Leakdown results are in, and the winner is...

[uberhahn]

Leakdown results in. '94 530i, 5-speed. 91K miles.

Cyl 1 - 15%
Cyl 2 - 14%
Cyl 3 - 19%
Cyl 4 - 6%
Cyl 5 - 10%
Cyl 6 - 22%
Cyl 7 - 11%
Cyl 8 - 7%

The test was done twice, with the same results.
Two files attached. One is an idle quality test with no load, showing Cyl 1, 3, 6 as discrepant. The numbers should be lower than 1.5.

BMWNA has been contacted, but I will have to wait until after Xmas. I've already gotten the "It's past the 6yr window". However, as this defect is milage dependent, time doesn't seem to be a valid argument. I will keep you in the loop.

uberhahn

[Jr ///M5]

Sorry to hear that Uber, a friend of mine with a 740il just went through the same thing. His leak down was much worse, showing a loss of almost 25% in all cylinders. One day his car just failed to start and he called me. After pulling the plugs and not being able to identify the electrode because they were just clumps, I told him the next best thing to do is find a good motor and use our local independent, Kauth & Myer to do the install. He found a used 4.4 engine for $1800 and paid the indy $2600 to do the swap. They also went through the donor engine and replaced certain gaskets that would cost dearly once the engine was installed. They did a leakdown on the donor engine before installation and it showed 3%. I believe BMW condemmed engines with more than 5%. After it was all said and done, they had the car about a week for the swap, he couldn't believe all the performance he had been missing, said it was a different car. Of course the extra .4 litre helped some...
Good luck with your quest with BMW, meanwhile, start looking around for a motor and a very good reputable indy to do the install.

Jr

[Johntee540]

Uber - I was hoping upon hope it was going to be a vacuum leak. 80% some odd are. ( my statistics are not scientific but used for effect and hyperbole) Good luck with BMWNA. We are here for you if you want an ear to listen to your rants as you embark on this journey. -JT

[632 Regal]

This is the very first time I saw anyone with documented evidence that their Nikasil was shot. Heard of it a few times but never withessed any regulars to have any problems. I am still not sure cause I know you can take a brand new running engine, flood it out with fuel and it will be like an open hole with any pressure in the cylinders. Are they trying to sell you an engine? Mann... replacement is the next best option for you and I think with enough hammering BMWNA might give in because of the mileage issue. I still cant see the engine being that bad if it ran this many years...there would have been obvious running issues prior to this. Im just in denial...best of luck to you!

[tim s]

5 months after i purchased my 95 540i/a i had to replace the tranny with a rebuild from kirt koeller. well worth the $2500.00+$600.00 for installation & misc parts from my local shop. now i am dealing with the dreaded play in the steering wheel.
tim s.

[DueyT]

Hmmmm... something's fishy here! I'm with Jeff, either in denial or yet to be convinced... Did the shop use one of these to perform the leakdown test?
http://buy1.snapon.com/products/diag...9a&dir=catalog



I see one of the BMW DIS diagnostic reports and some numbers written on the top of the sheet. The fact that the tests are "at idle conditions, no load" etc... leads me to believe that the guys may have conducted what BMW "thinks" of as a lead down test (using their own fantastical diagnostics machines) but what is not understood by the industry as a "good ole Leak Down" test as described here: http://www.goodson.com/instr/LDT-50.pdf


I'd see what BMW has to offer then, if it looks like you'll be into it for $$$, you might want to spend the extra $150 bucks for a "real" leak down test by an independant mechanic you trust (such a fellow would have no problem showing you what he's doing, including explaining the guages for a cylinder or two...mine did!).

2 more ¢

p.s. I hope that Jeff and my denial is well founded and you were just getting a fancy presentation from the boys in order to let them practice replacing a short block...

Cheers,
Duey

[winfred]

several months ago i busted our dealer on a falty diagnoses of a dead nic block with their wonder machine, it looks at burn time to tell condition of a given cylinder and if it looks off it tells the mechanic to tear down the motor and inspect for dammage, i almost pissed myself laughing when i first read this, the m60 injection system is easyly pissed off and it overadjusts the mixture from one bank to the other, which ****s up the running even more. that said if mother bimmer wants to give you a shortblock let em, you may want to spring for a few other things to be replaced while their at it as preventitive mantance

I see one of the BMW DIS diagnostic reports and some numbers written on the top of the sheet. The fact that the tests are "at idle conditions, no load" etc... leads me to believe that the guys may have conducted what BMW "thinks" of as a lead down test (using their own fantastical diagnostics machines)

[DueyT]

...my thoughts exactly, Winfred!

[Derek A.]

Had an episode with our local dealer. Customer takes his m50 e36 into the shop after he floods it. Classic M50 syndrome in the cold weather. Start the car - shut it off in 20 seconds and the plugs are soaked and it won't re-fire. Dealer tells him you can't flood a BMW. Cranks it some more and the fuel washes the oil out of the rings and it sounds like the motor has no compression. Dealer tells this guy he needs an engine and a tech at the dealer offers to buy the car off the customer. He tows it to our shop. We pull plugs, blow out the cylinders, put some oil in them, new plugs and the motor fires right up. I am always leary of dealers when it comes to older cars and engine problems.

[uberhahn]

I only posted one section of the test (short w/o load). Others were: short w/load, long w/load, and long w/o load. In addition, a pressure distribution test was run.

However, I don't know if they used the "old" method for leakdown. If they believe their methods (and if BMWNA does) I'll see what I can get.

I have been in contact with an indy shop near me, and if BMWNA doesn't come through, I'll go the other route.

Question:

given the leakdown numbers, how long can a Nik block be run until it fails to start?

-uberhahn