BMW M44 Engine Guide

The M44 is BMW's 1.9 liter (1,895 cc) four-cylinder gasoline engine. BMW's parts data lists it in US-market cars: the E36 318i, 318is and 318ti and the Z3 1.9, all built from 01/1996. It follows the 1.8 liter M42 in the same E36 models.

Wikipedia describes the M44 as a 16-valve engine with two overhead camshafts and roller rocker arms. This guide covers the M44 only.

Quick read

• Ownership position: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
• Reliability: Not established yet. We found two BMW service bulletins for these cars (a catalytic converter bulletin for the 1997 model year and a heater output bulletin, below) and have not matched any recall to this engine. That is not a verdict.
• Cost to own: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
• Power potential: Not established yet. BMW's data sheet gives a factory output of 103 kW (about 138 hp). It gives no tuning figures.
• Main watch item: Not established yet. The BMW bulletins we found for US M44 cars are listed under Known Failure Points.

M44 At a Glance

Question	Practical answer
Sold in US-market BMWs	Yes. BMW's parts data lists the M44 in US-market E36 318i, 318is, 318ti and Z3 1.9 cars.
US-only version	A US-only version, the M44 TLEV (Transitional Low Emission Vehicle), is listed in BMW's service glossary.
Displacement	1,895 cc, 85 mm bore x 83.5 mm stroke
Factory output	103 kW at 6,000 rpm and 180 Nm at 4,300 rpm
Cam drive	Timing chain with a hydraulic tensioner
Engine oil capacity	5.0 liters (about 5.3 US quarts) with a filter change
Engine oil specification	BMW of North America's oil chart (SI B11 01 15, February 2017) lists 5W-30 BMW Longlife-01 or 0W-30 BMW Longlife-01 FE for all BMW gasoline engines of model year 2011 and older.
Coolant capacity (E36)	6.5 liters, or 6.7 liters with integrated air conditioning
Reliability profile	Not established yet.
Typical annual planning budget	Not established yet.
Common tuned street range	Not established yet.
Before buying	Ask a BMW dealer to check the VIN for open recalls and service campaigns.

Where you find it

Rows are BMW's US-market parts data, with build months. The parts data used here ends in December 2019.

Chassis and models (US market)	Built (BMW)
E36 318i sedan	01/1996-06/1998
E36 318i convertible	01/1996-12/1998
E36 coupe (318is)	01/1996-04/1999
E36 318ti Compact	01/1996-07/1999
Z3 1.9 Roadster	01/1996-09/1998

Outside the US, BMW's type list also shows the M44 in the European-market E36 318is coupe and sedan, the E36 318ti and the Z3 1.9, and in the South African E36 318is sedan.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Configuration	Inline four-cylinder, 16 valves, double overhead camshafts
Displacement	1,895 cc · 85 mm bore x 83.5 mm stroke
Compression ratio	10.0:1
Power	103 kW (about 138 hp) at 6,000 rpm
Torque	180 Nm (about 133 lb-ft) at 4,300 rpm
Maximum engine speed	6,500 rpm
Cam drive	Timing chain, hydraulic tensioner
Cylinder head height	140.0 mm when new
Engine management	Bosch Motronic 5.2 per Wikipedia; not confirmed in a BMW document
Air metering	Hot-film air mass meter
Oil capacity	5.0 liters with filter change
Oil pressure	4.3 bar regulated pressure, with a 0.5 bar minimum at idle when hot
Coolant	6.5 liters (6.7 liters with integrated air conditioning), E36
Spark plugs	NGK BKR 6 EK or Bosch F7 LDCR
Engine oil specification	5W-30 BMW Longlife-01 or 0W-30 BMW Longlife-01 FE (BMW of North America oil chart)
Firing order	Not established yet.

Factory Deep Dive

Block, head and rotating assembly

Wikipedia lists the M44 as having a cast-iron block, an aluminum head and a cast-iron crankshaft in place of the M42's forged steel one. BMW's data sheet gives a new-condition cylinder bore of 85.00 mm.

Valvetrain and timing chain

The M44 uses a timing chain, and BMW's repair data describes a hydraulic chain tensioner for it that cannot be dismantled. Wikipedia says the M44 uses roller rocker arms.

Fuel, ignition and air

BMW's parts data lists one ignition coil per engine on the M44. The injection valves are listed four per engine. Air is measured by a hot-film air mass meter.

Cooling

The M44 uses a mechanical coolant pump. BMW's parts data lists a thermostat housing with a 95 degrees C thermostat for the M44. Coolant capacity is in the specifications table.

Variants and markets

BMW's service glossary lists the M44 TLEV as a US-only version. Whether other US M44 cars differ in output is not established here. BMW's data sheet gives one set of figures for the M44 B19.

Service Parts at a Glance

Numbers below were looked up in BMW's parts data (to December 2019) and show the current number.

Part	BMW part number	Note
Oil filter element set	11 42 1 716 192	Current; supersedes 11 42 1 432 097. Plastic-cover housing, US M44 and M42.
Oil filter cover	11 42 1 715 960	Current; supersedes 11 42 1 743 303
Air filter element	13 72 1 247 404	Current; supersedes 13 72 1 247 405. All US M44 cars.
Hot-film air mass meter	13 62 1 736 224	Current; M44 only
Spark plug (Bosch F7 LDCR)	12 12 9 063 428	Current; four per engine
Spark plug (NGK BKR 6 EK)	12 12 9 064 619	Current; four per engine
Ignition coil	12 13 1 247 281	Current
Fuel injection valve	13 64 1 247 196	Current; four per engine
Coolant pump, mechanical	11 51 0 393 338	Current; supersedes exchange water pump 11 51 1 734 602
Thermostat housing with thermostat, 95 degrees C	11 53 1 743 017	Current; supersedes 11 53 1 432 884
Cylinder head gasket, 1.74 mm	11 12 1 433 950	Current; thickness variant
Cylinder head gasket, 2.04 mm (+0.3)	11 12 1 433 951	Current; thickness variant

Known Failure Points and Service Items

Recall status: NHTSA's recall search lists recalls by model and model year, not by engine. It lists a 1997 cruise control and throttle cable recall (97V131) for the 1996 318ti and the 1997 Z3. We have not matched it to an engine, so it is not described here. Whether a car is covered is a VIN check with BMW or NHTSA.

01 Catalytic converter durability (M44 TLEV, E36 and Z3, 1997 model year)

BMW Service Information 00 18 09 01 covers the M44 TLEV in the E36 and Z3 built from 12/1996 to 08/1997. Per BMW, the converters on some of these cars could fall short of BMW's durability standard, and with it the conversion rate it expects. The fix is a new converter on the cars named in BMW's VIN list.

BMW's bulletin names no symptom; affected cars are identified by VIN. Whether a given car was already corrected is a question for a BMW dealer.

02 Low heater output at idle (E36, built through March 1996)

BMW Service Information 64 03 97 lists the E36 gasoline engines M42, M43, M44, M50 and M52, from the start of series production through March 1996. The cause BMW names is not enough coolant flow through the heater. The fix is to inspect the thermostat and the heater water valve and renew either one if needed; Compacts with the basic heater control have no water valve.

Watch for weak heat at idle with normal heat while driving.

Reliability Verdict

Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. Two service bulletins are not a measure of how often anything fails, and we have no BMW document that gives failure rates or mileage.

Power Potential

Not established yet. BMW's only figure is the factory output in the specifications table.

Cost of Ownership

Not established yet. We have no sourced figure for annual cost, repair reserve or catch-up work on this engine.

Common Questions

What BMW has the M44 engine?

BMW's parts data lists the M44 in the US-market E36 318i, 318is and 318ti and the Z3 1.9, all built from 01/1996.

How much oil does an M44 take?

BMW's data sheet gives 5.0 liters (about 5.3 US quarts) for an oil change with a filter. For the grade, BMW of North America's oil chart lists 5W-30 Longlife-01 or 0W-30 Longlife-01 FE for gasoline engines of model year 2011 and older.

Does the M44 have a timing belt or a timing chain?

The M44 has a timing chain with a hydraulic tensioner, per BMW's repair data.

Was the M44 sold in the US?

Yes. BMW's parts data lists it in US-market E36 and Z3 1.9 cars, and BMW's glossary lists the M44 TLEV as a US-only version.

How much power does the M44 make?

BMW's data sheet for the M44 B19 lists 103 kW (about 138 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 180 Nm at 4,300 rpm.

Is the M44 a 1.8 or a 1.9?

The M44 is a 1.9 liter engine of 1,895 cc; the 1.8 liter in the same E36 models before 01/1996 was the M42.

Sources

• Wikipedia, BMW M44 (basics only)
• NHTSA recall search, BMW 318ti, 1996
• NHTSA recall search, BMW Z3, 1997
• BMW parts catalog data, US market, data to December 2019
• BMW of North America SI B11 01 15, Engine Oil Quick Reference Chart and Drain Plug Torque (February 2017)
• BMW technical data sheets, glossary and service information bulletins 00 18 09 01 and 64 03 97