Fun fact, one of the reason the Vanos fails is because BMW use a rubber sealing that degrades when exposed to motor oil. And they insist on replacing it with an identical seal, but 3rd party suppliers can give you a seal that are actually rated for use in oil.
@@jackdripper5675 There are many types, some lasts longer than others. The one BMW chose lasts about 10 years / 180 000 Km, there's plenty of more durable types available (but you won't get them at a BMW dealer). Just as their "lifetime" automatic gearbox oil (lifetime = 180k Km), the engine is explicitly designed to fall apart and stop working after "too" long.
I have a 2014 F10 with the N55 engine, which is known for the oil leak at the filter/cooler housing due to the rubber gaskets failing. Like a responsible BMW owner (lol) I went to the dealer to buy new replacement gaskets. The oil leak returned in less than a year. I learned from other owners, chat lines, forums etc that BMW uses the cheapest gaskets, O-rings, seals etc that they can find. I bought new gaskets from a German car parts specialty supplier, for one third the cost of OEM parts, and after a few years, still no leak. BMW put a lot of quality in what we can see, and touch, but they cheap out on other stuff, and that's why they have failures. C'mon BMW, spend another $20 or $30 per car, and make these wonderful driving machines more reliable.
I have an M62TU engine, has driven something between 500,000km and 600,000km and drives divine, Consumption of engine oil at 10,000 km 0.6L. First of all, you need to know the engine its weakest points and know how to take care of the engine. A million km .It is necessary to step the engine with a thermostat from the engine 740D e38 keeps the temperature at a stable 90 C max 95C I change every 8,000 km Mobil 5w50 and the car serves me perfectly. I have driven 100,000 km with the taxed engine and it has full power without loss of power, it's just about proper maintenance and money. Greetings from Slovakia
Привет из Сибири. Езжу на Е39 540. Тоже ставил холодный механический термостат с температурой открытия 88 градусов. Меняю масло 5w-40 каждые 5.000км. Машина чувствует себя прекрасно.
🤣🤣 Coffee table. That's all it's good for. European car makers want you to replace your car every 4.5 years. That's their business model. It's common knowledge. Mercedes & BMW have said this publicly in the past. That's why nothing is built too last. They drive and feel magnificent but only last for around 100,000 to 150,000 miles. Waste of money.
Yes, if replacing literally everything but the block is called regular maintenance. Well, it's good that people still mislead eachother to buy these rolling piles of shit. More hondas and toyotas for me 🤷♂️
@@TheFanatic340 Haha 🙂 you're just like all the other bmw owners. Having bought a luxury car you'd want it to be quality made. That's why you lie about the reliability of the car. And let's face it. No one who has bought a bmw new and drove it to 450 000km will be here commenting in youtube teardown video. Who comments here is a broke guy who just MUST have a bmw, and prays that their high mileage piece of shit doesn't fall apart 🤥😂
@@justjustjoo M8 u are just disrespectfull, he didn't say nothing to you, and you start talking shit about his stuff when you probably don't even own this engine not even a bmw... Be respecfull with people, if you don't like bmw thats your problem but don't go a watch a video about a bad maintained engine and start thinking you know everything about it. Have a good day
Those engines are not that bad. People choose to skip maintenance and just drive them until they break. The timing chain guides are the Achilles heel of that model. If you perform regular maintenance and change the oil regularly. They tend to need to be replaced around 100K miles, although some have gone longer. That particular engine was SERIOUSLY neglected. It had the wrong coolant, the chain tensioner wasn't replaced, and then the timing chain guides started to go. That engine probably gave the owner several cues and the owner chose to continue driving it until it grenaded. ANY engine would fail if it was neglected like this.
Surely this kind of damage didn't just happen in a mere moment? Someone must have kept driving the car with that sludge for a while and even after blowing up one of the pistons...
Correct - this engine was never maintained as evidenced by the amount of filth on the outside. It probably didn't have an oil change in it's last 100,000 miles either, and then a water leak into the oil caused the milkiness which took out the timing chain guides and destroyed the bearings. Once the timing chain skipped off the missing piston hit the valve which stopped rotation altogether. The engine was already toast before the owner thought to himself -"I wonder how long I can run it at full throttle before it shits itself?"
Even with their enormous sump capacity the maths on oil changes shows it's a minor added expense over a 'normal' engine, once or twice a year for this age of car. If you buy a BMW and pinch every penny on maintenance ... well, scroll up for an example of what happens
I had 200k miles on my 1999 540i-6 and it still hauled ass when I sold it. Changed oil/filter every 3500 miles. No Vanos issues no chain issues. I replaced the radiator at 156k miles, and it didn't need it. I did it based on age and hype about them breaking down. The car in this video was abused and neglected.
Yeah, this guy doesn't have a freaking clue what he's talking about. My 01 540i currently has 255k+ miles and she doesn't use ANY oil, doesn't smoke doesn't tick or knock or anything! And she runs like a bat outta hell anytime I put my foot down! Lol the M62 is a fantastic engine! AND they only get better with Boost! :)
worst? I have 210k miles on mine, my buddy's n62 locked up at 100k miles. The m62 is a fantastic motor no valvetronic problems, no valve stem seal problems. do the timing chain guides at 180-200k miles, took me a weekend. Makes good power, very smooth, and a fat torque curve.
@@speedkar99 They are NOT. The weak link of the timing chain guides on the M62TU engine is the spring inside the tensionner that holds the chain. It is a 50 cents part that any dweeb can remove and replace. I have logged 202,000 miles on this engine, and it is still running smooth with all the original parts. But maintenance and regular oil changes is key to the longevity of the M62, or of any engine for that matter.
As an owner of two M60s up near 300000km that I by no means baby ... it's a bit depressing to see how many failure points BMW failed to fix, amplified, and added to this engine
Engine must've been starved of oil n62s don't just lock up 😂. A n62 will go it's whole life burning oil while the m62 has a major design flaw that'll blow it up by 200k miles. Timing chains aren't meant to be serviced every 150k miles because that seems to be the spot when it needs to be done i had a x5 with the m62tu and sold that immediately when it started making diesel and clacking noises on startup. I have a 750i with around the same mileage 157k my x5 had 163k and my 750i is quiet on starup and at idle when nice and warmed up
Not shure what your criteria is but in my book an awesome engine is one which won't leave me stranded on a long trip, will last a long time with minimal maintenance, which can be done with basic tools in my back yard. These engines are not for me.
@@PatricioGarcia1973 I drive a 90's Volvo 940. I got it with a 16v 4cyl engine. It was all computer driven but it was a simple system which I could get along with. What I didn't like was the engine itself. I swapped it for a simpler more reliable one. I run it on carburetors now but I think the stock ecu system was very good and I see why some people might prefer it. I'm actually considering going with a standalone ecu in the future. I wouldn't mind a more sophisticated system as long as it's easily accessible for repair.
My M62 has over 250k and runs like a top. Its all in the maintenance. Don't change the oil and the nylon timing guides dry up and crack which will shrapnel the engine if you continue to run it after those guides fail.
@@speedkar99 Actually not much, just the regular suspension parts and I of course replaced the "lifetime trans fluid and filter". I also have the 5hp30 which is a beast. You also may want to make sure your not referring to the TU when talking about the M62 as that is a more finicky beast.
@@curtknight1021 Welcome to the wonderful world of BustedMyWallet. They do these things on purpose to keep BMW's out of the hands of budget conscious people so old beat up BMWs aren't running around driven by Walmart Shoppers, thereby sullying the image of BMW. Wealthy people don't care that BMWs only last 3 years before major expensive repairs are needed because they trade them off at 2 years max. During that 2 years they're feeling like Monarchs.
Great teardown vid. Some things to note: the valve covers are a magnesium alloy. There are also 4 knock sensors rather than 2; 2 per bank. PS, if you want a reliable BMW, only buy an inline six one or (paradoxically) a V12 one. They don't know how to make proper I4s and V8s. And stay away from N-series motors. The M-series (M5X, M6X, M7X, etc.) and B-series (such as B58) motors are better.
N62 and N52 are still good engines from there more modern line of engines. I own a n62 that's in my 750i and it's a good unit I've worked on n54s and I don't see how people would want to deal with that engine unless they had stacks of cash for making it reliable like replacing turbos and all that stuff. N52 is easily the most reliable out of the modern engines as it doesn't use a turbo and the n62 is the secound only needing to be gone through once every 100-150k or so to do the timing cover gaskets and valve cover gaskets not to mention that there is a valve stem seal issue on the n62 but that can be fixed relatively cheap now that I'm seeing
Engines like the M62 get an unfair rep because they're owned by enthusiasts once they depreciated. My grandma was given a almost-new 2001 740IL M-package from a very rich man she was a cook for and I drove/cleaned it a LOT. It only had 60-70k miles or so when she passed, but the only issues were water pump failure (the main flaw) and a control arm bushing clunk after 13 years. Dealership repair bills seems to be why BMW has a bed rep - yet most BMWs are easier to work on (pre 2005-ish) than, for example, my nightmare 97 DOHC Taurus. I can think of a lot of much newer engines that have VVT-related failures way more severe and common than the M62TUB44 and similar early adopters. I'm biased, but I think the late M62 is overall a great engine given the challenges. It runs incredibly strong/smooth as well despite being 'small', and I presume VANOS contributes a lot to the surprising low-mid power that makes it such a fun car despite having really unimpressive stats on paper. Damn I'd kill for a clean 540 6spd :(
for emissions reasons, these engines run hot...105C thermostat. 20C hotter than most other engines. The rad cap is 29 psi, double that of most other engines. The heat deteriorates the plastic rad components, and the pressure bursts cooling lines, expansion tanks and radiators. Heat thins the oil, and the timing chain tensioners run slack. same with vanos. Solution is to run a cooler thermostat, drop the cap psi to 20 psi, and use a quality oil, and change it at regular intervals.
I've been driving one of these engines for the past 10 years and yeah - it's a money pit for sure, but the most reliable part of the car BY FAR is the engine. I've NEVER had to repair anything in the engine. EVER. And I've had the transmission rebuilt!
very good video showing folk that if you DO NOT have the money for the basic service: proper oil and coolant on time, then this is what happens to the engine. I do have e39 540i is it is smooth as a butter and NO problem since I do the service as the Germans say to do
Ive owned quite a few M62 motors. They are quite superb when properly maintained. Also a tip for any M62 owners. Get the 105C thermostat out asap and replace with 88c. Makes the engine sooo much happier.
I agree. I have very little issues with mine. I recently had to replace mine bc the PO didn't take care of it. Come to find out the engine had a blown head gasket. I had the same milk shake this dude had but for different reasons. I love my car and and want 2 more. Lol. I've had...7...i think. HA! I've had 7 7s! Roflmao!
I have an M62 in my 2003 BMW X5. Have over 230k miles on it and it's still going strong. Even been used for towing a 5k lb trailer. The trick is doing maintenance and using proper fluids. TC guides haven't been replaced either. Many of these older BMWs were given to kids when they got their license. Most received nearly ZERO maintenance before failure. I just did a 2k round trip from Dallas to Atlanta got back last week. Would use this 20 year old X to do the trip tomorrow if I needed to.
@@ammanpandde5097 I've run the Mobil-1 0w 40 European car oil. I believe it's LL-01 spec IIRC. I currently pick up the 5qt jug at Wal-Mart for around $27. Followed the SII for the first 100k, did changes at 7k for the next 100k miles, been doing 5k changes after the 200k mark.
Well, the V8 in my E39 lasted the life of the car. The body rusted out in the rear inner rocker and structural panel and the car with engine, less cat, was sold to a scrap dealer a while back. In 179,000k the problems were that EVAP thing on the back of the engine. I agree the engine shown had a high rpm grenade running on water/oil mayonnaise in the bottom end and oil starvation at the top end. The head gasket itself looks a very robust design to withstand all that. Here in the UK E39s are disappearing at a rapid rate, their time has come and gone. The exception is the M5 which if cherished is collectible and expensive.
Fun fact, these engines where downgraded in a couple of key aspects related to the timing chain. That large v-shaped chain guide is one. It replaces a freewheeling sprocket that was used in the first iteration of these engines, the M60. This is a major failure point and resulted in many v8 e38's e39's and others ending up in the scrap yard. Along with this came a less robust chain. So, if you want one of these cars, look for the 95' model years. These have the 4 liter m60.
Someone who calls an M62 “the worst bmw engine ever” clearly has never worked on many bmws. N62’s and n63’s are leaps and bounds worse engines than this. M62’s have common failures but are pretty good. n62s and n63s are horrifically bad engines.
Those “braces” for the camshaft caps are actually oil rails. Anyway I still have e39 540i with 245k. I did chain guides and vanos seals on mine already, however i still consider it as a decent engine with a lot potential for some upgrades.
Those braces were so thin, I didn't see any way oil could flow through them. It's a good engine when it works. In my opinion vanos and chain guides should last the life of the engine.
@@speedkar99 n62 has chains and guides that will live the life of the engine also features valvetronic witch helps alot with power and mph makes a small displacement motor have a good punch
You can't complain tho that a n62 will piss and burn oil it's whole life without being torn down to do a timing chain job that shouldn't need to be done were not in the age of timing belts no more 😂
@@mapkrk1316 it's not a quality part issue, more a design shortcoming. Instead of that goofy U-rail, there should be a gear there like their was on the previous M60. Those used a double tooth gear and don't grenade like the M62's do.
I cannot trust a guy who refers to magnesium as a composite material or a guy who would rather use 2 universal joints on a half inch impact instead of just a normal wrench 😂
N series is way worse. But it is true, m62 with that nikasil coating, vanos and thermostat issues, together with the crappy timing chain guide instead of a beefy sprocket wasn't that good
Only a few M62 were nikasil, that was mostly a M60 issue. And only when they were fed (cheap) high sulfur petrol, I have two Nikasil M60B40's that still have good comp at nearly 300000km each
You know what you're talking about. And you're absolutely correct on all points shared.The N-series of BMW V8s are far far worse imo. I'm glad you shared your thoughts on the matter. Cheers
Maybe we are looking at a cascade of several failures here that started developing in parallel and only got to meet at the end…. As in: No oil chances or the oil has been seriously overfilled (because more oil is more better, right?) the latter resulting in the oil being basically churned by the crankshaft until foamy, so the oil pump starts sucking in air, leading to less lubrication resulting in the bearings beginning to move out and seek a better life inside the oil filter. At the same time, the cylinders are also not getting adequate oil. Meanwhile, the timing chain developed some slack over time (from the car only ever running in short intervals)….and once the lengthened timing chain did its best Van Halen tribute and decided to Jump, that was the final straw and the engine started smashing its own insides to pieces within seconds, serving up a last minute round of forbidden milkshake on its way out. Could have been a race between the conrod bearings slowly giving out or the timing chain yeeting itself. Either way, the engine was doomed. The lubrication issue probably had not present for that long though, otherwise I would have expected to see some damage on the cams. Or maybe there was a leak in the cooling system which set the whole thing in motion. We will never know, but I find it interesting to think about even though I fully realize it is pointless in retrospect. Whatever happened here - I think it was completely avoidable. Not sure what BMW‘s recommended service intervals are but I am fairly confident that the owner thought care and proper maintenance were not high priority items.
I think an internal coolant leak started everything in motion. Once the oil pressure dropped enough, the timing chain tensioners backed off and allowed the chain to slip off and that grenaded the engine and put it out of its misery. Oftentimes the coolant crossover pipe starts leaking and coolant gets in the oil. Anyone who checks their oil would have noticed the coolant leak before this happened. But apparently they weren’t….
Most BMW owners don't change their own oil. Of course, you know that Mr. Lube and even stealerships mostly use the lowest grade motor oil available, which is in fact recycled.
@@fun_ghoul It's BMW. It eats oil but only the refilled one, the fresh one you just added. Not the sludgy one :( Source: I have Peugeot 207 with the Prince engine.
If you read the history of all bmw engines it’s one of the best engine BMW ever made 32 years experience I never see engine strong like the engine just a good oil and a good cooling system good to go for 450,000 miles with no problem
This is NOT the worst bmw engine ever lol. Far from it actually. Read up on the s85 v10. The m62 is actually a very good engine as long as you keep it maintained properly. It can get expensive. The timing chain was definitely not a good design. I drove mine to 320k miles and it had a catastrophic chain guide failure on the interstate. It was on its 4th timing chain job, using quaity parts. The engine was pretty healthy otherwise with very minimal oil consumption.
I’m pretty certain BMW is the king of engine grenading ability. Only BMW can consistently make a 5c part, usually some piece of random plastic, impossible to reach by normal means to replace before it’s inevitable failure without tearing a minimum of half the engine apart, and have that 5c part single handedly destroy an entire engine with relative ease.
They are plenty reliable with a cooler thermostat and replacing guides for 200K miles. Change oil at 6K miles and use proper, approved fluids. That’s 20 years “regular” 10K a year driving. M62 head gaskets don’t typically fail unless it’s been overheated.
The only engines I had any in depth experience with before watching this channel were SBCs, 4.3 GM V6s, 3.8 GM V6s, and Honda D-Series. All of those are very simple motors to understand and work on. After watching your teardowns, I am shocked at how complicated some manufacturers make things. It seems like the Toyotas, Hondas, and GMs are all pretty easy. Ford, Subaru and Hyundai are middle of the road. Anything German or Nissan seem needlessly complex. Just my observation. That said, this BMW engine is a head scratcher. There were so many opportunities to simplify. Like, did no one try to remove the water pump while it was in the car? Why have that extra cover in the V? Why is there SO MUCH PLASTIC?!
Saying BMW are a crappy engine builder is a very biased statement. They used to make very good reliable engines, though they lost their way with the M60 and N60 series V8's. But as you admitted the M57, S55, B58 and S58 are probably the best six cylinder engines on the planet. It's a fact that BMW has one way more awards than any other manufacturer for the International Engine Awards (71 times) the closest was VW with 37, Ferrari with 30, Honda with 23 and Toyota with 22.
First, the valve covers are made of magnesium. Doing a waterpump is easy on this engine. The oem waterpump had a plastic impeller. That's from an e39. That means its old. Do you really think the waterpump was original? Aight, i was typing comments as i was watching, but I'm going to stop. Its clear you know nothing about this engine. I would suggest learning your product before making a video like this. Good day to you, sir.
I surely hope the title is just a clickbait thing, and not something you actually think? The fact that you call this the worst BMW engine ever, tells me you don't know much about their engines and likely haven't touched many different ones of them. For example the two V8s that came after (N62 & N63) the M62 are significantly worse. N63 being the worst of the three, BY FAR. There are quite a lot of engines that should be mentioned before the M62 (and M62TU). These aren't even that bad. Chain guides and Vanos is the only weak spots, and even those can last at least 200k miles when taken care of.
For such a terrible engine, my 2001 540i has 230K miles. Timing chain guides replaced at 225K along with many other items while we "are in there". The guides were still intact but due. Tensioner was all in (or out) too. Never had any issues of any sort but cooling system items, an alternator, and a new clutch at 200k. It's been my daily for 17 years and it looks, runs, and drives like a brand new car. Oil changes at 5K miles, I've always used Liqi Moly prroducts and oem parts.
That's one thing I've learned from being a vw/audi fan for the last 8 years. Very fun to drive, not fun to own. Went with Mazda last summer and sticking with it
@@lessmasterdark I went with Lexus after making the mistake of buying a E92 M3 and suffering with it for a year. Ended up buying an ISF, this ones a keeper.
People please, think about all foreign workers assembling them in BMW plants. Without you they won't be able to put food the table and will have ask for social. Please do buy the pride of Bavarian industry - please do not cross us out from your list for Toyota (now proudly assembled in various countries of EU and N. American ;)
Ha ha all the internet expertise. I have 2 bmw with that engine over 200k each engine . And run like champions if you must know how they do. Maintenance and preventive maintenance
What these videos never mention is these problems are the result of people not changing oil. Its common and normal for owners to change oil every 20,000-50,000 kilometres which is absurd. Oil should be changed every 6k religiously, never let it slide. If you do that these engines are very reliable, until the plastic bits break.
@@smithies_jocks The current BMW and VW group OCI recommended by the manufacturer for their factory filled engine is... 30.000 km. Yes, Joe not 12 or 16k km, but 30.000 km. Most new cars running using good quality synthetic oil can do 8-15k km, depending on the environment (hwy vs city) and climate. Seems like most monitoring system have oil change reminder build in that activates around 15k km. For myself, I change my oil around 10k, more often if I drive the car hard, based on oil lab analisys (I'm still not 100% convinced that according to the lab the oil is 60% good). But I'm starting to think maybe using less expensive synthetic oil and changing it at shorter OCI might be better for the engine.
@@pliedtka I just change my oil once a year regardless of how many miles I do. It would be very rare that I do 10,000 miles (16,000km) in a year. Usually much much less. In the UK, time is the killer as the oil collects moisture with time, especially if not used much, which massively reduced it's lubrication quality. So annual changes are a must. Those who do about 4000 miles a year and change the oil every three years as a result lead to engines that fail. I won't buy a car with low mileage unless the service history shows its had annual changes.
You really are very knowledgeable, and i love how you describe everything in detail! I appreciate all your videos, and the time and effort you put into making them interesting!
Just seeing this but the simple fact that a LOOSE connecting rod was rotating in the crankcase and didn’t make a window is just impressive overall for BMW the motor is in horrible shape but I was expecting to see it in even worse shape lol
My m62tub44 has a new chain, guides and rebuilt vanos units. No leaks, no noise, no oil consumption even after 375K km. Only mod is a lower temp thermostat so coolant stays around 90 instead of 115.
@@speedkar99 after 18 years and over 300K I think it's not unreasonable. It are mostly the guide surfaces that wear out. A nice and easily serviceable belt would have been preferable though.
I love these engines! Recently I saw a 540 that had a great engine in it, clean inside, but blew a rod and shot the whole engine to hell real good. Looked like water filling the brake booster and somehow made its way into the intake via the booster hose into the throttle Body and sucked up enough water to lose piston #8. Blew up good. Otherwise these engines are great, providing you do the timing chain system before its "all over". M62TUB44 engine is not garbage, in my humble opinion. Very strong engine. And yes you can replace the seals inside the vanos but the seals are not ever in my experience when removed "shot to hell". They just are probably worn a bit. Beisan seals are a normal thing to install. And the owner of the company that makes the seals is a kind and smart gentleman I might add.
That was actually a very good engine especially when compared to the new stuff. As a former BMW tech, I appreciated all the oil and coolant leaks that ALL their engine had and have .😂
I like your videos but your off base on this one. M60/M62 is easily one of the better bmw engines. Imo best v8 they ever made. N62 is bad. Biggest repair is the timing chain guides which alot of v8s need.
They’re not, but even a Honda K20/24 engine will require a chain service. It’s a common occurrence to see even chain tensioners failing on “modern” vehicles, and it’s not limited to BMWs. Coming from the motorcycle world, replacing chains as part of maintenance should be standard. Nothing lasts a lifetime.
dont believe the nonsense this dude is talking. beside the small points like how this is a TU engine, this is in general a very reliable engine and in no way bmws worst motor. besides the timing chain guides this engine will run hundrets of thousands of kilometers when maintained, with regual oil changes and fixing some small stuff.
I also have a 3 series with the 2.2 ltr six cylinder engine. Now nearing 300,000 miles, and no leaks, no ticking or any other issues. I can only hope to be as lucky on the next one I buy.
Enjoyed video and reading comments. Have a 2001 e38 with 200k miles still running great. Guides done but original vanos. Run thicker oil like mobil 1 5w50 and motor is quiet. Had radiator and overflow tank failures. Researched coolants and switched from blue to the best quality green I could find. No more coolant issues. They switched from the green to be eco friendly so all newer coolants are organic now. But original green is best. Dont fall for the bs about compatability with materials.
Yet these engines can produce well over 700hp boosted for an entire season without failing in drifting completely stock. once they fail its usually piston rings or rods breaking. replace it with forged H rods and fix those rings and you can drive an entire season with just some normal maintenance. but sure its fun talking shit about a car company without knowing anything at all about them.
People buy BMWs that are poorly maintained and then talk absolute nonsense. If you buy a used BMW make sure it was well maintained, do your preventative maintenance, get a proper scanner. Use your brain, this isn't a toyota corolla, these cars were expensive when new, and you think you're going to pick one up for $10,000 and enjoy a new BMW experience ? Idiotic. BMW is not in business of building reliable cars, they don't care for reliability, they leave that to toyota -- that is not their engineering philosophy.
worst ? ... waiting to see what you think about the N-series v8 :D ... these M-series are now "reliable" when compared to them :D btw - bmw is a very interesting car option on the market ... usually the 1st owners are only interested in the badge flexing, the second owners are also such, but have no warranty or servicing ... so they just do not service the cars they bought when 3-5y from new after the 1st owner , just wash them and flex how they have a "new bmw" , then is the time for the victims of "worst engines ever" ... after the 2nd owner the price is really low and some poor soul wants some "german luxury" and goes for a beemer that was never serviced proeperly for at least 2-3 years and then the horrors begin (not even going in the teen racers/drifters stories) also forgot ... 15k oil intevals ... just to be sure cars do not make it after the OE warranty :D
@@speedkar99 I believe what is referred to is about Bulgarian language - phonetically, it's "Burka Masloto s W/V/odata", and BMW is pronounced like "Beh Em Veh" (from the German "Veh" for the letter W)
This guy is a serious clown. Aside from the timing chain guides, the M62 is a really well built engine. I've bought and sold about 20 M62 cars and never had to open up the engine for anything other than timing chain guides.
An incorrect statements about this engine mentioning the "extra bracings" on the camshaft bearing caps, they were not braces but the oil supply feeds to each bearing cap, its got a hollow section through it for the oil to flow through to each cap.
@@speedkar99 I did and it was a good watch. But have you considered having a catch tray fabricated to suit your engine stand. We have catch trays at work under our engine stands that collect all the fluids released from the engines. You spend a lot of time cleaning up spills, and your wife and brother can't keep donating clothing to clean up oil and coolant.
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Fun fact, one of the reason the Vanos fails is because BMW use a rubber sealing that degrades when exposed to motor oil. And they insist on replacing it with an identical seal, but 3rd party suppliers can give you a seal that are actually rated for use in oil.
Good to know
@@speedkar99 My M62 has Beisan Seals, these are the seals that Brynjard talks about
Synthetic rubber is made from oil. They harden with age and heat.
@@jackdripper5675 There are many types, some lasts longer than others. The one BMW chose lasts about 10 years / 180 000 Km, there's plenty of more durable types available (but you won't get them at a BMW dealer).
Just as their "lifetime" automatic gearbox oil (lifetime = 180k Km), the engine is explicitly designed to fall apart and stop working after "too" long.
I have a 2014 F10 with the N55 engine, which is known for the oil leak at the filter/cooler housing due to the rubber gaskets failing. Like a responsible BMW owner (lol) I went to the dealer to buy new replacement gaskets. The oil leak returned in less than a year. I learned from other owners, chat lines, forums etc that BMW uses the cheapest gaskets, O-rings, seals etc that they can find. I bought new gaskets from a German car parts specialty supplier, for one third the cost of OEM parts, and after a few years, still no leak. BMW put a lot of quality in what we can see, and touch, but they cheap out on other stuff, and that's why they have failures. C'mon BMW, spend another $20 or $30 per car, and make these wonderful driving machines more reliable.
I have an M62TU engine, has driven something between 500,000km and 600,000km and drives divine, Consumption of engine oil at 10,000 km 0.6L. First of all, you need to know the engine its weakest points and know how to take care of the engine. A million km .It is necessary to step the engine with a thermostat from the engine 740D e38 keeps the temperature at a stable 90 C max 95C I change every 8,000 km Mobil 5w50 and the car serves me perfectly. I have driven 100,000 km with the taxed engine and it has full power without loss of power, it's just about proper maintenance and money. Greetings from Slovakia
Привет из Сибири. Езжу на Е39 540. Тоже ставил холодный механический термостат с температурой открытия 88 градусов. Меняю масло 5w-40 каждые 5.000км. Машина чувствует себя прекрасно.
Completely agreed. I installed a 88c thermostat in mine. Heat is death to these
Don't forget to take pictures as you go along so you can reassemble it.
Something tells me that no one is gonna need that engine reassembled
It'll get reassembled one day....as a coffee table
To remember the hundreds of millions of billions of bolts that bmw uses in everything...
@@speedkar99 a coffee table with carnage easter eggs is an awesome idea.
🤣🤣 Coffee table. That's all it's good for. European car makers want you to replace your car every 4.5 years. That's their business model. It's common knowledge. Mercedes & BMW have said this publicly in the past. That's why nothing is built too last. They drive and feel magnificent but only last for around 100,000 to 150,000 miles. Waste of money.
I had 450,000km before the transmission went on it. The engine was fine. It's called regular maintenance. Awesome tear down video I learned a lot :)
Yes, if replacing literally everything but the block is called regular maintenance. Well, it's good that people still mislead eachother to buy these rolling piles of shit. More hondas and toyotas for me 🤷♂️
@@justjustjoo 290k miles with my biggest repair being an alternator. Just admit you dont know shit and move on
@@TheFanatic340 amen to that
@@TheFanatic340 Haha 🙂 you're just like all the other bmw owners. Having bought a luxury car you'd want it to be quality made. That's why you lie about the reliability of the car. And let's face it. No one who has bought a bmw new and drove it to 450 000km will be here commenting in youtube teardown video. Who comments here is a broke guy who just MUST have a bmw, and prays that their high mileage piece of shit doesn't fall apart 🤥😂
@@justjustjoo M8 u are just disrespectfull, he didn't say nothing to you, and you start talking shit about his stuff when you probably don't even own this engine not even a bmw... Be respecfull with people, if you don't like bmw thats your problem but don't go a watch a video about a bad maintained engine and start thinking you know everything about it. Have a good day
Those engines are not that bad. People choose to skip maintenance and just drive them until they break. The timing chain guides are the Achilles heel of that model. If you perform regular maintenance and change the oil regularly. They tend to need to be replaced around 100K miles, although some have gone longer. That particular engine was SERIOUSLY neglected. It had the wrong coolant, the chain tensioner wasn't replaced, and then the timing chain guides started to go. That engine probably gave the owner several cues and the owner chose to continue driving it until it grenaded. ANY engine would fail if it was neglected like this.
Motor had a failed timing tensioner. I guarantee warning signs were ignored. M/S62 are phenomenal motors when maintained.
No way, an engine that was completely neglected failed? Crazy.
cope
😳
Lol his name is Omar Harmoush. Watching stereotypes play out in real life is hilarious sometimes.
@@HappyMistakes Cringe
@@omarharmoush7834 seethe
Surely this kind of damage didn't just happen in a mere moment? Someone must have kept driving the car with that sludge for a while and even after blowing up one of the pistons...
The last owner possibly could've tried an additive to seal up the leaks, that seems to make stuff this goopy.
Yes, BMWs give copious warnings of coolant or oil low, which you need to ignore and keep driving for this to happen.
Correct - this engine was never maintained as evidenced by the amount of filth on the outside. It probably didn't have an oil change in it's last 100,000 miles either, and then a water leak into the oil caused the milkiness which took out the timing chain guides and destroyed the bearings. Once the timing chain skipped off the missing piston hit the valve which stopped rotation altogether. The engine was already toast before the owner thought to himself -"I wonder how long I can run it at full throttle before it shits itself?"
I think so. It takes a while to get two opposites like water and oil to really mix together and do so much damage
This engine was so abused
"engine turned itself into a V7" LOL this dude is a great instructor.
Sheerly the fact that this engine ran for as long as it did with multiple individual catastrophic points of failure is extremely impressive.
One of those where you either spend big on frequent oil changes or you spend big on a new engine.
Or neither
One of those you return when the lease is up and walk away
@@speedkar99 definitely.
Even with their enormous sump capacity the maths on oil changes shows it's a minor added expense over a 'normal' engine, once or twice a year for this age of car.
If you buy a BMW and pinch every penny on maintenance ... well, scroll up for an example of what happens
The perfect lose-lose situation. Either way, BMW owners will be paying the big bucks to keeping their M62 running.
I had 200k miles on my 1999 540i-6 and it still hauled ass when I sold it. Changed oil/filter every 3500 miles. No Vanos issues no chain issues. I replaced the radiator at 156k miles, and it didn't need it. I did it based on age and hype about them breaking down. The car in this video was abused and neglected.
Yeah, this guy doesn't have a freaking clue what he's talking about. My 01 540i currently has 255k+ miles and she doesn't use ANY oil, doesn't smoke doesn't tick or knock or anything! And she runs like a bat outta hell anytime I put my foot down! Lol the M62 is a fantastic engine! AND they only get better with Boost! :)
Lies
I always appreciate the candid feedback regarding engines and specific problems to watch for.
Awesome
It's best to get that info from a tech that's familiar with the engine.
Bmw's milkshake brings all the mechanics to the bar
Haha
worst? I have 210k miles on mine, my buddy's n62 locked up at 100k miles. The m62 is a fantastic motor no valvetronic problems, no valve stem seal problems. do the timing chain guides at 180-200k miles, took me a weekend. Makes good power, very smooth, and a fat torque curve.
Good motor ..while it's working.
Timing chain guides shouldn't be a replacement item though
@@speedkar99 They are NOT.
The weak link of the timing chain guides on the M62TU engine is the spring inside the tensionner that holds the chain. It is a 50 cents part that any dweeb can remove and replace. I have logged 202,000 miles on this engine, and it is still running smooth with all the original parts. But maintenance and regular oil changes is key to the longevity of the M62, or of any engine for that matter.
As an owner of two M60s up near 300000km that I by no means baby ... it's a bit depressing to see how many failure points BMW failed to fix, amplified, and added to this engine
Engine must've been starved of oil n62s don't just lock up 😂. A n62 will go it's whole life burning oil while the m62 has a major design flaw that'll blow it up by 200k miles. Timing chains aren't meant to be serviced every 150k miles because that seems to be the spot when it needs to be done i had a x5 with the m62tu and sold that immediately when it started making diesel and clacking noises on startup. I have a 750i with around the same mileage 157k my x5 had 163k and my 750i is quiet on starup and at idle when nice and warmed up
@@speedkar99 yes you get it timing chains should live 400k-500k miles without even needed to be touched
The M60/M62 isn´t the worst bmw engine at all. I can´t agree with you with this one. Those engines are awesome if maintained and treated properly...
A little bit of neglect in addition to expensive repairs can really take it's toll though
@@speedkar99 e60 m5's v10 is quite infamous for reliability issues though, maybe a video on that some day?
Not shure what your criteria is but in my book an awesome engine is one which won't leave me stranded on a long trip, will last a long time with minimal maintenance, which can be done with basic tools in my back yard.
These engines are not for me.
@@blackdeck9112 well you will be using 60s and 70s cars, because now all cars need special tools and computer scanners.
@@PatricioGarcia1973
I drive a 90's Volvo 940. I got it with a 16v 4cyl engine. It was all computer driven but it was a simple system which I could get along with. What I didn't like was the engine itself. I swapped it for a simpler more reliable one. I run it on carburetors now but I think the stock ecu system was very good and I see why some people might prefer it. I'm actually considering going with a standalone ecu in the future. I wouldn't mind a more sophisticated system as long as it's easily accessible for repair.
My M62 has over 250k and runs like a top. Its all in the maintenance. Don't change the oil and the nylon timing guides dry up and crack which will shrapnel the engine if you continue to run it after those guides fail.
Awesome. I'm sure you've had expensive maintenance items to take care of though
@@speedkar99 Actually not much, just the regular suspension parts and I of course replaced the "lifetime trans fluid and filter". I also have the 5hp30 which is a beast. You also may want to make sure your not referring to the TU when talking about the M62 as that is a more finicky beast.
@@speedkar99 Most of the parts are actually quite cheap if you price them up, even with genuine parts. Even cheaper when you do the work yourself too!
Those BMW engineers sure know how to make a good milkshake, for better or for worse
The car that literally makes your morning beverage
The Worst BMW Engine Ever: BMW M62
BMW N63: "Hold my beer"
S62: „hold my rod bearing“
Water-cooled alternator is always a reason for concern
Water pumps used to be a 40 dollar part for normal engines. Why complicate your life ?
@@curtknight1021 Welcome to the wonderful world of BustedMyWallet. They do these things on purpose to keep BMW's out of the hands of budget conscious people so old beat up BMWs aren't running around driven by Walmart Shoppers, thereby sullying the image of BMW. Wealthy people don't care that BMWs only last 3 years before major expensive repairs are needed because they trade them off at 2 years max. During that 2 years they're feeling like Monarchs.
Great teardown vid.
Some things to note: the valve covers are a magnesium alloy. There are also 4 knock sensors rather than 2; 2 per bank.
PS, if you want a reliable BMW, only buy an inline six one or (paradoxically) a V12 one. They don't know how to make proper I4s and V8s. And stay away from N-series motors. The M-series (M5X, M6X, M7X, etc.) and B-series (such as B58) motors are better.
Yep, the inline 6 was much better.
The N52 is pretty okay in my books.
@@deesknees7009 N52 is okay it’s just very underpowered. The N55 is way better than the N52 and actually far cheaper to maintain in my experience.
I found that the n62 is more reliable then a n54
N62 and N52 are still good engines from there more modern line of engines. I own a n62 that's in my 750i and it's a good unit I've worked on n54s and I don't see how people would want to deal with that engine unless they had stacks of cash for making it reliable like replacing turbos and all that stuff. N52 is easily the most reliable out of the modern engines as it doesn't use a turbo and the n62 is the secound only needing to be gone through once every 100-150k or so to do the timing cover gaskets and valve cover gaskets not to mention that there is a valve stem seal issue on the n62 but that can be fixed relatively cheap now that I'm seeing
Engines like the M62 get an unfair rep because they're owned by enthusiasts once they depreciated. My grandma was given a almost-new 2001 740IL M-package from a very rich man she was a cook for and I drove/cleaned it a LOT. It only had 60-70k miles or so when she passed, but the only issues were water pump failure (the main flaw) and a control arm bushing clunk after 13 years. Dealership repair bills seems to be why BMW has a bed rep - yet most BMWs are easier to work on (pre 2005-ish) than, for example, my nightmare 97 DOHC Taurus. I can think of a lot of much newer engines that have VVT-related failures way more severe and common than the M62TUB44 and similar early adopters.
I'm biased, but I think the late M62 is overall a great engine given the challenges. It runs incredibly strong/smooth as well despite being 'small', and I presume VANOS contributes a lot to the surprising low-mid power that makes it such a fun car despite having really unimpressive stats on paper. Damn I'd kill for a clean 540 6spd :(
The E39's are a thing of the past now 😪
My M62B44TU has 349k miles lol. Leaks oil, but doesn't burn any. Low temp thermostat fixed the cooling system problems.
Nice. This one was a milkshake
for emissions reasons, these engines run hot...105C thermostat. 20C hotter than most other engines. The rad cap is 29 psi, double that of most other engines. The heat deteriorates the plastic rad components, and the pressure bursts cooling lines, expansion tanks and radiators. Heat thins the oil, and the timing chain tensioners run slack. same with vanos. Solution is to run a cooler thermostat, drop the cap psi to 20 psi, and use a quality oil, and change it at regular intervals.
Good information, thanks
I've been driving one of these engines for the past 10 years and yeah - it's a money pit for sure, but the most reliable part of the car BY FAR is the engine. I've NEVER had to repair anything in the engine. EVER. And I've had the transmission rebuilt!
very good video showing folk that if you DO NOT have the money for the basic service: proper oil and coolant on time, then this is what happens to the engine. I do have e39 540i is it is smooth as a butter and NO problem since I do the service as the Germans say to do
Agreed. Alot of people think that cars can take abuse
Ive owned quite a few M62 motors. They are quite superb when properly maintained. Also a tip for any M62 owners. Get the 105C thermostat out asap and replace with 88c. Makes the engine sooo much happier.
I agree. I have very little issues with mine. I recently had to replace mine bc the PO didn't take care of it. Come to find out the engine had a blown head gasket. I had the same milk shake this dude had but for different reasons. I love my car and and want 2 more. Lol. I've had...7...i think. HA! I've had 7 7s! Roflmao!
@@DougBe38 lol love it! Once you have one you cant stop.
I have an M62 in my 2003 BMW X5. Have over 230k miles on it and it's still going strong. Even been used for towing a 5k lb trailer.
The trick is doing maintenance and using proper fluids. TC guides haven't been replaced either.
Many of these older BMWs were given to kids when they got their license. Most received nearly ZERO maintenance before failure.
I just did a 2k round trip from Dallas to Atlanta got back last week. Would use this 20 year old X to do the trip tomorrow if I needed to.
Hey, what engine oil grade do you use in your M62?
@@ammanpandde5097
I've run the Mobil-1 0w 40 European car oil. I believe it's LL-01 spec IIRC.
I currently pick up the 5qt jug at Wal-Mart for around $27.
Followed the SII for the first 100k, did changes at 7k for the next 100k miles, been doing 5k changes after the 200k mark.
Well, the V8 in my E39 lasted the life of the car. The body rusted out in the rear inner rocker and structural panel and the car with engine, less cat, was sold to a scrap dealer a while back.
In 179,000k the problems were that EVAP thing on the back of the engine.
I agree the engine shown had a high rpm grenade running on water/oil mayonnaise in the bottom end and oil starvation at the top end. The head gasket itself looks a very robust design to withstand all that.
Here in the UK E39s are disappearing at a rapid rate, their time has come and gone. The exception is the M5 which if cherished is collectible and expensive.
Fun fact, these engines where downgraded in a couple of key aspects related to the timing chain.
That large v-shaped chain guide is one. It replaces a freewheeling sprocket that was used in the first iteration of these engines, the M60. This is a major failure point and resulted in many v8 e38's e39's and others ending up in the scrap yard.
Along with this came a less robust chain.
So, if you want one of these cars, look for the 95' model years. These have the 4 liter m60.
The engine is fine. Oil changes and a 90C thermostat is a good place to start.
Agree
Someone who calls an M62 “the worst bmw engine ever” clearly has never worked on many bmws. N62’s and n63’s are leaps and bounds worse engines than this. M62’s have common failures but are pretty good. n62s and n63s are horrifically bad engines.
Those “braces” for the camshaft caps are actually oil rails. Anyway I still have e39 540i with 245k. I did chain guides and vanos seals on mine already, however i still consider it as a decent engine with a lot potential for some upgrades.
Those braces were so thin, I didn't see any way oil could flow through them.
It's a good engine when it works. In my opinion vanos and chain guides should last the life of the engine.
I agree with you, but whoever was supplying bmw with timing chain guides at the time, manufactured them the cheapest way I believe.
@@speedkar99 n62 has chains and guides that will live the life of the engine also features valvetronic witch helps alot with power and mph makes a small displacement motor have a good punch
You can't complain tho that a n62 will piss and burn oil it's whole life without being torn down to do a timing chain job that shouldn't need to be done were not in the age of timing belts no more 😂
@@mapkrk1316 it's not a quality part issue, more a design shortcoming. Instead of that goofy U-rail, there should be a gear there like their was on the previous M60. Those used a double tooth gear and don't grenade like the M62's do.
I cannot trust a guy who refers to magnesium as a composite material or a guy who would rather use 2 universal joints on a half inch impact instead of just a normal wrench 😂
LMAO, I saw both those things and thought the same.
N series is way worse.
But it is true, m62 with that nikasil coating, vanos and thermostat issues, together with the crappy timing chain guide instead of a beefy sprocket wasn't that good
Salut Vlad!
Ma bucur sa te găsesc aici cât si pe atelier, ador review-rile tale.
Lots of carnage in this one
Only a few M62 were nikasil, that was mostly a M60 issue. And only when they were fed (cheap) high sulfur petrol, I have two Nikasil M60B40's that still have good comp at nearly 300000km each
You know what you're talking about. And you're absolutely correct on all points shared.The N-series of BMW V8s are far far worse imo. I'm glad you shared your thoughts on the matter. Cheers
@@greebj true, that coating wasn't a good friend with sulphur, and the matter is solved because today's fuels are almost sulphur free.
Maybe we are looking at a cascade of several failures here that started developing in parallel and only got to meet at the end….
As in: No oil chances or the oil has been seriously overfilled (because more oil is more better, right?) the latter resulting in the oil being basically churned by the crankshaft until foamy, so the oil pump starts sucking in air, leading to less lubrication resulting in the bearings beginning to move out and seek a better life inside the oil filter. At the same time, the cylinders are also not getting adequate oil. Meanwhile, the timing chain developed some slack over time (from the car only ever running in short intervals)….and once the lengthened timing chain did its best Van Halen tribute and decided to Jump, that was the final straw and the engine started smashing its own insides to pieces within seconds, serving up a last minute round of forbidden milkshake on its way out. Could have been a race between the conrod bearings slowly giving out or the timing chain yeeting itself. Either way, the engine was doomed. The lubrication issue probably had not present for that long though, otherwise I would have expected to see some damage on the cams.
Or maybe there was a leak in the cooling system which set the whole thing in motion. We will never know, but I find it interesting to think about even though I fully realize it is pointless in retrospect.
Whatever happened here - I think it was completely avoidable. Not sure what BMW‘s recommended service intervals are but I am fairly confident that the owner thought care and proper maintenance were not high priority items.
I think an internal coolant leak started everything in motion. Once the oil pressure dropped enough, the timing chain tensioners backed off and allowed the chain to slip off and that grenaded the engine and put it out of its misery. Oftentimes the coolant crossover pipe starts leaking and coolant gets in the oil. Anyone who checks their oil would have noticed the coolant leak before this happened. But apparently they weren’t….
Going to bet the major cause was exceeding oil change intervals by a lot, and using the cheapest oil they could buy.
Most BMW owners don't change their own oil. Of course, you know that Mr. Lube and even stealerships mostly use the lowest grade motor oil available, which is in fact recycled.
@@fun_ghoul It's BMW. It eats oil but only the refilled one, the fresh one you just added. Not the sludgy one :(
Source: I have Peugeot 207 with the Prince engine.
I think so, in addition to one component causing the coolant mix in the first place
How can you exceed 30k km recommend by BMW OCI ;) I guess you simply forget the oil change exists.
@@pliedtka Every newer car manufacutrers have insane oil intervals. Not only bmw.
If you read the history of all bmw engines it’s one of the best engine BMW ever made 32 years experience I never see engine strong like the engine just a good oil and a good cooling system good to go for 450,000 miles with no problem
I see I like it. Thank you for making a good video. The joy of how regularly you make new videos.
Thanks!
This is a prime example of an abused engine by some one who couldn’t afford to maintain it
and then this guy bases his video saying its a bad engine. Ridiculous haha
This is NOT the worst bmw engine ever lol. Far from it actually. Read up on the s85 v10. The m62 is actually a very good engine as long as you keep it maintained properly. It can get expensive. The timing chain was definitely not a good design. I drove mine to 320k miles and it had a catastrophic chain guide failure on the interstate. It was on its 4th timing chain job, using quaity parts. The engine was pretty healthy otherwise with very minimal oil consumption.
I've never heard of a good BMW V8
Mercedes>>>
Lol
I’m pretty certain BMW is the king of engine grenading ability. Only BMW can consistently make a 5c part, usually some piece of random plastic, impossible to reach by normal means to replace before it’s inevitable failure without tearing a minimum of half the engine apart, and have that 5c part single handedly destroy an entire engine with relative ease.
And people just put up with it for the badge
Yeah sometimes it's those little things eh
These e39 v8 engines are legendary... as in good... lol
That mixture of oil and antifreeze is toxic waste, but I'm sure you knew that.
Is it toxic?
@@speedkar99 That's what a mechanic told me years ago.
this bmw takes knocking to another level
Crazy eh
Knock Knock,
Who's their?
Cylinder 5...
They are plenty reliable with a cooler thermostat and replacing guides for 200K miles. Change oil at 6K miles and use proper, approved fluids. That’s 20 years “regular” 10K a year driving. M62 head gaskets don’t typically fail unless it’s been overheated.
Thanks for the tips!
The only engines I had any in depth experience with before watching this channel were SBCs, 4.3 GM V6s, 3.8 GM V6s, and Honda D-Series. All of those are very simple motors to understand and work on. After watching your teardowns, I am shocked at how complicated some manufacturers make things. It seems like the Toyotas, Hondas, and GMs are all pretty easy. Ford, Subaru and Hyundai are middle of the road. Anything German or Nissan seem needlessly complex. Just my observation.
That said, this BMW engine is a head scratcher. There were so many opportunities to simplify. Like, did no one try to remove the water pump while it was in the car? Why have that extra cover in the V? Why is there SO MUCH PLASTIC?!
Couldn't agree more. Seems like luxury brands means complexity
Germans say ; "Why use a simple part when a ten-part electro-mechanical assembly might work just as well ?"
@@curtknight1021 "Yes Franz, but you didn't guarantee that you will build it only with the most brittle plastic that Euros can buy"
That plastic makes them corner better.
Saying BMW are a crappy engine builder is a very biased statement. They used to make very good reliable engines, though they lost their way with the M60 and N60 series V8's. But as you admitted the M57, S55, B58 and S58 are probably the best six cylinder engines on the planet. It's a fact that BMW has one way more awards than any other manufacturer for the International Engine Awards (71 times) the closest was VW with 37, Ferrari with 30, Honda with 23 and Toyota with 22.
Id look into m60b40 engines if I were you. I'd argue that is bmw's most reliable engine they have ever made. The 4.0L non-vanos variant.
M60 is one of the best engines they made, extremely reliable, still many 30 year old examples driving around today.
First, the valve covers are made of magnesium. Doing a waterpump is easy on this engine. The oem waterpump had a plastic impeller. That's from an e39. That means its old. Do you really think the waterpump was original?
Aight, i was typing comments as i was watching, but I'm going to stop. Its clear you know nothing about this engine. I would suggest learning your product before making a video like this. Good day to you, sir.
He knows enough to determine that this series of engines are complete piles of turd.
@@drunkdriver His opinion. My experience is different
@@DougBe38 ikr, so much misinformation and unneeded hate on the engine and its manufacturer
I surely hope the title is just a clickbait thing, and not something you actually think?
The fact that you call this the worst BMW engine ever, tells me you don't know much about their engines and likely haven't touched many different ones of them. For example the two V8s that came after (N62 & N63) the M62 are significantly worse. N63 being the worst of the three, BY FAR.
There are quite a lot of engines that should be mentioned before the M62 (and M62TU).
These aren't even that bad. Chain guides and Vanos is the only weak spots, and even those can last at least 200k miles when taken care of.
For such a terrible engine, my 2001 540i has 230K miles. Timing chain guides replaced at 225K along with many other items while we "are in there". The guides were still intact but due. Tensioner was all in (or out) too. Never had any issues of any sort but cooling system items, an alternator, and a new clutch at 200k. It's been my daily for 17 years and it looks, runs, and drives like a brand new car. Oil changes at 5K miles, I've always used Liqi Moly prroducts and oem parts.
Watching this just reiterates why I'll never buy german
That's one thing I've learned from being a vw/audi fan for the last 8 years.
Very fun to drive, not fun to own.
Went with Mazda last summer and sticking with it
@@lessmasterdark I went with Lexus after making the mistake of buying a E92 M3 and suffering with it for a year. Ended up buying an ISF, this ones a keeper.
It depends how long you want to keep it for. Not everyone is cost sensitive and don't care what they spend money on
@@speedkar99 I'd like to keep for 150k + but sadly they just dont seem the hold up that long
People please, think about all foreign workers assembling them in BMW plants. Without you they won't be able to put food the table and will have ask for social. Please do buy the pride of Bavarian industry - please do not cross us out from your list for Toyota (now proudly assembled in various countries of EU and N. American ;)
I lost it at the "hidden treasure compartment" :D
Haha
Ha ha all the internet expertise. I have 2 bmw with that engine over 200k each engine . And run like champions if you must know how they do. Maintenance and preventive maintenance
What these videos never mention is these problems are the result of people not changing oil. Its common and normal for owners to change oil every 20,000-50,000 kilometres which is absurd. Oil should be changed every 6k religiously, never let it slide. If you do that these engines are very reliable, until the plastic bits break.
Yep
Maintenance is key
sssshhhh netsperts talking them down ... Nikasil... Lifetime ATF ... chain guides ... oil pump bolts ... PCV failures ... oil leaks ... PS leaks ... SLS failures ... coolant explosions... "genuine BMW" part costs ... keep repeating it, drive the price down for buyers who know what they're looking at :)
@@smithies_jocks
The current BMW and VW group OCI recommended by the manufacturer for their factory filled engine is... 30.000 km. Yes, Joe not 12 or 16k km, but 30.000 km. Most new cars running using good quality synthetic oil can do 8-15k km, depending on the environment (hwy vs city) and climate. Seems like most monitoring system have oil change reminder build in that activates around 15k km. For myself, I change my oil around 10k, more often if I drive the car hard, based on oil lab analisys (I'm still not 100% convinced that according to the lab the oil is 60% good). But I'm starting to think maybe using less expensive synthetic oil and changing it at shorter OCI might be better for the engine.
@@pliedtka I just change my oil once a year regardless of how many miles I do.
It would be very rare that I do 10,000 miles (16,000km) in a year. Usually much much less.
In the UK, time is the killer as the oil collects moisture with time, especially if not used much, which massively reduced it's lubrication quality.
So annual changes are a must.
Those who do about 4000 miles a year and change the oil every three years as a result lead to engines that fail.
I won't buy a car with low mileage unless the service history shows its had annual changes.
“Bring Mechanic With” or “Bleed My Wallet”
That works
You really are very knowledgeable, and i love how you describe everything in detail! I appreciate all your videos, and the time and effort you put into making them interesting!
The m62 pre vanos actually one of the best engines bmw made. And the vanos one not that bad either
Just seeing this but the simple fact that a LOOSE connecting rod was rotating in the crankcase and didn’t make a window is just impressive overall for BMW the motor is in horrible shape but I was expecting to see it in even worse shape lol
Yeah this one is rough
As long as you replace the timing chain this engine will live forever.
I have worked on BMW's over 20 years, All I can say on that engine is someone got everything they could get out of that one.
My m62tub44 has a new chain, guides and rebuilt vanos units. No leaks, no noise, no oil consumption even after 375K km. Only mod is a lower temp thermostat so coolant stays around 90 instead of 115.
Nice, but I don't think a timing chain job should be regular maintenance
@@speedkar99 after 18 years and over 300K I think it's not unreasonable. It are mostly the guide surfaces that wear out. A nice and easily serviceable belt would have been preferable though.
3:57: You are wrong here, because the M62 just have no vanos, or single VANOS (on the intake). The M52 (straight - six) has single, or double -VANOS.
Time was when BMW engines were reliable but everything else under the hood was junk. Now it's all junk.
Someone send this guy new gloves for Christmas 🙂
Please
and toothbrushes
@@chuckycheese84 that brush still has life in it. Just needs a good rinse.
When you make blanket statements like: “Crappy engine-makers like BMW” you actually lose all respect and it’s difficult to take you seriously.
I have the pre-vanos m62. Still runs like new at 360 thousand km. Had to replace valve cover gaskets but pretty much it.
I love these engines!
Recently I saw a 540 that had a great engine in it, clean inside, but blew a rod and shot the whole engine to hell real good.
Looked like water filling the brake booster and somehow made its way into the intake via the booster hose into the throttle Body and sucked up enough water to lose piston #8.
Blew up good. Otherwise these engines are great, providing you do the timing chain system before its "all over".
M62TUB44 engine is not garbage, in my humble opinion. Very strong engine.
And yes you can replace the seals inside the vanos but the seals are not ever in my experience when removed "shot to hell". They just are probably worn a bit. Beisan seals are a normal thing to install. And the owner of the company that makes the seals is a kind and smart gentleman I might add.
You drunk. Bro?
In my language BMW stands for My Big Sorrow
BMWs engines are great when new...but after 80-100k they become money pits.
That was actually a very good engine especially when compared to the new stuff.
As a former BMW tech, I appreciated all the oil and coolant leaks that ALL their engine had and have .😂
As corrosion protection for the under body
BMW N63 4.4 Biturbo is much worse. Thanks for quality video.
0:00 The never ending coffee
~Someone in the internet
That "somewone has been here before" killed me
Ahhh typical BMW....
I like your videos but your off base on this one. M60/M62 is easily one of the better bmw engines. Imo best v8 they ever made. N62 is bad. Biggest repair is the timing chain guides which alot of v8s need.
They're good only while running well.
The inline 6 is a better choice
Timing chain guides aren't supposed to be a wear item....
They’re not, but even a Honda K20/24 engine will require a chain service. It’s a common occurrence to see even chain tensioners failing on “modern” vehicles, and it’s not limited to BMWs. Coming from the motorcycle world, replacing chains as part of maintenance should be standard. Nothing lasts a lifetime.
@@speedkar99 dude you have no idea what you are talking about , you need to get more educated 🤦🏻♂️
@@647killa lol that guy is full of s*** has no idea 😂🤦🏻♂️
No Chrysler Hemi is the best V8 and Chevy 350 LT1 1970 isnt bad either
dont believe the nonsense this dude is talking. beside the small points like how this is a TU engine, this is in general a very reliable engine and in no way bmws worst motor. besides the timing chain guides this engine will run hundrets of thousands of kilometers when maintained, with regual oil changes and fixing some small stuff.
I'll stick to the 3 series. That way, it's basically half the headache. Still a headache though.
Half the engine half the headache
I also have a 3 series with the 2.2 ltr six cylinder engine. Now nearing 300,000 miles, and no leaks, no ticking or any other issues. I can only hope to be as lucky on the next one I buy.
@@rollydoucet8909 yeah but its slow af
@@kai-matthiasbast8612 The 3 is my winter car and daily 'beater' I've also got a 535i and a newer M5. Both have never been driven in the winter.
Valve covers are magnesium not composite n easy fix for these motors are m60 heads n ting chain plus bumps up to vanos power
I have 200000 miles on mine. Original everything, including timing guides.
Laughs in m113 engine
Too bad
Enjoyed video and reading comments. Have a 2001 e38 with 200k miles still running great. Guides done but original vanos. Run thicker oil like mobil 1 5w50 and motor is quiet. Had radiator and overflow tank failures. Researched coolants and switched from blue to the best quality green I could find. No more coolant issues. They switched from the green to be eco friendly so all newer coolants are organic now. But original green is best. Dont fall for the bs about compatability with materials.
I disagree ive had better luck with m62tu than m54tu I also find m62tu easier and more fun to work on than m52s and m54tu
Very helpful. Thank you for comprehensive description of the hoses and components.
what was the best engine well design and best built ?
Toyota 2Y
Small-block Chevrolet
Toyota
@@fun_ghoul One hour later and I'm still laughing about this one...
@@johnnyblue4799 Maybe there's a gas leak in your abode...
Must have run out of blinker fluid. That BMW shouldn’t have the green coolant in it to begin with.
Bmw has blinkers?
@@speedkar99 🤣🤣🤣
Every 15k i do olie change new. No question ask. Every 100k i replace the timing belt without problems. Why people have problems with it no idea.
15K miles is alot in my opinion
They dont have timing belt. They have chains.
@@speedkar99 15k km btw not miles for miles its below 10k so around 9k
Every engine eventually leaks oil, and there are failure points in every engine!!!
But BMWs are just so prone!
Yet these engines can produce well over 700hp boosted for an entire season without failing in drifting completely stock. once they fail its usually piston rings or rods breaking. replace it with forged H rods and fix those rings and you can drive an entire season with just some normal maintenance. but sure its fun talking shit about a car company without knowing anything at all about them.
700HP for the 15sexond quarter mile and no more 😟
People buy BMWs that are poorly maintained and then talk absolute nonsense. If you buy a used BMW make sure it was well maintained, do your preventative maintenance, get a proper scanner. Use your brain, this isn't a toyota corolla, these cars were expensive when new, and you think you're going to pick one up for $10,000 and enjoy a new BMW experience ? Idiotic. BMW is not in business of building reliable cars, they don't care for reliability, they leave that to toyota -- that is not their engineering philosophy.
The thing is...they are expensive to maintain so it's hard to find a "good" bmw
Water pump job is cake on the bmw m6X engines entire job takes bout 1-2hrs tops
worst ? ... waiting to see what you think about the N-series v8 :D ... these M-series are now "reliable" when compared to them :D
btw - bmw is a very interesting car option on the market ... usually the 1st owners are only interested in the badge flexing, the second owners are also such, but have no warranty or servicing ... so they just do not service the cars they bought when 3-5y from new after the 1st owner , just wash them and flex how they have a "new bmw" , then is the time for the victims of "worst engines ever" ... after the 2nd owner the price is really low and some poor soul wants some "german luxury" and goes for a beemer that was never serviced proeperly for at least 2-3 years and then the horrors begin (not even going in the teen racers/drifters stories)
also forgot ... 15k oil intevals ... just to be sure cars do not make it after the OE warranty :D
I totally agree!
In Europe we joke about BMW: Bayrischer Mistwagen, translates to Bavarian trash truck....
I think this is the most broken engine from your channel!
It sure is the worse I've seen!!
Literally in my language BMW stands for "mixing oil and water" 😁
What language is that?
@@speedkar99 I believe what is referred to is about Bulgarian language - phonetically, it's "Burka Masloto s W/V/odata", and BMW is pronounced like "Beh Em Veh" (from the German "Veh" for the letter W)
@@speedkar99 Bulgarian
@@tinatikata 100% correct
Funny how this guy who is tearing down broken engines in his driveway calls out BMW as a terrible engine manufacturer like he could do better. 🤣
This guy is a serious clown. Aside from the timing chain guides, the M62 is a really well built engine. I've bought and sold about 20 M62 cars and never had to open up the engine for anything other than timing chain guides.
You'd think chain guides should last the life of the engine ...
@@speedkar99 bmw owners really be thinking that doing major engine work is normal lol
I've heard it said that you never want to own a BMW that's not on warranty.
BMW N54 engine teardown coming up!
An incorrect statements about this engine mentioning the "extra bracings" on the camshaft bearing caps, they were not braces but the oil supply feeds to each bearing cap, its got a hollow section through it for the oil to flow through to each cap.
Nice video, thanks. Often wonder, who is more stupid?! : the ones who designed and built that crap or the ones who buys and drives them?
Engineers get to take a shit and then walk off, never knowing how bad the shit smells. Stupid people buy these and try to keep em going with money
Both are responsible but the onus is more on the buyer who should pay to maintain it
9:44 because thats the warmest place possible, thus no condensation will ever freeze there, unlike bmw x5 m62 where this unit is outside the block.
The engine design seems to be overcomplicated. To many crossovers and wierd routes for coolant and oil.
Over complicated? See my Audi V6 video!
@@speedkar99 I did and it was a good watch.
But have you considered having a catch tray fabricated to suit your engine stand. We have catch trays at work under our engine stands that collect all the fluids released from the engines. You spend a lot of time cleaning up spills, and your wife and brother can't keep donating clothing to clean up oil and coolant.