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Today was a bad day......blew up engine 330CI m54b30

14K views 93 replies 29 participants last post by  ChuckyVee 
#1 · (Edited)
Rolling down the highway, car running decent but having felt 10% loss in power over last week. Car starts making a sound which felt and seemed like a heat shield rattling. The noise had more rhythm than that would though, which makes me think it's the pulleys. Pull over and do an inspection.

Almost seems like it could be the infamous disa (the origin of the noise). While in the car the noise appears for a burble on startup, and then disappears. It reappears at 2K rpm through the band. I'm nervous, I figure I'll drive straight to my service and drop her off. En route, suddenly the noise gets louder, I felt the engine lose oil pressure and A F&**^^* SMALLL PART FELL OUT OF THE CAR. Immediately, and I mean within 50ft, pulled off onto ramp and parked on the shoulder. I see for the last 20 ft, she was losing a ton of oil. THEN, parked I see she is just pouring her lifeblood (oil) onto the pavement.

I was heartbroken. She may have taken an impact which somehow marred the oil plug or cracked oil pan? If not, I fear the engine is blown to ****.

I felt like I should add this info just in case people have a catastrophic failure. Feel free to add failure stories (hoping repair stories too). They're not fun, but they're important learning experiences.
 
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#34 ·
Any tips on how to id something like this when looking to purchase a car? I dont beleive the PPI I had done on mine would have found something like this.
 
#35 · (Edited)
i should do a thread on this.

investigate. ask quesitons. if prior owner not available, look for signs of overheat. coolant stains, shiny new head, exhaust tampering, tool marks. inspect oil. inspect coolant. drive the car... listen. etcc

consider these professional mango super sport tips!
 
#36 ·
Previous owner did indeed overheat the engine for a short time. This was proven by the fact that the heads were warped. Head gasket was not able to torque to spec.

It's not as catastrophic as I thought. I was just quoted a 91,000 2 YR Warranty - Dyno Tested engine for $2,385. That isn't much. Even if labor goes north of $3,000.
 
#40 ·
Sorry about your engine. I can't believe you thought about parting your car out, though. Car engines have been blowing since they were invented. As long as you don't spend the $$$ for a new engine, it can be less expensive to replace or rebuild one than you might think. BTW - you can better than $2385 with a used engine from a totaled E46.
 
#38 ·
Looks like a nice car, throw a new engine in there.


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#43 ·
Yeah, I can go through an interesting decision process. I typed that when the dealer called and quoted me $6,660 for a used motor and installation, or $11,000 for a crate engine from BMW (quote does not include supplemental parts like new hoses).

The good news is that while the engine is off the vehicle I'm going to replace all boots, radiator, radiator hoses, radiator fan & clutch assembly, water pump, pulleys, disa valve, gaskets, filters, front & rear seal, CCV, clean ICV, & clean throttle body.
 
#44 ·
The fact that I bought the 330 from a guy that purchased it new from Germany in 2001, and used it to get to a train station 12 miles away for his work commute left the car in great condition. The fact that he didn't know shite about engines left me with a dying motor. Whatever I bought this clean ass car for..........wait for it...........wait for it $1,500!!!! He was going to donate it to charity because "the god damn dealers cost him so much for a repair". LOL He already had a new car when I bought it. He's a very wealthy lawyer in his late 50s and would've been happy to send this beaut to a junkyard.

Now I just need to find a reputable Chicago garage, and I'm on my way.
 
#46 ·
, and used it to get to a train station 12 miles away for his work commute left the car in great condition. The fact that he didn't know shite about engines left me with a dying motor.
This driving behavior may be what led to the failure. Build up of water in the oil for nearly the whole life of the car.




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#56 · (Edited)
The question to ask yourself is, can you repair this car for less than it costs to replace it? If you spend five-large on repairs, will the result last longer than spending the same money on another car? Will the result be a better driving experience than you get with BMW?

You have a low mileage, and low period of occupation -- the car was not sat in for hours on end while it was being used by the previous owner -- so it should be in very good condition. I'm not sure you have diagnosed the problem properly that the engine has -- 70k miles and a failed connecting rod just seems wrong to me, my experience is that my BMW engines give more than 200,000 miles of reliable operation.

I had a '94 with the M50 engine that was closing in on 250k miles. I currently have another '94 that has 150k miles. My daughter has an '00 323 with the M52 that has more than 190k miles, and my other daughter also had an '00 323 that had more than 175k miles.

My limited experience is that the BMW inline six is a very robust motor.
 
#58 ·
$1500 deal - you knew it would not be perfect. Add $5K, still could be a good car for the money. Before spending a penny search for other problems - flood - rust - other. Could be the PO was happy to get more than scrap value from car. I'm a fan of keeping older cars alive, but sometimes it just does not make sense. You have to do what is right for you and ignore internet jabber
 
#59 ·
It's true.

I'm researching the most important components to replace while the engine is out of the car. 330 engines are great, but they have poor cooling systems. Their aluminum block, and more specifically, the head are not very durable under poor cooling conditions. I want to let her live. I'm thinking new Gaskets, Filters, A really good flush of all lines, new rear seal, etc. I'm also still thinking, new car.
 
#63 ·
That engine be just fine. Bmw put the same engine in several models, 3 & 5 series, z3/4, etc.

If you are still looking for a shop, call b&d automotive in bensenville. Ben is one of the best bmw mechanics around. He may or may not have or be able to locate an engine for you.

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#65 ·
The previous owner, whom I know very well was having stalling issues. He brought it in to have a "revamp". They changed many suspension components, camshaft sensor, radiator hoses, etc. By the time I got it, there was the slight click of a cylinder rod. I brought it to BMW to have an Oil & Coolant change, and they said the car looked very clean. The coolant held well without leakage and the engine only leaked oil very slowly out of the oilpan. I asked about the noise, but the mechanic said "that's just how these cars sound.

The oil change helped quiet the noise, but as I drove it, I knew she was whipping quick.....but was missing power. I went easy on her for the most part. She started to feel healthy again. It was an illusion. When the air cooled, the noise came back in full force. I was on my way to the suburbs on a sunday to open my hood to inspect noise/ vacuum system. The noise increased exponentially on the highway until a rattle, at which point I was drifting onto off ramp with engine & power steering off. Clank clank, hole in block. The bearings were shreaded. I'm a dumb ass for not knowing, but I would have never realized bearings are a "somewhat" easy fix compared to this $$$$$
 
#81 ·
Why do that? Where's your sense of adventure? I think he should see just how long an ET will last before it blows.

Then again, I fry bacon naked just to keep it interesting.
 
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