Another S65 Engine Failure....3k miles

[Obi Wong Kenobi]

Never liked Peabody. Always had a better experience with Darin at HC BMW of Boston. Good luck and hope this story has a good ending!

[///BMW Junkie]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

you got a new engine. what is there to complain about?

Having your new car with 3K miles taken apart is a good thing?

[STooK]

Sucks this happened but just be glad it happened now and not a week after your warranty ran out.

I hate to sound like a broken record but how people are driving their cars with no warranty and original bearings is beyond my imagination. Lesson to be learned here; glad you have warranty.

[serranot]

Complete pain in the rear and hassle. And, regrettably, the dealer is not always the "experts" they are supposed to be.

That being said, it would not make me flinch.

[RickP]

Originally Posted by STooK

I hate to sound like a broken record but how people are driving their cars with no warranty and original bearings is beyond my imagination. Lesson to be learned here; glad you have warranty.

• Blackstone every other change
• Warm up engine to +210F before going above 4k RPM

[admranger]

Originally Posted by STooK

I hate to sound like a broken record but how people are driving their cars with no warranty and original bearings is beyond my imagination.

Not to pull on a dragon's tail and tempt fate, but for me it was simple maths.

~1% failure = ~$25k (I do my own work and engine pulling isn't new to me).

Extended warranty ~$3k++ So I'd need about a 12.5% failure rate to make it worthwhile (engine only).

Besides, the last time I had a extended warranty (on my 1996 Ford F350 CC diesel dually), I got the "previous wear and tear, not covered" bull... No need to feed them any more money.

Now, if you have all your work done, then by all means an extended warranty can be a great thing to have. Excellent peace of mind too if you're a bit tight on cash.

Hopefully this will help your imagination out.

Now back to furiously knocking on wood, tossing salt over my shoulder, etc. before I hit the start/stop button...

[jmg]

Originally Posted by 325rider

Over the past 4 months my car has spent about 30+ days at the dealer
2011.5 M3 48k miles.

Vacuum Whistle Noise (Novermber): 1 week
Throttle Body Failure full Limp Mode: December 24th-Jan 1st
Vacuum Whistle Noise AGAIN: Jan 2nd-Jan 21st

I wouldn't get into owning an e9x M3 unless you have porsche 911 money and are willing to throw Porsche 911 money away on a car worth about half as much.

Good luck man, Ill be making a thread soon

This is very disconcerting to me. I am looking at a used (non cpo) 2011 E90 with 38k miles. This is to be my commuter car (50miles/day). Sounds like a bad idea now.

[Dave07997S]

Originally Posted by jmg

This is very disconcerting to me. I am looking at a used (non cpo) 2011 E90 with 38k miles. This is to be my commuter car (50miles/day). Sounds like a bad idea now.

That is a rarity, all in all the E9X M3s are a pretty robust vehicle. I am on my 2nd E92 M3 and for a total of 6 years now not one issue that had to be taken care under warranty or anything else for that matter.

Dave

[Rajmun340]

What annoys me significantly with your case is not so much the engine breakdown, it's that BMW NA and your dealer tried to evade replacing the engine. How can they even dare to posture ? For their own sake i do hope that in those 2,246 miles past life at the dealer it was repeatedly testdroven to redline on a cold engine. Because if it wasn't then BMW NA would have to be the worst dodgy dishonnest disreputable auto business on the continent to posture like this trying to evade warranty.

Did your car had a previous owner or did it spend all its 2,246 miles at the dealer, if so I would not bank that those 2246 miles were responsible brake-in miles. And if it was previously leased, same thing, leasing is like renting. Leased cars are systematically abused (leased m3 especially).

Maybe, just maybe.. your car engine was not as mint as you thought.

[Rajmun340]

Originally Posted by BostonS65

The previous owner was a 65 year old doctor who collected cars. the 1500 mile service was completed. He traded this M3, a F-type R and Lexus something F-sport in all with under 3k miles. I dont think the motor was ever actually broken in but the service was completed.

That goes a long way to shed some light. It's uncommon, a doctor who swings through cars that fast is treating them completely differently than someone who is intent on driving the car a very long time. I think it's reasonable to suspect your car went through unhealthy use. If you make the analogy between car and woman, which jokes aside is a telling analogy, i think that individual is like an old pervert going through expensive hookers. You thought you found a pristine car but there is a high probability this car went through mechanical rape not even for automotive driving enjoyment but for the sole purpose of abusing the car. There are twisted minds in all walks of life, education makes no difference, and someone who swings through cars that fast is not the previous owner profile you'd want. If he was a middle aged doctor i would be more lenient in my thinking, more likely to be a driving enthusiast doing spirited bouts and getting his adrenaline rush with a healthy respect for the car. But an old car swinger like that, gosh, i can only imagine him sitting in the car in homely casual clothes and revving the hell out of the engine with a pervert grin on his face.

[STooK]

Originally Posted by RickP

• Blackstone every other change
• Warm up engine to +210F before going above 4k RPM

Which every owner claims after their bearing goes. Blackstone doesn't mean squat (except MY08) and most people follow strict warm up procedure (myself included).

Again, I'm not trying to change anyone's minds. You be the judge on how serious the bearing issue is. I for one, if I decide to keep my car past its warranty then the first maintenance I'll be doing is the bearings. Small (~$2500 isn't "small" but compared to a $20k engine replacement it sounds like a good idea) price to pay for peace of mind.

[Rajmun340]

Originally Posted by STooK

Which every owner claims after their bearing goes. Blackstone doesn't mean squat (except MY08) and most people follow strict warm up procedure (myself included).

Again, I'm not trying to change anyone's minds. You be the judge on how serious the bearing issue is. I for one, if I decide to keep my car past its warranty then the first maintenance I'll be doing is the bearings. Small (~$2500 isn't "small" but compared to a $20k engine replacement it sounds like a good idea) price to pay for peace of mind.

You are correct, blackstone analysis is utterly useless.
If you decide to replace bearings go with Calico CT-1 coated OEM BMW bearings (clevite) and ARP bolts. This is the only combination that proved perfect results with no bearing wear whatsoever after 30k miles of supercharged driving !
The problem is not a bearing clearance issue, stay away from anyone who tries to sell bearings like BE startup on claims that the bearing clearance is too tight. The CT-1 coating actually added sprayed material to OEM bearings. The cause of it all, is in fact ethanol dilution in the oil. Coating provides a dry lubricant surface that prevents metal on metal when the oil film fails at high RPM due to ethanol traces.
And no, blackstone analysis can not measure ethanol content in the oil. What they measure is condensed fuel in the oil, when most of the ethanol is going to be gaseous inside the crankcase.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by JoeM3SSII

That goes a long way to shed some light. It's uncommon, a doctor who swings through cars that fast is treating them completely differently than someone who is intent on driving the car a very long time. I think it's reasonable to suspect your car went through unhealthy use. If you make the analogy between car and woman, which jokes aside is a telling analogy, i think that individual is like an old pervert going through expensive hookers. You thought you found a pristine car but there is a high probability this car went through mechanical rape not even for automotive driving enjoyment but for the sole purpose of abusing the car. There are twisted minds in all walks of life, education makes no difference, and someone who swings through cars that fast is not the previous owner profile you'd want. If he was a middle aged doctor i would be more lenient in my thinking, more likely to be a driving enthusiast doing spirited bouts and getting his adrenaline rush with a healthy respect for the car. But an old car swinger like that, gosh, i can only imagine him sitting in the car in homely casual clothes and revving the hell out of the engine with a pervert grin on his face.

Hahaha, and first price for crazy imagination goes to you Joe, wow!

[Rajmun340]

Originally Posted by Helmsman

Hahaha, and first price for crazy imagination goes to you Joe, wow!

This is factual. If you have not read the thread i am referring to (callico coating, 30K SC no bearing wear at all), you should. I know the "herd" mentality can be a huge draw, people like to jump off the cliff with everybody else, but you should read the facts before judging.

Oh and i talked to blackstone labs before about detecting ethanol, they cannot.

[FogCityM3]

Oh boy....

[PizzaHut]

Originally Posted by ericxog

Hey man, I would be happy to have an E92 that fresh with a new engine. Consider it brand new

A new engine is only as good as the tech that puts it in. I have friends who are techs at the dealerships, they're great buddies but I would never let them wrench on my car.

Nothing beats factory installed all original. Sorry OP for your loss, It would bother the heck out of me especially with an engine replacement on a practically brand new mint car.

I for one would never purchase a car with an engine replacement in it's history.

[BostonS65]

Well I have decided to put it for sale. Posted in classifieds. I love the car but if someone else likes the new motor aspect, I will let them have it.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by BostonS65

Well I have decided to put it for sale. Posted in classifieds. I love the car but if someone else likes the new motor aspect, I will let them have it.

Don't do it bro. Give it a little time and see if the car grow on you and you come to "accept" the new engine (which should be easy!). Should you still feel nope, your only potential market loss is to sell it broken in. Finding another so low mileage E92 M3 will not be possible, will give you pleasure for years to come.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by BostonS65

Well I have decided to put it for sale. Posted in classifieds. I love the car but if someone else likes the new motor aspect, I will let them have it.

Don't do it !
Your car is actually a brand new car , a newer condition you will never find again ..Think twice .
BTW..Any updates about the cause of your S65 failure ?

[modkrazy]

Take it as a positive, you should get an M3 with 3K miles of physical wear and a brand-new engine, and get them to throw in an extended warranty while you're at it, and you're good till 2020.