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Re: Aluminum V-8 BMW engines

I can answer a couple of the questions posed in Kim Watters'  message.

The original thermostat was 85 C (185 F), the new thermostat is 95 C (203 F)

In regards to the temperature gauge reading - I was told by a BMW NA tech
rep that the gauge on the dash is buffered by some computer system and reads
in the middle of the gauge anytime that the engine temp is within a
satisfactory range (range temperatures not known to me at this time)

Gwynne Spencer          '94 530IA

> From: henri baccouche <henri@domain.elided>
> Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1996 19:31:00 +0000
> Subject: RE:  Aluminium V8 bmw engines
> 
> WHAT IS THE EXTENDED WARANTEE:
> 
> What are the technical specifications of the wear limit in the extended 
> warantee?
> Is it Cylinder compression?
> Is it Oil consumption per 1000miles?
> Is the Warantee intentionally vague on these points?
> ( So that only the loudest  whining/litigious victims get the "improved" 
> engine replacement?)
> 
Not sure about details but I was told by BMW service that the only way BMW NA
will authorize investigation/fix any V-8 engine problems under warranty is 
if an engine balance/leakdown test is run and the engine is not within the 
acceptable specs (I know this is the detail you are looking for). I was told
cylinder #8 shows low compression.

> THE FIX IS IN : 
> These points occur to me as I read  this  :
> 
> > Much of the discussion on the list was about the affects of the 'fix',
> >a new ICU & thermostat that raises the engine temp to 'burn' the sulfur.
> >This isn't as much of an issue for the 540i as the 530i, where the
> >performance is marginal anyway and any degradation is noticable.
> 
>             Another negative fix: Less performance and less durability.
> Increasing the operating temperature of the engine to burn off the sulfur
> in the gasoline will affect the durability of other components. The 
> automatic transmission will run hotter(definitely not good). The engine oil 
> will be hotter,the air conditioner will have to work harder, cooling system 
> will have less operating  temperature range etc..........
> Aluminiun engines of the past have been very intolerant of overheating.

Does anyone know how much hotter the engine runs?  i.e. What temp did the
original thermostat open at vs the temp the campaign thermostat opens.
How much faster does the engine warm up than it used to?

My 530 has the campaign EPROM and the temp guage is at 12 o'clock after about
1 mile of easy driving (in the summer). No matter what the situation, highway,
sitting in 100 degree heat in a traffic jam, on a cool summer night, my temp
guage sits at 12 o''clock. To all you V-8 owners, what did the temp guage show 
before the EPROM upgrade v.s. after?

> 
> RESALE ISSUE :
> 
> Resale value of  these cars is surely to be severely impacted  at 
> 6years/100000miles.
> What well informed  buyer will want a car with a potentially worn out
> complex aluminiun engine for $20000?
> 
> for  example: Purchase price: $50000 
> at  6years /100000miles  the car is worth approximately $20000
> because most cars(most BMWs) depreciate at about 10% per year.
> The above assumption was gleaned from Edmunds used car prices.
>  
> The market will value these cars less the cost of a  new engine
> ($6000-$8000) which  will be $12000-$14000.
> 
> Perception will be more powerful than reality with these cars, 
> when these cars hit the used market, they will be perceived as distressed.

I also wonder about the resale value of these cars with the V-8's. For now I
am keeping my '95 530 but I will have to make a decision at about 90k miles,
whether to keep the car and hope no problem ever arises or dump it and buy a 
newer car.  Maybe its better if we all had the problem now and got new short
blocks. But, I was told by my dealer they have not seen one engine back with a
problem which has had the EPROM/thermostat upgrade or the short block
replaced. This particular dealer is in the Atlanta Area (South East where
the problem is supposed to be the worst) and has a full time mechanic just
for the V-8 short block replacements.

Hopefully in several more years, more historical data will be available on
these engines, the gasoline to use/avoid, # of failures/100, etc.  Who 
knows maybe in a couple of years the sulfur content of various gasolines will 
no longer be an issue (one can be optimistic) and we (aluminum V-8 owners)
will be in a better position to make an educated decision on what to do with
our cars.

> 
> Opposing arguments and facts encouraged.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Henri Baccouche
> Los Angeles in the Smog (April in Paris)

Kim Watters
E34/'95 530i/5-speed