[F22leo]

Bought my e92 328 back in July and since then I've dealt with almost every common n52 problem. Serpentine belt assembly, ofhg, and a valve cover gasket that mysteriously stopped leaking when I changed the ofhg. And now last week my water pump failed at 89k miles, really glad I got the two year warranty on this car because the water pump looks like a pain to replace. So once the shop puts my new water pump in it should be smooth sailing ahead? Or is this there other common e90/n52 issues I should look out for at this mileage.

[clegg]

Have the thermostat replaced along with the WP.

[Biginboca]

Only other common issue I can think of are the oil pan gasket leak, and then a slightly uncommon issue that is pricey is the A/C Evaporators do tend to go on these cars. But you should not have to deal with anything that would leave you stranded once the water pump is done.

[em5ive]

I feel your pain lol. Got my E91 about 14 months ago. Since then I've done the Eccentric shaft sensor & gasket + valve cover gasket, then changed my OFHG, then whole valve cover replacement, and will be doing the waterpump and tstat shortly as I'm getting a 2E81 code. All that's left is the oil pan gasket...

[Thorin]

Idler pulley/tensioner wobble, OFHG leak, VCG leak, oil pan gasket leak, fuel sending unit cracked, engine mounts leaking, A-pillar leak, door seal water leak, amplifier short, three recalls, and now a headlight bulb went out. All in under 3 years/20k miles.

[tlow98]

Took me 4 years to get to this point, but in the same boat. I think as these cars age there is a higher likelihood of them all coming due faster due to age out of the parts. It's certainly that way for the engine oil seals as they harden regardless as they age.

[colorado.e9x]

This video is pretty spot on

[CTinline-six]

A lot of the common problems on these cars are age/heat cycle related such as leaking gaskets, plastic cooling parts, etc. Once you replace them you won't have to worry about them for a while.

Chances are these parts have been borderline for a decent amount of time, and the previous owner never had any maintenance done, so they are all going out at the same time.

[F22leo]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

A lot of the common problems on these cars are age/heat cycle related such as leaking gaskets, plastic cooling parts, etc. Once you replace them you won't have to worry about them for a while.

Chances are these parts have been borderline for a decent amount of time, and the previous owner never had any maintenance done, so they are all going out at the same time.

Do you think the thermostat would be worth getting done along with the water pump? Do the thermostats fail as frequently?

[MPOWER5266]

Originally Posted by e92leo

Do you think the thermostat would be worth getting done along with the water pump? Do the thermostats fail as frequently?

Yes, do the tstat and the hose between the WP and tstat. They are cheap, and the water pump and Tstat are removed from the car when you do this job so you might as well replace them.

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by e92leo

Do you think the thermostat would be worth getting done along with the water pump? Do the thermostats fail as frequently?

It’s worth it because it’s bolted to the water pump. So labor-wise it takes the same amount of time. It’s also like $70 for an OE t-stat.

They don’t fail as often as the water pumps, but they do still fail and eventually you’ll need to replace it.

It’s a no-brainer. Definitely get it done.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by e92leo

Do you think the thermostat would be worth getting done along with the water pump? Do the thermostats fail as frequently?

Absolutely. It’s like $50. But if it fails next week or in 2 years it’ll cost, what, $500?

[clegg]

Absolutely replace the thermostat at the same time.

Before I was in the know on these (my 328i) , I had a thermostat code (car was running cool). i just bought a thermostat and had it replaced. 2 months later the WP was dead so I had double the labor for the same area. Do not try to save money, you will pay. Trust me.

The oil pan gasket WILL leak also. No way around this. I bought a really nice one owner 335i with service records and low miles, guess what's leaking now?

[Silnismo]

Replace the starter, without warning one day it will just go out leaving you stranded.

Mine went out when I cut the ignition to fill up gas.

[mecheng77]

Originally Posted by Silnismo

Replace the starter, without warning one day it will just go out leaving you stranded.

Mine went out when I cut the ignition to fill up gas.

Originally Posted by Silnismo

Replace the starter, without warning one day it will just go out leaving you stranded.

Mine went out when I cut the ignition to fill up gas.

^^This and window regulators, don't open your window during a rain storm. That was my first day of ownership

[Silnismo]

Originally Posted by mecheng77

^^This and window regulators, don't open your window during a rain storm. That was my first day of ownership

Yes, both my rear regular went out a week apart. Had to tape them shut until the new regulators came in lol.

Great DIY on here that I used, thank god it wasn't too hard to do yourself.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by clegg

Absolutely replace the thermostat at the same time.

Before I was in the know on these (my 328i) , I had a thermostat code (car was running cool). i just bought a thermostat and had it replaced. 2 months later the WP was dead so I had double the labor for the same area. Do not try to save money, you will pay. Trust me.

The oil pan gasket WILL leak also. No way around this. I bought a really nice one owner 335i with service records and low miles, guess what's leaking now?

But the secret is that you really don't need to replace the oil pan gasket. Rarely does it leak enough to leave any signs on concrete and it doesn't hurt anything.

[JM98]

Originally Posted by tlow98

But the secret is that you really don't need to replace the oil pan gasket. Rarely does it leak enough to leave any signs on concrete and it doesn't hurt anything.

This.

If gaskets are just weeping but not enough to cause any drips... honestly it's not much to worry about. Generally speaking the N52 is pretty reliable and parts are cheap, I wouldn't worry about driving it or other things breaking. Just drive it into the ground and replace things only when necessary.

[AllBlackBimmer]

You fixed many of the common issues... so, now that they are fixed, most likely you will not experience these items again for another 75-100k miles...
IMO, the N52 is one of the most reliable engines BMW has built.
There are other issues, but they have been mostly covered in this thread... Im going to watch the video posted about just to check it out.

All BMWs have leaking gaskets and cooling problems, thats what BMW is known for!
I'd rather have these issues than some common issues of other brands... Just for record, I have 2 buddies with WRX's... both had their eninges replaced at 12k and 30k mileage. I dont hear about many blown engines with BMW.

Something else eventually will be suspension componets and possibly wheel bearings

[El Cheapo Loco]

Starter, oil pan gasket, AC compressor, coils will be next. Book it.

[neilvan]

Funny enough I've had the same amount of maintenance on my N52 cars than my N54 cars. Owned them for much less time but the mileage is higher

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by AllBlackBimmer

You fixed many of the common issues... so, now that they are fixed, most likely you will not experience these items again for another 75-100k miles...
IMO, the N52 is one of the most reliable engines BMW has built.
There are other issues, but they have been mostly covered in this thread... Im going to watch the video posted about just to check it out.

All BMWs have leaking gaskets and cooling problems, thats what BMW is known for!
I'd rather have these issues than some common issues of other brands... Just for record, I have 2 buddies with WRX's... both had their eninges replaced at 12k and 30k mileage. I dont hear about many blown engines with BMW.

Something else eventually will be suspension componets and possibly wheel bearings

Bingo. Bmws are durable but they are not reliable. Japanese is generally the opposite.