318ci N42 problems

[darkchild]

My 2001 318ci with the N42 shagtronic donk is causing me a bit of a problem today. The EML light has just illuminated and the car is in a limp home mode - no power and has the shakes worse than Michael J Fox. I'm guessing its a failed sensor? Any other likely culprits?

[pacerpete]

They love a crank sensor (amongst plenty of other things ) You will NOT love changing it !

[darkchild]

Cheers Pete. Sounds like a job to pay someone else to do!

[Andyboy]

Indeed. It could also be a jumped timing chain after the plastic tensioner rail broke - very common now. I'd not be driving it anywhere.
Failed crank sensors generally result in a complete lack of go. It's a major job to replace involving removing the inlet manifold.
My 16 year old M42 engined Compact averaged 41 mpg over an 1100 mile trip up to and around Scotland last week. 38 mpg on the way up and 43 on the way back. On balance, you can keep the N42.

[darkchild]

Thanks Andy. I'm off work next week so I've booked it in at the garage at the bottom of my road which is managed by a former BMW mechanic so hopefully they'll get it sorted.

The N42 has been a nightmare compared to my old M43 powered E36! Its excellent on fuel (44mpg) on a run, quite brisk but always seems to need some form of repair every 6 months. Mine has had a lot of oil leaks (rocker cover gasket, crankshaft seal), one of which led to the drive belt snapping and leaving me well and truly stranded! They're also the weirdest sounding petrol engine I can remember of recent years! If you want a nice economical cheap runner a M42/M43/M44 is the logical choice.

My E30 320i will be this weeks commuting chariot for my 90 mile round trip to work - somehow managed to squeeze 35mpg out of it yesterday.

[capri_rob]

seen a few threads recently slating these later 4 pot donks - are the later 6 cylinder cars equally problematic ?

[Andyboy]

The N52 straight six in the E90's is a pretty good engine and more resolved than the Valvetronic. Considering how complex it is, the N42 is pretty reliable but they're getting old now. Apart from coil pack issues the later E90 ones are pretty okay and can do a lot of miles. the chain tensioner was upgraded in early 2007 and that seems to have cured the problem.

[capri_rob]

Was thinking more along the lines of 2001 onwards E46's Andy - 323i/328i/330i petrol engines ? - Are these as cack as the N42 ?

Nikasil issues aside I'm quite a fan of the older M52 engines - did they change much in the E46 ?

[bss325i]

M52tu and M54 engines used in the six cylinder E46's are one of BMW's best 6 cylinder engines imo.

As long as the cooling system is kept tip top then they are a very very reliable engine that will do big miles and wear them well. The like the odd engine sensor and the cyclone valve (engine breather) can block up with age but these are minor items.

Just got rid of my E46 328Ci with the M52tuB28 engine with a whoping 228000 miles and it still ran like a watch, used only half a litre of oil in 10000 miles and had no oil leaks what so ever!
To listen to the engine you would think it had done a quarter of that mileage!

[capri_rob]

Excellent - just what I wanted to hear

[darkchild]

Well, dropped the E46 off bright and early at Herring & Palmer in Norwich today. It actually drove OK on the way there but shakes like mad when you're sitting stationary at traffic lights etc. Eagerly awaiting their phone call regarding how much it will cost to put right

The E30 has clocked up 700 faultless miles in the past week though. Quite impressed as its hardly been used since I had the MOT done in January. Averaged mid 30s mpg too.

[darkchild]

All sorted. Good news as well - just a coil pack needed!

Was hoping it would be this as it was running on only 3 cylinders. Result!

[Ajsingh]

I worked on an e46 330ci a few days ago and it had done 243,000 miles... Was ticking away lovely n still pulled nice...

Once worked on a e39 523i which had its block replaced at some point but the mileage was showing 303,000 miles!! Again, ran sweeeet

[bss325i]

All sorted. Good news as well - just a coil pack needed!

Was hoping it would be this as it was running on only 3 cylinders. Result!

The N42 has a coil per cylinder and they came with Bremi coils which are troublesome. If you have Bremi coils, replace them all.

[B7]

Despite the M54 being a great engine, I have never suffered so many oil leaks from one donk in my 30 years of driving! Cam cover, Oil separator or oil filter housing (TBO I cannot be arsed any more trying to cure the c*nt) and breather drain pipes.

The 3.0 may be quick but give me a 52 or a 50 any day of the week.

[bss325i]

Despite the M54 being a great engine, I have never suffered so many oil leaks from one donk in my 30 years of driving! Cam cover, Oil separator or oil filter housing (TBO I cannot be arsed any more trying to cure the c*nt) and breather drain pipes.

The 3.0 may be quick but give me a 52 or a 50 any day of the week.

You have been unlucky trev. They all suffer a cam cover gasket at the back with age but most that i see are very dry.

[B7]

Despite the M54 being a great engine, I have never suffered so many oil leaks from one donk in my 30 years of driving! Cam cover, Oil separator or oil filter housing (TBO I cannot be arsed any more trying to cure the c*nt) and breather drain pipes.

The 3.0 may be quick but give me a 52 or a 50 any day of the week.

You have been unlucky trev. They all suffer a cam cover gasket at the back with age but most that i see are very dry.

when its up on the ramp for its MOT, i'll get you to look up for a better veiw. I just can't see in there. got my hand stuck the other day but the seperator felt dry as a bone. now thinking it may be the breather pipe that runs from the top front down the side of the oil filter housing to the seperator?