How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 09:48:22 GMT, > wrote:

>I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
>the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
>experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
>through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
>motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.


They are great but.............. watch out for the vanos units they can present
problems and are expensive to replace. Otherwise - no cam belts all chains and a
sweet revving motor. The shorter the stroke the sweeter - 2.0 6 nice as is the
2.3, 2.8, 3.0 and the 3.3 & 3.5 but the last two are old units now.

Almost bullet proof -------------------- but change the oil regularly.

One thing - from past experience they can drop valve seats if overheated and the
plastic impeller water pumps can break and try to replace with the iron impeller
type.

Hugh
Sir Hugh of Bognor

--
I used to be an Egotistical Meglomaniac - but now I'm just perfect!

Hugh Gundersen


Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

> wrote in message
.. .
> I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
> the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
> experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
> through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
> motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.

The small straight sixes are sweet, and probably the best you will find.

The old large straight sizes were not quite so nice, but extremely robust.

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

> wrote
> I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
> the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
> experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
> through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
> motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.

They're very good engines. Much more bullet-proof than the 1.8T, although
with a chip that was a fun engine, too. It just required more meticulous
maintenance, proper synthetic oil (somehow nobody bothered to tell the US
dealers about this) and proper turbo warmup/cooldown procedures (which many
people who never owned a turbo engine did not adhere to).

Every car has its problems though. Like the previous poster mentioned -
sudden overheating issues due to a cooling system failure were common on the
previous e46 and e39 (and probably a few others). Not sure if BMW finally
took care of it with the latest 3 series. It's probably too early to tell.

Pete

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

I normally drive another well-known German marque that is not what you have,
that has a range of very good engines but even I join the chorus of approval
of the BMW 6-cyl motors. Widely recognised as being very good.

DAS

For direct replies replace nospam with schmetterling
---
"Pete" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote
>> I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
>> the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
>> experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
>> through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
>> motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.
>
> They're very good engines. Much more bullet-proof than the 1.8T, although
> with a chip that was a fun engine, too. It just required more meticulous
> maintenance, proper synthetic oil (somehow nobody bothered to tell the US
> dealers about this) and proper turbo warmup/cooldown procedures (which
> many people who never owned a turbo engine did not adhere to).
>
> Every car has its problems though. Like the previous poster mentioned -
> sudden overheating issues due to a cooling system failure were common on
> the previous e46 and e39 (and probably a few others). Not sure if BMW
> finally took care of it with the latest 3 series. It's probably too early
> to tell.
>
> Pete
>
>

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

I have a 2006 E90 (330xi), that's the new 6cyl 3.0 255 hp unit (not the dual
turbo).

Very nice, very smooth, very pull-y. On occasion, when the engine is cold,
at idle I do notice what sounds like a bit of a clicking, as in valve lifter
ticking or light rattle. Once engine warms up with driving (5-10 min), all
is quiet. Again, only happens occasionally.

BMW dealer tech rep said this is normal, and is a result of some slight
foaming of oil into the hydraulic lifters thus the audible sound, until the
air bubbles clear and you get solid oil, and no sound.

I checked the oil and it said "OK", but the orange line showed halfway
between the lines. Wonder if this engine truly needs to be kept topped off
with oil.

The tech did not seem concerned. I did not notice this the first several
months I had the car (got it Sept. 2006).

Anyone else get this with the new E90?

Mike

> wrote in message
.. .
> I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
> the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
> experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
> through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
> motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

> wrote:

>I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
>the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
>experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
>through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
>motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.

The BMW I6 is a sweet motor, and one of the main reason to buy a BMW.

How good IS BMW's 6 cylinder engine?
 

I drive the **** out of my '03 330, it is fantastic.

I had a 540 before, so it seems slow to me but is very torqey and smooth.
Use that would be "abuse" to most cars seems to be desired by this engine...
push it hard and it feels best.
Cruises beautifully at 140-170 kph, revs are high, but smooth and powerful.


I have to add a litre of oil every now and then between changes tho...
The only thing about my e46 I dislike is the 5 speed... I should have waited
for the next year 6 speed tranny :(


> wrote in message
.. .
> I'm thinking of buying a 2006 or 2007 3 series. I was wondering what
> the consensus is around here about BMW's engines. I had a bad
> experience with my current car, an Audi 1.8 turbo, and don't want to go
> through that again. I've heard good things about BMW's 6 cylinder
> motors. How do you folks feel? Thanks for your input.



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