Blown motors, Rod Bearing failure S65 Registry.

[FazerBoy]

Originally Posted by Malek@MRF

Add my Melbourne Red M3 to the list. Bearings failed at 38k. I will do a full write up of my findings of what went on with pictures.

A full write up and thread I will create for the engine rebuild too. The block or rods are not damaged.

Is your car stock?

[Malek@MRF]

Originally Posted by FazerBoy

Is your car stock?

Engine is stock with catless exhaust and mild software.

[FazerBoy]

Originally Posted by Malek@MRF

There is clearly a problem, which is why I have been using 0W-40 for a very long time now on this engine and many of my customers do as well. I am willing to invest in Clevite manufacturing new bearings with the proper clearances for the S65, as you mentioned this could be a possibility with your connections to Clevite. We should talk.

Malek,

If you get new bearings manufactured I'd be in for a set of these as a preventative maintenance measure...

I've got your rear subframe bushings and I've been very happy with them...!

Jack

[kawasaki00]

Originally Posted by Malek@MRF

There is clearly a problem, which is why I have been using 0W-40 for a very long time now on this engine and many of my customers do as well. I am willing to invest in Clevite manufacturing new bearings with the proper clearances for the S65, as you mentioned this could be a possibility with your connections to Clevite. We should talk.
.

I will send you a PM this evening.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by Malek@MRF

Engine didn't throw any rods and still runs relatively smooth. It made loud ticking noises intermittently, but the noises stopped. Once I knew something was off, I made sure it was never started again. Oil did come out from somewhere on the front of the motor, but haven't been able to figure out where that oil has come from yet until things are taken apart.

It might be interesting to get an oil sample for analysis.

[kawasaki00]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

It might be interesting to get an oil sample for analysis.

Too late for that, once a failure occurs a sample will be compromised and useless.

[SenorFunkyPants]

2011 and onward cars (with the newer bearings) do seem to be susceptible to failure at lower mileage compared to earlier cars on the lead bearings. A 2011 car has the same fail rate at an average of 30,000 as 2008/9 cars with 50,000 miles.
The blue failure rate should follow the green mileage line but the fail rate rises for 2011 and onwards cars. ie the fail rate should decrease as the cars are newer with less mileage but rises instead.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by kawasaki00

Too late for that, once a failure occurs a sample will be compromised and useless.

Ah OK I wondered as the car was still running ok it might not be too late.

[kawasaki00]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

Ah OK I wondered as the car was still running ok it might not be too late.

Unfortunately no, once the bearings comes apart even if it is still running the particles will stay suspended in the oil. The way the oil machine works is is makes a plasma like ball of the oil through a electrical charge. It uses light refraction to bounce beams of light back to the sensor. The sensor picks up the different color and wave length to determine the particles in the oil. When large contaminates are suspended in the oil it will reflect and skew the light going back to the sensor and give false results.
We have had rod bearing failures and the oil is just full of parts and pieces, we ran it anyway. Sometimes it will say the oil is just fine even with all the crap in it. The machines just cant "see" the oil correctly with all the crud in it.

[JPH704]

This is becoming ridiculous!

Found out today a local dealer has a 2013 and 17k miles with bearing failure.
Car was stock and maintained meticulously. All the people asking if the blown engines are "stock" are entertaining.

[BrewRifle]

This really needs to get recalled.

[chris719]

So Malek, you were using 0w-40 the whole time?

[stubble88]

hard to enjoy the car when Im always worried about when the second engine will blow. and going bat shit crazy about its breakin in the meantime.

[Malek@MRF]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

It might be interesting to get an oil sample for analysis.

There is no sense in doing this. The oil is already contaminated given the bearing failure. The tell tale readings will be through the roof. Hopefully crank is not damaged and motor can be refreshed with new bearings.

If crank is damaged, a full build will take place at that point, since I will have to remove the motor and disassemble the whole thing. New crank, cams, pistons, rods and head work.

I also believe the motor gave way due to prolonged high RPM usage and prolonged cornering. An oil baffle of some sort or dry sump system may have helped here.

Originally Posted by chris719

So Malek, you were using 0w-40 the whole time?

Car has been on Mobil 1 0W-40 for the last 15k miles.

[Z K]

Originally Posted by Malek@MRF

Car has been on Mobil 1 0W-40 for the last 15k miles.

So does that mean that 0w40 doesn't help with rod bearing issues?

[happos2]

Originally Posted by Z K

So does that mean that 0w40 doesn't help with rod bearing issues?

You can't say that with just 1 data point, you need a population. You also need to understand what damage was done prior to moving to 0W-40.

[///M Power-Belgium]

I'm reading this thread now from day one ,and it's very sad to see all this bearing failures and blown engines ,and feel realy sorry for all the people !
And how longer i'm looking into this thread the more stranger it is that I don't see any Euro/spec car with bearing failures ?
But I know one thing...it's realy time that BMW takes some action , particularly to keep BMW customers (us) !
Don't think we are bad BMW customers knowing that we are at least ///M3 owners !
So i'm asking myself...for how much longer i'm a BMW customer when they do nothing ?
Also...we have seen on here bearing failures on ///M3's built end 2013 with only 6,700 miles on it ,so the last made ///M3's with bearing failures and that's why i'm thinking BMW has no solution for the bearings ,because when they had a solution then at least the last cars of 2013, so after 7 years they had to have a bulletproof solution for the bearings ,when not after 7 years.... they never had !
Maybe...In this case is logic thinking the answer for the bearings of the S65--> there is no solution and never was !!!

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

I'm reading this thread now from day one ,and it's very sad to see all this bearing failures and blown engines ,and feel realy sorry for all the people !
And how longer i'm looking into this thread the more stranger it is that I don't see any Euro/spec car with bearing failures ?
But I know one thing...it's realy time that BMW takes some action , particularly to keep BMW customers (us) !
Don't think we are bad BMW customers knowing that we are at least ///M3 owners !
So i'm asking myself...for how much longer i'm a BMW customer when they do nothing ?
Also...we have seen on here bearing failures on ///M3's built end 2013 with only 6,700 miles on it ,so the last made ///M3's with bearing failures and that's why i'm thinking BMW has no solution for the bearings ,because when they had a solution then at least the last cars of 2013, so after 7 years they had to have a bulletproof solution for the bearings ,when not after 7 years.... they never had !
Maybe...In this case is logic thinking the answer for the bearings of the S65--> there is no solution and never was !!!

BMW's solution appears to be the S55, or so they want you to think Until something catastrophic is discovered with that puppy anyway.

[rantarM3]

And there was much sadness across the land when yet another M3 blew it's engine.

Seriously, this is discomforting.

[4corners]

115000 miles and it runs better all the time. Below is a Blackstone report for 111000, I was slow sending it in.

$1,000,000 question! What is the difference between this car and others that fail with less miles? Assembly technique?

Kawasaki? Count me in for the Clevite bearings, IF I MAKE IT THAT LONG! But it looks good. So far.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by happos2

You can't say that with just 1 data point, you need a population. You also need to understand what damage was done prior to moving to 0W-40.

Agreed, although it would not seem to be a panacea. Maybe this would have been a car that failed 5k earlier on TWS though, who knows.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

I'm reading this thread now from day one ,and it's very sad to see all this bearing failures and blown engines ,

Although its seems like there should be more but actual documented cases of engine failures on M3post is 37 for cars without superchargers and 46 with.
I do have one more car to add plus Maleks car once his problem is diagnosed.
Its really not that bad.