V8 owners Poll Nikisil/Alusil

[632 Regal]

180 something K and no probs at all besides the stupid intake gaskets and O2 sensor codes from that problem.

My Mileage is in my signature that changes regularly.

[Eric Clark]

My "failing" nikasil turned out to be the valve cover gaskets.

[PAUL_ANDERSON123@TISCALI.]

My "failing" nikasil turned out to be the valve cover gaskets.

My 540i seems to leak oil from the same place, not much, but stinks as it gets on the exhaust. What did the job entail?

[Oxford5er]

My 540i seems to leak oil from the same place, not much, but stinks as it gets on the exhaust. What did the job entail?

YES!!! I just had that happen to me, too! And I didn't catch it because my dad's Passat had a major oil leak, and he parked the Bimmer in its place, and I thought that the big oil spill was from the VW. They replaced the head gaskets and had to steam clean the underside of the engine thrice (I don't think I've ever used that word, but I like it) in order to get all of the oil off. I never noticed a bad smell probably because it was a slow leak.

On a similar note, has anyone had a leak in the rear main seal btw the engine block and the transmission bell? I've got a minor leak, but want to know if it will get worse. My technician says to just monitor it....

[Oxford5er]

My 540i seems to leak oil from the same place, not much, but stinks as it gets on the exhaust. What did the job entail?

YES!!! I just had that happen to me, too! And I didn't catch it because my dad's Passat had a major oil leak, and he parked the Bimmer in its place, and I thought that the big oil spill was from the VW. They replaced the head gaskets and had to steam clean the underside of the engine thrice (I don't think I've ever used that word, but I like it) in order to get all of the oil off. I never noticed a bad smell probably because it was a slow leak.

On a similar note, has anyone had a leak in the rear main seal btw the engine block and the transmission bell? I've got a minor leak, but want to know if it will get worse. My technician says to just monitor it....

[FiveOJester]

Getting close to 133k miles here. Original Nikasil block. Engine had good compression (165-175 psi across all cylinders) at 120k miles when I bought it. Idles a bit rough, but the intake gaskets and PCV plate smoothed that out quite a bit. Doesn't burn a drop of oil and after 4k miles the oil still looks clean so I'm not too worried.

[mamilapon]

My "failing" nikasil turned out to be the valve cover gaskets.

Hi guys, I'm not very regular on the forum (permanent night shift) I'm really keen on a '95 530i with 160000km but dealer serviced all its life. Looks a million bucks and owned privately.Just looking at the Nikasil poll gives me a little confidence but i'm not sure whether i'll ever sleep peacefully after buying it. What do you guys(particularly you Aussies) reckon about the chances of the engine failing due to Nikasil?I'm in Sydney. Cheers

[Sweetwater]

My '95 530ia is presumably a Nik which spent it's life in the Bay area till April 2004. Came to me with 59K miles and now running smoothly at 71K miles.


What's up with the gaskets and O2 sensors and when do I need to get concerned......?

[632 Regal]

when you keep getting codes that the reboot dont help. the gaskets dry and shrink when old especially in the cold.

[New Owner 95 E34]

... on a Nik engine (just found out it was a nik today... only owned it a few months, and only knew about the engine issues since I signed up on the forum a week or so ago). No issues as of yet, but I just rescued the car from a California owner, so I guess I'd better look up the nearest BP station and figure their primo prices into my budget!

The number was a BI*%# to see, but even with a starter plate or heat shield or whatever it was installed that was mentioned earlier, the skilled (and female, btw) mechanic who was helping me managed to spot it. Not a data plate on mine... just "714 212D" directly molded in to the engine block. (I'm assuming there was a "1" in front of it, but a hose or electrical conduit of some sort was blocking the view.) Is that normal?