[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Whatever people say, I am sure manufacturers know best how much juice they can extract from a particular engine. Now we can contradict and say that it’s just a way to sell their higher variants but I feel it’s safe to stick with manufacturer.

OT but this is not true a simple example I can give you from personal experience is the 1st generation KTM 390 motorbikes. Their engines run lean just in order to meet to the power output restrictions for A2 beginner's license in the EU. As a result you have choppy throttle response at low rpms and excessive heating both causing unnecessary wear and tear on its internals. So many 390 motors with blown head-gaskets and a need to constantly replace overworked cooling fans existed throughout the 1st generation.

Never ever assume that the manufacturer knows best. The manufacturer might be restricted by something; pollution norms, arai mileage claims etc. Understand your engine and how it is delivering power to you before stating that the manufacturer tune is perfect. In most cases it is but in many it isn't.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by niruvrs9669

Not sure how that can be identified but it's definitely not like a rod sticking out of the engine visible under the bonnet. I was able to start the engine with moderately loud ticking noise audible inside the cabin.

Well, I would be surprised if it is a broken rod then. Not sure how they came up with the diagnosis, unless it was sticking out of the engine, which in your case it was not.

No matter what, a broken rod is very rare on any engine. 130.000 km is not that much for these engines.

Will be interesting to hear what they find the problem is and more importantly the root cause. So why did it break (if it is indeed a broken rod)

Jeroen

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

this is not true

I mean in most general terms; exceptions can be always there. Usually, manufacturers find these anomalies and correct in subsequent models/ variants. Some even do change the setup on existing ones. More so on Germans as they have a lot of electronics.

Never ever assume that the manufacturer knows best. The manufacturer might be restricted by something; pollution norms, arai mileage claims etc. Understand your engine and how it is delivering power to you before stating that the manufacturer tune is perfect.

Yes, they will have restrictions, but won't they be aware of these before designing that engine or choosing that transmission? Why will they produce a higher spec part if they can't use that output? Isn't this an assumption that the engine/ transmission can take more? Obviously, there will be a factor of safety on all the components but will be exceeding the designed running parameters. Do you think any of the guys doing mods will test that engine or transmission as much as that manufacturer?

Anyways, this will be a topic for another thread.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Yes, they will have restrictions, but won't they be aware of these before designing that engine or choosing that transmission? Why will they produce a higher spec part if they can't use that output?

Ofcourse not. Governments change often and as a result regulations do as well sometimes multiple times during the course of development. Dieselgate is a classic example of the performance criteria that manufacturers had to meet in order to satisfy customers as well as the pollution criteria that they had to meet to satisfy governments. There was simply no way they could design their engines to meet both expectations. Another example is the classic case(s) of DQ200 failures.


Infact manufacturers regularly produce higher spec parts simply so that they can extend service intervals which the lay customer will consider as "convenience".

At the end of the day these large corporations are profit driven and when the scale of operations is so high, foresight in savings is rewarded. As a consumer it is best to know before trusting blindly especially in a country such as ours. All I am saying is that in some cases the manufacturer does get it right but it's best not to assume that they always do.

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by GTO

Considering the history of the car - as Turbanator said - I think BMW will take care of your repairs. At the most, you might have to pay a minority percentage in depreciation.

What really concerns me though is this is the 4th failure I'm hearing of the 3.0 diesel in 2 years. As an owner of this engine (and remapped no less), such news is quite concerning.

Could it be that the engine is inadequate for the additional weight, drag and rolling resistance of an SUV especially on our broken roads and harsh weather for long periods of time? Were all the 3.0 failures on X5s and above SUVs and not on the sedan versions?

[Kosfactor]

Trying to be optimistic, chances are this is probably not serious as we assume.

The sound is more like a slapping noise than an engine that has thrown a rod (I could be wrong).

I think a chain or belt is loose, considering the odometer, a worn out tensioner.

Originally Posted by niruvrs9669

1) Pump failure on 12th day after purchase in 2016. Replaced under warranty. Car wouldn't start, needed to be towed to service center in Bangalore. Part replaced under warranty.

Lift pump or injection pump? If it is the latter, a faulty repair has eventually caused this.

[niruvrs9669]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

The sound is more like a slapping noise than an engine that has thrown a rod (I could be wrong).

Lift pump or injection pump? If it is the latter, a faulty repair has eventually caused this.

That was injection pump failure earlier in 2016.

Yesterday, I received an update that service team is going ahead with engine dismantling for which I consented. Still awaiting a report from them.

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by niruvrs9669

Not sure how that can be identified but it's definitely not like a rod sticking out of the engine visible under the bonnet. I was able to start the engine with moderately loud ticking noise audible inside the cabin.

Seeing the video & hearing the engine noise I don't believe that the connecting rod is broken. From my experience with all types of gasoline & diesel engines (I am in the shipping industry, having sailed as Chief Engineer) any damage to a connecting rod has huge consequences - extensive damage to the engine block, sump, etc. The oil pressure alarm would also have come up immediately.

From the sound in the video, it looks like a cylinder head valve is damaged and is probably hitting the top of the piston.

Have them open the engine & report to you, with photographs.

[kdp]

Originally Posted by rpunwani

Seeing the video & hearing the engine noise I don't believe that the connecting rod is broken. From my experience with all types of gasoline & diesel engines (I am in the shipping industry, having sailed as Chief Engineer) any damage to a connecting rod has huge consequences - extensive damage to the engine block, sump, etc. The oil pressure alarm would also have come up immediately.

From the sound in the video, it looks like a cylinder head valve is damaged and is probably hitting the top of the piston.

Have them open the engine & report to you, with photographs.

Based on the engine sound, to me, this seems like the more likely problem. the sound is rhythmic and tied to the engine rpm. a disconnect con-rod would flap around hitting cylinder walls, (because it's not anchored on one side and also hit the piston base (therefore far more banging sounds).

Regardless, I think either would cause lasting degradation to the engine block and you should insist on a replacement engine, especially since you have a BSI-RI. I am fairly certain, had the car been out of extended warranty, and payable by you, BMW would have asked you to replace the block, deeming it irreparable. Edit- You may want to seek out bmw owners who had similar problems but were out of warranty and understand what BMW recommended to them.

As a side note, after reading this, I am actively considering getting RI for the 6th year, despite the monstrous cost. I have the same engine in my vehicle, though with a fraction of your mileage.

[howler]

I’m surprised it’s even turning over with a broken con rod , I have my doubts

[Gamerk]

I don't think it threw a rod, because there would be a loss of oil pressure and the block would have a hole in it and oil would be leaking out of the hole

Attaching an image of a block with a hole in it.



Credits: Google.

[rpunwani]

Originally Posted by Gamerk

I don't think it threw a rod, because there would be a loss of oil pressure and the block would have a hole in it and oil would be leaking out of the hole

Attaching an image of a block with a hole in itAttachment 2174629

Credits: Google.

Originally Posted by kdp

Based on the engine sound, to me, this seems like the more likely problem. the sound is rhythmic and tied to the engine rpm. a disconnect con-rod would flap around hitting cylinder walls, (because it's not anchored on one side and also hit the piston base (therefore far more banging sounds).

Regardless, I think either would cause lasting degradation to the engine block and you should insist on a replacement engine, especially since you have a BSI-RI. I am fairly certain, had the car been out of extended warranty, and payable by you, BMW would have asked you to replace the block, deeming it irreparable. Edit- You may want to seek out bmw owners who had similar problems but were out of warranty and understand what BMW recommended to them.

As a side note, after reading this, I am actively considering getting RI for the 6th year, despite the monstrous cost. I have the same engine in my vehicle, though with a fraction of your mileage.

Yes, a con rod failure has disastrous consequences.

Once they open up the engine, they will know what went wrong. It is likely that the engine may have to be renewed if the block is damaged. A new engine may work out more economical compared to repairing this engine with new parts.

If the damage is confined to minor parts then repair is an option. Good luck

[Randhawa]

It's a big end failure as simple as that. With con rod failure, engine won't even idle.

[josesiju96]

Really sorry to hear about your bad experience. I’m not an expert on mechanics but this sounds eerily similar to my family’s experience with our 2012 BMW F10 525d. It started with a tapping and whistling sound (which was quite audible) on the 2nd day of delivery. We reported this to the dealer and they did a quick diagnostics to find nothing wrong. But the sound was still there. Our first long trip within a year ended in disaster, the turbos decided to stop working for some reason. We raised this issue to BMW India as our dealer (Platino Classic whose dealership got canceled later on account of shady business practices) was least interested in rectifying this issue. After a long fight they somehow rectified that issue but still didn’t give a correct reason as to why it happened on a brand new car. The 8yrs we had that car were riddled with many issues wholly engine related. The final nail on the coffin came in 2020 when the car refused to start and started behaving like it had a mind of it’s own. BMW still couldn’t give us a solution, we were forced to spend close to 2-3lakhs on repairs and diagnostics alone and they finally said it might be something wrong with the ECU and that if we changed that “it might work”. We had suffered enough and sold it off ASAP. I haven’t heard about any similar incidents till now.

P.S. our beemer was only at 80,000km on the odo

[alphahere]

Originally Posted by niruvrs9669

An immediate diagnosis by an expert BMW owner whom we ended up meeting while stranded on the highway mentioned - "broken connecting rod, the engine needs to be replaced, hope it's under warranty !"

Possibly not a broken rod as such. The engine wouldn't run if that was the case. On the contrary it seems to be idling quite smoothly save for that knocking noise. Is the knocking increasing frequency when the engine revvs? If so it's probably some bearings (mostly the connecting rod bearings) that are shot. That's why no errors are being displayed; as far as the ECU is concerned nothing is out of whack. First time I saw the video it felt like the piston was slapping against a valve that was stuck open, but then it's idling so smoothly, that can't be the reason. All the cylinders are firing correctly. In any case this may require some disassembly of the engine to replace the part.

Assuming is some connecting rod bearing that's gone, It might be an easier job and more safe to ask for the replacement of the faulty part rather than the whole engine. Who knows if these guys know how to transplant an engine correctly? Replacing a bearing set may not be such a big job if the crankcase is opened with the engine on the car. Just my two cents.