Nikasil

[ivqii]

a 1997 528 with 80,000 genuine on original engine

Would it be possible that it could still throw up some Nikasil issues?

[RM2186]

Is it a nikasil block for sure?

[ivqii]

Not sure tbh - think so

Reg date is Jan 1997

[E30BeemerLad]

a 1997 528 with 80,000 genuine on original engine

Would it be possible that it could still throw up some Nikasil issues?

has the car been in fairly regular use over the last few years?

If it has, i'd say it's likely to be OK.

I think most Nikasil turds were curling their toes up by about 60k miles

[donnyboiler]

I have a 1998 328i with the Nikasil engine. It has 100,000 miles and has not been replaced. It doesn't do anything funny and feels stronger and smoother than my old (non Nikasil) 328i touring.

I think people worry about these too much. You can always tell a good engine, and if it passes all the usual inspections at 80,000 miles it is almost certainly fine. Mine had 82,000 when I bought it.

Maybe mine will throw up some issues later in life, but I doubt it.

Good luck.

[Jhonno]

I have a 1998 328i with the Nikasil engine. It has 100,000 miles and has not been replaced. It doesn't do anything funny and feels stronger and smoother than my old (non Nikasil) 328i touring.

I think people worry about these too much. You can always tell a good engine, and if it passes all the usual inspections at 80,000 miles it is almost certainly fine. Mine had 82,000 when I bought it.

Maybe mine will throw up some issues later in life, but I doubt it.

Good luck.

Very much agree..

[Andyboy]

Nikasil engines were very good, and Porsche used in on all 944/928 engines as did BMW on bikes.
What kills them (even now) is too much stop start stuff - that means shutting the engine off before it's warmed up. So too many 1/2 mile trips to the shops will do it no good at all. M50 and M52 cold start fuelling is a bit aggressive and they're quite easy to flood. That excess fuel is what washed the oil off the bores and caused the Nikasil lining to lift, at the top first and working its way down.
But the low sulphur fuel makes it much less of an issue now, and the Nikasil problem is very rare in Germany. The US market M52 used an iron block however until it was replaced by the steel lined alloy block in '98.

[DanThe]

Ive yet to see an E39 with a nikasil engine, as Andyboy says really, any engine used for shunting short journeys is going to end up scrap, its more a matter of time rather than miles, even steel liner/iron engines will run out of compression after a while

[Simon13]

my nikasil 328i touring is 153k up is running nice still

[bss325i]

Theres a tech at my dealer with a 328i coupe 171k on the nikasil donk.

[Andyboy]

Ive yet to see an E39 with a nikasil engine, as Andyboy says really, any engine used for shunting short journeys is going to end up scrap, its more a matter of time rather than miles, even steel liner/iron engines will run out of compression after a while

Indeed they do. But pull the fuel pump fuse and crank it with throttle wide open and the splutter into life again and are fine.

There still thousands of Nikasil engines out there. I doubt if even half were replaced.