrishugo999]

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[artemio]

Is there any info on high mileage N54s? Just curious how far those engines go (stock/non stock). Currently at 53k miles, wondering how much life I got left of the car.