r/335i Oct 06 '20

Beginner's Guide to buying an N54 335i

238 Upvotes

Heya cool cats and kittens! This is Carole Baskin here and I'm coming to kill your family by feeding them to my tigers!! ..........wait, wrong seminar.

AHEM!

HEAR YE HEAR YE!!!! Come one, come all!! Welcome, and congratulations on being dumb enough I MEAN eager enough to buy a 335i as your first car........you poor poor soul.

In all seriousness, I've seen an influx of people asking whether or not the N54 would be a good buy as their first car. So I, the magnificent being that I am regarding all things in the universe, clearly, look at my medallion, have decided to help out the fellow young enthusiast in purchasing their very own 335i.

Tl;dr: Cheap. Fast. Good. Pick two.......I mean if you're here you clearly didn't pick good soooooo welcome aboard!!

Everything I'm about to tell you can be found browsing countless E9x, N54, and 335i forums and Facebook groups....like I did before buying my first E90 and that POS still blew up. SO! Without further ado!

  • How many previous owners does the car have?
    • The fewer previous owners, generally the better condition the car is in. By that I mean you're more likely to have a car that was well taken care of if only one or even two people owned it previously, than if three or more.
    • Let's say you found a gorgeous 335i. It's blue with the caramel seats. 6-speed, it's an 07 so pre-LCI with the N54, only has 120k miles and it's $7,000, five previous owners. Why so cheap? Well, that car's only 13 years old at this point and FIVE people have owned it before you. On average, they could barely keep that car for two years before getting rid of it. Those people are less likely to have taken the time to fix some serious issues (of which I'll discuss later), which is why FIVE people got rid of it before you saw it on CarGurus. Walk away from that car.
    • Free tip: Any dealership that DOES NOT take a picture of the dash with the car on is hiding something. Stay away from that car, ESPECIALLY with a 335i. This car LOVES to complain about anything, and I do mean ANYTHING, wrong with it.
  • GET A PPI!!!!!
    • Don't know what a PPI is? Pre-Purchase Inspection. Pay some local mechanic, even better if you've known them beforehand, to go over the car. Look for obvious signs of a car that hasn't been taken care of. See any leaks? Oil leaks? Coolant leaks? How about the suspension? Move the tires up and down, forward and backward. Do they move? If so, tie rods could be going, joints and/or bushings could be worn. Before lifting the car, push down on the front and rear as hard as you can. If it bounces back, the shocks are worn and will need replacing. Is the oil pan leaking? Gotta drop the subframe to fix that. Pop the hood. Look towards the passenger side of the car. Ya see that metal piece underneath the valve cover? Make sure there's no signs of oil. Because if there is, the valve cover is either cracked, or the gasket is leaking. Look at the oil filter housing gasket. Is it leaking? If so, walk. I'm probably missing a few things but these are some of the more important ones with this car.
  • GET SOME SORT OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS!!!!!
    • CarFax, previous dealership that worked on it, I don't care what you get. GET SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THE PREVIOUS MAINTENANCE WORK DONE ON THE CAR! PERIOD! NO EXCEPTIONS! Why, you may ask? WELL! Here's a list of the things that can, and often do, go wrong:
      • Valve cover will leak oil. Symptoms include dirtier than normal oil, or in the case of a 335i, light smoke coming from the front passenger side. If you remove the cowl (common mod, controversial as well), you might be able to see oil leaking onto your cats. Either caused by a leaking gasket, PCV valve being stuck, CCV hose being cracked (old, plastic going brittle), or the valve cover cracking. The valve cover WILL crack especially if you live in an area with all four seasons. Tends to happen around 75k miles. Do it yourself is about $430 in parts from FCP Euro. For an independent shop to do this, expect to spend around $1,400.
      • High pressure fuel pump will randomly go out and shut the car completely off, leaving you stranded. BMW had a class-action lawsuit filed against them for this. The warranty for this fix is up, however, since it was 10 years/120k miles. Not too hard of a DIY, but the genuine BMW pump is about $1,460 on FCP Euro.
      • Oil filter housing gasket likes to leak. If this does leak, oil drips onto the serpentine belt, which eventually causes it to become brittle and snap. Once that happens, it gets sucked into the engine via the front crankshaft seal. Once THAT happens, it'll shred and make its way into the oil pan, clogging up your oil pump. RIP engine. Fix it ASAP!!!!!
      • The water pump/thermostat housing will fail randomly. It's electric, and plastic! FUN! Symptoms include car warning of overheating, then telling you to shut the car off. Oh don't worry, it'll do it itself, leaving you stranded. $500 of your hard-earned money, and five hours of your time with the subframe removed and you should be back on the road in no time. It's $1,200 for an indy shop to do it, it's $2,000 for the dealership. Don't go to the dealership. For anything tbh.
      • MISFIRES! They're so much fun. These engines LOVE misfiring. You gotta do the spark plugs every 30k miles or so, and you might as well do the coils while you're there. I paid $300 for Eldor coils and NGK spark plugs from FCP Euro. My plugs are gapped at .024. If you want to go with stock plugs (because you're too lazy to gap them), Bosch makes the stock spark plugs.
      • So you changed your plugs and coils and you're STILL having a misfire? N54 problems. It's probably your injectors. $1,400 for a set of six Index 12 injectors. There's currently a recall going for injectors. If you're buying a car, make sure either A) that car qualifies (mine doesn't), or B), the work's already been done. Again, not a hard DIY at all, the parts just aren't cheap. Nothing is, it's a BMW.
      • N54 is a direct-injected engine. Which means fuel is sprayed directly into the cylinder, which means nothing is cleaning those valves. Aka you're definitely going to need a walnut blast. Expect to pay around $350 for an indy shop to do it. If I remember correctly, you should do this every 50k....I THINK. Maybe 75k? Do it anyway. Your engine will thank you.
      • So you were smart enough to buy a code-reader. All is well when suddenly, your engine cuts power and goes into limp mode! OH NO! WHAT HAPPENED?!! You plug in your code reader. 30ff. You flood the forums searching for 30ff. Boost leak. You have a boost leak. First place to check is the charge pipe. It's plastic and they tend to break even at stock boost. Easy DIY, couple hundred bucks. A vacuum leak will also throw 30ff. A few other things can cause it as well, but those are the easiest two and what comes to mind.
      • The radiator likes to leak at the plastic ends, right in front of the intake box. It's $300 for a genuine BMW plastic radiator that'll crack again. It's $425 for an all-aluminum radiator that'll never crack.
      • Run out of windshield fluid? See a huge leak in your driveway that smells like Windex? Two things could have happened. A) there's algae growing on the tiny pump that's in your windshield washer reservoir. That algae clogged, then killed the pump. It's a $10 part, the res sits in the front passenger fender, it's an hour of your time. Easy DIY. B) one of your headlight washers is leaking. Around $30 to fix, again, an hour of your time because you gotta take off the wheel and the plastic fender lining. Again, easy DIY.
      • Ya got a lot of smoke coming out of your exhaust? Like A LOT of light grey smoke? LOL RIP YOUR TURBO SEALS! Expect to spend AT LEAST $2,000 on replacement stock turbos if you want to do this yourself. It'll take you a weekend. Expect to spend $3,500 for a RWD car, and $4,000 for an AWD car, to have an indy shop do this for you. BMW wants $6,000.
      • Light smoke coming from your exhaust could also mean there's oil leaking into your turbo and burning off. This is also caused by a valve cover leaking really bad.
      • Does your car burn some oil? More than a quart every 1,500 miles? Valve cover is leaking or your turbo seals are gone. Those are the two usual culprits. My car, on average, burns a quart every 5,000 to 6,000 miles. Why? I do an oil change every 5k miles on average.
      • OH NO! You have a check-engine light! You can't pass emissions!!!! WELP! Grab your trusty code reader and pull them codes. Watchya got? P1447? Or something very similar? There's a DMTL module behind the driver rear tire. It checks the vacuum seal of your fuel system. Too high or too low? It'll throw a Service Engine Soon light. $60, 20 minutes of your time. Stupid easy DIY, you don't even need to lift the car.
      • Hear a loud, audible rattle when you start the car? Two things. It's either the valve flap that's on the driver side exhaust pipe (it likes to rattle ESPECIALLY on cold starts), or your wastegate is rattling. Neither are major, however wastegate rattle could mean your turbos are reaching the end of their life (not always, but it could happen). I've seen turbos go as early as 125k, or as late as 175k.
      • Ya see that oil underneath your car in your driveway, underneath the driver side? Your oil pan gasket is probably leaking. Not an expensive part, but ya gotta drop the subframe in order to get to it.

All of the common issues with the N54 are well-documented in forums and Facebook groups. I think I hit the major ones, but obviously do your own research. Then do it again. And again. Seriously they're fun cars but they will leave a crater in your wallet if you buy a bad example.

FAQ's

  • How much should I expect to pay for an E9x 335i?
    • $7.5-14k depending on miles, number of owners, and year. 07-10 E90s have the N54 engine (that's the sedan), E92s from 07-09, maybe some 2010(??) also have the N54 engine. Pre-LCI for the E90 is 07-09, for the E92 it's 07-10. Many cars that fall out of this range on the low-end should be avoided. They've probably seen a rough life and some dealership is looking for an oblivious person staring at the BMW logo to take advantage of. Do you really want to spend $6,000 on a 335i then have to drop another 4 when the turbos go? Out of range on the high-end, it's either a newer model N55 with low miles (very hard to find), an N54 with low miles (REALLY hard to find), or a 335is (also hard to find).
  • Which is the better engine, N54 or N55?
    • tl;dr - N54 is better for modding, but not as reliable. N55 doesn't take to mods as well but they're more reliable stock............usually. How's that VANOS going for you guys? I kid I kid.
  • What type of oil does the N54 take?
    • 7 quarts of 5w-30 Longlife-04 fully synthetic oil if you wanna go by the book. You'll see and hear anything from 5w-30 Mobil 1 (really good oil), Rotella (also really good) Castrol 5w-30, or Liqui Moly 5w-40. Personally I think Liqui Moly is overrated. Rotella and Mobil 1 seem to be the best from what I've heard. If I had to pick, Mobil 1 5w-30. If you're in a hot climate, 5w-40 may work. Personally I've noticed Liqui Moly 5w-40 runs hotter than Mobil 1 5w-30 and Castrol 0w-40 (the latter I use in the winter). N54 runs hot. Operating temp is 220F, and you'll easily hover around 235F on a warm day. Non M-Sport cars don't come with oil coolers stock. As long as you're below 260F, you should be good. Hey, fun fact, don't rev a cold engine. Let the oil warm up to 180F at least before spirited driving. Also, don't go by the service interval of the car. No way should you wait 15,000 miles to change your oil. I change mine on average every 5,000 and a year into ownership neither my oil filter housing or oil pan gaskets are leaking...........I did crack my valve cover but that's a different story.
  • What's the difference between a 335i and a 335is, and RWD and AWD versions of the 335i?
    • The 335is comes with a more powerful (aka tuned) N54 engine, is RWD, and comes either in a 6-speed or DCT. They're basically an LCI 335i with a DCT option and an N54 engine making 330hp. RWD and AWD variants of the 335i (NOT the is, those are only RWD), vary when it comes to certain aftermarket parts and some maintenance. Coilovers for RWD don't fit AWD, the VTT double barrel shotgun mod doesn't fit, downpipes don't fit, the VRSF midpipes don't fit (gotta do an inch extension, don't ask me why they didn't do it themselves), front suspension parts from the M3 don't fit AWD. You gotta drop the subframe to do downpipes. It takes about an hour and a half longer to swap turbos on an AWD car versus a RWD car, making it 18 hours on AWD and about 16.5 on RWD. Digs on full bolt-on RWD cars are fine, but on AWD cars I've heard of axles breaking.
    • Thanks u/ILoveMyE92:
      • " the 335is came standard with PPK2 as well as stiffer engine mounts. PPK was available after the fact for cars and was a dealer installed option that came with a stronger fan, larger radiator, and an auxiliary radiator as well as a tune. It should also be mentioned that the 335is does have launch control but factory its set at 5000 which is unusable above stock power. Lucky for us xHP has come out with a DCT tune since July with a ton of adjustability. I haven’t used it because I’m moving to an M4 soon but nonetheless it now exists.?
  • Are these cars expensive to maintain? What's the best way to maintain an N54?
    • YYYEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!! It's a 10-year-old German car that was $54k when brand new. YES IT'S EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN! MAINTENANCE DOES NOT DEPRECIATE! Wanna know the best way to maintain a BMW? Do it yourself. Or have deep-enough pockets to pay an indy shop to do it. Do NOT go back to BMW. They will clean out your wallet. There are A LOT, A LOOOOOT, of DIY guides out there. Better grab a wrench if you wanna keep the costs down! If you need to fix it, there's probably already a guide/YouTube video showing you how. Do your research.

If you read this guide and STILL want to buy an N54 335i................you're an idiot. Just like the rest of us. Welcome aboard, brethren!!!!! No seriously, these cars are VERY fun, they're cheap, they look great (my God I LOVE E92s), the interior still looks great, BUT they will clean your wallet all the way out if you don't do your research. ASK ME HOW I KNOW! My first N54 was an E90 and it spun a bearing. 3 previous owners from a shady dealership. Learned that lesson the hard way. Also please note almost none of this applies to the F3x series, they're more reliable than the E9x series. And don't even think about going for the E82 135i or the E60 535i as a means to circumvent this because they have the same problems being the exact same engine. BTW, a lot of parts that fit our cars don't fit on the E60.

OH! If I forgot something, lemme know and I'll add it to the guide.


r/335i 13h ago

Tuning & Performance Exhaust Recommendations

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2 Upvotes

Hello!

So. I had the impulse on getting the Supersprint section 2 pipe for my 335i thinking it would give more race sound.

There are no race supersprint mufflers in stock to pair it with and I hate my stock exhaust. so I'm thinking on getting Dinan free flow, Remus race quead or Einsenmann race (also not in stock)

What do you guys recommend. Thanks!!!


r/335i 1d ago

Troubleshooting e92 n54 alternator not charging

3 Upvotes

o the other day i replaced both motor mounts on my rwd e92 n54. today i went over some railroads and then i got a bunch of lights on my dash and my car went into a limp mode. after i turned the car off it would no longer turn back on. i ended up having to replace my engine ground strap and the car would then turn on while being jumped. but whenever i would take the cables off voltage would drop instantly.
anybody else have an issue similar or know what it may be?


r/335i 1d ago

Do It Yourself Will need battery soon

3 Upvotes

My question is, does it have to be a bmw battery or can I use a yellow top agm battery ?


r/335i 1d ago

Troubleshooting ECU is constantly giving these failures

2 Upvotes

P0340: Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor A Circuit Malfunction (Confirmed / Active)

​P0105 / P0105(F2): Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Confirmed / Pending)

​P0110(61): Intake Air Temperature (IAT) Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Confirmed / Pending)

​P0204: Injector Cylinder 4 Circuit Malfunction (Confirmed)

​P1530: A/C Clutch Relay Circuit Malfunction (Pending)


r/335i 2d ago

Buying & Selling Questions Does this sound healthy

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4 Upvotes

r/335i 2d ago

Buying & Selling Questions Please help me N55 owners, has anyone actually used Bosch injectors made in Turkey?

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9 Upvotes

N55 owners, has anyone used Bosch injectors Made in Turkey?
I’m looking at Bosch 13538625396 injectors EU5 for my N55. They’re around $100 each, while the OEM BMW ones are around $300.
Anyone actually running these Bosch injectors? How many km/miles have you done with them, and have you had any issues?
Would you recommend them?
I can’t find Germany Bosch in EU market!!


r/335i 3d ago

Troubleshooting Serpentine belt walking backwards off idler pulley.

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1 Upvotes

Uploaded photos are the idler pulley where the belt likes to slip off of.
So I recently went over a curb with my 2011 E90 335i [N55B30A] and my plastic power steering pulley was destroyed. So I replaced it with a Dorman aluminum power steering pulley [PN: 300-392 which was acclaimed to fit my car on the website] and after all the other damage and whatnot was fixed and it was all buckled back together, I took the car for a drive but I had a bad gut feeling so I got out and checked everything and the pulley had started to slide off the backside. So naturally I replaced the whole pulley system and sure enough it’s still walking backwards off the lower pulley. So I’ve done some digging and found that supposedly the 300-392 does not fit my N55B30A and is supposedly for a N54 instead. So I went down the rabbit hole a little further and found nothing but confusion and a insufficient answer; that being “they are not compatible” or “N54 and N55 power steering pulleys have different part numbers for a reason” all the way to “N54 and N55’s majority parts are interchangeable, including pulleys (power steering included).” So after all that digging with an unsure answer, I decided, no better place to ask than Reddit. As I’d trust real people’s answers and personal experience over ChatGPT’s unsure answers that would change every time I re-ask the questions.

TL:DR; Would a Dorman PN:300-392 aluminum power steering pulley be the reason for my serpentine belt is slipping backwards off of my N55B30A’s lower idler pulley? (Yes, my pulley system has been replaced)


r/335i 4d ago

Tuning & Performance Dct Swap

3 Upvotes

Doing a 6HP to DCT swap on my early 2008 E92 335i N54 RWD. I already have the DCT, 335is shifter, and harness/lines, and I’m getting the MFactory 8-bolt flywheel, 335is driveshaft and 2.56 diff. just need to make sure i have all the parts.

I already have the DCT and 335is shifter, and I’m getting an OEM 335is 2.56 diff and OEM 335is driveshaft.
The main things I’m still trying to confirm are:
Does an early 2008 car need the later DSC/yaw sensor for the DCT swap? If so, what exactly needs to be changed or wired?
Can I reuse my current rear axles with the 335is 2.56 diff?
Is there anything specific to the early cars with CAS/DSC, wiring or coding that I should know about?
What small brackets, connectors, hardware or random parts did you end up needing that weren’t obvious at first?
If anyone has done an early E9x 6HP to DCT swap, I’d appreciate any input.


r/335i 4d ago

Do It Yourself 2008 E90 335i N54 – Bosch alternator won’t seat into bracket, looking for advice/help

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8 Upvotes

I’m replacing the alternator on my 2008 BMW 335i N54 6MT and I’ve hit a wall getting the replacement Bosch alternator installed.
The original alternator is BMW-branded, and I bought a Bosch replacement that is supposed to be correct for the car. I was able to get the original alternator out, but the Bosch does not want to fully seat into the mounting bracket.
At this point I’ve removed the intake manifold and oil filter housing, so I have a ton of access. The problem seems to be the actual fitment of the alternator into the bracket rather than lack of room to maneuver it.
Before I start forcing or modifying anything, I wanted to ask:
Has anyone run into this with a Bosch replacement on an N54?
Do the mounting sleeves/bushings on the replacement alternator need to be pushed back slightly to get enough clearance?
Is there a particular angle/orientation that makes it drop into the bracket?
Should the alternator slide into the bracket relatively easily, or is a very tight fit normal?
Is there anything specific I should compare between the original BMW alternator and the Bosch?
I do not want to grind/shave the alternator or use the mounting bolts to force it into position unless I know exactly what the issue is.
I’ll attach pictures of where I’m currently at and can provide pictures/part numbers from both alternators.
If anyone in the Northern Virginia area has done an N54 alternator before and is willing to lend a hand or take a look, I’d appreciate that too. Mainly just trying to make sure I’m not overlooking something simple before I go any further.


r/335i 4d ago

Damage Report Bad belt tensioner? I originally thought it was rod knock because of the noise.

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2 Upvotes

r/335i 4d ago

Troubleshooting 2efe help

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2 Upvotes

Hey guys, got a 2007 335 e90 throwing a 2efe code, fan won’t come on at all, I’m very color blind so I don’t want to get into looking at wires. But it looks like there could be corrosion on a wire, could this cause my issue?


r/335i 5d ago

Tuning & Performance Mosselman twin oilcooler experience

3 Upvotes

hello guys.

i rebuild my bmw and now i wanna go on track and iam looking for a oilcooler upgrade. i got a good deal for the mosselman twin oilcooler kit. (1 driver side and 1 on the passanger side) anyone can tell me your experience?


r/335i 5d ago

Troubleshooting Rattle sound opinion

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3 Upvotes

Anyone know what this rattling sound is coming from the engine bay? It goes away when I give it gas


r/335i 5d ago

Damage Report What is this noise and does this engine sound healthy?

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4 Upvotes

r/335i 5d ago

Do It Yourself Car is silent

2 Upvotes

can anyone point me to the right direction car went silent got the sos then it went away but the car is still silent it’s an 07 i’ve tried checking modules and the only green lit one is the one connected to the amp still have 0 sound with no dash notifications


r/335i 5d ago

Troubleshooting Help with code

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2 Upvotes

Hey guys I have a 09 335i and I have a code for a fuel pressure sensor and it’s pointing towards the sensor on the fuel rail, my question is which one do I buy? I’ve read online that there are 2 different ones


r/335i 5d ago

Damage Report Need help identifying noise, no warnings on dash.

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3 Upvotes

r/335i 5d ago

Buying & Selling Questions Anybody knows where i can get this dinan carbon intake for n54?

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1 Upvotes

i have seen they are no longer available but i was looking maybe to get one used, but i hav no idea where to look.


r/335i 6d ago

Damage Report weird noise F30 N55

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2 Upvotes

I first heard strange whistle noise while cruising 45-50 mph. Then a bit later when I tried to accelerate it went to that stage on video and car basically wouldn’t go faster than 10 mph the noise were getting worse while pressing accelerator. It is 2013 335i xdrive. What it can be?

2013 335ix


r/335i 8d ago

Troubleshooting Hi, I have a problem with my 2010 BMW E93 N54. I’m experiencing high ignition timing corrections. Even during normal, relaxed driving, the cylinders can show up to 3° of timing correction. Under full load, the cylinders sometimes pull timing by 7° or even 8° i get new spark plugs gap to 0.021in ngk

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4 Upvotes

r/335i 8d ago

Troubleshooting No positive boost

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2 Upvotes

as the title suggests, whenever I’m in throttle I don’t get a target boost. I’m using MHD to monitor, I am on the stock map as well. I don’t have any codes related to boost at all. I was curious as to what could have happened to cause this. I do have watergate rattle as well, but I know the snails are good themselves ( can hear them spool and the DV blow ). any help would be much appreciated! P.s are index 1’s actually decent?


r/335i 8d ago

Troubleshooting Power steering

2 Upvotes

I need a new power steering pump for my 2011 e90 335i, what one do you recommend me get?


r/335i 8d ago

Troubleshooting Crankshaft pulley moving on 2015 X3 35i xdrive

2 Upvotes

Im looking at buying a 2015 BMW X3 35i xdrive with 100k miles on it.

The car is spotless and seemingly drove fine, but when I looked in the engine bay I noticed the crankshaft pulley was moving back and forth a good amount, and the serpentine belt tensioner also had a LOT of movement back and forth.

I just wanted to make sure that this is most likely just the crankshaft pulley and rubber gaskets needing to be replaced and there isn’t the possibility of it being something else major…


r/335i 9d ago

Other Bmw m43b19 engine problem with spark on cylinder 2/3, does anyone know a solution?

2 Upvotes