Discussion
Taken from BMWCarMagazine
That's a Nikasil engine, the bit you are looking at is on the intake side,just underneath the starter motor
This is the Alusil engine. It's not actually Alusil at all, but people call it that from a bit of confusion
You can see the starter motor at the top, and the heater control valve is on the right hand side of the pic.
The "alusil" engine is the same old alloy block, just with steel liners fitted as a stop gap. The tab you see is a covering plate for the crank sensor.
If you have had the crank sensor changed recently by BMW, it'll be sitting in this hole, moved from the position at the front
That's a Nikasil engine, the bit you are looking at is on the intake side,just underneath the starter motor
This is the Alusil engine. It's not actually Alusil at all, but people call it that from a bit of confusion
You can see the starter motor at the top, and the heater control valve is on the right hand side of the pic.
The "alusil" engine is the same old alloy block, just with steel liners fitted as a stop gap. The tab you see is a covering plate for the crank sensor.
If you have had the crank sensor changed recently by BMW, it'll be sitting in this hole, moved from the position at the front
325i 92 on a k plate
Haven't got it yet just doing my homework first anything else i should look for?? Was looking for a golf gti but the bmw interiors seem to stand up better than the vw.
What years should i look for that would have Nikasli engines
Thanks
Simon
Haven't got it yet just doing my homework first anything else i should look for?? Was looking for a golf gti but the bmw interiors seem to stand up better than the vw.
What years should i look for that would have Nikasli engines
Thanks
Simon
Edited by R6dug on Wednesday 26th August 22:29
Engines affected were the M52s, and BMW solved the 'issue' in March 1998. The problem is that a high degree of sulphur in the petrol used, reacted with the Nikasil lining, wearing it away prematurely, resulting in a loss of power and compression.
Regulations stipulating the amount of sulphur came into effect in the UK in May 1998 (or was it April?), so cars registered after that (even if they are Nikasils) should not really be a problem.
I recently bought a 323i Coupe registered in Feb 1998 and although its a 1997 Nikasil model, the fact that regulations changed not long after it was registered, I'm not too fussed about it, although I was avoiding them like the plague!
I used the diagrams above to look at the engine blocks in all the cars I looked at before deciding, and they proved extremely helpful.
It's a tough decision, as I was recently in the same position. I would avoid pre 93 models given the lack of VANOS, which will mean a higher fuel consumption and peak figures arriving higher up the rev range.
The 325 has a twin pipe and you can hear it constantly. My mate took me for a spin in his, and he said it can be a bit annoying on long drives. The 323 has a single pipe and is much quieter, although you can hear it pretty well if you put your foot down.
Don't know much about the 328 as I had to rule it out due to insurance purposes, but am told it is very similar to the 323 in terms of running costs, only with 325 power, and more torque??
Hope this helps
= )
Regulations stipulating the amount of sulphur came into effect in the UK in May 1998 (or was it April?), so cars registered after that (even if they are Nikasils) should not really be a problem.
I recently bought a 323i Coupe registered in Feb 1998 and although its a 1997 Nikasil model, the fact that regulations changed not long after it was registered, I'm not too fussed about it, although I was avoiding them like the plague!
I used the diagrams above to look at the engine blocks in all the cars I looked at before deciding, and they proved extremely helpful.
It's a tough decision, as I was recently in the same position. I would avoid pre 93 models given the lack of VANOS, which will mean a higher fuel consumption and peak figures arriving higher up the rev range.
The 325 has a twin pipe and you can hear it constantly. My mate took me for a spin in his, and he said it can be a bit annoying on long drives. The 323 has a single pipe and is much quieter, although you can hear it pretty well if you put your foot down.
Don't know much about the 328 as I had to rule it out due to insurance purposes, but am told it is very similar to the 323 in terms of running costs, only with 325 power, and more torque??
Hope this helps
= )
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