BMW N57: Großer Diesel mit noch größeren Problemen - Instandsetzer deckt auf

The 3-liter diesel engine from BMW, engine code N5, one of the manufacturer's most popular engines, could have been a true masterpiece. However, it has fundamental weaknesses that almost always lead to engine failure. Most car owners probably know the symptoms, but what are the underlying causes, how can they be identified and, above all, fixed?

And why do most people suffer not just one engine failure, but another in quick succession? We'll reveal all of that today. All six N5 engines we have on the workbench this week—and by now you could almost call it the N5 workbench—share a common pattern of damage: main bearing failure. But this damage is just one

consequence of what's really going wrong in this engine. How can you detect bearing failure early? Early detection is impossible because once the engine starts making rattling and knocking noises, it 's already doomed. The much better question is, how do I prevent this nightmare? The solution is an upgraded oil pump. We install such an upgraded oil pump in every one of our engines so that

we can always... The correct oil pressure at the bearing must be guaranteed at every engine speed, because the original oil pumps, regardless of the specific model, all build up too little oil pressure at low engine speeds. Too little oil pressure at the bearing means increased temperatures, increased wear, and increased friction. The result is catastrophic bearing failure,

either in the main bearing, the connecting rod, or both. Another reason for main bearing failure, albeit a very rare one, but one you can prevent, is oil dilution by fuel. The fuel pumped into the fuel system by the high-pressure pump can bypass the high-pressure pump's drive shaft if it no longer seals properly. This causes the