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BMW 3-Series and 4-Series Forum (F30 / F32) | F30POST > Technical Forums > N20, N26, B46, B48 Turbo Engine / Drivetrain / Exhaust Modifications > My N20 died at 72k miles
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      02-08-2015, 04:50 PM   #1
Kronk
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My N20 died at 72k miles

My F30 328i had been problem free since I took delivery of it in April 2012. Never had a problem and was always properly serviced and well-maintained.

Suddenly, I get a low oil pressure warning and the car went into limp mode. I pulled over and had it towed to the local BMW service center. They weren't able to get the engine started and I was told that I was lucky the car went into limp mode because that would prevent further engine damage.

The next day I was told they were able to get the engine turned over but that it was making strange noises indicating a timing issue and that they would need to inspect the valves. Later that day I get a call saying the camshaft was snapped and there was metal and plastic all over the engine and that it would need to be replaced. They're not sure what caused this. But I was quoted a price of over $20,000 for parts and labor to repair it.

Has anyone had something similar happen? Needless to say I am shocked that my well-maintained car essentially exploded on me without warning.
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      02-08-2015, 05:17 PM   #2
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WOW!!! sorry to hear that
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      02-08-2015, 05:21 PM   #3
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That sucks
They only things I have read in this forums are blown motors for the N20 due to JB4 with high boost.

Were you running any mods?
How often did you change your oil?
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      02-08-2015, 05:46 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bou707 View Post
That sucks
They only things I have read in this forums are blown motors for the N20 due to JB4 with high boost.

Were you running any mods?
How often did you change your oil?
No mods. Oil was changed regularly according to condition based service intervals. The car was just serviced in late-November with an oil change and replaced the sparkplugs. All my services were done at BMW certified service centers, so they are aware of the car's history. I'm totally baffled at how this could happen.
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      02-08-2015, 06:22 PM   #5
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Has anyone had any luck with BMW Customer Relations helping out in situations like this?
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      02-08-2015, 06:30 PM   #6
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Does your car have a warranty?

Threads like this seem to be occurring more frequently on this side - not a good sign of long term reliability of this motor imo.
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      02-08-2015, 06:32 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bahasad View Post
Does your car have a warranty?

Threads like this seem to be occurring more frequently on this side - not a good sign of long term reliability of this motor imo.
Out of warranty based on mileage.
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      02-08-2015, 06:48 PM   #8
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Damn sorry to hear
And out of warranty most likely. I'm at 44k within my 1st two yrs of ownership of an N26 so I hope this isn't an across the line build quality issue.
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      02-08-2015, 07:19 PM   #9
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Holy crap. Sorry to hear that. What are you going to do, if you can't get BMW to help out? $20k. That's not far off from the trade in value. I'm DEFINITELY getting the extended 100k miles warranty. Good luck and keep us posted.
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      02-08-2015, 07:41 PM   #10
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20k dollars is insane. I have no idea what I would do if that happened to me. Putting 20k dollars into a car thats probably worth close to that just doesn't make sense, but at the same time having a 25k dollar paper weight doesn't make sense either. Please keep us posted and sorry for your luck!
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      02-08-2015, 07:48 PM   #11
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OP, you would probably be much better off buying something like this and having an independent shop drop it in.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-13-BMW-F3...3D381124224214
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      02-08-2015, 07:50 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teapain View Post
Holy crap. Sorry to hear that. What are you going to do, if you can't get BMW to help out? $20k. That's not far off from the trade in value. I'm DEFINITELY getting the extended 100k miles warranty. Good luck and keep us posted.
I'm still evaluating all of my options at this point. I hope BMW USA recognizes that they're losing a customer for life if they don't step in and provide some support. I would never expect a well maintained car that is only barely out of warranty to have an issue like this.
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      02-08-2015, 08:39 PM   #13
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Seems like the only way to keep N20 for a long time is with an extended warranty :-/
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      02-08-2015, 08:55 PM   #14
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hopefully not a trend... but if this failure starts appearing more and more it will not be totally surprising. BMW's NA 6's weren't bulletproof, so a highly stressed turbo 4 not lasting 100K miles wouldn't be totally surprising.
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      02-08-2015, 08:56 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kronk View Post
My F30 328i had been problem free since I took delivery of it in April 2012. Never had a problem and was always properly serviced and well-maintained.

Suddenly, I get a low oil pressure warning and the car went into limp mode. I pulled over and had it towed to the local BMW service center. They weren't able to get the engine started and I was told that I was lucky the car went into limp mode because that would prevent further engine damage.

The next day I was told they were able to get the engine turned over but that it was making strange noises indicating a timing issue and that they would need to inspect the valves. Later that day I get a call saying the camshaft was snapped and there was metal and plastic all over the engine and that it would need to be replaced. They're not sure what caused this. But I was quoted a price of over $20,000 for parts and labor to repair it.

Has anyone had something similar happen? Needless to say I am shocked that my well-maintained car essentially exploded on me without warning.

This is why I'll be buying that 100k mile extended warranty.

This is these downside of these European luxury cars. You blow an engine in a new Mustang and you can spend 5-7k for a brand new crate engine and be done with it.
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      02-08-2015, 09:04 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdgatti View Post
hopefully not a trend... but if this failure starts appearing more and more it will not be totally surprising. BMW's NA 6's weren't bulletproof, so a highly stressed turbo 4 not lasting 100K miles wouldn't be totally surprising.
Honestly, if this happened at 90-100k miles, I'd probably swallow it and kick myself for not getting an extended warranty. But there's no way an un-modded well maintained engine should have catastrophic failure without warning at 72k.
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      02-08-2015, 09:04 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdgatti View Post
hopefully not a trend... but if this failure starts appearing more and more it will not be totally surprising. BMW's NA 6's weren't bulletproof, so a highly stressed turbo 4 not lasting 100K miles wouldn't be totally surprising.
I rarely heard of BMWs old I6s blowing rods, pistons, crankshafts, camshafts or any other component like that even up to 200+K miles.

I know it's hardly much but my E90 with the N52 is still going very strong with like 95K on the odo.
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      02-08-2015, 09:17 PM   #18
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Did you get a letter from BMW about the following Recall?

http://www.bimmerfest.com/news/72459...gerous-brakes/

The Problem:
The oil supply from the intake camshaft to the brake vacuum pump can become restricted. If this happens the brake vacuum pump could fail due to lack of lubrication, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.

Before you pulled over, did you experience the above situation?
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      02-08-2015, 09:22 PM   #19
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I hope BMW NA sorts this out for you, definitely contact them.
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      02-08-2015, 11:43 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Serpent720 View Post
Did you get a letter from BMW about the following Recall?

http://www.bimmerfest.com/news/72459...gerous-brakes/

The Problem:
The oil supply from the intake camshaft to the brake vacuum pump can become restricted. If this happens the brake vacuum pump could fail due to lack of lubrication, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.

Before you pulled over, did you experience the above situation?
Interesting. That particular recall isn't listed in the printout of completed technical campaigns on my vehicle. I just had all outstanding recalls completed in November, which included the following:
  • F30 program control unit
  • Rework corrosion protection for engine compartment
  • Program control units (FEM)
  • Rework corrosion protection for luggage compartment
  • Remove water drain grommet of the units compartment

I'm not sure if I remember the braking being affected. Everything happened very quickly (low oil pressure light, drivetrain malfunction warning, limp mode, me pulling over as quick as possible).
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      02-09-2015, 09:06 AM   #21
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If my motor blew after warranty and before I got rid of it, it would be time to do a turbo LS swap. Cheap motor and cheap parts and hella fast. LOL
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      02-09-2015, 10:20 AM   #22
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threads like this that make me hesitant to even get the Dinan. I want my N20 car to last. I usually keep my cars 7-12 years depending on reliability. Most make it to 10.
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