Topping up engine oil on 325i

[astroboy]

"..When this happens your piston rings aren't able to seal as tightly and you get blowby through the rings..."

Then wc9922, why their tail pipe is not oily and no white smoke?

Crank case ventilation is meant for what it says, ventilation and these oil vapor does not go through the the piston ring la. If not mistaken, the crank case ventilation is pipe into the intake as well right? which sends the oil vapor back into the combustion process and exit via tail pipe too, in which case, it will wet the tail pipe in the process.. but the tail pipe not wet or no smoke?

I read in MotorTrader forum, there's one less than 2000km E90 320i has dropped engine in AB Glen. Customer very furious.. The forum moderator there is trying to "moderate" the situation because the customer is really upset.

His 320i (Sport, I think) experience power loss at low rev and engine noise and died once. First SC diagnostic, no error reported by the OBD. Once strip the engine, found camshaft out of spec. The noise is actually caused by excessive freeplay..

 

[wc9922]

wc9922, everything you said makes sense. Many thanks for lighting the bulbs! :top:

How do we find out which N52 variant we have in our cars?

N52 earlier gen will still be using the common N52B25 or N25B30 for engine designation.
Simply check your registration card. Visually your engine valve cover is grey in color like this:

New N52KP grade engines have forgone the common engine designation because it can have variants which are the same displacemnet but different power outputs. Designation for engine looks like this code:

N52B25O1 , second last digit will vary for power outout. O - high output version, M - medium, U - lower class outout and K - lowest class output. The last digit is for technical upgrade or revisions goes from 1, 2,3 .....
Visually, it will have the black engine valve cover:

 

[Schwepps]

Thanks! Will check the reg card when I get home, but my 08 325 Sports has the black engine cover.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the 320's are not fitted with N52 engines so they won't have this problem right...ohh engine sifu?

 

[Traveler]

Cool.. I have to check my reg card to be sure, but if my brain is working properly, I recall my engine valve cover being black

 

[wc9922]

"..When this happens your piston rings aren't able to seal as tightly and you get blowby through the rings..."

Then wc9922, why their tail pipe is not oily and no white smoke?

Crank case ventilation is meant for what it says, ventilation and these oil vapor does not go through the the piston ring la. If not mistaken, the crank case ventilation is pipe into the intake as well right? which sends the oil vapor back into the combustion process and exit via tail pipe too, in which case, it will wet the tail pipe in the process.. but the tail pipe not wet or no smoke?

Hey, you can be a skeptic if you want to, but good question anyway. Which brings to mind many troubled ridden E46 Valvetronic engines also makan minyak but no smoke or oily pipes or poss of power.

No oil or white smoke not necessary mean no blow-by present. On Idle blow-by is really bad already.Blue smoke means piston ring sealing is already way out.

On the other hand blowby which only happens on engine running condition with load ( transmission engaged and moving) is due to weak ring pressure sealing between piston ring edge and the cyliner liner. The sealing pressure is radially outwards produced by the gases of the combustion chamber.

Higher engine speed and load needs higher sealing pressures to work. The rings especially the oil scarper ring is not able to do it's job of getting rid of the excess oil on the downward or upward stroke. The oil on the liner is a film layer so burns undetected at the exhaust. I think they have to dismantle the engine and look at the condition of the liner and piston top to tell if it's drinking oil. some coke may form on the piston crown. This is one case of burning oil in the engine.

Second condition is excessive combustion gasses passing the rings due to end gap clearence too large and goes into the cranckcase. This will build up pressure in your engine block and push more oil vapor through the crank ventilation system and into your manifold. This may apprear as oily coated valves and ports in the intake side. A loss of power is expected.

Crankcase ventilation is to remove the buildup of pressure in the crankcase, creating partial vacuum condition inside so the rotating parts can move inside freely without foaming the oil in most part. Also protects the oil seals. Emmissions regulation dictates you need to burn the crank case ventilation gases, but in racing it's just out to a catch tank and vent the gas and return the collected oil into the oilpan.

Check with Pussy on one of his past engine rebuilt where he was losing a lot of his engine oil from the engine when running despite getting power. It was found later wrong piston ring end clearances or wrong piston rings were used or something like that.

 

[Schwepps]

Cool info, engine sifu! BTW, is that you in your avatar?

 

[udm68]

:top:Very enlightening info wc9922. However since when did u transform 2 a long hair babe???

 

[wc9922]

Cool info, engine sifu! BTW, is that you in your avatar?

That's not me. It's to soften my image. I am more samseng-kia look, ok bro.

 

[bimmerdude]

so. my question now is... has BMW AG fixed this problem?

 

[David Yong]

This problem is affecting early batch of 325i engines only. Not all but depends if you are lucky or not Those engines manufactured from year 2007 onwards are without this problem.

 

[paulpaul2]

really dont hope this happen on my car...my car manufactured date on june 06 , engine cover its the silver one....zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Schwepps]

wc9922, reg card where got engine code wan? Looks like have to check the VIN ler. Anyone knows where to find the VIN in the car and the website to check your car's details? Great disappearing sifu KL2DC once told us, but too long ago lar. Cannot find already. David, you know or not?

 

[paulpaul2]

schwepps i guess the vin number will be on the engine bar left hand side

 

[wc9922]

wc9922, reg card where got engine code wan? Looks like have to check the VIN ler. Anyone knows where to find the VIN in the car and the website to check your car's details? Great disappearing sifu KL2DC once told us, but too long ago lar. Cannot find already. David, you know or not?

The registration card has no engine code but the engine number is made up of part of your engine code. You can tell from that no?

Your VIN ( they call this only in the US!) is the last seven digits of your chasis number.

Bro, what is the color of your valve cover. simplest way. black or silver?

 

[David Yong]

wc9922, reg card where got engine code wan? Looks like have to check the VIN ler. Anyone knows where to find the VIN in the car and the website to check your car's details? Great disappearing sifu KL2DC once told us, but too long ago lar. Cannot find already. David, you know or not?

Try going to this website http://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do and enter Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), they are used to uniquely identify our motor vehicles. After enter it, we will see our actual vehicle information. You can get VIN in JPJ car registration card, if not mistaken in chasis number like mentioned by wc9922

 

[E46Fanatic]

N52 earlier gen will still be using the common N52B25 or N25B30 for engine designation.
Simply check your registration card. Visually your engine valve cover is grey in color like this:



New N52KP grade engines have forgone the common engine designation because it can have variants which are the same displacemnet but different power outputs. Designation for engine looks like this code:

N52B25O1 , second last digit will vary for power outout. O - high output version, M - medium, U - lower class outout and K - lowest class output. The last digit is for technical upgrade or revisions goes from 1, 2,3 .....
Visually, it will have the black engine valve cover:

Actually, the N52KP while is a newer generation engine with some technical advancement from the original N52, its also a manufacturing cost cutting engine. Example the original N52 has a magnesium valve cover while the newer N52KP's black top is a plastic valve cover. However, it has a lighter hydroformed camshaft compared to the N52 which should compensate for the lighter magnesium valve cover (also likely cheaper to manufacture)

N52 (http://www.mwerks.com/artman/publish/features/printer_960.shtml)
"Magnesium finds its way into other engine components as well, including the valve cover, but more important is its use in the bedplate. Derived from BMW’s motorsports efforts, the bedplate does away with the individual bearing caps used in conventional construction in favor of one solid piece that houses the sintered steel bearing surfaces. No conventional gasket is used; instead, a liquid sealant is injected under high pressure into a groove on the contact surface between the bedplate and the crankcase. "

N52KP (http://www.1addicts.com/goodiesforyou/n54-1.pdf)

The enhanced and improved version of the original N52 is referred to as the N52KP or
more accurately the N52B30O1. This engine includes cost saving measures as well as
various technical improvements. The N52KP will eventually replace the N52 in all vehicle
applications. One of the first vehicles to use the N52KP will be the 328i coupe (E92) in
September.
The technical highlights of the N52KP include:
• New engine management (MSV80)
• New HFM (digital)
• New throttle - EGAS8 with magnetoresistive position feedback
• Plastic valve cover with integrated crankcase vent valve and oil separation
• Stronger connecting rods
• Exhaust valve stem increased to 6mm
• New electric water pump (2nd generation)
• Lightweight camshafts (hydroformed)

For the 2.5 ltr N52 (valvetronic) there is little information on the KP variant in terms of difference in power output. However for N53 2.5 ltr (HPI), while the power is maintained 218hp there is a nice jump in torque figures. Also a downside (for now) for the N52KP variant, is that the ECU is locked by BMW (MSV80), i.e. can't be flashed for tuning purposes. BMW has a long term plan to lock all their ECUs to prevent tuning and on top of that provide ECU/engine diagnostics through sophisticated equipment which constantly gets revised in firmware to support newer variants, and updates BMW directly on the history of the car, issues, errors etc which should see less and less 3rd party mechanics being able to maintain and service their cars. Good for authorized BMW dealers and service centers but bleak future for 3rd party mechanics.

Also based on tech info, magnesium and aluminium actually contract and expand at similar rates

"As magnesium and aluminum expand and contract at similar rates to each other, but significantly different than that of steel, special bolts were also required. The bolts used to attach parts to the magnesium components are made of aluminum, further reducing the total weight of the engine"

and the pistons are not magnesium and instead aluminium (similar to the aluminium sleeve) which shouldn't see tolerances increases due to heat expansion and retraction. Meaning the theory of blowby caused by different metal rate expansion of piston vs. sleeve (same materials) is probably unlikely. What is known however, is that BMW Malaysia uses a scope machine to peer inside the engine to confirm the oil burn issue. I believe its oil sludge related perhaps due to the N52 water and oil pump design which has since been revised in the N52KP. Just my theory tho hehe. The missing "oil" becomes sludge forming in the engine causing power loss and in more extreme conditions, oil leaks as well.

"The N52’s capacity-controlled oil pump works in a similar manner. By determining the engine’s actual lubrication needs based on current temperature and pressure, the pump provides only as much oil as is required by conditions. In contrast, a typical oil pump delivers a high quantity of oil and bypasses the unneeded oil back to the sump. This unneeded amount can be as much as 80% of what is pumped. The N52’s oil pump thereby consumes nearly 3 horsepower less than a conventional oil pump."

Innovative, but could be the cause of these side effects.

 

[bimmerdude]

does anyone know what is which version engine is the 2008 CKD E90 320i sports? on my reg card it says N46. isnt that an old design engine?

 

[Schwepps]

Wooooo! New engine Master Sifu E46F!

My VIN search results:
1. The engine no doesn't correspond to engine code
2. The Vehicle Identification No is recorded in the reg card as the chassis no. It's a 17 digit alphanumeric no stamped on the wheel well behind the coolant tank
3. http://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do doesn't give me a result
4. http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi does, but only says my unit's engine is a N52N, production date 11/07
5. My engine is black cover
6. Have to do some work now to earn money to pay for car
7. wc9922, DY, E46F....help!

 

[E46Fanatic]

does anyone know what is which version engine is the 2008 CKD E90 320i sports? on my reg card it says N46. isnt that an old design engine?

The N46 based on the N42 whichi s the "old" engine from the E46 valvetronic 318i (143hp). Yours is a newer E90 320i N46 which put out 150hp but yours is revised to give 156hp. The latest 4 pot 2.0 ltr is the N43 which is HPI based and puts out 170hp. Not available here yet.

 

[astroboy]

Wah! Scary.. like that there's a chance of overheating the top !! or accelerating forming of sludge at the top!!

Looks like a lot to sacrifices just to gain additional 3hp.. and that calculation of lubrication need maybe base on an engine life span of 3 years !!! or 100k km!!!