2012 BMW 535i Spun Rod Bearing

tbrecht · 06-01-2021, 06:36 AM

Last week I started to get a knocking noise in my MY2012 535i XDrive. After discussing with my mechanic, we are 99% sure it is a spun rod bearing.

Now I am faced with a couple options...
1. Replace with remanufactured motor.
2. Replace with used motor.
3. Sell car and move on.

The car has about 168k, on essentially entirely stock setup. I've owned it since 104k almost 3 years ago, and have been meticulous on maintenance since I've owned it (OFHPG in last 2k miles, Valve Cover, spark plugs, and rear suspension replaced in last 15k miles, Oil changes every 7-8k, new brakes/rotors, bearings, Water Pump in last 20k, HPFP in last 60k, etc.). The car is clean inside and out, just a couple small dings and wear here and there.
Knowing that the majority of the rest of the car is *knock on wood* mechanically sound and maintained, I am at a tough decision of how to proceed. Comparable, (2-3 years newer, ~100k miles) are selling for about 7k more than I paid for this one.

I have an independent foreign auto shop that will swap the motor in for a good deal, I just would like some advice if anyone has had any luck with remanufactured or used motors. I drive about 20-25k miles a year, so I am hoping to get something reliable.

Has anyone had any luck with either remanufactured or used motors? I am located in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, and would likely need to have one shipped in from somewhere else.
Thanks for the advice!

Cvx5832 · 06-01-2021, 08:18 AM

No insight on the used motor but I find it interesting that the OFHG was done in the last 2k miles. The evidence seems to be piling on with the need to prime the system.

To be sure, did you follow the priming procedure after that gasket replacement work?

OnlyGerman · 06-01-2021, 08:42 AM

Sucks to hear. The n55 is still usually very reliable at high mileage, given proper maintenance. As mentioned, the recent oil filter housing gasket job may be associated to this failure.

I would keep the car and change the motor, if able to source a good one, and the Indy is well competent. It beats a car payment..! And your f10 still looks great.

Hoa · 06-01-2021, 09:37 PM

I think the recent OFHG job may have caused the motor to fail. If proper procedure is not followed, your motor will run dry for a few seconds and eventually cause the motor to fail.

If you like F10 platform, I'd recommend a low miles motor replacement and it will last you a very long time. It would be worth it if motor and labor is 4-5K in total. When putting in a motor, please replace all gaskets to avoid any future leaks. If water pump and thermostat haven't been replaced, now is a great time to throw in a new one as well.

Unspec · 06-02-2021, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoa

I think the recent OFHG job may have caused the motor to fail. If proper procedure is not followed, your motor will run dry for a few seconds and eventually cause the motor to fail.

If you like F10 platform, I'd recommend a low miles motor replacement and it will last you a very long time. It would be worth it if motor and labor is 4-5K in total. When putting in a motor, please replace all gaskets to avoid any future leaks. If water pump and thermostat haven't been replaced, now is a great time to throw in a new one as well.

I doubt it's directly related, correlation is not causation. A single dry start up event in the grand scheme of things should not cause a spun rod bearing. Even then, it's not like the engine is bone dry when you drain the oil. There's still going to be oil trapped in various passages.

tbrecht · 06-02-2021, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unspec

I doubt it's directly related, correlation is not causation. A single dry start up event in the grand scheme of things should not cause a spun rod bearing. Even then, it's not like the engine is bone dry when you drain the oil. There's still going to be oil trapped in various passages.

Thanks for the input everyone.
As far as the OFHG, I left the oil in while I changed it, then drained and replaced after the entire housing was back in place. I wouldn't have expected that there should have been concern about priming it if I left it in the old oil before it sat for a couple of days.

Now onto finding a motor... Not having much luck for something under 100k miles on it. I think I'm going to search for about another week to see if something else pops up.

otay · 06-02-2021, 11:20 AM

Nice F10. Just asking...

How do y'all know it's a spun bearing? Does it turn over? If it turns over...maybe a rebuild of your current N55?

Nickco43 · 06-02-2021, 06:18 PM

If the engine still runs then I would sell it to Carvana. 10/10 recommend.

Other than that if you are driving a lot find a good used motor from a LCI F10 and swap it in. The only issue is that when I was looking for engines when my engine went bad N55s were going for about 5-6k used which did not make financial sense for my car. Generally rebuilt or refurbished engines are complete junk and I know a lot of repair shops that will not install a rebuilt engine.

beegeezy · 06-02-2021, 07:47 PM

I’ve shared this website before: https://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/sea...erPage=1&iKey=

Plenty of <100k engines for under $5k out there

Trainwreck914 · 06-02-2021, 09:15 PM

That's tough. Given the mileage car is only worth 7k on a good day. With a good engine. But as others suggest. Either find a good donor. Or cut loses.

tbrecht · 06-03-2021, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beegeezy

I’ve shared this website before: https://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/sea...erPage=1&iKey=

Plenty of <100k engines for under $5k out there

Definitely did not see this site before. Thank you!

Unspec · 06-03-2021, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbrecht

Definitely did not see this site before. Thank you!

car-part.com and lkq are the go to places to find salvage parts. It's just a bit tricky finding out what certain parts are labelled as, as sometimes it's not super intuitive, but you get the hang of it quickly.

tbrecht · 06-07-2021, 06:45 AM

After lots of consideration and shopping around, I am going to go with a used motor to replace it.
The shop found one from a rear-end wreck with 89k on it shipped to me for $4.5k. Got quoted $2k to put it in, including about $500 estimated for fluids, and stripping it down and replacing gaskets, bearings, and other items in the used motor.

Should be right around $6.5k +/- a couple hundred out the door. Best of all, no core charges. The motor comes with the turbo, and all accessories to sell or keep as spares.

I looked at a remanufactured motor. The plus for that is that it came with a 2 year warranty, but I wasn't impressed with the requirements that came with it. Also, the core charge came up to $1.5k, +$400 shipping. Seemed kind of wasteful to spend $400 to ship it down there, with only potentially getting $1.5k back (best case $1.1k for the core seemed sort of low, but I guess it is only for the long block, without any accessories).

I'll post back when it gets installed, and what I come across...

OnlyGerman · 06-07-2021, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbrecht

After lots of consideration and shopping around, I am going to go with a used motor to replace it.
The shop found one from a rear-end wreck with 89k on it shipped to me for $4.5k. Got quoted $2k to put it in, including about $500 estimated for fluids, and stripping it down and replacing gaskets, bearings, and other items in the used motor.

Should be right around $6.5k +/- a couple hundred out the door. Best of all, no core charges. The motor comes with the turbo, and all accessories to sell or keep as spares.

I looked at a remanufactured motor. The plus for that is that it came with a 2 year warranty, but I wasn't impressed with the requirements that came with it. Also, the core charge came up to $1.5k, +$400 shipping. Seemed kind of wasteful to spend $400 to ship it down there, with only potentially getting $1.5k back (best case $1.1k for the core seemed sort of low, but I guess it is only for the long block, without any accessories).

I'll post back when it gets installed, and what I come across...

6-7k is better than a car payment for 48+ months!!! And I hope you get another 100k out of this investment

tbrecht · 07-01-2021, 06:30 AM

Update on where everything ended up...
I got the car back from the shop four days ago, and put about 300 miles on it. So far, running great.
I got a used engine with 96k on it, and unlimited mileage 2 year warranty for parts and labor. Engine came with all accessories on it.
The only snag with the swap was the AC condenser started to leak when it fired up. Replaced that and all is running well. Total cost was just over 8.7k, and $250 for the core charge. Hoping to recoup some of it by selling the left over parts online.

OnlyGerman · 07-01-2021, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbrecht

Update on where everything ended up...
I got the car back from the shop four days ago, and put about 300 miles on it. So far, running great.
I got a used engine with 96k on it, and unlimited mileage 2 year warranty for parts and labor. Engine came with all accessories on it.
The only snag with the swap was the AC condenser started to leak when it fired up. Replaced that and all is running well. Total cost was just over 8.7k, and $250 for the core charge. Hoping to recoup some of it by selling the left over parts online.

8.7 sounds high for a used engine replacement, no?

philipm785 · 07-01-2021, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbrecht

Update on where everything ended up...
I got the car back from the shop four days ago, and put about 300 miles on it. So far, running great.
I got a used engine with 96k on it, and unlimited mileage 2 year warranty for parts and labor. Engine came with all accessories on it.
The only snag with the swap was the AC condenser started to leak when it fired up. Replaced that and all is running well. Total cost was just over 8.7k, and $250 for the core charge. Hoping to recoup some of it by selling the left over parts online.

Glad you got it all worked out. Obviously a little more money than you'd initially thought, but the two year warranty is a huge plus and I'm sure you'll recoup some cost from re-sale of turbos, etc. Hope you continue to enjoy the car!

Edit - just looked back at the picture in the first post and can see at least one more reason why you kept it - that thing is beautiful!

Unspec · 07-01-2021, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnlyGerman

8.7 sounds high for a used engine replacement, no?

Prices are up because of covid. Less cars available for purchase = more repairs, which tends to drive up prices of used engines.

tbrecht · 07-01-2021, 01:41 PM

It was a little bit more than I expected. The ac condenser, plugs, and list of gaskets and fluids really added up. I hadn't accounted as much for those adders before hand.

I had found a couple of motors for around 4500-5500. Coming with all the accessories and the warranty convinced me. Hope I never need it.

06-01-2021, 06:36 AM	#1
tbrecht New Member 4 Rep 21 Posts Drives: BBW 535I XDrive Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: MI iTrader: (0)	2012 BMW 535i Spun Rod Bearing Last week I started to get a knocking noise in my MY2012 535i XDrive. After discussing with my mechanic, we are 99% sure it is a spun rod bearing. Now I am faced with a couple options... 1. Replace with remanufactured motor. 2. Replace with used motor. 3. Sell car and move on. The car has about 168k, on essentially entirely stock setup. I've owned it since 104k almost 3 years ago, and have been meticulous on maintenance since I've owned it (OFHPG in last 2k miles, Valve Cover, spark plugs, and rear suspension replaced in last 15k miles, Oil changes every 7-8k, new brakes/rotors, bearings, Water Pump in last 20k, HPFP in last 60k, etc.). The car is clean inside and out, just a couple small dings and wear here and there. Knowing that the majority of the rest of the car is knock on wood mechanically sound and maintained, I am at a tough decision of how to proceed. Comparable, (2-3 years newer, ~100k miles) are selling for about 7k more than I paid for this one. I have an independent foreign auto shop that will swap the motor in for a good deal, I just would like some advice if anyone has had any luck with remanufactured or used motors. I drive about 20-25k miles a year, so I am hoping to get something reliable. Has anyone had any luck with either remanufactured or used motors? I am located in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, and would likely need to have one shipped in from somewhere else. Thanks for the advice! Attached Images Last edited by tbrecht; 06-01-2021 at 06:39 AM.. Reason: Removing Plate Numbers
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06-01-2021, 08:18 AM	#2
Cvx5832 Private 30 Rep 68 Posts Drives: ‘15 535i M-Sport Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Walnut Creek, CA iTrader: (0)	No insight on the used motor but I find it interesting that the OFHG was done in the last 2k miles. The evidence seems to be piling on with the need to prime the system. To be sure, did you follow the priming procedure after that gasket replacement work? __________________
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06-01-2021, 08:42 AM	#3
OnlyGerman Major 362 Rep 1,261 Posts Drives: F15, F13, F10, E60 Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Sunshine State iTrader: (0)	Sucks to hear. The n55 is still usually very reliable at high mileage, given proper maintenance. As mentioned, the recent oil filter housing gasket job may be associated to this failure. I would keep the car and change the motor, if able to source a good one, and the Indy is well competent. It beats a car payment..! And your f10 still looks great.
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06-01-2021, 09:37 PM	#4
Hoa Major 513 Rep 1,356 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: May 2010 Location: GA iTrader: (9)	I think the recent OFHG job may have caused the motor to fail. If proper procedure is not followed, your motor will run dry for a few seconds and eventually cause the motor to fail. If you like F10 platform, I'd recommend a low miles motor replacement and it will last you a very long time. It would be worth it if motor and labor is 4-5K in total. When putting in a motor, please replace all gaskets to avoid any future leaks. If water pump and thermostat haven't been replaced, now is a great time to throw in a new one as well.
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06-02-2021, 11:20 AM	#7
otay Major 826 Rep 1,342 Posts Drives: 2015 335i Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Raleigh, NC iTrader: (0)	Nice F10. Just asking... How do y'all know it's a spun bearing? Does it turn over? If it turns over...maybe a rebuild of your current N55?
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06-02-2021, 06:18 PM	#8
Nickco43 Lieutenant Colonel 1458 Rep 1,912 Posts Drives: 08 E92 BMW M3 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Denver, CO iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 BMW [0.00]	If the engine still runs then I would sell it to Carvana. 10/10 recommend. Other than that if you are driving a lot find a good used motor from a LCI F10 and swap it in. The only issue is that when I was looking for engines when my engine went bad N55s were going for about 5-6k used which did not make financial sense for my car. Generally rebuilt or refurbished engines are complete junk and I know a lot of repair shops that will not install a rebuilt engine.
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06-02-2021, 07:47 PM	#9
beegeezy Second Lieutenant 70 Rep 210 Posts Drives: 2013 535i M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2020 Location: New Orleans iTrader: (0)	I’ve shared this website before: https://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/sea...erPage=1&iKey= Plenty of <100k engines for under $5k out there
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06-02-2021, 09:15 PM	#10
Trainwreck914 Lieutenant 130 Rep 452 Posts Drives: BMW F10 F15 E39 E90 E53 Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: NY CT iTrader: (0)	That's tough. Given the mileage car is only worth 7k on a good day. With a good engine. But as others suggest. Either find a good donor. Or cut loses.
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06-07-2021, 06:45 AM	#13
tbrecht New Member 4 Rep 21 Posts Drives: BBW 535I XDrive Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: MI iTrader: (0)	After lots of consideration and shopping around, I am going to go with a used motor to replace it. The shop found one from a rear-end wreck with 89k on it shipped to me for $4.5k. Got quoted $2k to put it in, including about $500 estimated for fluids, and stripping it down and replacing gaskets, bearings, and other items in the used motor. Should be right around $6.5k +/- a couple hundred out the door. Best of all, no core charges. The motor comes with the turbo, and all accessories to sell or keep as spares. I looked at a remanufactured motor. The plus for that is that it came with a 2 year warranty, but I wasn't impressed with the requirements that came with it. Also, the core charge came up to $1.5k, +$400 shipping. Seemed kind of wasteful to spend $400 to ship it down there, with only potentially getting $1.5k back (best case $1.1k for the core seemed sort of low, but I guess it is only for the long block, without any accessories). I'll post back when it gets installed, and what I come across...
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07-01-2021, 06:30 AM	#15
tbrecht New Member 4 Rep 21 Posts Drives: BBW 535I XDrive Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: MI iTrader: (0)	Update on where everything ended up... I got the car back from the shop four days ago, and put about 300 miles on it. So far, running great. I got a used engine with 96k on it, and unlimited mileage 2 year warranty for parts and labor. Engine came with all accessories on it. The only snag with the swap was the AC condenser started to leak when it fired up. Replaced that and all is running well. Total cost was just over 8.7k, and $250 for the core charge. Hoping to recoup some of it by selling the left over parts online.
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07-01-2021, 01:41 PM	#19
tbrecht New Member 4 Rep 21 Posts Drives: BBW 535I XDrive Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: MI iTrader: (0)	It was a little bit more than I expected. The ac condenser, plugs, and list of gaskets and fluids really added up. I hadn't accounted as much for those adders before hand. I had found a couple of motors for around 4500-5500. Coming with all the accessories and the warranty convinced me. Hope I never need it.
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