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Elevated lead levels in oil - Engine on borrowed time?

PranK
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PranK Grand Master

PranK

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17 hours ago, GoHashiriya said:

The good news is, the quote from my mechanic for N53 bearings was relatively low and he’s fortunately an ex-BMW tech. I also went down this path - engine had a low oil pressure error from a missing cage in the filter housing. I ended up watching a million hours of rebuild videos until my oil analysis came back okay other than a shit tonne of boron *iirc* which was consistent with a leaking oil filter housing gasket. I also recall BMW N series bearings having a different material composition to normal.

Yeah, its good to see at least I have OK pressure. Theres also zero other symptoms so if the next analysis comes back similar, I'll get the bearings done I think. Just sucks because turbos and oil pan gasket were just done and he's going to need to pull all that out again. 

At this stage I'm just hoping I see no lead in the next analysis and I can chalk it up to the additive in the oil to soften my valve stem seals.

PranK Grand Master

PranK

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I just had a little drive and monitored oil pressure with my MHD sensor and plugin. Its perfectly within range. ~40psi at idle, ~75-80psi just cruising and ~90-95psi at WOT.

GoHashiriya Community Regular

GoHashiriya

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1 hour ago, niZmO_Man said:

from my limited BMW experience:
- they burn oil WTF (B48 FTW 170kW engine)
- dump oil every 5,000km and you'll be ok.. until it drops a bearing and rebuild time.

replace engine with B58

Vanos solenoid problems and basically all sensors die an early death 

joshuaho96 Veteran

joshuaho96

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On 5/8/2024 at 11:40 PM, GoHashiriya said:

The good news is, the quote from my mechanic for N53 bearings was relatively low and he’s fortunately an ex-BMW tech. I also went down this path - engine had a low oil pressure error from a missing cage in the filter housing. I ended up watching a million hours of rebuild videos until my oil analysis came back okay other than a shit tonne of boron *iirc* which was consistent with a leaking oil filter housing gasket. I also recall BMW N series bearings having a different material composition to normal.

That crappy plastic cage is the difference between an engine that works and one that mysteriously has half the lifters fail, cam journals scored, and VANOS mechanically stuck faults because all the oil pressure leaked out of the stupid cam ledge bearings. Also, the difference between the right oil filter and the wrong one.

I don't know why BMW is like this. Their engines are incredibly sensitive to the slightest thing being wrong.

GoHashiriya Community Regular

GoHashiriya

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49 minutes ago, joshuaho96 said:

That crappy plastic cage is the difference between an engine that works and one that mysteriously has half the lifters fail, cam journals scored, and VANOS mechanically stuck faults because all the oil pressure leaked out of the stupid cam ledge bearings. Also, the difference between the right oil filter and the wrong one.

I don't know why BMW is like this. Their engines are incredibly sensitive to the slightest thing being wrong.

It’s amazing I could only find drips of information on it too. No one seemed to have it with the same low oil pressure warning I had - usually vanos codes. How long it had been like that for is anybody’s guess. 
 

Really dumb idea, especially considering how easily the cage detaches from the filter housing cap.

joshuaho96 Veteran

joshuaho96

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1 hour ago, GoHashiriya said:

It’s amazing I could only find drips of information on it too. No one seemed to have it with the same low oil pressure warning I had - usually vanos codes. How long it had been like that for is anybody’s guess. 
 

Really dumb idea, especially considering how easily the cage detaches from the filter housing cap.

The best part is the aluminum replacements are also junk with a ton of casting flash threatening to break off. Only safe solution is toss and buy OEM new if in doubt, if the cage ever comes off BMW says to replace the whole part instead of putting it back together. Also only use the right oil filter wrench and only snug it down, never attempt to actually torque it once the cap is fully threaded into the housing.

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PranK Grand Master

PranK

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On 10/05/2024 at 1:45 PM, GTSBoy said:

Tell us about the on ramp?

Not following.

 

Its worth noting that the N54 has no oil pressure sensor from factory, only a switch. I have retro fit a sensor so I can monitor the pressure. The car will now alert me if it drops. 

PranK Grand Master

PranK

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2 hours ago, GTSBoy said:

Tongue in cheek point that a proper test would be to see what the gauge says during a sustained lateral load.

Oh, ha, the ol 'on ramp tune'!

I did give it a bit though, lots of hills where I am. 

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