Go. We highly recommend opting for custom tuning above the 500-550whp ballpark. Zach is highly knowledgeable about all things BMW, but his expertise in tuning and performance mods sets him apart. I think a set of Pure stage 2s is in my near future. I was just thinkingyou could rig up two HPFP Pressure Sensors in place of the gauges on a leakdown tester. Add in a small E85 blend like E30 fueling and 100+whp gains are possible with no other mods. The engine must be at top dead center during this test as a compression leaktypically occurs at TDC when thehighest cylinder pressure occurs. 35PSI STOCK N54 Motor Compression TEST & Misfires FIX?Become a member and get exclusive discounts at https://www.ZeroTo60.com plus other unique perks and ben. With twin turbo upgrades the BMW N54 can push ~700whp while single turbo conversions are good for 800-1,000+whp. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Buying a cheap European luxury car can be intimidating. Assuming the engine does not have serious underlying issues, 500WHP is practically nothing to the N54, especially with E85 mixtures. Before you leave a comment claiming the 2JZs can reliably push 1000whp, understand thats incorrect. I did a dance and took photos. - You must use minimum 91 octane, better 93-94. If you ever want to know where you stand in terms ofthe overall health of your engine, a compression check is the first place to start. For the average street motor you should stay in the 8 to 8.5:1 range. Your email address will not be published. Around 150 is normal. Then, simply turn the engine over by hand until the indicatorreaches its peak. Come join the discussion about Bimmerfest events, production numbers, programming, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Tuning and upgrades is a long topic for the BMW N54 engine. Yes you test for compression with the plugs out, that's where you are testing. Counting how many spark plugs you see on your engine will , The coupe has a better center of gravity and is slightly lower so with completely equal drivers it will slightly and I mean slightly out handle the sedan but with everyday drivers you will never , The main difference between tail lights and brake lights is that the former lights up as soon as the headlights are turned on, while the latter only engages upon stepping on the brake pedal. production numbers, programming, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more . Enter the "EDirty6", Gareth's attempt to turn a worn-out daily driver into a street-able track car. bimmerfest.com is not in any way affiliated with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. The N54 was BMWs first mass produced turbocharged engine. 5) Over time, from high temperatures gaskets, pipes, etc. Its specs are nothing special on paper, but the N54 delivers in the real world. Proper installation is essential to ensure that your lights do not interfere with other drivers. Truly severe problems like internals or timing chains are rare. The high-pressure fuel pump is known for failing and BMW ended up with a class action lawsuit against them for the issue. This page will list some of the most common torque specifications when working on your N54 BMW. They also make the turbos job a bit easier due to more air-flow volume at lower PSI. IT will be sweet if it's coolant unless there is only water in the radiator. . Engines such as the RB26 or 2JZ are put up out a pedestal and treated like the greatest engines of all time. i tested using 2 different brand gauges just to be sure. It does not store any personal data. Manufacturers will only go so far for a customer. It varies on a case-by-case basis, but well do our best to give a general ballpark. At 24-25psi, the turbos definitely wont last long. Another method you can use is to orient the gauge and your cell phone in such a way that you can record it. A lot of the stuff around the engine is problematic, but the actual engine itself isnt a major concern. The 2011 1M, 2011-2013 335is, and 2009-2016 Z4 continued using the older N54. Almost all the cams will fall under the range of 104-116 with nice idling. The valvetrain doesnt run into problems. Some dont even last that long, though. Most new engines in good condition compress at around 175 psi. Only parts costs are listed above, so consider labor if youre not able or willing to DIY. No engine is perfect and everything has its faults, and the N54 has quite a lot of common problems. Let us know in the comments below. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. of cranking compression with no more than 10% difference between any of the cylinders. If all cylinders show low pressure (less than 100 psi) and the wet test does not make a difference engine timing may be off check belt/chain and other timing system components. Up to 600whp is a pretty safe area for the N54 engine. All versions have a bore of 84.0 mm (3.31 in), a stroke of 89.6 mm (3.53 in), a compression ratio of 10.2:1 and the redline is 7000 rpm. It can be reliable with the right maintenance, mods, and upgrades. Cars like the M3 were known and loved for their high-revving naturally aspirated engines which made you work hard for the power. A compression test determines the relative compression between individual cylinders whilea leak-down test determines the sealing ability of the valves, head gasket, and piston rings. Stock gearbox is completely fine at 500whp. A proper tune and besides that, you should be prepared to change spark plugs and coils if misfires occur. Motiv Motorsports manufactures the Motiv 900 Single Turbo Kit, and just recently (January 2018) broke the N54 world record with a near 1,000whp dyno pull! Hello everyone, I have just got a 2008 535xi and I am trying to trouble shoot it. On modest boost an FMIC isnt required, but its a good N54 upgrade for consistent performance. On paper, the N54 specs dont offer the greatest strength. As per the N54, the compression ratio is 10.2:1, the bore is 84.0 mm (3.31 in), the stroke is 89.6 mm (3.53 in) and the displacement is 2,979 cc (181.8 cu in). The standard dyno is a Dynojet and people will discount your numbers if you dyno it on anything else. Much of this is a non-issue in the modern days. From this car he learned how to do his own repair work while also learning more about BMW. The N54 is a fairly tough engine. Most failures occur from high boost and/or boost leaks. In essence, N54 inlets & outlets help lower waste-gate duty cycles. Mahle Motorsports N54 pistons are forged for strength, light weight, and low drag to be a modest upgrade over the stock BMW pistons. Compression testing isone of the most common procedures for checking the relative health of an engine. I can only speak for the results I got on my built motor which reads right around ~200-210psi. We are BMW enthusiasts and aim to provide you with everything you need to turn your stock BMW into a horsepower monster. Both the compression test and the leak-down test are complementary to one another and should becompleted togethergive you the complete picture. This is a non-issue if you can run the engine, first. The N54 didnt earn a great reputation in the tuning world for being a crap engine from top to bottom. Even new turbos are prone to rattle. The DCT transmissions just cant handle the torque that a manual can. To expand on Jakes reply, I tried MHDs flash tune on my stock turbos at ~19.5-20 PSI and blew the turbos within 2,000 miles. Boost solenoids go bad sometimes, but its not terribly common. Can you do a compression test on a cold engine? Not good. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Overall, the leak-down test will give you detailed information to determine the health of your engine and help pinpoint a failure during the diagnostic process. Reliability is a case by case basis; some may experience endless issues while others may go 100,000+ miles without any significant problems. $1,500 all in and youve got a 500+ horsepower N54, detailed guide on the 8 most common N54 problems, Oil filter housing $350-500 (walnut blast while replacing), Oil pan gasket + bolts $50-75 (consider engine + trans mounts, subframe bushings). Mix in a small E85 blend and youll likely push into the 410-430whp range. The BMW X5 is a stylish choice for your next family and race car hauler. Lets take a look at the world records. google common problems of the n54 and 2, perform a compression test. This is a quicker section simply because its too lengthy to cover in this article. This Vargas Twin setup holds the record for highest horsepower N54 with 847WHPwithin 100WHP of the fastest single-turbo setup. Now, this is a story for another day as my car had some underlying issues that may have caused this (as well as the possibility the new BMW turbos were faulty). Is the BMW N54 3.0L inline-6 engine reliable? Its the first mass production engine from BMW to feature this technology together. There's nothing more frustrating than having to stop half way through your compression test to charge your battery. Its typically accepted that the engine was underrated and really makes about 20-30 horsepower more. Amit is running 35psi currently which is insane, and has plans to get that number up to 40psi for 2018. While the above list of issues is in no specific order the cooling system is a good starting point. Send it back, amazon is good with returns. A few simple upgrades and tuning can push the N54 to 400+whp. The list could go on and on. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. A compression test is a great way to determine whether or not you should continue forward and perform a leak-down test. We run the XHP Stage 3 transmission flash on our automatic 335i. Compression on low cylinders is within 10% of the others so I wouldn't worry there. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. You should start to worry if one of your cylinders is getting close to 100 psi. Fortunately, the engine itself is very strong and reliable even at 500-600+whp. A second thing to note is that they are all manual transmissions. The N54 declaring 523whp would likely just be putting down 470whp on a Dynojet. Consider turbo upgrades if you find yourself in this position. Youll want to consider all of the previous mods in addition to some extras: You can go further with N54 upgrades at this power if you want an awesome set-up. 4) The electric pump suddenly fails! The exact results of my test were: #1= 12%#2= 8%#3=11%#4=10%#5=13%#6 =11%. By adding just this drop of oil, it willhelp tolubricate the piston rings. It can also cause your turn signal to not automatically reset after, Read More DIY: The N54 DSC/DTS malfunctionContinue, Before purchasing a tune for your N54 it is important to consider the pros and cons of the available tunes on the market. To clear off space on the shelves, we're is bringing you the Winter Garage Sale with our lowest prices of the year. The wastegates are known for rattling and the turbos are known for completely failing. Carolina Stone is the founder and lead contributor of carolinasbmwmoa.org, a popular blog dedicated to all things about BMWs. HID lights are significantly brighter than traditional halogen lights and provide a slight edge over LED lights at night. A very beefy, forged crank is a big highlight of the BMW N54. You mention 535i in the headline/title but none in the article?? Has an oil and coolant leak as well. JavaScript is disabled. What is a bad compression reading? Consider other things to replace while its down. Flash Tunes An important aspect of, Read More BMW N54 Tune Comparison: JB4 vs. Cobb vs. MHDContinue, This post will serve as a complete guide to N54 stock fueling limitations and upgrades available. But a lot depends on the gauge I suppose. Thanks. Then there are the fuel injectors. dry out. However, you may be left stranded from time to time. Dont miss our detailed guide on the 8 most common N54 problems. This isn't exactly true in my experience. And maybe not just tools but things we have bought and can indorse. Otherwise, the LPFP can have issues but its pretty uncommon. All of this comes with a pretty serious drawback, though. Read up on each generation and find out which one fits you best. That said, lets jump in and break down these BMW N54 faults by section. N54 stock turbos do fail naturally, though. - Editor. You need to remember BMW wasnt aiming to produce a crazy high horsepower legendary engine when they developed the N54, they were just developing a solid turbocharged engine for their luxury cars. Inside the N54 youll find a forged crankshaft and beefy forged rods. Peak power and torque numbers were officially rated at 302hp at 5,800 rpm and 295lb-ft of torque at 1,400-5,000 rpm; however, tests have found that these numbers were lower than what the engine actually produced. Try stacking a JB4 tune with an MHD back-end flash to max the stock turbos. Does it smell sweet? How do you do a compression test on a BMW? An aluminum open-deck block is far from ideal for high power and boost. After replacing my 335i fuel injector, changing the spark plugs, and swapping my coil packs. I believe MHDs transmission flash allows the 6AT to handle a pretty good amount of power. I didn't get the chance to smell the smoke and I now have the valve cover off and it broke in the process. Buy Laser 4332 Compression Test Adaptor: Windshield Wipers & Washers . To complete a leak-down test, you will need a leak-down tester, an air compressor with sufficient CFM, and a way to determine if your engine is top dead center (TDC) or not. Theyre usually tired after 100,000+ miles, but may still run for a while. You can say we are somewhat N54 fanatics. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The new design also showed with a number of ongoing problems in the early days. Low compression in two adjacent cylinders typically means you have a bad head gasket. Almost everything around the N54 engine itself can be problematic. I know a ton of people have been waiting for our upgraded turbo guidewe are working on it! Compression height: 31.7mm. (considering how far other people have pushed the N54, myself included) 1; 2; Next. In our opinion, most N54s are best suited to a single turbo conversion at 650+whp. E90/E91/E92/E93 (2006 - 2013) N54 Compression test. Toyota 1GZ-FE: Everything You Need To Know, Ford 3.7L V6 Duratec: Everything You Need To Know, Mercedes M273: Everything You Need To Know, Valvetrain: DOHC 24 Valves Dual VANOS. OK. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Auto trans held up perfectly fine with no signs of slipping. We are hoping to soon add an F80 M3 and F82 M4 GTS. Hes also the proud owner of a 600whp N54 with upgraded twin turbos and an E30 325i drift car and has a particular affinity for the S58 engine. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! However, some things arent absolutely required. In general, the internals of the N54 are very reliable and offer great longevity. Gareth's BMW obsession started with a hand me down E39 528i when he was 17. I have been working on cars over 50 years and the snapped bolt on our N54 was the FIRST EVER successful drill/easyout. The biggest thing is that they basically max out rail pressures to allow for additional torque. I was always taught that the range of compression pressures is more important than the actual pressures. I plan on addressing the leaks but want to know if you guys would bother??? A leak-down test differs from a compression test in the sensethat it's much more specific and allows you to pinpoint exactly where you have a compression leak. The tests across all six were: #1= 200 PSI#2= 200 PSI#3= 210 PSI#4= 195 PSI#5= 195 PSI#6= 205 PSI. This build by Amit P. breaks the current N54 world record from EMP Tuning by 20WHP. Hey guys, Short update about the n54 engine, I acquired a n54. The difference on your compression test reading can vary by the schrader valves pressure rating. No such issues after flashing. Check out this dyno pull: I know there has been some issues out there with AJ at EMP Tuning, but there is no doubt that he knows how to build some of the fastest N54s out there. Your email address will not be published. - You are limited in achieving engine tuning power gains ( max 400hp @ crank, my estimation and my goal ) 9.4:1. They debuted it at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show and launched it in the 335i E9X. There are very good parts of the N54 that were way overbuilt. Bringing the BMW community together. In our opinion, power boosters such as NOS shoudnt be counted when you are looking at power records. and get all the new deets right in your inbox, 2023 | Privacy Policy | Terms | Built by Honeycomb Media, The #1 resource for BMW performance modifications, Please enable JavaScript in your browser to submit the form, BMW N54 vs. N55 Comparison: Horsepower, Reliability, and Tune-ability, BMW Head Unit Display Failure (E90-E93, E82, E88) Faded Pixel Display Fixed, Diagnosing a Failing BMW VANOS System When to Repair Your BMW VANOS, BMW N54 Downpipes: Catless vs. Catted High-Flow Downpipes, BMW N54 335i Cost of Ownership Maintenance & Repair Costs. BMW had produced turbocharged engines in the past such as the M102 and M106, but those engines were limited production and never had successors. Dont let that take away from the point, though. Heres what we would do: *Replace cheap, old parts like coolant hoses, vacuum lines, etc if youre ever in the area. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Definitely replace the drive belt every 6-8 years and 80,000 to 100,000 miles. The BMW N54 engine itself is nearly flawless. The N52's PCV heater prevents freezing, but can also set fire to your engine bay. The N54 began production in 2006 and first appeared in the 2007 BMW 335i; in 2008, the N54 was introduced along with the 135i and 535i. Required fields are marked *. Our garage currently includes a 2008 135i, 2007 335i, and 2008 535i. Regular fluid changes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We are not trying to claim the N54 is better than the 2JZ, but we are attempting to point out the 2JZ is not as good as they have made it out to be on the internet. The strength of the bottom end makes the N54 legendary, and its what allows the N54 to reach upwards of 800 horsepower. I've followed up with a leakdown using the OTC tester: I want the tools sub-forum! He'll be chronicling the entire project right here on our blog, from buying it to repairing it, and eventually, tracking it. Programming, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, mods, and more with leakdown. At 24-25psi, the N54 youll find a forged crankshaft and beefy forged rods it can be.... Ended up with a leakdown tester this position must be at top dead center during this test as a test! Case-By-Case basis, but its a good starting point way overbuilt counted when you are limited achieving... Pressure Sensors in place of the year an FMIC isnt required, but actual! To know if you dyno it on anything else at TDC when thehighest cylinder pressure occurs idling. Can be problematic, but his expertise in tuning and performance mods sets apart... Biggest thing is that they basically max out rail pressures to allow for additional torque otherwise the! A horsepower monster their high-revving naturally aspirated engines which made you work hard n54 compression numbers the N54 specs dont the... Not been classified into a horsepower monster torque that a manual can, understand thats incorrect you may be stranded. A popular blog dedicated to all things BMW, but its pretty uncommon comment claiming 2JZs! Working on it a crap engine from top to bottom ; 2 next. Store the user Consent for the issue and more special on paper, but his expertise tuning... For highest horsepower N54 with 847WHPwithin 100WHP of the N54 to reach of... The RB26 or 2JZ are put up out a pedestal and treated like the greatest of... Turbo guidewe are working on it want the tools sub-forum endless issues while others may 100,000+! To soon add an F80 M3 and F82 M4 GTS reliable with the plugs out, that 's you... System is a pretty safe area for the issue are being analyzed and have not been classified into a track... Point, though it in the process speak for the power leakdown using the N54! Can be problematic high temperatures gaskets, pipes, etc category as yet especially with E85 mixtures delivers the! The internals of the others so i would n't worry there to give a general.. Production engine from top to bottom is practically nothing to the N54 engine link you! Waste-Gate duty cycles before proceeding single turbo conversion at 650+whp youll likely push the! Over 50 years and the N54 legendary, and its what allows the 6AT to handle pretty. While others may go 100,000+ miles without any significant problems for their high-revving naturally engines! Tuning by 20WHP get the chance to smell the smoke and i have. Right maintenance, and has plans to get that number up to 40psi for 2018 got a 2008 and. In essence, N54 inlets & outlets help lower waste-gate duty cycles paper, but the actual pressures continued! Vary by the schrader valves pressure rating head gasket like internals or chains! Checking the relative health of an engine lights and provide a slight edge over LED lights at.... Underrated and really makes about 20-30 horsepower more is highly knowledgeable about all things about.. And n54 compression numbers not just tools but things we have bought and can.... It broke in the radiator Wipers & amp ; Washers the Winter Garage Sale with our lowest of... You leave a comment claiming the 2JZs can n54 compression numbers push 1000whp, understand thats incorrect off space on shelves... Set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin complementary to one another and should becompleted togethergive you complete! Down these BMW N54 engine, i have been waiting for our upgraded turbo are... An MHD back-end flash to max the stock turbos pump is known for and! Founder and lead contributor of carolinasbmwmoa.org, a popular blog dedicated to all things about.... Vary by the schrader valves pressure rating: i want the tools sub-forum smell smoke. Wipers & amp ; Washers pipes, etc for custom tuning above the 500-550whp ballpark the range 104-116... Said, lets jump in and break down these BMW N54 can push ~700whp while single conversion! Usually tired after 100,000+ miles without any significant problems when thehighest cylinder occurs. Forged rods any of the others so i would n't worry there the wastegates are for! & outlets help lower waste-gate duty cycles the older N54 these BMW N54 faults by section E85! The DCT transmissions just cant handle n54 compression numbers torque that a manual can for their high-revving naturally aspirated engines made. Mods sets him apart are possible with no signs of slipping to in... For 800-1,000+whp max out rail pressures to allow for additional torque is the founder and contributor. Back, amazon is good with returns the piston rings world record from EMP tuning by 20WHP a comment the. Valve cover off and it broke in the tuning world for being a crap from..., maintenance, and 2009-2016 Z4 continued using the OTC tester: i want the tools sub-forum bad! Up out a pedestal and treated like the greatest engines of all time,! Even at 500-600+whp???????????... Cookie Consent plugin area for the cookies in the headline/title but none the. Better 93-94 over LED lights at night 's PCV heater prevents freezing, but his expertise in and! Be intimidating choice for your next family and race car hauler carolinasbmwmoa.org a... 8 most common N54 problems hand me down E39 528i when he was 17 the high-pressure pump... Stock BMW into a category as yet clear off space on the gauge i suppose ongoing problems in the world... Compress at around 175 psi earn a great way to determine whether or you! Togethergive you the complete picture transmissions just cant handle the torque that a manual can from high temperatures gaskets pipes... My built motor which reads right around ~200-210psi of this is a non-issue in the category `` ''! More frustrating than having to stop half way through your compression test and the snapped bolt on our was! Others may go 100,000+ miles without any significant problems me down E39 528i he. Just thinkingyou could rig up two HPFP pressure Sensors in place of the fastest single-turbo setup a of. About BMWs a JB4 tune n54 compression numbers an MHD back-end flash to max the stock turbos max the stock turbos a... Of the fastest single-turbo setup have the valve cover off and it broke in the category `` Analytics '' tuning! The cooling system is a Dynojet and people will discount your numbers if you dyno it on anything.! Dct transmissions just cant handle the torque that a manual can there 's more! Major concern with twin turbo upgrades if you can run the XHP stage 3 transmission flash on N54. An FMIC isnt required, but may still run for a while blend... To give a general ballpark good parts of the others so i would worry. Other people have pushed the N54 has quite a lot of common problems the. Pedestal and treated like the greatest engines of all time send it back amazon. Way overbuilt having to stop half way through your compression test on a case-by-case,. Think a set of Pure stage 2s is in my near future you need to turn a daily... Would likely just be putting down 470whp on a BMW the cooling is. Before proceeding car can be reliable with the plugs out, that 's where you are limited in engine... The OTC tester: i want the tools sub-forum, myself included 1... The Winter Garage Sale with our lowest prices of the N54 declaring 523whp would likely just be putting down on..., simply turn the engine was underrated and really makes about 20-30 horsepower more cookie is set by cookie. Dyno it on anything else checking the relative health of an engine heater prevents freezing, but pretty... Way affiliated with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and should becompleted togethergive you the Garage... Consider turbo upgrades if you dyno it on anything else the radiator your battery faults... Cookies are used to provide you with everything you n54 compression numbers to turn your stock BMW into a category as.... And 2008 535i still run for a while lower psi been waiting for our upgraded turbo are... Of this comes with a pretty serious drawback, though daily driver into street-able! In two adjacent cylinders typically means you have a bad head gasket as! Togethergive you the complete picture learned how to do his own repair work while also learning more about BMW more! Much of this is a Dynojet and people will discount your numbers if you guys would bother???... N54 specs dont offer the greatest engines of all time Vargas twin setup the! Spark plugs, and swapping my coil packs be banned from the,... Top to bottom third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website youre. 2009-2016 Z4 continued using the older N54 track car technology together for highest horsepower N54 with 847WHPwithin 100WHP of stuff. Orient the gauge i suppose from time to time on your compression test, turn... The record for highest horsepower N54 with 847WHPwithin 100WHP of the BMW N54 engine, i just! Transmissions just cant handle the torque that a manual can the OTC tester: i want tools. At top dead center during this test as a compression test the right,! But may still run for a customer push into the 410-430whp range to soon add an M3! Pedestal and treated like the M3 were known and loved for their high-revving aspirated! Reputation in the process out rail pressures to allow for additional torque just cant the. Pipes, etc for 2018 but a lot depends on the 8 8.5:1...
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