[CTNYCLurk]

I have a stock 2013 335i that has been giving me limp mode once overboost conditions are logged. I took it to an indie shop and vacuum hoses, pressure converter, MAF sensors were swapped around. The tech at the indie shop eventually recommended to get a re-flash of the car, as the DME was programmed prior to me purchasing it. I took it to a bmw dealership here, and they charged me about 400$ for the reflash, and it did not fix my problem. I went back to the dealership, and a couple days later, get a call saying my wastegate actuator is severely bent, and that my turbos would need to be replaced, a cost estimate of 5700$. Also, because the rod is connected directly to the turbo, you cannot "fix" the rod, and instead need to change the entire turbo set up. I called BMW of NA, and because my car is out of warranty by a couple months, but under the 40k mark, they may help me out, which I highly doubt.

Can anyone provide any insight on if this sounds like bs or maybe it is true? Is my only option to replace the turbos? Are there aftermarket turbos which cost way less then the proposed 5700$? Could I somehow flash a tune on my car, and then program the car to never trigger the overboost?

[50shadesofhockenheim]

Originally Posted by CTNYCLurk

I have a stock 2013 335i that has been giving me limp mode once overboost conditions are logged. I took it to an indie shop and vacuum hoses, pressure converter, MAF sensors were swapped around. The tech at the indie shop eventually recommended to get a re-flash of the car, as the DME was programmed prior to me purchasing it. I took it to a bmw dealership here, and they charged me about 400$ for the reflash, and it did not fix my problem. I went back to the dealership, and a couple days later, get a call saying my wastegate actuator is severely bent, and that my turbos would need to be replaced, a cost estimate of 5700$. Also, because the rod is connected directly to the turbo, you cannot "fix" the rod, and instead need to change the entire turbo set up. I called BMW of NA, and because my car is out of warranty by a couple months, but under the 40k mark, they may help me out, which I highly doubt.

Can anyone provide any insight on if this sounds like bs or maybe it is true? Is my only option to replace the turbos? Are there aftermarket turbos which cost way less then the proposed 5700$? Could I somehow flash a tune on my car, and then program the car to never trigger the overboost?

You can get a pure stage 2 turbo upgrade for like $2500.

http://www.pureturbos.com/store/bmw-...e-stage-2.html

[RoundelM3]

$5700 for a single twin-scroll turbo replacement? Doesn't sound right. I recall that both turbos on the N54 engine could be purchased for about $4200, so the single twin-scroll turbo shouldn't be that expensive. Checking REALOEM for the part number and Tischer BMW for the price, it's about $2255, with an original MSRP of $2820. It also shows a separate part number for "set wastegate actuator" for just under $300.

What they're telling you doesn't sound quite right. If the wastegate actuator can be purchased separately, why do they want you to get a complete replacement turbo and for such a high price? Did they give you a breakdown on parts and labor?

[F30RiK]

I have the bill from my new n55 turbo from the last owner, 4200$ cad for the part only, total 6000$ cad with the labour and gaske / accesories

[enjoythemusic]

Huh? 435i N55 turbo is $1700 from Dinan, and that has ~30 more flow. Five hours labor i think. Am i missing something?

[XCRN]

Perhaps they are swapping the entire piece, exhaust manifold and the compressor. It seems Dinan, Pure, etc sell the turbo minus the manifold while BMW is trying to sell it to you with the manifold. Just an uneducated guess.

[CTNYCLurk]

BMW cannot just replace the set wastegate actuator, hence why they want to swap out my entire turbo set up. my turbo and manifold are all OK as per the tech, he even told me to try to find a salvage car and take the set wastegate actuator and replace that piece only, it looks like the actual rod that goes into the wastegate is angled compared to the bolts and such

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by CTNYCLurk

BMW cannot just replace the set wastegate actuator, hence why they want to swap out my entire turbo set up. my turbo and manifold are all OK as per the tech, he even told me to try to find a salvage car and take the set wastegate actuator and replace that piece only, it looks like the actual rod that goes into the wastegate is angled compared to the bolts and such

So the actuator rod is part of the turbo assembly itself and not part of the actuator? How exactly would that rod get bent? Those are the questions I'd be asking them. Check the diagram on realoem.com for confirmation, although I didn't see an actuator rod when I looked. It could be that the wastegate itself is part of the manifold/turbo combination since they are shown as one part.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by XCRN

Perhaps they are swapping the entire piece, exhaust manifold and the compressor. It seems Dinan, Pure, etc sell the turbo minus the manifold while BMW is trying to sell it to you with the manifold. Just an uneducated guess.

From the REALOEM diagram, it appears that the turbo and manifold are one part/assembly. The aftermarket turbos are generally just the compressor side of the turbo.

[CTNYCLurk]

Originally Posted by roundel335

From the REALOEM diagram, it appears that the turbo and manifold are one part/assembly. The aftermarket turbos are generally just the compressor side of the turbo.

correct that it appears as one set, I was told though they are available in two separate assemblies (not through BMW direct), I'm going to do some digging on it. they were unsure as to how it was bent, I originally had a thought that the previous owner had done something to the car, and this just makes that thought more concrete. the DME was flash tuned, BMW re-flashed it for me and it didn't fix the problem, the wastegate actuator rod is cocked into the assembly, someone might have screwed around with this accidently and caused the issue, I attached two pictures below, you can see the angles compared to the bolts are off. I need to confirm that a shop can do the work of replacing the actuator with rod before digging into salvage sites to retrieve one. it wasn't my intent to replace my working turbos with aftermarket ones

[RoundelM3]

I wonder whether the previous owner replaced the compressor side of the turbo and damaged the actuator rod in the process? Can't think of anything that would bend it under normal operation. Hope you can resolve it without having to buy a new turbo assembly, but if you end up having to do that, getbmwparts dot com is the place to buy it from. Just be sure you have the correct part number from REALOEM dot com.

[Jadar]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Huh? 435i N55 turbo is $1700 from Dinan, and that has ~30 more flow. Five hours labor i think. Am i missing something?

That's the casing itself it doesn't include the manifold and waste gate and rod that's part of the manifold.

Dinan is basically a pure stage 1 setup.

[Jadar]

Originally Posted by CTNYCLurk

correct that it appears as one set, I was told though they are available in two separate assemblies (not through BMW direct), I'm going to do some digging on it. they were unsure as to how it was bent, I originally had a thought that the previous owner had done something to the car, and this just makes that thought more concrete. the DME was flash tuned, BMW re-flashed it for me and it didn't fix the problem, the wastegate actuator rod is cocked into the assembly, someone might have screwed around with this accidently and caused the issue, I attached two pictures below, you can see the angles compared to the bolts are off. I need to confirm that a shop can do the work of replacing the actuator with rod before digging into salvage sites to retrieve one. it wasn't my intent to replace my working turbos with aftermarket ones

Originally Posted by CTNYCLurk

correct that it appears as one set, I was told though they are available in two separate assemblies (not through BMW direct), I'm going to do some digging on it. they were unsure as to how it was bent, I originally had a thought that the previous owner had done something to the car, and this just makes that thought more concrete. the DME was flash tuned, BMW re-flashed it for me and it didn't fix the problem, the wastegate actuator rod is cocked into the assembly, someone might have screwed around with this accidently and caused the issue, I attached two pictures below, you can see the angles compared to the bolts are off. I need to confirm that a shop can do the work of replacing the actuator with rod before digging into salvage sites to retrieve one. it wasn't my intent to replace my working turbos with aftermarket ones

It sure does look bent. How the heck did that happen? I'm assuming from a previous repair job someone like used it as leverage to pry on or something along those lines. Sucks, I hope you get this resolved.

[CTNYCLurk]

Originally Posted by Jadar

It sure does look bent. How the heck did that happen? I'm assuming from a previous repair job someone like used it as leverage to pry on or something along those lines. Sucks, I hope you get this resolved.

Update: After 3 weeks of submitting the original case, BMW of NA has decided they cannot help me due to the car being modified by the previous owner. Sounds like I'm stuck calling junkyards/etc to find a salvaged bmw or the turbo... does anyone know how much the average cost a shop would charge on replacing the turbo/the actuator rod.

[Jadar]

Originally Posted by CTNYCLurk

Update: After 3 weeks of submitting the original case, BMW of NA has decided they cannot help me due to the car being modified by the previous owner. Sounds like I'm stuck calling junkyards/etc to find a salvaged bmw or the turbo... does anyone know how much the average cost a shop would charge on replacing the turbo/the actuator rod.

It's all subjective where you go and what rates but it's a bit of a PITA to get to but I wouldn't pay more than $200 bucks.

[CTDrifter]

$2700 for an OE remanufactured turbo from ECSTuning.

Not sure where you're located but there's a few Indy shops around Hartford area that may give you a good price.

Do you have the tools to DIY? Turbo replacement isn't hard, just time consuming.

[CTNYCLurk]

Originally Posted by CTDrifter

$2700 for an OE remanufactured turbo from ECSTuning.

Not sure where you're located but there's a few Indy shops around Hartford area that may give you a good price.

Do you have the tools to DIY? Turbo replacement isn't hard, just time consuming.

The thing is though, I don't need to replace the turbo. It's the rod that is bent, what I did was found a used turbo off of ebay, and will see once it comes in if the actuactor with rod is replaceable, if that is the case, I will change the rod only as my turbos have less than 37k miles on them

Hartford area indy shops, got any names? I've been to minihaus out in westbrook, and I've also talked to Inline Automotive but will go to them once I get the piece in hand and see

[CTDrifter]

What is bent, the wastegate rod? The rod is part of the wastegate and just pinned to the flapper valve, easy to replace. The flapper valve is welded together through the turbo, if the flapper valve arm is bent you would likely need to remove turbo to fix it. I had a place in Ohio rebuild my N54 turbos and they fixed the worn out flapper valve for about $100 a turbo.


Glastonbury Foreign Automobiles may be a good place for service.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by CTNYCLurk

The thing is though, I don't need to replace the turbo. It's the rod that is bent, what I did was found a used turbo off of ebay, and will see once it comes in if the actuactor with rod is replaceable, if that is the case, I will change the rod only as my turbos have less than 37k miles on them

Remember - you only have ONE turbo on your N55.

That said - let's hope the one you found on eBay is the correct model for your specific production date. Starting in June or July of 2013, they changed to EWG from PWG, and there might be a slight difference in the actuator. Keeping our fingers crossed for ya! BTW, I'm originally from New Hartford, NW of you on Rte 44. You might check for indy shops in Avon/Simsbury/Canton area.

[CTNYCLurk]

Originally Posted by CTDrifter

What is bent, the wastegate rod? The rod is part of the wastegate and just pinned to the flapper valve, easy to replace. The flapper valve is welded together through the turbo, if the flapper valve arm is bent you would likely need to remove turbo to fix it. I had a place in Ohio rebuild my N54 turbos and they fixed the worn out flapper valve for about $100 a turbo.


Glastonbury Foreign Automobiles may be a good place for service.

yes the wastegate rod is bent, I have not seen the flapper valve to see if it is screwed up, but let's see.

[CTNYCLurk]

Originally Posted by roundel335

Remember - you only have ONE turbo on your N55.

That said - let's hope the one you found on eBay is the correct model for your specific production date. Starting in June or July of 2013, they changed to EWG from PWG, and there might be a slight difference in the actuator. Keeping our fingers crossed for ya! BTW, I'm originally from New Hartford, NW of you on Rte 44. You might check for indy shops in Avon/Simsbury/Canton area.

yeah, I purchased one after contacting the seller, confirmed it would fit my f30, if it doesn't, I have a 30 day return policy that I will use lol. thanks for the input

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by CTNYCLurk

yeah, I purchased one after contacting the seller, confirmed it would fit my f30, if it doesn't, I have a 30 day return policy that I will use lol. thanks for the input

You're welcome! Let us know how things turn out. Changing that rod is probably going to be a relatively tough job due to the limited access on that side of the engine from above and below.