TDIclub Secret Society of BMW Owners (SSBMWO)

[IndigoBlueWagon]

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]

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.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

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]

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.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

BMW fixed that a long time ago.

 

[turbobrick240]

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.

Police fleets still using ‘faulty’ BMWs three years after PC’s death

Despite a PC being killed following an engine failure in his BMW patrol car, 32 of England's 39 police forces are still using vehicles with the same engine.

www.fleetnews.co.uk

 

[tditom]

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]

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.

No Reserve: 2011 BMW 335d Sport Sedan

Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: 2011 BMW 335d Sport Sedan at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #129,374.

bringatrailer.com

 

[mannytranny]

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]

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]

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.

 

[NewTdi]

How do you like the 335D? Been thinking about upgrading ...

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

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]

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

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

you should consider a zf-8 swap! if i keep my e70 that'll be the route i am going.

That's an interesting thought. Honestly probably easier than a manual swap.

Things are fine, thanks for asking!

 

[dogdots]

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]

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]

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.

dyno.png

• Blue_Hen_TDI
• Mar 15, 2024

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

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.

 

[KrashDH]

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.

Have you done the VCG yet? You may find when you get in there for the ABC Delete your runners are clogged with soot (not as bad as early TDI's) and you may have to walnut blast them.

Anyway, just found this thread, new 335D owner here.
The only reason I got this and even am considering selling my TDI is because the 335d can be swapped to manual. I have a lead on parts from across the pond for a manual swap. I know about the 8 speed swap but I'm really not interested in an auto. This is the first auto I've ever owned in my life.

Anyway, I'm about to embark on the VCG remove and replace, and I have to swap the #1 oil line (the PITA one). The car has 107k on it and was taken care of, except the last couple of years the PO let some oil leaks go that have made a mess of the engine. I've already solved 1 (rebuilt the vac pump with all new o rings) and the CCV tube was electrical taped together (yes, it was 2x pieces). I know the long oil line from the manifold to the block is leaking, but the PO recently did the other 2 lines. Doesn't matter though, I'm going to do all of them, Whitbread oil lines are on order.

Also going to replace all the vac lines while I'm in there, CCV, and various other o rings.

At the same time, I just completed a resto of the OEM headlights. Y'all know how bad these cars can get. This photo doesn't do justice of how bad they were. Yellow, cracked, looked like a topographical map:

Got them all sanded and prepped. I usually start around 300 grit for this, but ended up needing more corse because of the shape they were in. finished with 1200 grit, ready for 2k clear:

After 2k, in the "paint booth" 5 coats of clear because I knew I wanted to wet sand after:

Brought them in to cure for 24 hours:

You can see a slight bit of orange peel, but really not bad:

Then onto sanding with 2k, 4k, 5k, then a compound and polish via a DA buffer. Final Product:

Very happy with how they came out. Almost look factory again

 

[KrashDH]

Car is finally on the ground at a place I'm happy with it. Most people would've have gone this far but I'm OCD. The list of things I've done to get it to my standards is too long lol.

First tank of fuel, just over 35 mpg, that's mixed driving with some very spicy sport mode tuned driving. This thing is an absolute beast of a car

 

[KrashDH]

Few more things taken care of on the 335d. Oil change, power steering flush, a bunch of settings changed with ProTools, soldered in a new fob rechargeable battery, replaced the car battery as it was undersized and at end of life, had the windshield replaced (found out the last job was completely hack), windage tray connection (it was completely missing from the last hacks that installed windshield) replaced the rain/light sensor, condensation sensor, some windshield trim clips, tail lights replaced with the euro version (amber LED's so more noticeable), did the Lamin-X headlight film to protect my headlight restoration, and had the windshield "tinted". Only 80% so doesn't look like anything is done, but it's ceramic and will protect inside from UV's and cool it down a bit.

This weekend is kinda a big one for me since I'm not an auto guy. Going to drop the transmission pan to do a filter/pan change, but also going to drop the valve body and basically refresh/rebuild it with a Zip Kit (Sonnax) which replaces all the plungers, clutches and other internals with metal instead of plastic), swap the solenoids and transmission VB plate, replace the VB seals and bridge seal, then perform the fill procedure. A bit intimidated to dive into an auto but I don't think it will be too bad once i get in there. That will be the final thing (fingers crossed) that I need to do to get this thing to my standard for a baseline so I pretty much will know everything that's been done at what time interval.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I'd love to see a pic of the euro tails. I have a thing for amber turn signals.

 

[KrashDH]

I'd love to see a pic of the euro tails. I have a thing for amber turn signals.

I'll have to see if I can snap a photo. The look is identical to OEM except when the turns flash. You'd never be able to tell otherwise

 

[KrashDH]

I'd love to see a pic of the euro tails. I have a thing for amber turn signals.

Kinda hard to capture with a camera phone...

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I bet. But those look nice! I like the car color, too.

 

[KrashDH]

I bet. But those look nice! I like the car color, too.

Thank you! Yes the amber is VERY distinct from the rest of the tails. I'm a fan about being noticed, especially in this day and age when no one seems to be paying attention on the roads.

This weekend I'm dropping the valve body out of the trans and rebuilding with a Sonnax zip kit. I've never owned an automatic in my entire life so this should be an interesting adventure. It's getting new VB seals and a bridge seal, and fluid as well. Quite the fill process, not as simple as just topping off a manual transmission.

I'll probably do the fuel filter while I'm under there as well.

 

[lemoncurd]

thoughts on the rare 2018 bmw 540d?
was only brought here (the USA) for a year

this one checks all my boxes..

Used 2018 BMW 5 Series 540d xDrive Sedan AWD for Sale (with Photos) - CarGurus

Browse the best October 2024 deals on 2018 BMW 5 Series 540d xDrive Sedan AWD vehicles for sale. Save $11,011 this October on a 2018 BMW 5 Series 540d xDrive Sedan AWD on CarGurus.

www.cargurus.com

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I've given serious thought to buying one of those. They are reasonably priced, and designed before BMWs got totally fugly. However, I barely use my 335d as it is, and it has two features I value that the 540d doesn't have: RWD and hydraulic steering. And no screen.

But I'd go for it. I bet at the right dealer you can negotiate pretty hard: I doubt people are lining up to buy these.

 

[KrashDH]

It's funny cause a couple of the Euro guys across

I bet. But those look nice! I like the car color, too.

It's funny because a couple of the Euro guys across the pond that are driving these said the new thing for the BMW crowd to swap to the red US spec tails. I don't get the appeal. The all red just didn't have good contrast at all