Best engines m54. I have a 2003 BMW 530i e60. with 350,000km on it. Still going strong. normal service. still going strong.

@sammcgrow3335

4 жыл бұрын

still going strong

@deyutsadede

4 жыл бұрын

You should see the 192hp non vanos m50...that’s bulletproof

@Desmodromic916

3 жыл бұрын

Its a good engine but shame it has aluminum block. What about oil consumpion?

@bkdetailing

2 жыл бұрын

@@Desmodromic916 0.5l on 1000km

Super information crucial to keep the money in our pockets and away from the dealers. These "look out for" tips will prevent shocks and keep us mobile, thank you doc.

205k miles on my e46 330xi ‘03 . Still purrs and runs like a dream.

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

that's good to know mate m54 is a sweet engine and is legendary for that reason

@DeadEnDCrew

2 жыл бұрын

mines at 195k im gonna catch up to ya mate lol M54B30 lyffe!!!

Thanks Dean. Waiting on the CCV DIY video.👍🏾💯. I love my E46 🤩🤩

Fast speaking made me watch the video couple times to understand everything ( ik im slow bare with me gang) as a result now ik more about m54 then i expected! Newerthless... Great video mate, rly grateful for mentioning. everything u describe in video happened to my uncle's bmw so thumbs up, u speak the truth and earned my sub. Looking forward to more videos of m54 from ya since im planing to buy one myself.

Great video, you’re very knowledgeable - love my m54! Cheers from Canada

Thanks for the video! Really helped, I’m viewing a e46 320 with the 2.2 m54 engine tomorrow fingers crossed it’s all okay! I will look for these problems :)

My b30 just passed 292k miles (470k km). I love this block so much

@timothykeith1367

3 жыл бұрын

Can the M54 be swapped to an E30 ?

@boonamai8926

3 жыл бұрын

@@timothykeith1367 There are literally millions of videos of M54 and S54 swapped E30s on youtube xD

@boonamai8926

3 жыл бұрын

@@timothykeith1367 So yes.

I have the M52B28 in my E36 'Vert. Had it for more than 4 years now. Bought it at 280k kilometres in the clock, now it's a little over 340k. I also know the previous owner who had the car since '02. Our experience is what goes bad on these is anything but the engine. This car had several electrical issues (mostly due to it being very well-optioned), the M-packet suspension needs a lot of maintenance if you live in a country with bad roads like I do, and the interior trim is horrible, I had a completely new interior with all carpets made last year. Rust is also a huge enemy, it can appear anywhere, anytime, even if you don't use it much in the wet. But the engine is completely bulletproof. Most of them drink a bit of oil, it's usually the valve oil seal needing replacement which is a big job to do, but once it's done it's usually all good. It takes abuse like it was made to take it, if you only do it once it's warm (the oil, not the water!), it lasts forever. I never had any major issue with it other than replacing the valve oil seals and cleaning the injectors, even though it's a weekend car for me, I even have some mods to get a bit more power and body rigidity so I did take it on some track days and I do often take it on local winding roads to have fun - so yeah, it is abused, and it was abused by the previous owner just as much. Great engines, the cars around them are more problematic but preventive maintenance can make them overall reliable. Fun fact: I know an E39 in my area with over a million kilometres in it, and it still goes, even though it never had any really major repairs done other than the usual suspects.

Dean, great added value videos, one ask, please include that break down next time in your videos description

Great review of the M54 engine.

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks vladi mate

Thank you buddy another great informative video I appreciate this 1A lot more I am A530I owner

Hi Dean great vid as alway. just checked the m54 meets the low emissions in London 👍

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

lovely mate yeah it does indeed its a great engine for the novice and a beginner that I will say less complicated and not so many electronics

I have my 330ci e46 for 20 years done nearly 500 thousand miles ,never missed a beat even tho i ragged the arse of it, these are one off the best engines ever made please dont tell people to buy ebay parts , water pump 27 quid ffs you destroy a good engine with crap that will have to be replaced within 18 months if you lucky , im still on orignal air mass , disa valve,head gasket,vanos , keep up good work 😉

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

mate I did not say I got ebay parts I got the same parts you get from ebay same name meyle and Behr parts just from ebay via Euro car parts

2001 E46 with a E54 189000 miles still alive and well cheers mate from the USA

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

Your welcome brother

I currently own a 2002 bmw 525i A sport wagon premium package with 156,538 miles. Car runs strong, I’ve replaced o2 sensors,pcv, radiator expansion tank, control arms, cv axle, and All camshaft sensors. And many more things to go goal is to keep her running as long as possible.

Very helpful. Thank you.

My favorite BMW engines are the M30B34 and the M54 engines. The only two I’ve owned so far, but they’re both awesome and last forever. Oil leaks aren’t fun though. Recently switched to Mobil 1 5W40 after years of 5W30. Seems to have corrected/slowed my leaks substantially, it also reduced the ticking on the M54. I’m going to repair my DISA Valve, and send my ECU in for repair. Cold start stalls are getting annoying.

51kkm done, mine 2004 330Ci got now 304kkm and still going good and smooth :)

My m54 in my z3 is still deadly never a problem at 80k, always let them warm properly and mostly stay on top of service,, I’ve already flushed all fluids just because of age not mileage power-steering, brakes, coolant

Love my M54B30 with 250.000km. nice Video man👌

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

No problem mate

@hunteraltman4762

4 жыл бұрын

@@BMWDoctor So, I have a question. I'm from America for some reference. The model of e46 I'm looking at is a 2000 328ci. I'm almost positive it has a m52tu, but would you say it's more reliable than a m54 e46? I had terrible luck with an m54 and want to avoid that all together with an m52 e46. I love the looks, but wasn't a fan of the m54. Thanks! You got a new subscriber from your quality videos!

M52 and m54 engines are bulletproof and bmw best engines

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

You know what mate guess what I completely agree

@iAlwaysSpeakTheTruth

5 жыл бұрын

Engines are solid, cooling system on M54 and piston rings are terrible design. Especially the dreaded expansion tank. Thank god the f30 doesn’t have that shitty expansion tank issue.

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

n52 doesn't use that expansion tank luckily either thank god I gotta say tho I aint ever had a problem with the expansion tanks on the m54 I had these engines on my 330ci convertible with no issues my x5 with no issues and and my e39 530i and this e46 and I aint come across that issue I think that's if you drive these cars hard to the red line then your gonna expect that these cars are not made to be driven to the red line even tho people say there meant to and that's what causes piston ring issues aswell on these driving them to hard@@iAlwaysSpeakTheTruth

@iAlwaysSpeakTheTruth

5 жыл бұрын

BMW DOCTOR DEAN Using manual mode on these cars are one of the worst things you can do to it tbh.

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

Joey McMahon Jr yep it is indeed that’s why I hardly use sport mode that’s why there is a kickdown for that

So nice that you have break booster and ABS pump separately. In continental Europe, it is next to electric box and that bay is just left empty

@flipvdfluitketel867

2 жыл бұрын

that's the spare oil and coolant storage

Great PM info to watch out for .

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

No problem

@kevinvandevelde9789

5 жыл бұрын

@@BMWDoctor I've heard Nathan about alittle snow and his Toyota. Here you you get a 30 to 60 deg temp swings. Just went out an got freezing rain it was 60 deg yesterday. I agree its hard on the BMW's . I let mine warm up. Heck we had 14 inches of snow last winter an more snow falls after that with -28 deg temps. This is just a rant. Because I took a dive on my back walking into the store. LOL

M54 E83 2006 X3, Owner and still running ok right now. Gifted from a friend and change a couple of parts but so far it's running ok right now...

Bulletproof 323i sport m52💯👍

thank you Doctor Dean

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

No problem mate as I state I must continue this for you guys can’t let you all down not Nathan’s subscribers or mine

My 03 E39 530i has 178k miles on it. I've done the valve cover gasket twice and oil filter gasket (wasn't even leaking) but other than that it's been relatively maintenance free other than oil changes. Has oil pan gasket leak unfortunately.

This video is a gem of KZread lol

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

You get me

very reliable if you do the vanos, ccv, rings (with m52 oil control rings), disa fix , sensors, all the vacum hoses , intake boots, coils, all cooling components

M54B22 in my e46 coupe,219000 km,no problems,sounds best between 4000-6000 rpm.:)

best engine especially if u work on it yourself...very rewarding

Being an English speaker since childhood I have real trouble catching up with how fast you speak sometimes. Content is excellent and much appreciated, but I'm sure your international audience would be grateful if you relaxed just a little bit and slowed down your voice pace some. I'm sure an increased like count would ensue. Just a kind suggestion. Other than that, I'm finding the info you provide on the M54 precious to say the least. I'm interested in this motor for an engine swap and I'm gathering as much info as I'm able to, just to make sure everything's sound and ready when the engine goes in. Keep up the good work 👏

I have M54 & M52TU and love them both. Very easy to maintain, and easy to keep the check engine light off. My experience is that people tend to drive these cars in the ground, so if you buy one go ahead and do what the Doctor points out in the video. It's worth the piece of mind. Very good video!

@rikardokwiatkowski7998

4 жыл бұрын

M52 bulletproof 👍

M54 is one love!!! But cold start missfire in the winter is :(

If you buy a 30 £ termostat, you will be buying one every year. I swaped 2 non original ones because of the leaks in 2 years. Spend money on original for a peace of mind. No problems with 30£ water pump (4years now) though

Ive got the M54 engine in my 2003 z4 3.0i. Curious if youve ever encountered some gas in the oil? My car has only 83k miles. Is it leaky injectors? Checking fuel trims i noticed it not running rich

Good to know

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks mate

My 2001 530i has 237,xxxmiles paid 2000 dollars for it in 2016. Valve cover gaskets are getting replaced this week

My M54B22 guzzled oil like there was no tommorow. I tried to accept it, I'd never had a 6 cylinder before and it's a pretty highly tuned engine. When it got to guzzling over a litre of high quality synthetic in less than 500 miles I knew it was time to get rid. I've had cheap little cars that have never consumed a single drop of oil between services. Gearbox limp mode was also occuring frequently and it started rusting around the doors and sill. I've got a 19 year old Honda that has no visible rust at all. I love the E39 but it's just too heavy for its own good, it puts so much stress on expensive running gear and suspension components.

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

that's correct mate

@michaelric3540

4 жыл бұрын

E39 is actually light. All aluminum front and rear subframe and control arms.

It’s 2024 and I bought one it’s sweet

Hi bud where abouts are you based? I'd love to pay you for your knowledge checking a couple if things on my car!

I recently purchase my 2nd bmw so far I love it has some issues tht are getting addressed but some time it feels like it losses power I’d like the bmw doctor to point me in the right direction here send I don’t know much about theses has 236 thousand miles on it and she still runs smooth when cruising

I have 04 530i just changed ccv today took 4 hours 256,000 miles cleaned disa valve throttle body and idler control valve 02 sensor next bank 1 sensor 1

@creditovercash8852

2 жыл бұрын

Same throttle body from 04 still hiking strong

Interesting.

My 330i 2003 e46 is at 199k miles the most major repair i had to do to the engine was oil pan gasket.

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly mate

Where can I buy the fan clutch from and water pump n thermostat for this dr

Impressive knowledge of this engine! I’m looking for recommendations on where to have a thorough service for a z4 3.0i I’m about to buy??

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

Depends where you are buddy

@jamesblake7755

4 жыл бұрын

Bmw Doctor I’m in Essex but willing to travel to the right place!

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

If I’m honest with you mate I know Essex we’ll and all garages are rip offs and don’t do the jobs right the same as in London none of them are bmw trained most have come from Vauxhall’s and ford dealers and willing to take on any job as you know they don’t refuse money and all garages are the same mate this is why it’s key when owning these cars to make sure you do it yourself to get your return back if you sell it remember all these labour costs you never get back so it’s wasted money mate your better off to set fire to your money

@jamesblake7755

4 жыл бұрын

Haha definitely got a sense of that money grabbing when phoning for quotes before! Found a good guy who services my current Clio but he probably won’t know all the ins and outs of the m54... I’ll probably just replace all those key parts that you mentioned that go wrong myself since £300 isn’t bad price to have all those new! Hopefully won’t balls it up lol

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

Mate learning from your mistakes only make you better the next time the more you do it the quicker you get mate trust me the waterpump and thermostats garages charge easy £180 labour alone say it takes 2hrs it actually can be done in half there time For the vanos seals they say a whole day you can do it in 4hrs aswell with valve cover Do not ever listen to there mental times and prices it’s all crap to get more money off you remember they charge for there breaks on top of the price so they don’t lose only you do that’s why they can go sally off on another car

Excellent rewiew!! How about the bmw m57 diesel engines? Reliability, weak points?? Compared to the m54 engine ? It is a good choice, for a daily driving in 2019?

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

Yes it is and probably better then the m54 as it don’t suffer oil leaks everywhere like the petrols

@TheultimateDIYmachine

4 жыл бұрын

You remove swirl flaps (just in case) and that M57 engine will run forever...

It's like looking under my own bonnet, except mine has the secondary air pump.

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

You joking mate remove it

@mikeymagic117

5 жыл бұрын

Does it not need it? Will it make much difference if removed?

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

Yes it will mate but you need to tune it out I do it mate as you know for Nathan as in the us they have them

@mikeymagic117

5 жыл бұрын

@@BMWDoctor Ok, nice one mate.

The M54 engine will always be reliable it’s just the oil leaks that are a pain in the bum

u talk about an upgrade in m54? u mean ecu upgadre or what? i need that information pls, m54b25 double vanos owner

I can't make out what you were talking about over by the intake... 'dissa valves' ?

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

Yes disa valve

VANOS is the most common problem, isn't it?

My 04 530i is at 340k :) never selling it

Hi....i have an m54 in my e53 i did almost all you name in the video. Now i have a 4x4 light on....i check and you dont have anything related to that and looking tutorials i just found when the 4x4 comes with abs and more lights. Have you got idea what can be when it comes alone? Thank so much

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

Reset adaptions let the car go to sleep mate easy

@oscarmartinez78

4 жыл бұрын

Hi, you might have to replace the plastic gear in the transfer case actuator. Lots of how to’s here, really easy to do. This happened to my e53 3.0i.

Disa always goes bad, non original ones are garbage. Best bet is to buy a rebuild kit with a metal flap.

How much is the software update

what about the auto boxes and timing chain?

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

Timing chain ???? I never heard of any problems with them here in the Uk and neither the gearboxes you may suffer them problems where you are but please as I state to everyone on here these videos are made with the UK IN MIND ONLY!!!!

@Absa7319

5 жыл бұрын

@@BMWDoctor uk only

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

Yes Uk only we don’t suffer these same problems like a lot of other countries BMW’s here are very reliable and use high quality parts from day one please check all my videos and are every part removed on 155k was original bmw parts still on that mileages with no issues in the us and other countries they get given all reject parts from the manafacturer to fit hence your problems

@kevinlarsson8429

5 жыл бұрын

well timing chains can almost last forever as long as you change the oil regularly

i bought mine, 3225ti 2001 m54b25 with the cylinder head gasket dead ! at 220.000 kms

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

That’s normal on that year mate and that engine nobody will be shocked mate. To avoid that you must go for 330 and NOT 2001 must be 2003 and up

@frizz1010

4 жыл бұрын

@@BMWDoctor i didn' t knew that ...?? and also my oil consumption is about 500ml to 1 liter for 1000kms :((( (5w30 ect c3)

@frizz1010

4 жыл бұрын

@@BMWDoctor probable due to the water pump dead also i don t know if it s a commun problem ..?

You forgot oil filter housing gasket

@BMWDoctor

4 жыл бұрын

No never forgot it don’t leak in the Uk never in my time of owning 10 m54 engines I don’t do these videos for US people as I state about 50,000 times a day this is all for Uk and to help my own ONLY

@rufiorufioo

4 жыл бұрын

BMW Doctor yeah I bought a 04 m54 guy sold it because of the insane looking oil leak. Just the oil filter housing gasket needed replaced! Thing just keeps running no check engine lights. I also did put new radiator, hoses, vanos line, lower ccv hose, control arms, coolant reservoir.

My input. As I have owned an M54 before , 04 530i. E60, previous owner didn’t care for it well so this I understand , I sold my nightmare m54 and now have an n26 120,000+ miles running strong, anyway, if you get a well maintained m54 this engine is good, a weak point is the piston rings in this engine are garbage, they will allow oil to leak through the rings. Also, the cooling system on this car is so weak especially that crappy expansion tank. This engine is also notorious for leaking oil from every possible gasket, especially oil pan gasket and rear main seal. Now this of course is both common and because the car I had was neglected. But having it for almost 4 years, this engine burns oil like crazy. Always keep a quart with you. And the DiSA Valve will go bad on this thing.

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

This one had been welll looked after oil change wise but expensive components wise not so much like water pump and thermostat but I know that mate piston rings on this engine are notorious but that is all due to the car they received in there life that beeing said I ain’t had a problem with m54 engines truthfully and in all honesty this engine is better I ain’t had one ever use oil on me but n52 mine uses oil every 1200 miles like made

@iAlwaysSpeakTheTruth

5 жыл бұрын

BMW DOCTOR DEAN Ah I see, I know the n20 and n26 are notorious for timing chain issues, typically lower mileage. Overall I’m VERY HAPPY with my n26, I don’t think I’ll have that chain issue. I have over 120k miles, I have auto start/stop turned off and change oil with AMSOIL European formula every 5k with MANN Filter.

@BMWDoctor

5 жыл бұрын

That’s it mate make sure that auto start stop is turned off that’s what causes the chain failure as it puts to much pressure on the flywheel when engaging and causes the timing chain to jump

some M54 do meet ULEV! my 53 plate 330i meets it :) i.imgur.com/kKzSVIB.png LN53 ZGC check on TFL website. Love this engine, agree with everything you say. Have a good day!

M