These Bmw N52 Years Have The Most Problems

Oh, BMW, really awesome it was erstwhile you preferred making horsepower via stratospheric redlines alternatively than turbos. You experimented pinch V10 M5s and V8 M3s that sound oh, truthful intoxicating erstwhile nan accelerator hits nan floor. Even your bog-standard volume-selling inline-6 models sewage cool, unsocial tech. Look astatine nan N52, 1 of nan past BMW sixes that breathed exclusively done nan ambiance alternatively than forced induction. It was made from 2004 done 2015, had a super-light magnesium/aluminum alloy block, displaced either 2.5 aliases 3 liters, revved to 7,000 rpm, made up to 268 hp, and is highly reliable.*

Dangit, there's that stupid asterisk. Fine, nan N52 is reliable "for a BMW," arsenic pointed retired by readers erstwhile we asked what nan best utilized car values are correct now. Let's talk astir nan N52 years that will springiness you much problem than others. 

Pre-2009 N52s person hydraulic valve lifters that don't get capable lubrication, causing them to tick aliases rattle. Post-June 2006 N52s tin person misfires owed to faulty ignition coils. N52s made since March, 2005 tin suffer from insufficient lipid unit successful nan adaptable valve timing (VANOS) power pistons. Post-September 2006 N52s person crack-prone valve covers made of integrative alternatively of magnesium, for illustration nan earlier engines, and a revised h2o pump that's much prone to failure. Examples built betwixt September 2009 and November 2011 whitethorn acquisition issues pinch nan VANOS phasers, acknowledgment to anemic bolts that tin break.

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Looking astatine nan Venn sketch of issues listed shows nan astir "problematic" N52 years would beryllium 2006 to 2011, but really, nary of these issues should scare you distant from seeking an N52-powered Bimmer. By this point, erstwhile owners person astir apt addressed galore aliases each of these problems. Dealing pinch an N52 is Toyota Camry-like compared to, say, nan Sisyphean struggle you'll look pinch an E65 BMW Alpina B7.

There are respective variants of nan N52, including nan original type produced from 2004 to September 2006, and nan post-September 2006 N52K, which introduced immoderate fixes and immoderate caller problems. Crankcase ventilation was nary longer external, but was alternatively built into nan cylinder caput cover. The N52K carried complete nan 6mm exhaust valves that were enlarged from 5mm successful nan N52 successful June 2006, and also got stiffer connecting rods. N52Ks besides received caller motor guidance software, going from MSV70 to MSV80. The airflow meter, which BMW calls a "hot movie meter," went from analog to digital.

Unfortunately, it's these N52Ks that person nan integrative valve covers and much failure-prone h2o pumps. You tin person your N52K upgraded to a magnesium valve cover, though group who've done it opportunity it's a monolithic pain. At slightest BMW did reside nan valve-lifter rumor starting successful October 2008 pinch improved hydraulic valve lifters and roller resistance levers. By nan extremity of November 2008, each N52s had nan upgraded parts.

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You whitethorn person besides seen 2 different variants: nan N52N and nan N52T. As acold arsenic each BMW forum says, nan N52N is fundamentally nan N52K pinch an arbitrarily different designation. The N52T, contempt what nan sanction mightiness imply, does not person a turbo slapped on. The N52T was utilized successful nan 528i and X3 28i from 2010 to 2012 and featured nan astir torque of immoderate N52 version astatine a whopping 230 pound-feet. Yeah, okay, nan 564 lb-ft successful a 2026 BMW iX xDrive60 will make your life a spot better if each you want is axenic thrust, but proceeding a high-winding BMW N52 inline-6 will provender your psyche pinch nan euphony it craves.

Now, immoderate problems are communal to each N52s. For example, lipid select lodging gaskets deteriorate, allowing lipid to leak. Engine power besides slow breaks down gaskets for nan valve screen and lipid pan. 

Then there's the alleged "Mickey Mouse" flange, which is successful a ton of BMW engines made from 2006 done 2018, N52 included. This flange connects nan thermostat and nan cylinder head, and erstwhile it fails, a nasty coolant leak is nan result. It's conscionable 1 portion successful a agelong statement of BMW's various integrative pieces that suffer from embrittling, and now that models pinch nan N52 engines scope from 21 years aged to 10 years old, this flange is simply a ticking clip explosive for engines that usage it. Fortunately, aluminum replacements are easy to travel by.

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If you emotion your B58 twin-turbo inline-6, that's great. It's a beast successful nan BMW M340i, a hybrid athletics sedan that feels for illustration an M3, where you get debased 12-second quarter-mile times, seating for five, and darn bully reliability to boot. 

But nan N52 represents nan apex of that aged people aspirated screaming ethos BMW utilized to espouse. Plus, you can't get a manual successful nan M340i; that transmission's reserved for two-seat B58-powered Z4s and Toyota Supras. If you want a BMW wherever you tin statement your ain gears and bask nan consequence of a turbo-free sonorous inline-6 pinch 4 of your friends, past you'll person to caput to nan classifieds and find a utilized E90 330i aliases E60 530i.

Should you beryllium fortunate capable to bask a stick-shift N52 Bimmer, conscionable support aft nan attraction of your engine, look retired for integrative parts that crumble pinch age, and this fabulous motor will service you well. Plenty of owners get 200,000 miles retired of theirs! Honestly, it's awesome really durable and reliable nan N52 is, fixed really overmuch tech BMW threw astatine it. From nan magnesium alloy artifact to nan adaptable valve timing strategy to nan electrical h2o pump, it was a marvel for nan time. Really, it still is.