My Very First BMW...Guidance Please!!

[cptjnz]

I just bought a 94 530i 5spd and unfortunately did very little research before this purchase. I fell in love with this car after 2 min. behind the wheel. This car is "currently" mechanically flawless at 124K (no dash lights lit, dry, smooth, and fast). When I got it home, I began looking for any and all data related to this car (unable to reach previous owner). Needless to say, it wasn't long before I became quite familiar with the Nikasil "Leak Down" issue. While changing the oil, I confirmed that Nik has not been replaced with Alusil. Since then, I have been losing sleep while wrestling with the dilemma of what to do now. I love this car (it is 100x more car than my Taurus SHO), but I find myself worrying every time I'm behind the wheel (listening/feeling for noises, loss of power, rough idle, etc.) Should I sell it? $5K sounds like a lot to replace Nikasil. Is there an oil additive that might prevent leak down? Fuel brands/additives? Let me know what you think...Thanks!

[632 Regal]

You bought it now its yours. should have been like me and not looked and wondered for half a year before you checked. you say it runs fine, so that means it is fine. use premium fuel, synthetic oil and drive hard. if you want to worry more than worry about getting a leakdown test, I did a comp test on mine and thats as far as I wanted to go with testing. mine runs great and I dont lose any sleep over it at all, dont forget about the Alusil people that dont know what their missing...

ahhh I love the smell of Nikasil in the morning!

:D :D :D

[scott540]

You bought the car, the deal is done, enjoy the car. No use worrying about something you can't control. I stressed about the same thing after I bought my 540 until my wife finally told me to quit worrying and drive it like it's meant to be driven. That was 4 1/2 years ago. If it will make you feel better, spend some money and get a leakdown test done and see what kind of shape it's in.

[scott540]

Looks like Jeff and I were typing and thinking the same thing at the same time. ;)

[scott540]

Also, I still haven't checked for sure on mine. I don't really want to know. I might next time I change the oil.

[DueyT]

I just bought a 94 530i 5spd and unfortunately did very little research before this purchase. I fell in love with this car after 2 min. behind the wheel. This car is "currently" mechanically flawless at 124K (no dash lights lit, dry, smooth, and fast). When I got it home, I began looking for any and all data related to this car (unable to reach previous owner). Needless to say, it wasn't long before I became quite familiar with the Nikasil "Leak Down" issue. While changing the oil, I confirmed that Nik has not been replaced with Alusil. Since then, I have been losing sleep while wrestling with the dilemma of what to do now. I love this car (it is 100x more car than my Taurus SHO), but I find myself worrying every time I'm behind the wheel (listening/feeling for noises, loss of power, rough idle, etc.) Should I sell it? $5K sounds like a lot to replace Nikasil. Is there an oil additive that might prevent leak down? Fuel brands/additives? Let me know what you think...Thanks!

cptjnz, like Jeff mentioned, if it's working well now, odds are you're good to go for a while. Fill it up and let'er rip!

If it goes, just drop an S62 in there! http://www.dodge-charger.com/Charger/BoardImages/cheesy.gif (*insert Blink182's "yee-haw" song, here*)

p.s. Mark, do you make a chip for the S62 so it makes more than 400 hp?;)

Cheers,
Duey

[cptjnz]

Thanks for the advice Jeff! When it comes to synthetic oil, how often would you recommend a change? Is 5/30 a decent weight? I'm located in MA and commute roughly 50 hwy. miles each day. Sorry to sound like a Driver's Ed. student, but this car is truly quite foreign to me. I love it!

[cptjnz]

I couldn't stand not knowing! It's one of those things...you know you shouldn't look, but you just can't help it! Tx Scott!

[632 Regal]

Thanks for the advice Jeff! When it comes to synthetic oil, how often would you recommend a change? Is 5/30 a decent weight? I'm located in MA and commute roughly 50 hwy. miles each day. Sorry to sound like a Driver's Ed. student, but this car is truly quite foreign to me. I love it!

[cptjnz]

Thanx Duey, I'll pass your expert advice along to my wife...400hp...I guess that will give me something else to dream about tonight!

[bofh]

cptjnz, like Jeff mentioned, if it's working well now, odds are you're good to go for a while. Fill it up and let'er rip!

If it goes, just drop an S62 in there! (*insert Blink182's "yee-haw" song, here*)

I bought my 540i about a month ago, and I knew when I bought it that the nikasil engine had never been replaced. After a few days of worrying what to do if the engine fails... I decided not to worry about it, unless it happens. I've got 117k miles on it so far, so I'm not that worried it failing now...

But if it does, the wife has pre-approved a S70 or M70 replacement :) Whatever I can lay my hands on.

Shaun Nelson
1995 540i M-Sport

[ronn227]

...

[ronn227]

i use 15w-50 and i commute about 70 miles/day. i change it every 5k-7k miles with Mobil 1.

[Bill R.]

area, the sulfur limits that Clinton had put into effect were removed by the Bush administration. Most areas of the country are still operating under the levels of sulfur they have always had. It can vary day by day from refinery's and the ones that do have limits still aren't anywhere near as low as California's state limit... Also the rules regarding sulfur limits state that only the average has to be x, meaning on one day you can have a batch of fuel with a skyhigh sulfur number provided that its low enough on the rest of the month to pull the average down.... Nikasil doesn't care about the average, but if i had one I would just drive it normally and attempt to find out the levels of sulfur from local refinerys and buy gas at the stations that have the lowest average levels.. Not much else you can do







I don't think there is a Nikasil issue anymore since there are more regulations on fuel. The issue was the high level of sulfur but now the sulfur levels are so low it doesn't affect the nikasil block. i have a 1994 530i with 115k with the original nikasil block and i have had NO problems with it. don't worry. just enjoy your car.

Ron
94 530i
http://web.njit.edu/~rla2719/BMW530i.html (http://web.njit.edu/%7Erla2719/BMW530i.html)

[ronn227]

thanks for the info Bill, do you have any helpful links or documentation we can
use to research the sulfur levels in our area?

[DueyT]

For those in Ontario, here's the info.

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/air/sig/2003.htm

I found that Ultramar gas in Kingston actually comes from the Ultramar refinery in Montreal, 91AKI averaging between 57 and 81 ppm sulphur in 2003. That's pretty low sulpher level. Contrast that to getting your gas from Imperial (Esso = Canuck Exxon) from Nanticoke... 720ppm for winter regular in 2002! =:o Zoinks!

Cheers,
Duey