[SoupAnxiety]

Hi,

I have an N53 with index 11 injectors, with the usual symptoms. All injectors have been tested and two have failed.

I am buying new injectors to replace the failed ones. My choices are index 11 N53 injectors or index 12 N54 injectors. They're priced identically or thereabouts.

Has anybody mixed 11s and 12s? I'm tempted by the 12s as they're a later version and I hope they last longer than the 11s. If there's no difference in reliability then 11s would be the safe bet.

Any insight would be welcome...

[Phil325i]

While you can arguably mix indexes with N53 injectors, I deffo wouldn't risk mixing N54 and N53 injectors in the same engine. For what it's worth, I've had (all six) N54 index 12's in my N53 for 14,000 miles now, without issues. But if you're only replacing two, I'd stick with index 11 N53s.

I take it from your comments that N53 injectors are now readily available after the previous supply issues? In which case, good news.

P.S. at one time I heard that BMW were merging N53 and N54 injectors into one common injector with the same part number. But whether that's actually happened I guess only a BMW parts expert would know...

[SoupAnxiety]

Thanks Phil.

Availability for both types is good now - but expensive. BMW wanted £460 for each N53 injector, I've used ML Performance and they're £350 each. You're right about the N53 injectors being the better option for a partial set.

Two ordered along with the reluctor rings, I'll refit at the weekend and get them coded and adaptations cleared.

The E92 needs the new injectors and some other work, but it's significantly cheaper keeping it going than trying to buy something to replace it.

[0l0dom0l0]

It's best to keep them to a matched set all round. To get out of a hole I would run them in different banks though.

You can get the N54 injectors for £294 each.

[SoupAnxiety]

Originally Posted by 0l0dom0l0

It's best to keep them to a matched set all round. To get out of a hole I would run them in different banks though.

You can get the N54 injectors for £294 each.

Just in case more faults develop, where can the N54 injectors be bought from at £294?

[0l0dom0l0]

Message me at the time you need them and I'll tel you 😝. Want to keep it quiet so that it doesn't get abused.

[SoupAnxiety]

I took a chance on new N54 index 12 injectors from BMW, and I can confirm they work absolutely fine mixed with N53 index 11 injectors.

My configuration is -

Cylinders 1-4: N53 index 11
Cylinders 5-6: N54 index 12

This means bank 2 is mixed between the two versions. Adaptations reset, injectors coded, all is well in the driving seat and based on trim / smooth running data - at idle and under load. FWIW it ran smoothly even without coding.

I ordered 13538616079-12 and I received parts with outer packaging referencing the 079 part number, but the injectors themselves are stamped 13537585261-12. This is consistent with the comments at https://blog.fcpeuro.com/difference-...nd-13538616079.

If any of my other N53 index 11s fail, I'll be replacing them as and when with N54 index 12s.

[Phil325i]

Thanks for the update. Good news for anyone choking on the cost of replacing all six! Interesting that RealOEM shows

13538648937 as 'not found' and
13537585261 as 'ended' and superceded by 13538616079.

Maybe what you were sold were older injectors in the latest boxes..?

[SoupAnxiety]

937 was an internal number, and 079 delivered as 261 seems to be expected. The article at https://blog.fcpeuro.com/difference-...nd-13538616079 explains it -

Update: 2/13/2020

BMW is back to selling #13538648937 and #13538616079. Although these are two different part numbers, they are the same and it's actually referred to as #13537585261-12. If the box these come in says anything other than that, you can safely assume that they're #261-12.

For my new injectors, the clear plastic box had the 079 number on the BMW seal, and on the invoice too - these were ordered as new stock from BMW. The housing has 261-12 stamped on it.

I now believe the rumour that at some point in time BMW were planning on consolidating everything into one part!

[0l0dom0l0]

I believe that early on in the cycle when all these issues were being ironed out, the 937 was the warranty part number and there was actually slight differences internally from the 079. However these differences were later merged anyway and all injectors had the warranty update. I think there's more detail on FCP.

Good to hear all working okay.

[0l0dom0l0]

Interestingly I had a set of index 11 injectors that I bought of Phil about 18 months ago tested this week.

The results were quite interesting, the guy I gave them to to test was not optimistic.

All of them passed the leak down test, with no drips but there was 2 injectors out of the 6 that were delivering between 10 and 20% more fuel that the others.

Luckily I have one BNIB index 11 injector which I will use to replace the worst offender, but I'm wishing I had also given him that one to test to see what the flow rate of a brand new one would have been.

He said that the main issue seems to be that the internal filter breaks down and the debris contaminates the internals. Spray pattern was never really an issue with them but it's just the leaking (which I think we already know).

He didn't clean them, and said that he wouldn't reccomend cleaning them as the chemicals used are obviously quite strong and his words were "if they're working, don't fiddle with them".

Apparently VDO are no longer allowed to sell them outside the BMW dealer network either which explains why the likes of merlin diesel no longer stock them.

[Dormermike]

Interesting stuff. Surprised the "not allowed" doesn't fall foul of competition/monopoly rules. Regarding the 10% over fuel I wonder what the tolerance is for the DME coping with that, or perhaps adjusting the coding values to trim it out a bit.

[Phil325i]

Originally Posted by 0l0dom0l0

He said that the main issue seems to be that the internal filter breaks down and the debris contaminates the internals.

This why using N54 index 12s is, in my opinion, a good idea and preferable to index 11 N53 injectors. Why? Because as the FCPEuro video makes clear, the problems with the internal filter is one of the issues the index 12 revision addresses.

[0l0dom0l0]

Originally Posted by Dormermike

Interesting stuff. Surprised the "not allowed" doesn't fall foul of competition/monopoly rules. Regarding the 10% over fuel I wonder what the tolerance is for the DME coping with that, or perhaps adjusting the coding values to trim it out a bit.

I think they're probably using the supply issues as an excuse to wade through that. The 10% should be okay. 20% is pushing it though.

Originally Posted by Phil325i

This why using N54 index 12s is, in my opinion, a good idea and preferable to index 11 N53 injectors. Why? Because as the FCPEuro video makes clear, the problems with the internal filter is one of the issues the index 12 revision addresses.

I haven't seen that video have you got a link? I've seen them discussing the refurbishment process which involves replacing the internal filter. I think this is for a stainless version instead.

I'd be amazed if siemens are having all these issues because they won't spec a stainless filter. My understanding was the leaking was caused by a crack in an internal component that very early on was a one piece component - which they changed to a 2 piece welded to reduce costs, and it was the weld that was failing. Which is why index 1 injectors seem to last the distance but they were only fitted to a few very early N54 cars.

[Phil325i]

Originally Posted by 0l0dom0l0

I haven't seen that video have you got a link?

Here you go:

comments on the internal faults start at 0:30seconds.

[e92_josh]

ML performance appear to have both index 11 and 12s in stock for the same price at the moment.

If replacing all 6x injectors, what would people go for? Seems like index 12 is favoured for N53 at the moment?