BMW N20 & N26 Engine Diagnostic & Maintenance Guide (BMW F30, F32, F34, E84, & F25)
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- ►The BMW N20 and N26 engine is the turbocharged 4-cylinder successor to the BMW N52 engine. BMW created an engine to match the N52's performance while being smaller and more efficient. Produced from 2011 through 2017, the N20 has been succeeded by the BMW B58 engine. During its production run, the N20 and N26 engine was shoehorned into an array of BMW models such as:
-BMW E84
-BMW E89
-BMW F10
-BMW F15
-BMW F22
-BMW F25
-BMW F26
-BMW F30
-BMW F32
-BMW F34
In our BMW N20 engine diagnostic guide, we cover some of the main points you need to look out for when buying or owning cars with these engines, including:
00:00 - Intro
01:04 -Timing chain & timing system components
05:06 -Waterpump & thermostat
06:29 -Ignition coils and sparkplugs
08:40 -Serpentine belt & belt tensioner
09:53 -Oil filter housing gasket & oil cooler gasket
11:38 -Fuel Injectors
13:38 -High-Pressure Fuel Pump
14:54 -Camshaft and crankshaft position sensors
17:00 -Engine cover & PCV
18:08 -Valve cover & valve cover gasket
22:21 -Turbocharger replacement
25:10 -Oil change intervals and additives
26:03 -Wrap-Up
For more videos on how to buy and maintain a BMW F30, check out our BMW F30 playlist:
• BMW F30
If you want to learn more about the BMW N20 engine and the BMW F30, visit bmwf30.fcpeuro.com for more videos and articles.
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Ppl tell me I'm nuts but I change oil every 5-6k km. Yes, km not miles.
Had Subaru w/turbo prior to bmw, had almost 250k km with 4.5-5.5k km oil change intervals. Sold it to my friend, he had it until almost 300k km then sold it off. On original turbo.
And I tell everyone with turbo engines, change your oil every 5k km.
Great video, thank you!
thanks for giving me about 28 reasons to not sleep tonight :) great video. totally agree about oil change interval. I had a 2015 528 that blew the HPFP at 50K miles, plus an injector. that sucked! I also have a 428i and absolutely love the motor and car. I have really good BMW mechanics that keep up on maintenance. I'm fine working on my 1997 F-150, but not on this car. also too much plastic. but I love watching your channel and love your videos. wife has a 640i. runs like a freight train - or at least the way she drives it does :). not cheap cars to own, but I don't want to drive anything else. :).
😂Sorry Duffy, everything will be just fine!....
Facts 🤣
Why will this engine out of the blue lose oil pressure? Thanks
Yeah man haha I have 74k on my 2015 428i and the hpfp is going bad
New F-150’s are like Rubbermaid if you think the BMW is plastic…
Fantastic video! I for one really appreciate the approach to these engines you took in the video. You're info is based on experience and that's the best information you can ask for. Thanks for posting this.
I am very happy that my mechanic told me to do 5K mile oil changes. After this video, I am happy that I have been keeping up with that interval. Just did my most recent change at 115K miles. BTW, my car is a 2013 328i with the N20.
Simplest and best thing you can do Jeff!
Exactly. Extended oil changes are the cause for 80-90% of the problems in modern engines. In Europe they reccomend even longer intervals - 25k km or 15k miles. Crazy, I know.
Did you replace your timing chain?
@@markemmanuelmedina6103 Hi Mark. I have not yet replaced my timing chain. Why not? With those 5K oil change intervals of 5W40 LiquiMoly, I do not have any timing chain noise.
Hi Jeff. I have the same car and model year as you but oddly it’s developed a strange whining noise when revving. Think it may be oil pump. Have you had any issues with this part in yours?
Honestly, this is SOOOOO ridiculously helpful...really do appreciate it. I'm just learning about this engine (I have a 2013 X1) and I find all of this really fascinating. I just bought a basic diag tool also so I'm stoked to use it to help figure things out. There's something about at least having some rough knowledge about what's going that puts me at ease. Imma a little disappointed learning about the timing chain issue with my model year but still fairly low km's so hopefully I can figure something out...
This guy is awesome! Great videos man, really nice work!
Great video, very informative. Just got my first BMW in may of 21' ( 2015 328i ) and these kinds of videos are invaluable for people trying to avoid the dreaded big $$ repair bill. Keep up the great vids!
Great so far. I've put 25k miles on it from the 50k it had when I bought it.Changed the plugs at 60k, just got brake fluid swap and new rear pads at 75k, no oil leaking, no coolant leaks. It's been as reliable as anything else I've had, and I've had over 20 different cars. What's most impressive is how solid everything feels. No rattles, no squeaks, just feels tight and runs great. I'm sure around 100k I'm gonna need an alternator and stuff like that will start going out, but it's paid off so it's worth it to repair because I really just enjoy driving the car.
Thank you for all the information and advice, great video from a respectable and honest person
Everything he says is 100% accurate. Own this engine and you will be surprised with how well you can carry out preventive maintenance with this guide. It's not to say that everything will go wrong in one go. But when things do go bad, you know exactly where to look and what to expect. Gareth, it would be great if you guys could cover an episode speaking about the the PCV valve and when to carry out this service. Mine failed and had a tough time figuring out where the whistling sound was coming from. Just got my valve cover and waiting to change this out.
Excellent video. Thanks a million for the valuable insights on what potential issues watch out for.
Thank you FCP Euro for another amazing video. I just used your 8HP transmission service video for my car and it was extremely helpful and made the whole process very easy. I've got a 2014 328i XDrive with 114,000 mi and I've had zero issues Even the timing chain is still silent. The only things I've ever replaced are the brakes once, tires, transmission oil, and oil changes.
Pay attention on oil housing and oil cooler gaskets
I'm so grateful for your videos,I managed to change my thermostat by myself ❤
Great Content, hope you reach more than a million subs. You deserve it! Cheers
Wow, thanks!
Very Thankful for FCP Euro and its staff who put out these videos that really help us BMW owners. Love Gareth for sure!! Grateful!!
Our pleasure! Glad you like them!
You guys are awesome! Thank you for the N20 videos
Thank you for watching JP
I am just about to buy a 2014 BMW x3 and this is just gold, thanks for all that knowledge
how has it been?
Thank you so much for the information. I wanted to buy a BMW , but after hearing all the horror stories I changed my mind. However, after this video I changed my mind again and now I will get one. Thank you again.
This was a perfect video. I’m upping my mechanical abilities using your hard earned experience.
That is what it is all about!
Awesome information! Could you guys do a DIY on changing the camshaft position sensor?
just want to say once again, thank you fcp euro for the helpful videos! i just did my n26's valve cover gasket yesterday and it was a success thanks to this video! also i want to say to someone who attemps to do this, make sure you dont remove the wrong vaccume pump screws like i did which were 6 t30's, theres should be 3, t40 bolts in the back on the vaccuume pump dont remove the t30 bolts!
Glad you found it helpful, even through the hiccups
@@fcpeuro Hey that’s the same car I have!! One thing I gota to say is I just recently got it with 95k miles. What is the first thing for maintenance you recommend me to get checked? I gotta say BMW is not an easy car to have
Thanks so much for this VERY informative and helpful video. Just two questions: You mentioned at least two quite important subsequent upgrades which BMW did (such as the "feed line" within the turbo)- Can you tell us which manufacturing year these were implemented? Also, it seems there is no significant difference in reliability between the N20 and N26, correct? THANKS!
Awesome show 👏... You are always very knowledgeable and informative !!
ya this guy is a gangster of car mechanics ))
Appreciate this video. Keep up the awesome work…. I will be ordering more parts soon.
I just ordered my timing kit from u guys couple weeks ago..
Your videos are great man, I’ve learned so much from you 🙏🏼 Thank you.
Glad you like them; thank you for watching!
Thanks so much guys! Great video!
Super informative video, thanks!!
In 2013 I did the oil filter housing gasket and spark plugs on a 2008 BMW 128i. I just looked at CZcams videos all day until I was bold enough to take the challenge on myself.
ONLY thing I was not prepared for was when I removing the oil filter housing gasket was the oil that came out. Definitely a learning experience.
Excelent video! Thanks.
Thank you for the video guys, I wish you had a shop here in ny.
Great video. I just had to replace the turbo on my 2014 328i drive. They also changed the oil filter housing gasket, and after watching your video I am glad I did. My car has 260k kms on it. The timing chain seems fine still, and I am going to do spark plugs when the weather gets warmer. I will definitely take your advice and shorten the oil change interval from 15k kms to 10k kms.
did your turbo quit? what were the symptoms of a bad turbo? 260k is well broken in lol. kinda makes one wonder about changing the oil earlier than bmw recommendaton. i have ax x1 and change the oil at 10K . I have 280k on mine. I have a waste gate rattle on my turbo, but otherwise it runs great and I like the car.
Best resource on CZcams! I was looking for a used 2013-15 328 with less than 125,000kms but I'm completely turned off after watching this.With so many issues and potential failure points I don't trust the dealer to address these issues while under a Pre Owned Certified warranty and will pawn the cost on me as soon as it coincidentally "needs to be fixed now sir!" a month after the warranty runs out....No thanks!I know someone that worked as a service consultant for BMW.He quit because of the yearly employee bonuses were being tied to not let any car leave without a minimum $1000 bill... patch it until the warranty runs out.
Another thing you guys missed is the vacuum pump. If there is oil in the brake booster line or the vacuum reservoir, the vacuum pump is faulty.
Very informative video. Thank you very much.
great info as always
Awesome, thanks for posting 👍
2013 320i xdrive 200k+ miles only repair done oil housing gasket what a beast engine. Thank you for all the knowledge shared here.
Hi Bryan,
I have the same engine. Do you run it stock power or with some boost modification?
Stock levels since is my daily oil changes no longer than 5k air filter every other oil change, plugs at 50k. Valve cover needs replacement since oil separators gets clogged causing crankase pressure issues inspect your oil housing and oil cooler gaskets is a must when they start leaking
@@bmwforlifebulgaria4424 another thing keep fuel system clean only premium gas and fuel system cleaner I do it every other oil change
@@bryandiaz3108 Thanks a lot for the advices!
@@bmwforlifebulgaria4424 no problem
Frequent oil changes are great but that'll not stop wear on the chain. Simply can't.
PS just completed 13000 km trip around Australia in my 125i with N20. Changed oil, air/cabin filters right before and right after. Did not miss a beat.
GREAT channel
Appreciate the information
This is an amazing video
Absolutely amazing. Can you do it for the B48 engine or even the 330e? Lots of ex fleet cars on the market now.
I love my N20 engine, easiest engine I worked on 💪🏽
Amazing video to watch as I'm preparing buying a second hand F30 either this year or early next year
Good luck on your search!
Hej man, would be great to talk about the b48, thanks!
Appreciate a lot these videos and your work. Thanks!!! 👏🏽🙌🏽
F31 328i xD '14
Glad you like them!
Excellent!!
10/10. Great video.
Thank you guys, good video , very we’ll explained .
Thank you for watching!
Great vid thank you greetz from holland
I bought a 2015 328 GT lease return with 20k miles a few years ago. It has been an excellent car--just starting to get in to some maintenance items other than oil changes. Did the belt and tensioner, have the plugs and coils on order. Planning on doing the ZF trans svc and diffs as well. Only 50k miles now, but recently retired so want it to last trouble-free as long as possible.
Top class, On point and densely packed video, And Hence a subscription is a must at this point.
Thank you very much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@fcpeuro Cant help but to enjoy every minute of it, much appreciation and gratefulness', Thank u
Been searching thr web for a full break down on how to maintaine the "N20" engine and I happen to land on this GOLD MINE! Outstanding video as always guys, very informative and keep up the astonishing work. 🤘🏾 Everytime I push that start button I can never tell if the chain is creating excessive noise or if it's just the direct injection valves opening and closing. Even after watching your short demo clip. I got the 2016 ix M sport with about 50,000kms, upon start up the engine is quite noisy... As stated it's unclear if it's the chain or the DI however after about 30sec the rpms falls below 1k and the noise is completely gone. Some say it sounds like a "dying cat or supercharger" when you rev an engine with chain problems but I'm not getting that sound. Would love your 2 cents in this. Much love from Canada! 😎
Yeah the whine is very very noticeable
no doubt I'm going to be an fcp euro shopper, LOVE THE CONTENT!
I’m waiting my 428i to arrive.
Thanks for getting me “excited” about it lol
I have a March 2015 build 2015 BMW 328i xdrive (apparently ok for the timing chain bits as that was the cutoff time...). Although I do have new spark plugs and Eldor coils on standby as I’m at 81,xxx KM, I’ve only had to replace a slightly leaking fuel injector, front shock (most likely succumbed to a pothole lol), battery (yay Costco AGM!) and an axle seal for my drivers side this weekend. Oh and rear brakes and wear sensor. Bought it at 61,xxx KM and I’m still very happy with it. Knew there is typically more maintenance on luxury vehicles. All in all an amazing car (8 speed auto) with great acceleration numbers and the fact that I can get 5.8-6.0L/100KM or virtually 40MPG on the highway at the 110KM/HR over multiple hours of varied elevations at the speed limit at around 0* Celsius is awesome.
Staring at your shirt and at about minute 9 it finally occurs to me what I'm looking at.
This is soooooo helpful. I wish I had seen this video years ago. I now am due to change my timing chain on my 2014 BMW 320i. The job cost 4K. Idk what to do lol
Greetings Gareth...thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, it is very helpful...I have a question about oil additives, I use ceratec in every oil change, is it ok to continue doing it? And when should mos2 be used? Thank you very much for your help.
Yup i made the mistake of breaking the engine cover. Had to replace the whole thing. At 160k kms rn. Did timing chain for peace of mind, just changed i injectors and spark plugs, and did oil filter housing gasket. No other issues yet everything has been fine.
Great video thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had just replaced my Valve cover gasket (2014 X1 2.8 s) to find out days later that it was still leaking oil, come to find out there was a crack on the cover itself! So I bought a whole cover from the dealer $617! It was super easy changing it the 2nd time. Now I can do Valve cover gasket in a jiffy :).
😄
Thanks so much for very informative video. I have used Nates video to do my timing chain, and it was very successful, thanks for that.
I have a huge noise coming out of the valve cover, more precisely in the little box. It sounds like a engine knock. Can you please tell me what could this be.
Thanks
Douglas
I've made it to 130k miles original timing belt with a stage one tune. Always used liquid moly ceretec and 6k mile oil changees
This video changed my life. I gotta change the valve cover gasket I got a leak on my 3 series f30.
Did it go away?
@@pasiutrial i payed for it to be fixed at the shop.
Good video. I purchased the valves cover gasket from you guys and ready to replace it soon. It arrived fast and on time. Thanks. Just need a little bit of idea that, my idle issue. When I crusing on the road. The RPM will drop down to 1100rom. When I want to accelerate the car. The sounds like accelerate from the wrong gear. I was thinking, is it the coil issue or fuel pump issue or something else? When I use manual shift gears. There is no problem, because the rpm stay higher. Just need some light. Thanks
Great video N52 had almost 40% of those issues. N20/26 plastics engine parts and accessories disgusts me like BMW won’t learn from the past. Please make a video for the N55. Thanks
They actually learned from the past. How to charge more money for parts and make people buy new cars.
I wish! ;-) I've got 400,000 miles behind N52s. Leaking oil filter housing, valve covers, oil pans, vanos solenoid, etc... almost all the same issues other than the turbo. My wife just totaled our 2011 X3 sport package, just decided I'm going to bite-the-bullet and replace it w/ a 2017 Xdrive2.8i MSport. Guess I'm a sucker for punishment!!
I just went out and punched my F33 after watching this video. 😯 Seriously.. Great information, thanks!
Great video!
I had a ruptured breather diaphragm that was causing a squealing noise. Was able to replace it without the entire valve cover - $50 and 10 minutes.
The turbo oil feed update was to fix blue smoke on startup after sitting for a few days. I had this issue (embarrassing) and the updated line solved it. The electronic wastegate actuator also failed, which I replaced at the same time.
I am at 110K miles and otherwise (knock on wood) it's been a very reliable car. Still paranoid because of the timing chain issue and pending failure...
Nice work, James!
Great information here, tnx for this upload 👍. My 428i grand coupe has been performing very good on it's 50k , a bit concerned with a humming noise @ start up but once it reaches operating temp it stops and not to be heard again until next cold start.
Same here
That’s prolly the the oil pump. BMWs always make noise like that since it’s all performance. Mines does the same mainly from stop to go 2nd gear to 3rd and completely goes away after that.
🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I am from Recife a city in Brazil, South America, and I really like FCPeuro, and their videos, they are always very important for the community and awesome.!!!
Used to have a 18/18 m sport bmw 320i
then I had a 20/20 M sport 330i bmw,
Now I own an 20/20 blue X3MC with an S58 engine in it...
Hey Great Video. What Additive did you say to add to your Oil?
Thank you Question will it be possible a DIY video on flush or the clutch fluid on manual transmission N20 228i
to anyone who sees this code out the start stop function, it puts way to much wear on the timing chain and will save your car in the long run. I regret not doing this sooner.
yep, very stupid idea. most of your wear is starting the engine...
So, you suggest turning off the feature?
if you care about your car then yes.
Is that something you have to use bimmercode to do?
@@yajmarshall yes, you can find lots of videos on it .
Thanks for the video.
Is it possible to replace the vacuum pump seal along, without detaching the valve cover?
Our local BMW dealer said that replacing the seal must be done along with the cylinder cover detaching.
I have a F10 with N20 engine you are explaining in the video.
Please show me a tip for this.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks for the video, it was very informative... I do have to Say, I wish I had bought a Honda.... I have less than 70K, and have replaced the Alternator at about 55K, the Battery, two Belt Tensioners, numerous serpentine Belts... Had 4 Oil Leaks, 5 Coolant leaks, Battery drain issue which took weeks to find. It was the IBS. now it runs Hot.... new thermostat and Water Pump Coming... BMW uses the worst plastics and Rubber... Had I bought a Honda, the only thing I would have had to do, is probably Change the Oil, tires, and maybe Brakes.
I do have a Love/Hate relationship with this car... when its running correctly it drives so nice... But lately all I have been doing is fixing Leak after leak, and Electrical issues...
This is the Last German car I will ever own!
Enjoyed the video, 2013 power train malfunction it comes on at lower driving speed, could it
Be the wheel speed sensor? Need help !!
Thank YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
Took my 13 328i xdrive to the dealer since I believe the noise is from the timing chains and was told that it isn’t. Kinda odd since it sounds just like the short video you posted. Just rolled over 89,000 miles.
n20 owner must watch!
Do you guys recommend using liqui moly engine flush before the oil change? Or is Ceratec and 5000miles oil (Motul 300V 5w40) change enough?
Any feedback regarding Liqui Moly pro-line fuel cleaner?
Thank you for this awsome tutorial. Very helpful.
Ohhh...just got a 228i...so pretty much all the issues of earlier 6's and some new ones with turbocharging and plastic materials...but at least with compact design and improved room in the engine bay our hands won't get much scrapes....well thx for that at least .. BMW
I do oil and filter changes at 5k mile intervals. At 81k on my n20 so far so good.
Have you changed the timing chain yet?
@@Mechanikool8 I haven’t needed to, so, no.
any oil leaks from 09:53 -Oil filter housing gasket & oil cooler gasket ?
I got a 2012 328i. Very early February of 2012 car.
Im not going to sleep tonight, or ever again as long as i own that car.
I got April 2012, I have changed the chain once. I had the same feeling back then.
Great video, jump stumbled upon your channel. Awesome content, subbed! Got a 428i with N20 from 2014 (tuned stage2). Absolutely loving it. Planning to keep it for some years still, I am not very technical myself, but this video gave me some good insights on what preventative maintenance to plan for. Provides me with some background to talk to the BMW specialist shop. Cars got almost 150K kms now. Based on your suggestions I'm thinking on asking some quotes for the 4 main things I distilled from your video: timing chain/oil pump chain, serpentine belt+tensioner, oil filter housing gasket+oil cooler gasket and possibly a valve cover. Doing it all at once should save some labor hours right. Anything I should add while doing this at once? Any rough estimation on total labor hours this could take? Thanks again for the vid, great stuff!
How’s the car so far
@@jdinero1716 Excellent. Had chains and belt done last year and valve cover when it was wallnut blasted. 185k km and going strong!
135k miles on my n20 so far so good oil change every 4-5k
Apologies for adding to this two years later, but so it happens that I managed to get myself two N20-based cars in the meanwhile. One 28i-245hp and one 18i-156hp version. Both had same fail mode which is worth mentioning: failed resistor in thermostat. On US spec cars, I understand this leads to a check engine light and some limp mode as this feature is part of emission controls. On EU spec cars (which mine are) you only get a "MAP thermostat open circuit" code. And your fuel consumption goes through the roof, while the engine is probably in some limp mode - half asleep. No other warnings. On the 28i-245hp - an X3 mostly driven in heavy city traffic this drove mileage down from 17 -18mpg down to even 11mpg (13 l/100km to 19l/100km). Pretty easy fix and with immediate return on better mileage. As far as I can tell, without the thermostat resistor, the mixture is never allowed to be lean. Oil temps never jump above 100degC when fault is present
Hi Gareth, what brands of additives and engine oil do you recommend for 2016 BMW 328i xDrive N26? Thanks.
I just replaced my timing chain on my 2014 bmw 328i xdrive n26 engine. Everything went well, and I drove the car a little while seemed to run great no issues then when I was coming to a stop the front left of my car made a screech sound and it turned off and now wont start any ideas? Would help alot.
Dude please do a b48/46 engine I’m struggling to take apart these valve gaskets
Hi, do you have any maintenance videos for the F30 F31 B46 SULEV engine?
Hello, I recently replaced the timing chain and crankshaft reluctor ring on my n26. The car starts but with zero throttle response. No fault codes register when scanned. Please give me a tip about how to solve the issue. Thanks.
Is it ok to dismantle and clean the vanos solenoids of this engine to treat rough idle and misfire after checking everything else and making sure it’s running ok?
First of all, the video cemented my idea of the next car being an EV. I recently had the turbocharger fixed for blue smoke. I wonder if shifting to lower gears during driving down the slope negatively impact the longevity of the car?
This is phenomenal information! May I request one for the N55 engine? I'm curious if timing chain and guides are problematic as well!
they've already made a video like this about the n55. czcams.com/video/rPUUNhjJjHU/video.html
they generally arent an issue on n54/n55 because inline 6’s dont vibrate themselves to death like 4 cylinders do. bmw should have used a balance shaft on the n20/n26
@@hau5muzeek N20 has a balance shaft.
@@VanosPoint I agree. 100% they so have balance shafts.
@@markusortmaier7174 The strange thing is , Its gotta be due to something else in the design. My 1995 SR20DET ( 2.0 DOHC Turbo Nissan motor ) that spins almost 8000RPM doesnt havent any timing chain issues and its had its ass kicked for over 20 + years. I blame the bean counters cheaping things out.
I would like to know, does the N20 Engine have a defect in itself that causes these problems with the timing chain?
Anyone know what mishimoto radiator fits a 2012 528i I want to fully build the 528i with upgrades internals heads included
I got a 162K miles on my 2013 n20 and so far the only issue outside of warranties for me was the Injectors, and fuel pumps. Great car and defiantly worth it with high mileage.
Sounds like a good one!
Why defiantly ???
Im gonna buy a e89 with the n20
I really hope it will be a good buy
Hello i have a 320i f30 2013, timing chain was replaced in 2019 and its only done less than 15k miles now and its making a whining noise when accelerating or revving the engine, what could be causing this sound, could it be the timing chain, or something else :o