German Car Zone

Just_me · 09-06-2008, 01:40 PM

Apparently it concern only 335i's built from March 2008-, not the ones built earlier. I smell a recall coming....

BMW's N54 engine has won the International Engine of the Year award for the past two straight years. It has also been listed as one of Ward's 10 Best Engines during the same period. The engine produces 306 hp and 295 ft-lbs of torque in a 3.0L inline six package thanks to the use of twin Mitsubishi turbochargers and direct injection. The N54's quick response and smooth torque curve has been an attraction for many enthusiasts, including myself - I call my Montego Blue coupe the turbo Cookie Monster. That is why a few BMW 335i owners are miffed by a feeling of reduced performance after a recent service update. Posters on the BMW forum e90post.com claim that a software update to adjust rattling wastegate valves has induced lag into the turbochargers that wasn't there before.

As illustrated in the gallery below, the N54 turbochargers differ from most setups in that the wastegates default to the open position. This allows for better emissions due to the ability of the exhaust gas to bypass the turbochargers on start up so the catalytic converters can heat up faster. It certainly follows suit that BMW has the ability to adjust the ECU settings in order to hold those wastegates open, thus altering the turbochargers' peak boost point and adding to the perception of lag. Currently all performance degradation discussion has been based on seat of the pants feel, along with increased exhaust noise and fuel consumption. Despite the claims, BMW North America and service centers have, thus far, found no critical issue with the new settings. If owners want to present true evidence, they should use a simple OBD scanner device to data log the manifold pressure or simply run a dyno comparison test.

BMW owners claim software update degrades performance - Autoblog

Tarek · 09-06-2008, 02:39 PM

Interesting,i'd really worry a lot if i owned a 35i engine myself.

OT,first time i know that Mitsubishi makes the turbos used in BMW engines,interesting...

Deutsch · 09-06-2008, 04:00 PM

Seems like there have been quite a few teething issues with the N54. Probably better to wait for the predecessor to the N54 and save yourself the greif these owners are experiencing.

Sayyaaf · 09-06-2008, 05:09 PM

^ there is a little bit of exaggration. Its only a S/W issue and I think BMW were forced to do it due to some reliability issues with excessive boost of the old settings. I was following that thread in E90post.com

alsahher · 09-06-2008, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarek

Interesting,i'd really a lot if i were a 35i engine myself.

OT,first time i know that Mitsubishi makes the turbos used in BMW engines,interesting...

Also the Veyron turbos are made by them

Tarek · 09-06-2008, 06:28 PM

^ One question and i hope i'm not making a fool out of myself,why not german made turbos? and what does MB uses?

Giannis · 09-06-2008, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarek

...and what does MB uses?

Well, it's called kompressor

Just_me · 09-06-2008, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarek

^ One question and i hope i'm not making a fool out of myself,why not german made turbos? and what does MB uses?

Probably more economical than developing your own Turbos. Its not like the engine is constructed by Mitsubishi because the turbos come from them. The engine is engineered by BMW.

Deutsch · 09-06-2008, 06:33 PM

Quality of the parts makes all the difference.

Tarek · 09-06-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giannis

Well, it's called kompressor

Well that's the supercharged engines but not the turbo ones like the notorious V12 TT in 600/65 cars

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German Car Zone

BMW owners claim software update degrades performance (335i)