How To Fix Oil Burning Issues BMW N51 N52 N53 N54 Engine For Business Contact : Nathan's BMW Workshop Po Box 115 Altenburg Mo 63732 nathan.youtube@yahoo.com
I have a 2006 E90 and run 5w40 with no issue yes occasionally the lofters will tick/knock but usually a highway drive takes care of that. I think if you’re currently using a 40 weight oil and switch back it would be ideal to monitor the amount the car is consuming every other fill at the pump or so.
Coming from a Porsche 987.1 the ticking goes away if you switch to Joe Gibbs DT40 5W40. That oil blew away Mobile 1 in the 60k I ran it on used oil analysis 5k interval changes. Less wear, zero ticking, pretty much mandatory on the M97 engine which costs 15k if you blow it (or score the bores). I switched from my 987.1 to the e90 with N52 because that 15k engine could go at anytime. Try to get DT40 in the N52 that high Moly oil might actually fix it. You could get your hands on HDEO oil which also has high moly and is totally fine in a gas engine, actually better, its run in million mile engines used to haul freight!
some BMW engines don't like additives! for the same reason you said, the vanos and the check valves would not have the ability to push the oil through. I had the issue on my x5 with 4.8l. that after adding the Lucas additive. the car just stalled in the middle of the highway... the only additive that I will recommend it's the Motor Oil Saver from Lique Molly. I don't know how they did that, but my N54 Love it, it has 140k mi and after adding it, the lifter noise is gone, and I did stop losing the oil, and it's not burning the Oil! it's been 5k mi, and I didn't add any oil to the engine at all, and before it would be 1-2qt!
At 100k been running 5W-40 5qts and topping off with 2qts 5w-30 and doing 4k mile oil changes on N52 with little or no burning oil - no need to top off between oil changes.......for the last 35k miles..... Now engine has over 136k ..... When I was running straight 5W-30 at 5k oil changes, oil had to be topped off in between oil changes.
Nathan, ya"your right. I have a suv-N51 cal. Engine it's 11 years old and have kept it up all those year's 10W-05 and perfect. And yup it sure dose have a lot to do with the weight of the oil. Thoses BMW guys knew what was right for thoses engines..by the way 328i E92 sport pak etc. And all the goodies. Thanks Nathan....stay with the Beemers....
I used 0W-40 oil LL-01 spec for an N51 E92 since I bought the car with 70K. I drive my daily driver hard!! 6 speed. Switched to 5w-30 and noticed oil temp gauge rising faster (better lubrication) and better top end power. Butt dyno...however, like I said I redline daily. The 0W-40 oil was Pennzoil Platinum LL-01 to 5w-30 Pentosin High Peformance LL-01 spec as well. 40 weight oil takes a long time to get hot and means it's not lubrication the engine fast enough as I would like. Oil temp gauge reads 250F when at full operating temp. About 10 mins difference with 30 weight oil. 30 weight reaches 250F much faster, better engine lubrication so that I don't need to wait a while to redline! Any thoughts?
Hi. Thanks for your great advices. I have an Alpina b3s 2011 80k miles n54 335i based engine 400hp, live in eurpe using high quality gas 98-99 octan. Looking for optimal engine oil. My driving is mostly short and slow city driving occasionally high way and races... Last time I used Millers 10w-60 oil..Runs fine but the oil temps is lower than before... 80-90 deg. C when dring on low revs in city. Before on 5-30 it was upp to normal 110-120 deg. C very quick. Now only when driving harder or highways it reaches that temps. So my question is is it better or worse for the engine using 10w60 and getting so low temps? I am considering next time to change to Motul 5w-40 LL-4 A40 spec oil, is it a good idea? Thanks in advance for your advice!
Hi Nathan, enjoying the videos! What are the different models in 06-07 with the N52 or N51 SULEV/DISA that have the cam ledge seal and ticking problems? You mentioned some models in 06-07 with the N52/N51 have this problem, which models are those? Thanks
Hi nathan , i have a 330ci and cant use 5w30 because it drinks all of it in no time , now i delete de pcv valve and replaced with oil cach can and since then no oil problem . But still cant use 5w30 , i have tried castrol 10w60 and the engine goes great on the road but have rough idle , no fault codes no nothing . Any advice ? Why the m54 dont like 10w60 ?
hello I like your channel. Can you tell me if a wrong timing in the n46 can have higher oil consumption and smoke? Mechanik was changing timing chain , car is running but it's coming blue smoke sometimes when you accelerat is black.
My worn out 07 N52 with 173k miles seems to like liqui-moly 5w40. Not yet ticking. Tried 0w40 w/ a quart of lucas hi mileage and it did not like it at all on startup (maybe a couple seconds of rod knock) So i ditched it quickly. The engine is on borrowed time anyways due to improper oil changes by the person before me.
I was using 5w40 edge up to 130k after that now i switch to 10w40 this weight is better for higher miles Motors since to tolerance is not the same after so many miles . My M54 motor has 344k runs like new.
I have the 2013 N52(?) engine in convertible 328i with 75k miles. I just bought it, but I do not have ticking lifters. Do the 2013 328's have this issue, or just the older '07 '08 engines? They recommend 5-30w for my car, is that correct? I always thought BMW's ran on 0-40w oil?
Lifter tick that doesn’t go away... 2007 x5 n52k, should it be run it until it grenades or get it fixed? It has 110,000 miles. Car is great, but ticking will soften after driving but not go away and ticks on every start up? Engine is tight, does not burn oil.
Hi. Fred here from Brazil wiht a BMW 325i 2011 with a N52 engine. Any problem if my oil level is in Max level? Recently I noticed that level was around mininum and I completed with 6100 Motul. And then the level is in Max, not above Max. Any problem?
Don't the newer engines have a variable oil pressure control valve, so that at idle they run a lower oil pressure to increase fuel economy? So at idle at thicker oil will have lower flow (at the down regulated pressure) and thus not protect the bearings, etc.
i run 10w 60 on my n54 not a delay car mostly do canyon run and track day, so far it run smoothly on canyon run, but i haven't tested out on track yet, cross my finger that it wont blew up lol.
Hi, i have the same issues on my E60 525xi 2005 N52B25 (german car, imported to Norway). I tried a lot of different things. Exactly like you describe it the engine sometimes has power, most of the time it does not and then you have to wait until you hit around 3000rpm and suddenly the power comes on. The only time my engine ran strong without issues was when i was running 5W50 with Prolong additive. I ran it in the summer, but when winter came i decided to put BMW 0W40 M power oil in it to be safe. It ran like shit. I changed back to 5W50, didn’t help, seems like the Prolong did something. Running now on 0W30 oem BMW oil. All the time since i owned it, it has been using 1L oil every 1100km (stable). Now in the summer it starts to ping on low rpm low load, think its igniting oil. I only use 98 octane. I’m kinda lost for solutions. I have a second hand engine but that also has exhaust bearing ledge wear. I’m scared to trow a lot of money at it. I work at BMW and one of my customers has an E91 with N52B25 and he changed the engine, brand new one. That car does not have as much power as my one on a good day, and its new!? It really seems that engine cannot run well, no matter what you do. I’m thinking about a swap, but would like to keep the gearbox and transmission. Do you have any ideas? I really love the E60 and would like to keep it, tried to sell it but nobody wants it. (With swap i mean which other BMW engine).
On my old 46 with the m56 engine (basically m54 but california spec) i ran Liquimoly 5w40 Leichauf High Tec, kept using once I got my N52 E90, had a weird knocking when it would sit idling for too long and switched to Liquimoly special tec, does it way less now.
I completely agree however in Germany there are actually specs for the n52 to run 5w-40 or 0w-40 in the winter time, I’ve had my e90 from 145k to now at 223k and at around 180k did my valve cover, vanos solenoids, and noticed the ticking however, never really worried about it much. At 200k I switched from castrol 5w-30 to 5w-40 Pentosin and 0w-40 liqui moli in winter and I haven’t had any issues really with ticking anymore at all and also noticed before I switched weight, the more I actually drove the car and got on it, never heard the ticking it was only when I didn’t drive it hard or really get on it all. These cars are made to be driven and idk if you’ve seen one with as many miles as mine but I hope to make it to 250k if possible. I have it tuned, full catless and it makes 242 to the wheel from the stock 200 for the 330, and it’s an 06 so yes I do have this issue but never dealt with it and it’s still running strong, only ever have issues when it’s super cold out but it’s garaged now and I don’t really have to worry about bone chilling cold starts anymore. Lemme know what you think and if it’s doomed soon 😂🙏🏼 the car made me get into being a mechanic so I owe it that much lol
N52b3 180kw-240hp with over 200k miles. Done coolant system, valve covers, and vanos was done last year before I purchased. 2011f10 obviously. Have same ticking, only at idle. I do drive it very hard as Vegas requires lmao. Been a great great car for the past two years, purchased for under 6k in pnw due to minor dent and paint chip on bumper. A lot of car for that money. Couldn’t be happier
i'm using 5w30 oil but when my engine is warm i can hear ticking form right side of my car, also after i changed exhaust system i can hear it form back, but its only when engine is warm. my engine is n55. i know ist hard to make an diagnose but maby you have an idea how i can fix it?
I use 0W 30 in my N52 E70. I do notice some sort of a vibration at idle and i can sort of feel an unnatural sort of vibration through the gas pedal as i move off at stoplights but I am unsure if its the oil. I did put an additive in thats supposed to clean out the engine and a new Man filter that they recommend. That filter got clogged up and collapsed but I think i caught it in time. Now i have a K&N Extreme for synthetic oil. Way more robust, many more folds and holding up perfectly
Thanks for your video bro, I have a 2012 NA only 100K miles it makes a rattling noise, Could it be a tensioner o timing chain, or oil pump chain, O had read a bit but then again its my first BMW. Thanks for your input...👍😉👍
I drive a 728i from 95 here in Germany....M52 engine....from new at dealer they use only 10w40 .....so i do at 270.000 km....no oil comsumption....run fine.....but i have a 740iL from 96....in that i use the same oil....no problemo....
I bought an 06 325i (2.5L, N52B25AE) 4 months ago. The original engine was swapped in 2009 by the BMW dealer here in Colombia (Autogermana), I believe it was under guarantee. Last time the oil was swapped (Weeks before I bought it) they used 5W40. I'm considering to swap to 5W30 next week (I already put 7k KM since I bought it, so I want to change the oil, specially because I don't know what they used last time and I also want to check the small o-ring in the filter as I'm having pressure related VANOS issues)
Hello Sir My car is 2005 e60 523 and it has driven about 240,000 km. Please tell me, the engine oil volume of this car is 6.5 liters, can I use it like this? 5w40 5.5 liters + 10w60 1 liter. thank you. (LIQUI MOLY)
I ear N51,N52-N55, my e36 318i is which N? But I use castrol engine oil. However, my car has abad noise when I start the engine and it disappears with in 4seconds, what could be the problem?. Lukwago Uganda
on my n52 when the oil is at max temp. the car has no more power and p0015 appears what can it be ? i use 5w30 not enough oil presure ? i changed the solenoids the oil the filter cap cleaned the filters on the left side ..when its cold its runs like a beast and when its at max temperature is like the car dies.. the engine is new, inside all new
My country average temp is 25 to 40deg celsius [ hot ]. Can i use valvoline 10w40 semi synthetic durablend oil? I run an N52 2.5L non turbo e92. [ 12yr old car with 120,000km ]
Y’all don’t use Lucas. It’s a “climbing” oil that is more akin to gear box lube. I have used She’ll Helix Ultra/Pennzoil Euro 0-40, Total Quartz 9000 FE 0w-30 (the OLD spec BMW LL-01 version with PAO & NOT new techno synthese crap), and Motul sport Ester 5-40. It’s my current fill with the Motul Ester and it’s nice. This winter I’ll prolly go to helix again even though mileage won’t even be 2k in this oil. I only drive 2mi each way to work so fuel dilution IS a major issue. Mobil 1 5w-50 is also good but it does shear to a 5w-30 after hard use and 5,000mi on a Volvo turbo engine I sampled.
I use castrol edge professional 5w-30 on my e70 with n52k b30 engine....regulary oil change every 7000 miles....no issues at all....run flawless....oil consumption less than quart on seven thousand miles...
My 2009 328i xDrive. At every oil change the oil filter is partially collapsed. 5w-40 euro 0w-40 euro 5w-30 euro. I am now even considering trying 5w-20 euro on the next oil change. Btw I use only Penzzoil Platinum or Castrol Edge, whichever is on sale at the time. There is what I would consider normal valvetrain sounds. No standoutish ticking. No oil burn off useage either. I change the oil at 5000-7000 km intervals. Please explain - Why are the filters so weak and collapsing? (Yes, the inner cage and orings are in place correctly)
Just did my first oil change on my N51. The oil filter housing has an insert that prevents a filter from collapsing in. Are you missing that? There was a "made in China" filter in mine but it was fine. Replaced it with the Mann-Filter brand. Used 5w40 because it's highly rated in the forums for N51 engines with high mileage in hot environments.
Ok so on our 07 n52 silver top engine I’ve ran Mobil 1 0- w40 . From 170k -207k where it’s at now . It does have phantom Vanos code random . Also out of the blue it will tick but usually after a good ride it goes away for long period . You think I should go back to 5-w30 ?
I’ve used Castrol EDGE 0W-40 synthetic for years. No issues on my E90 ‘06 330i. I used to have ticking when kept outside. I don’t think she likes the NY cold winters. Ticking has been gone for years once I put her in a heated garage. 105k mikes.
What is the best viscosity engine's oil for m62 tu .the car drives in a traffic city and the highest weather temperature is 35 c . The car has 128k miles. Thanks for your informative videos.
I used cooking oil much smoother you feel the power. Also canola oil 80/120 but if you are out of money use a used cooking oil lol, great video verynice
15/40 Liqui molly in my N62 550i whooo shee runnnnsss gooodddddddddd 0 smoke. Bmws run a tad hot so the thicker moly helps w that and also the valve seals. Id only use liqui molly very engineered german oil for Bmws
BMW Doctor recommends using a thicker engine oil on older cars. 5W40 instead of the manufacturer's recommendation of 5W30 - I wonder if that will actually be better or worse for the car? Thanks
It’s because they run hot, so the oil thins. That’s why many recommend 5w-40. It gets pretty hot in the majority of us states as well. If you are in a cold climate tuning 5-30 is best.
The M54 Engine lists both 5W-30 and 5W-40 as recommended oils based on operating temperature range on the 2003 E46 325i I own. With 215k miles on it, I switched to 5W-40 and observed a noticeable reduction in oil usage and eliminated the last oil drip I had from the engine. It is nice to once again have a dry garage floor.
My country average temp is 25 to 40deg celsius [ hot ]. Can i use valvoline 10w40 semi synthetic durablend oil? I run an N52 2.5L non turbo e92. [ 12yr old car with 120,000km ]
Coming from someone that has rebuilt a N54, I wouldn't run anything thicker than the recommended oil. The oil clearances are very tight in these engines especially for a performance application. Usually on performance applications, you see wider clearances to allow more oil flow, to pull heat out of the bearing areas. That's not the case with these motors. They tighten things up to reduce windage to increase economy.
@@NathansBMWWorkshop why not?? i use that oil in my n52 for many years and works great!! its also recommended and tested in many forums here in europe... so please tell us why not to use this oil??.........
I run Mobil 1 0w-40 now from 29k to now 90k miles, no issues N52. Has consistently burnt 1 litre in 10k miles. I now do 5-7 k oil changes which is about annually.
BMW fan dropping by. You guys should look at BMW TPT 5w30 (aka dealer oil). It's priced competitively and is an excellent GTL oil from Shell. It is a very thick 30w. In addition the US moved to ULSG last year so you can use either the LL01(2018) or LL04.
I would agree, I have tried many different types and found 5w30 to be the best for the car, or the most consistent to continue to run well. 2 e60's 5xx, 200k plus each and daily driven.
I like that the comment section is only arguing about viscosity and not actually about brands, oil specifications like recommendations and HTHS, but I watched the video and know why. 5w30 =/= different brand 5w30 You need to consider carbon buildup and the brand of the oil. F10 523i N53B30A: Petronas Syntium 5000 DM or AV (dont remember) 5w-30 -> no oil consumption (LL04) Castrol Edge Titanium 0w-40 -> 1,25L / 15.000 km (had LL04 until BMW reworked specs in recent years) Next I intend to put a Liqui Moly 5w-40 in it, haven't looked for the specific one yet though. I have good experience with using the purple light oil in my E39 with M52B20. Oil consumption completely gone. For my F10 there are at least 6 Liqui Moly 5W-30 that would be to spec, and 2 5W-40. From one Brand. If I put a different brand 5W-30 or 0w-40 in it (with LL04) it is very likely that it can look different with the consumption.
@@farrukhdada6688 dont do 0w anything on old car. Leaks. 5w30 or 5w40 i think is perfect. It's what my car manual calls for. A choice. Thicker pil helps in 100+ weather. So 5w40. No leaks or issues i know of.
One European mechanic says that they sit you have to bring the RPMs for 3,000 for 5 minutes .dry lifters he used to work at BMW .he said you can always hear themscreaming that's how they fix it. But don't tell no one
Hi nathen... I really enjoy your videos...and I would to share my M54 experience in my X3...2004...it currently has 185,000. And when my sister had it it did in fact love to use oil...she was horrified as it was almost new and the dealer had her convinced it was designed that way...I had to call bullshit and despite the. Oil ring being suspicious there is also the valve guide seals...I had her switch to amsoil 15-40 had diesel and no issues...I don’t the the higher viscosity on the winter side will make to engine with those miles...I’m sure that there is not much wear as oil service was always and at the rate it was using it until the synthetic was being used ..,the oil was fresh..thanks for your show
dogs plants cars & neat stuff He’s only had the car for 6 months, just over 6k miles put on it since he got it. Changed it when he got it and then 5k later. Digital gauge read all the way full after we did the first change, and was showing maybe just under 3/4 full at 4K and added a quart and then showed all the way full again. Used Castrol Edge extended performance, 5w-30. Mann filter. It’s not LL01 though, and I’ve recently been reading about that so may switch it up next time. Don’t know how important that is if you are changing every 5k though, and that Edge is a “20k mile” oil, but maybe there is something else to the make-up of the LL-01 rating other than the “long life.” I’ve never used Motul in my cars. Currently use Castrol Edge Extended Performance or Mobil 1 (15k or annual protection), never run them that long though, and extended performance filters. Use Motul 7100 in my Yamaha MT-10 though.