Blown engines based on model year

[BIGW0RM]

I pray my 2013 doesn't blow. But if it does, OH FUCKING WELL! On to the next one!

[Crazy Bimmer]

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

I agree with Clem and added an '11. It belonged to a close friend who is not a member of forums. I know the car well and have tracked it myself before I bought my '11.

His was a 2011 E92 with 16000 miles, stock except for SS brake lines. He had participated in several HPDE events and was on VIR coming through a turn at 100 when the number 5 cylinder exited the engine, creating a large fireball that melted the back half of his car.

I do know that he frequently had that car over 100 mph and it has seen 170 (ED car, no speed limiter). I also suspect some of his high speed jaunts on the way to work in the am were done before the car hit normal oil temps.

On the plus side, BMW bought it back from him after repairing it at a very fair price.

I like that this engine has a story behind it. Helps evaluate the situation. IMO

[L4ces]

Originally Posted by ILSMKU

I pray my 2013 doesn't blow. But if it does, OH FUCKING WELL! On to the next one!

With all respect to you ILSMKU. Let me run with this....

Pretending I am BMW proper:
"Yes, if we can get all of our current M customers to truly feel that way, then we can engineer in self destruction into our design to keep the herd moving to the next platform. After all we are trying to model the iPhone life cycle ".

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by Corbis

I don't need evidence to tell me that spinning a crank at 8400 rpm consistently is going to greatly increase the chance for failures like this.

I guess common sense isn't that common anymore.

I guess its not Its common sense that if you drive your car hard its going to fail prematurely?

So are you saying that every high revving engine is going to fail early on simply due to the fact that it is high revving?

[G80indy]

Originally Posted by apecush

my oil analysis taken after 7500 miles and 3 HPDEs suggests otherwise.

In all sincerity
Good luck with that

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by 330indy

In all sincerity
Good luck with that

Is there anything out there to support your assertion that fresh oil should be changed after an HPDE?

And why would putting a couple dozen hard miles on an engine designed to go thousands of miles in between oil changes make a significant difference? I could understand if the car was being wrung out all day long for a couple days straight but that's not really not the case at most of these events.

By this reasoning, anyone living in a location where they can push there car hard on a regular basis should be changing the oil, what, weekly? I don't think our German friends are doing that.

[speedaddictM3]

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

He had participated in several HPDE events and was on VIR coming through a turn at 100 when the number 5 cylinder exited the engine, creating a large fireball that melted the back half of his car.
.

Lol. Damn. Are there pics or vids? Just wondering how the heck did the cylinder exit the engine and melt the back half of the car

[regular guy]

Originally Posted by speedaddictM3

Lol. Damn. Are there pics or vids? Just wondering how the heck did the cylinder exit the engine and melt the back half of the car

Originally Posted by regular guy

2011, 45000 Miles, catastrophic failure. Stock engine. Not added to voting above.

Same thing happened to this car/engine. Engine went boom at Sears Point. Threw a rod out the side; oil on the exhaust; car caught fire; ass of the car burned. Now being fixed under warranty.

[Sebringjetta]

is this rod bearing thing just really hyped up or is it as common as it sounds...i keep reading more and more about this issue...but would really like to see the how many motors have failed compared to motors still on the road

[Sebringjetta]

Originally Posted by Dashman

Hype. < 1% failure rate is not an issue.

sounds like the vanos threads when i 1st bought my e46 m3....

[regular guy]

Originally Posted by Sebringjetta

is this rod bearing thing just really hyped up or is it as common as it sounds...i keep reading more and more about this issue

I haven't seen anybody say the failures are common. To the guy whose engine has failed, it's a big problem; but to the guy who is running fine at 100k miles, there is no problem. Failures are very rare, and even though you see lots of threads and lots of data...failures are not common. However when rod bearing-related engine failures do occur, they all seem to show the same (or very similar) evidence of too much friction, possibly caused by too little clearance.

...but would really like to see the how many motors have failed compared to motors still on the road

Many people ask the same question as you. But there is no way for people on the internet and outside of BMW to know that answer.

[speedaddictM3]

Originally Posted by Dashman

Hype. < 1% failure rate is not an issue.

Unless you happen to be one of the unlucky 1% with a rod sticking out the side of your engine.

[speedaddictM3]

Originally Posted by Dashman

And how would that mean that the issue is not hyped up?

Some guy blows his engine. Poor him. That doesn't mean let's start a panic frenzy and conspiracy theory about every M3 on the road, now does it

Absolutely not. But it does mean we can objectively investigate the reason for such failures and find out that bearings are a potential weak point in this engine and that therefore:

1) perhaps it isn't such a good idea after all to keep the same oil for 15000 miles like BMW used to recommend
2) perhaps 10w60 is a bit too thick an oil since most of us aren't competing in 24h of LeMans and maybe a plain jane 5w30 is a better choice
3) perhaps it isn't very wise to gun it and drag race 1 minute after starting a cold engine in the middle of freezing winter

And perhaps if we do all 3 of the above and also perform periodic used oil analysis, maybe just maybe, it might just help prolong the life of our engines and spare a fraction of us from a very expensive engine failure.

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by speedaddictM3

Unless you happen to be one of the unlucky 1% with a rod sticking out the side of your engine.

I always tell my patients that 99% chance of a tumor being benign is pretty good odds unless you're that 1%.

Given it happened to a friend and car I'm very familiar with, I hope that mine won't suffer the same fate but their production dates were very close.

When BMW in Raleigh pulled his engine apart the SA confirmed it was the #5 cylinder. Apparently they've dealt with it before and it is typically that cylinder. The word typically makes me nervous. It is THE reason that my '11 will get CPO if I decide to keep it past warranty but I still have another 15 months to blow it up.

[BIGW0RM]

Originally Posted by L4ces

With all respect to you ILSMKU. Let me run with this....

Pretending I am BMW proper:
"Yes, if we can get all of our current M customers to truly feel that way, then we can engineer in self destruction into our design to keep the herd moving to the next platform. After all we are trying to model the iPhone life cycle ".

I get your point. But I meant onto the next car as in, something other than another M3. Since the new M3 is a V6 (which I despise engine wise), I'm afraid this will be my last M3 ever. Ive already experienced two E92 M3's (2011 DCT to 2013 6MT) so once this one is done, I'm off to something else.

[135Pats]

To the S65 experts out there: Any unifying theme on these motors where the rod is simply letting go? Spun rod bearings aside, the bottom end of the S65 looks to be pretty stout 'on the hoof'. But i've seen and read about a good number of cases where the motor vomits a rod and/or melts a piston. Detonation? Running the motor too hard before its up to operating temp? Just curious, don't mean to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Edit: How about the heavier recd' oil on a motor with such tight clearances? I profess general ignorance to the S65 outside of big picture knowledge. Curious to hear your guys' perspective.

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by Dashman

^Key word. None of these analyses are objective or apply any scientific standard of statistical analyses. Everything we know about this issue is anecdotal. Not taking away from some of the members (namely regular guy) who has at least tried to standardize it, so it can be studied objectively but it is a very challenging task. I am afraid BMW are the only gate keepers to the truth behind this.

In the meantime, I plan to enjoy my car rather than worry about what could potentially go wrong.

I'm guessing others are like me. When I'm on these forums I worry about it, especially due to what I've already seen.

However, when I'm in my car it's the farthest thing from my mind as I'm topping out 5th gear.

[Sti2e92sedan]

I just added my 08 engine seize today.

It was blown back in May 2013. Had 68k miles. No cpo.

[L4ces]

Originally Posted by Crazy Bimmer

Did BMW not cover these engines under factory warranty or are you guys a tech for a BMW dealership?

Just shocked how many engines 'regular guy' has seen that failed. I have a few friends who are techs at BMW dealers that see M3s often but do not see anywhere near the failure rate as seen posted in this thread!

Just saying... If there are 1000 failures and 2000 dealers, some of dealers may not encounter a failure.

[astris]

Originally Posted by ILSMKU

I get your point. But I meant onto the next car as in, something other than another M3. Since the new M3 is a V6 (which I despise engine wise), I'm afraid this will be my last M3 ever. Ive already experienced two E92 M3's (2011 DCT to 2013 6MT) so once this one is done, I'm off to something else.

What?

[cris///M3]

[BIGW0RM]

Since the new m3/m4 has a V6.