How many miles does M50 engine last?

[BMW4ever]

So after swapping a rebuilt tranny (tranny from the dealer) by my dependable mechanic $$, I intend to drive my e34 @152kmiles until the engine needs to be replaced. talked to him and he said that bmw engines can go as far as 300k miles with routine oil change, tune up, and don't continue to drive if it's overheat i.e., don't let the head crack. are there any major parts or service needs to be performed i will encounter along the way? oil pump? alternator? timing chain? i know japnese and domestic engines only have a life @150k to 200k (tops). any advice, experiences will be greatly appreciated.

[bjl4776]

The engines will last as long as you take care of them. I had 212k on mine when it was totalled and I had a turbo on it for 30k. I beat the hell out of it all the time too. Engine ran good until it was wrecked and then it looked beautiful when JonK took it apart for is turbo rebuild. The maintence things that are good to replace are the radiator, waterpump, and t-stat. Just keep up the maintenance.

[Jon K]

You should be good man the M50s are pretty reliable. People say the timing chain lasts the life of the car

[filip00]

what do you consider "tune up"?? bmw m50 engines have automatic valve timing and firing, so what is a tune up on the engine?

[BMW4ever]

nice to hear from fellow e34 owners' experiences. i really appreciate it. my first reaction was that my m50 engine will only have 50k left, and my family are relatives are pressuring me to switch to japanese cars . they also thought my engine will not past 200k for sure ( i don't blame them because they can't tell the difference beween a v6 camry and v6 525i when they drive it). i was so depressed a couple of days of seriously switching to japanese car (fuel are so expensive these days). to answer your question filip000, when i mean tune up i mean the "inspection II." hope this will address your question. after talking to my mechanic, and with the sharing your experiences; i'm glad now that i don't have to switch cars. again, thanks guys.

[mamilapon]

A 525 is a straight 6!!

[filip00]

er.....v6 525i? i hope that was just a typo....

[Bill R.]

automatic valve timing and firing...

er.....v6 525i? i hope that was just a typo....

[RiggsyB]

Just bought my 1995 E34 with an M50 engine in it... 115k miles when i picked it up... The engine and gearbox feel like new! Been told that over 400k miles is not unheard of on these engines, and certainly know of several 300k miles cars that never had an engine rebuild...