International Engine of the Year
06-29-10, 09:04 AM
#31
Lexus Fanatic
Fine, but it still doesn't change the validity of my statement. The better the gas, and the more detergent it contains, the less chances you will have of carbon/gum buildup anywhere in the engine, not just on the intake valves. of course, you can dump a fuel-system cleaner into the gas tank or have it done professionally, but with a good gas (and especially Shell or Chevron), the chances are you won't need much cleaning to start with.
06-29-10, 09:05 AM
#32
Guest
Posts: n/a
Then I went to the sales department and no one was buying what was on the lot, nope. No, everyone was building their BMW and waiting 18-36 months for it. Also EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMER signed up for EU delivery and NONE were leased.
It was an amazing experience. The dealer had Fuji spring water flowing from the heavens and they have free Filet Mignon to all guests. I also got a massage with a happy ending just for visiting.
Gonna trade in the GS for an EU delivery 128 as that is all I can afford and I was told I should start from the bottom and work my way up.
06-29-10, 09:10 AM
#34
Guest
Posts: n/a
From my understanding BMW helped build the GT-R as well. Also we all know that the GT-R doesn't have an engine but it runs on Nuclear power so it technically would have won best use of "fission" and not this award.
06-29-10, 09:14 AM
#35
Lexus Fanatic
It's not necesarily a case of "ruining dreams". When you buy or lease a car, at least as I see it, you are not getting a dream or fantasy, but a manufactured piece of metal, rubber, plastic, and glass. Mike (1SICK) calls it as he sees it (or as the evidence shows), and usually gets it right.
BMWs, except for some complex, difficult-to-use controls, are fantastic cars from a driver-centered point of view...IMO, some of the best. But some of them DO have some quality issues, like it or not....including the engines. And the 335's fuel-pump issues are nothing compared to those on some former BMWs, where a number of M3 engines had to be replaced prematurely and the 1Gen X5 engines were catching fire, from a defective fan-cooling switch, and sometimes totalling almost brand-new vehicles.
06-29-10, 09:17 AM
#37
Lexus Fanatic
I don't know if you would consider the VW/Audi 2.0T a "*****-out" motor or not, but I mentioned in a previous post that I thought it was probably equally deserving of the award. For its small size and displacement, it is an absolute gem to drive.
06-29-10, 09:34 AM
#39
Moderator
Thread Starter
Fine, but it still doesn't change the validity of my statement. The better the gas, and the more detergent it contains, the less chances you will have of carbon/gum buildup anywhere in the engine, not just on the intake valves. of course, you can dump a fuel-system cleaner into the gas tank or have it done professionally, but with a good gas (and especially Shell or Chevron), the chances are you won't need much cleaning to start with.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...d-threads.html
Koz
06-29-10, 09:35 AM
#40
Lexus Fanatic
Then go get some, even if it is just a brief 10-15 minute test drive. You probably won't be diasppointed. 
Fine; your opinion noted, but I found it a superb powerplant in the 335. Of course, the prospect of it leaving you stranded with a bad fuel pump isn't a pleasant thought.
But I'm quite familiar with the N54, and I have a number of concerns with it. IMO it doesn't deserve this award at all, there are far worthier engines.
06-29-10, 09:41 AM
#41
Lexus Fanatic
Take a look at the attached link to the carbon problem in direct injected engines and you will see why the fuel or fuel additives will NOT help with build up on the intake valves (Where the IS250 is experiencing this problem)! There is a lot of info there especially in some of the last posts.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...d-threads.html
Koz
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...d-threads.html
Koz
06-29-10, 09:51 AM
#42
Moderator
Thread Starter
06-29-10, 10:05 AM
#43
It's not necesarily a case of "ruining dreams". When you buy or lease a car, at least as I see it, you are not getting a dream or fantasy, but a manufactured piece of metal, rubber, plastic, and glass. Mike (1SICK) calls it as he sees it (or as the evidence shows), and usually gets it right. BMWs, except for some complex, difficult-to-use controls, are fantastic cars from a driver-centered point of view...IMO, some of the best. But some of them DO have some quality issues, like it or not....including the engines. And the 335's fuel-pump issues are nothing compared to those on some former BMWs, where a number of M3 engines had to be replaced prematurely and the 1Gen X5 engines were catching fire, from a defective fan-cooling switch, and sometimes totalling almost brand-new vehicles.
BMWs, except for some complex, difficult-to-use controls, are fantastic cars from a driver-centered point of view...IMO, some of the best. But some of them DO have some quality issues, like it or not....including the engines. And the 335's fuel-pump issues are nothing compared to those on some former BMWs, where a number of M3 engines had to be replaced prematurely and the 1Gen X5 engines were catching fire, from a defective fan-cooling switch, and sometimes totalling almost brand-new vehicles.
06-29-10, 10:17 AM
#44
Lexus Fanatic
06-29-10, 10:32 AM
#45
First of all it runs very hot. Early versions of 335's suffered from overheating, and I experienced it myself during a BMW test drive event. Supposedly it is fixed in the newer versions, but these cars still run extremely hot. Even on a rainy/snowy cold winter night, you can see steam coming off the hood. Everything under the hood gets ridiculously hot, even the windshield fluid is steaming. I'm quite sure heat like this negatively affects reliability.
Then you have maintenance and repair issues. A turbo engine is more complex, and so it will be more difficult and more expensive to maintain and repair. Not an issue as of yet, since N54 engines are still new and are under BMW's 4 year free repair and maintenance plan, but as they get older, I'm sure we'll start hearing horror rip off stories.
Then you have consistency, which is something this motor doesn't have. Generally with NA motors you know exactly what you're gonna get when you floor the pedal, but what I experience with the 335 is sometimes you press the pedal and it jumps like a bat out of hell, and sometimes it lags like a 328. I admit that BMW did an excellent job of virtually eliminating turbo lag, especially off the line, but its still not 100% lag free and not as consistent as NA motors. And this is just in 335, according to Mike the 535 he drove suffered from turbo lag off the line. This is probably because they wanted to make 535 smoother than 335, so they tuned this engine less aggressively. That just goes to say that this engine doesn't suit every car that BMW is trying to stuff it into - its perfect for smaller 1 and 3 series, but 5 series and up would be better off with a bigger NA engine.
All in all, the way I see it, there are many concerns and hardly any benefits to this turbo charged motor versus the competitions NA motors with bigger displacement. Some might argue that its lighter, but with todays aluminum blocks, would an extra liter or so of displacement really add more weight than all the turbocharger components? Ditto for compact design, a smaller displacement engine may be more compact, but all the turbo components take up more space. To me, its a great engine if you're gonna lease it, abuse it, and then get rid of it. I wouldn't want to keep it long term.
P.S.
Did I mention 12mpg?