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      05-11-2015, 03:21 PM   #1
atomic80
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BMW is quietly changing batteries at every oil change for the N63 turbo V8 engines?

Okay, the other day when I had the oil changed on my X5, my service advisor asked me a few days later if I could come back to get the battery swapped out too. I was confused by that but it was apparently part of a technical bulletin from BMW. No problem I thought, I got that battery swapped out from a 90 amp battery to a 105 amp battery. I thought it was maybe because of an increased electric draw.

And then today I saw this article in Road & Track:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...ns-bmw-n63-v8/

Ouch...this is going to be expensive once the maintenance and vehicle warranty runs out. I guess maybe I should extend both.
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      05-11-2015, 03:33 PM   #2
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I thought that the F15 has the N63TU engine. Does the "fix for the N63 apply to the N63TU also??
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      05-11-2015, 03:36 PM   #3
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No idea but my dealership swapped out my battery so that leads me to believe that the N63TU engines might be covered by this very same issue.
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      05-11-2015, 04:34 PM   #4
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Interesting info....

Right before I traded in my 2014 550 with the N63TU my local dealership kept calling me saying my car was sending them a signal that it was due for an oil change AND battery change. I thought it as odd when the lady on the phone said that since i've never had any battery warnings on the 550 with only 9K miles on it. I didn't care since the car went back to bmw to trade in for the X5......

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      05-11-2015, 04:38 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Alan l. View Post
Interesting info....

Right before I traded in my 2014 550 with the N63TU my local dealership kept calling me saying my car was sending them a signal that it was due for an oil change AND battery change. I thought it as odd when the lady on the phone said that since i've never had any battery warnings on the 550 with only 9K miles on it. I didn't care since the car went back to bmw to trade in for the X5......

Alan
Yeah, I'd had all sorts of oil warnings and battery issues in my X6 with the N63 engine. That care program apparently didn't apply to the N63TU variant tho.... wonder if they actually fixed the problem? ;p
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      05-11-2015, 04:44 PM   #6
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or the problems have yet to show its ugly face since the Tu's are somewhat newer with less mileage.

This was a big reason why I stuck with the N55 this time around again. BMW V8's are just very problematic and my Bmw tech buddy confirms this as well as forum posts. Sure some will say they've has zero issues with the N63 but there are far more people with problems than those without. My N63TU started to stumble during cold starts right before i traded it in. I only had 9K miles on it and i even changed out the oil myself half that mileage. I guess if you lease it doesn't matter but I would never own a turbo bmw V8 long term. I see lots of old X5M guys posts similar issues too and its a "special M engine".....

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      05-11-2015, 04:47 PM   #7
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My X5 has about 18,000 miles on it currently and I've had zero issues with it except for having to add oil every now and then. *Knock on wood*
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      05-11-2015, 04:55 PM   #8
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This is all very interesting info. Obviously the N63 and N63tu engines may not be reliable long term. It might not be a good idea for anyone that wants to keep the car beyond the warranty period. Seems like the N55 with MPPK and a piggyback tune might be the way to go for risk averse owners keeping their F15s long term.
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      05-11-2015, 06:37 PM   #9
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My X5 has about 12,000 mikes on it and so far, I have not had to add oil at all, which is the exact opposite from my 2012 50i. With that one not only did I need to add oil, but have a battery and had electrical issues with it. Hope I didn't make another mistake!
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      05-11-2015, 09:29 PM   #10
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Timing chains that stretch and snap??? Seriously??

Here's my favorite part:

Insiders at BMW in Germany say the oil consumption happens to customers who don't ever flog their powerful, turbocharged V8s hard enough to fully break them in. Ironic.

There are so many posts about how to break in their engines - apparently BMW wants you to drive it like you stole it. I agree...
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      05-12-2015, 10:36 AM   #11
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Wow, wonder how this will fly after warranties run up. The disposable car is here I guess, bmw beat everybody to it
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      05-12-2015, 11:08 AM   #12
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At least they have the publicity and marketing nailed:
"....Customer Care Package, or CCP. This is not a recall, because recalls address vehicle safety. Instead, BMW says, the CCP represents its "commitment to the long-term reliability of our most technologically advanced products."
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      05-12-2015, 12:23 PM   #13
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Yep, perfect marketing spin.
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      05-12-2015, 06:44 PM   #14
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Saw this on another site. Good Read on the BMW battery issue.

http://kinja.roadandtrack.com/why-bm...y-o-1703671504
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      05-12-2015, 08:22 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Taran.J View Post
Wow, wonder how this will fly after warranties run up. The disposable car is here I guess, bmw beat everybody to it
I agree with your statement too. I can imagine a day in the coming years where BMW (like Microsoft or Apple) will state they no longer support servicing their vehicles because of aging technology. They are too complex (how many million lines of code?) and no independent shop will have the equipment or knowledge to work on them. What happens when the HDD goes out on you in 5 years?
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      05-13-2015, 03:42 AM   #16
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A buddy of mine is a certified BMW tech. He said the most reliable engine out of the BMW lineup is the V6 (non-turbocharged.) But since that's no longer an option the current best option is the turbocharged V6. The V8s have lots of problems. But generally BMWs (Benz/Audi) are just a lot less reliable than Asian brands. He personally had a second-hand E39 M5 that he sold once it reached 10 years old because he says BMWs have a limited lifespan before it's a headache to deal with, even for a tech. He got a newer 7-series after the M5. If you're looking for a reliable car he recommends Lexus.

I feel like what he told me is just general knowledge that everybody knows. My previous car was a Lexus and it was crazy reliable. I'm pretty worried about the reliability of my F16 in the future, but right now it's just so awesome of a car. No Lexus can match the luxury and presence of this car right now. So it's kind of a trade-off.
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      05-13-2015, 08:35 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stunnaz View Post
A buddy of mine is a certified BMW tech. He said the most reliable engine out of the BMW lineup is the V6 (non-turbocharged.) But since that's no longer an option the current best option is the turbocharged V6. The V8s have lots of problems. But generally BMWs (Benz/Audi) are just a lot less reliable than Asian brands. He personally had a second-hand E39 M5 that he sold once it reached 10 years old because he says BMWs have a limited lifespan before it's a headache to deal with, even for a tech. He got a newer 7-series after the M5. If you're looking for a reliable car he recommends Lexus.

I feel like what he told me is just general knowledge that everybody knows. My previous car was a Lexus and it was crazy reliable. I'm pretty worried about the reliability of my F16 in the future, but right now it's just so awesome of a car. No Lexus can match the luxury and presence of this car right now. So it's kind of a trade-off.
Since BMW doesn't make a V6, I'm not sure how much credence I put in these words. Speaking of crazy reliable... I've had my F15 since last fall and haven't had a single problem. Not one. It hasn't done anything out of the ordinary or unexplained, no hiccups, no nothing. Considering the complexity of this thing, that's astounding to me. I changed the oil after following break-in recommendations, and since then I have not been shy about puttin' the hammer down. Hasn't used any oil. I did notice it is calling for service coming up at 10k miles instead of the 15k that I was expecting. If they want to change the battery, cool. I wasn't planning on keeping it after warranty (unless buying an extended warranty) anyway.
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      05-13-2015, 08:38 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stunnaz View Post
A buddy of mine is a certified BMW tech. He said the most reliable engine out of the BMW lineup is the V6 (non-turbocharged.) But since that's no longer an option the current best option is the turbocharged V6. The V8s have lots of problems. But generally BMWs (Benz/Audi) are just a lot less reliable than Asian brands. He personally had a second-hand E39 M5 that he sold once it reached 10 years old because he says BMWs have a limited lifespan before it's a headache to deal with, even for a tech. He got a newer 7-series after the M5. If you're looking for a reliable car he recommends Lexus.

I feel like what he told me is just general knowledge that everybody knows. My previous car was a Lexus and it was crazy reliable. I'm pretty worried about the reliability of my F16 in the future, but right now it's just so awesome of a car. No Lexus can match the luxury and presence of this car right now. So it's kind of a trade-off.
My buddy tech said he same thing. At any given time there as at least one 550, 750, 650, X5/X6 50 at the dealer in for a full engine replacement. I honestly think those days where you can drive your BMW for 10+ years with little maintenance are long gone. There is just too much tech in them and engines are required to make an absurd amount of power with smaller and smaller displacements so things are being pushed beyond their limits more than before.

Alan
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      05-13-2015, 08:45 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stunnaz View Post
A buddy of mine is a certified BMW tech. He said the most reliable engine out of the BMW lineup is the V6 (non-turbocharged.) .......
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticBlue View Post
Since BMW doesn't make a V6, I'm not sure how much credence I put in these words. ....
Perhaps a service tech with a sense of humor about BMW engines?
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      05-13-2015, 08:50 AM   #20
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Sorry, I meant the inline-six. But actually, that's a funny thing because I'm pretty sure I asked him about the "V6" because I misspoke about my own F16 engine, but he replied saying "V6" as well. LOL.
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      05-13-2015, 11:33 AM   #21
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Merging this concept with another popular one -

BMW is inevitably going to phase out their V8 engines (in non-M cars) in favor of higher output I6 engines. For a while there we expected the next 5 series 550 to have a very potent version of the B58 and not an N63 variant. Not sure thay have time to get that into the initial G30 5 series, but given the sudden implosion of reliability on the V8s, I bet they do it soon.

FWIW, I had an E60 545 with an N62B44, and it drove to 82,000 miles (and beyond with another owner) without incident. NA engine, though.
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      05-13-2015, 11:41 AM   #22
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Ok, here is the current SIB regarding battery replacement policy for ALL F15 X5...N55, N57, N63TU engines.

It appears to be every other engine oil change.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...5&postcount=12
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