TDIclub Secret Society of BMW Owners (SSBMWO)

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
N57 is a good engine. Same one as in the 335d and X5d, with minor differences. The emissions hardware can be problematic, and it's expensive. For example NOX sensors (there are two) are closet to 700 each. But the engine is smooth, quiet, and pulls like a train. The 335ds can have carbon biildup problems (mine hasn't), but I don't think that's true in the heavier X5 and 535. It's a small car/big engine issue.

If the car has received a new DEF tank in its life it's probably OK for a while.
 

JM Popaleetus

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
Signature.
If the car has received a new DEF tank in its life it's probably OK for a while.
And if it hasn’t?

From the CarFax, it seems to have been maintained every 5000 miles by a single dealer in NJ, then SC.

I haven’t done a deep dive into all the forums yet. But so far I’ve seen fear of injectors, timing chain guides, EGRs, etc. Nothing too scary having lurked here for a decade.

Ultimately buying a $90k car with 92k miles is a gamble AND WILL be pricy to maintain. I just don’t want to buy a ticking bomb either.

There is a difference between a gamble and a certainty.
 
Last edited:

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Injectors do fail, but not that often and they aren't terribly expensive. Timing chain guides are issues on other BMW engines, but I haven't heard they're a problem on the N57.

I can't remember how much it costs, but the DEF tank is expensive. If it hasn't been replaced I'd probably find out what a replacement costs and negotiate accordingly.

Just remember, as you said, you're maintaining a $90K car, no matter what it cost you. It's not going to be inexpensive.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
They like to catch on fire if left idling for prolonged periods followed by aggressive acceleration. More common in the UK where they were used in police cars.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
That's good. More than 5 UK N57 police cruisers were burning up each month for several years. They purchase another brand now needless to say.


 
Last edited:

tditom

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Location
Jackson, MI
TDI
formerly: 2001 Golf GL, '97 Passat (RIP) '98 NB, '05 B5 sedan
There is an immaculate 2016 535d for sale near me with 92k miles; with a dealer service history logged every 5k miles. Single owner and every single option ever offered (original MSRP was $90k).

I'm so tempted; but also nervous because $90k BMW with 92k miles. I'm capable of doing my own basic maintenance; my heart is telling me to buy my dream car. But my brain says otherwise.

Thoughts? N57 a good engine?
My 2014 535d just went over 185k miles. I still enjoy driving it every time.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
There's one on BaT right now. Bidding has been kind of slow, but it usually doesn't get busy until the last few hours and minutes.
 

mannytranny

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 14, 2003
Location
CA
TDI
02 Jetta (sold, such a great car) '16 Touareg
My beloved 335D has been a relative gem. But get this...I have not put a drop of urea in this thing for 3 years and 30k miles. I never deleted it, but it mysteriously stopped requiring urea after a trip to the dealer for some emissions warranty work. They must have pulled some trick that turned off the urea injection, but somehow it still passes emissions testing in California (where they check the monitors). I'm not complaining, but I really wonder whats going on in there.

I (stupidly) took it on a 1500 mile road trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon last week, and even with my heavy foot it managed 37 mpg hand calc'd. With the sport package, it does NOT like anything even resembling a slippery road. Wow.
 

J_dude

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2020
Location
SK Canada
TDI
2003 1.9l “Jedi”
So...
Found out a friend was buying a 2008 X3 today, and I didn't have time to research so it's too late now but I figured I'd see what you guys think.
It has 220k km, a leaking rear main, "intermittent" coolant light, and she paid $4000 for it. Guy was asking $5500.
She had a shop look it over before buying and I guess everything else looked good. Has new brakes all around.
Anything to check or common problems to keep an eye out for, preventatively?

Thanks guys
Jude
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Got the 335d on a dyno yesterday. First pull is with a RC tune it's had since I bought it in 2017. Second pull is with a new DrVolks tune. The pulls look a little different because it's challenging to get a clean pull without the transmission downshifting. I think it was also a little heat soaked for the second pull, might have done better if it had time to cool down a bit.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
It's a nice car. I hang on to it in part because it's the last of a breed. However, I keep thinking about doing a manual swap. I'm not fond of automatics.

I've only driven it 25K miles, but it's been trouble free, remarkably. It's scary fast. They did the dyno pulls in 5th because it was easier to control the downshifting, and it went up to over 140 MPH wheel speed at redline in 5th.
 

jstn

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2009
Location
norton, ma
TDI
gone to the dark side :)
It's a nice car. I hang on to it in part because it's the last of a breed. However, I keep thinking about doing a manual swap. I'm not fond of automatics.
you should consider a zf-8 swap! :) if i keep my e70 that'll be the route i am going.

hope all is well peter!

justin
 

dogdots

Vendor
Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Location
Kansas City
TDI
None
That’s a good graph. As I remember you still have all the alphabet? Mine was missing quite a few letters with my JR stage 2 R tune. Never got it on the dyno tho. It left my stable when I bought my tremor so now I’m all outta oil burners.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
All emissions intact and working. In MA inspections go to safety only when a car is 15 years old. So in two years it might be different. :)
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
Here was a dyno of mine back in 2018 after undesirable bits removal and tune. I've put a hair over 100K additional miles on it since then (167K mi on the odo currently) with no additional mods, and it still runs great.

 
Last edited:

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
That's impressive.

I drove the BMW this morning and the new tune is really nice. Very smooth, seems to coordinate better with the transmission. I also wonder if a few hard runs on the dyno cleaned things out and is making the engine run better overall. I know my TDIs always ran best after a track day.
 
Top