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IA Technical Bulletin

BMW M57 Engine Guide

Engine: M57

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M57D30T2 (M57TU2) US version · 2,993 cc · sequential twin-turbo common-rail diesel inline-6 · US builds 09/2008-06/2013 · 335d (E90), X5 xDrive35d (E70)

The M57 is BMW's six-cylinder common-rail diesel family. Wikipedia gives its production as 1998 to 2013 and names the M51 as its predecessor and the N57 as its successor.

BMW's parts catalog splits the family into three generations, coded M57, M57N and M57N2. Only the last one, M57N2, appears on US-market cars. Those cars are the 335d and the X5 xDrive35d, launched in late 2008 as 2009 models.

BMW's service documentation calls the US engine M57D30T2, and BMW's North American training calls it the M57TU2 US engine. The parts catalog code on the same cars is M57N2. This guide covers that US version only.

Keep the output figures apart. Wikipedia lists 210 kW and 580 Nm for the 335d and X5 xDrive35d model names without naming a market. BMW's US press release gives 265 hp for the US cars, and that is the figure used here. How the two figures relate is not established.

Quick read

Ownership position: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
Reliability: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. NHTSA lists three recall campaigns that name the X5 xDrive35d diesel, covering the fuel filter heater and the idler pulley bolt.
Cost to own: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
Power potential: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. BMW's US rating is on the specifications table.
Main watch item: Recall status by VIN on the X5 xDrive35d, for the fuel filter heater and the idler pulley bolt.

M57 At a Glance

Question	Practical answer
Sold in the US	Yes. BMW's US press release says BMW introduced the 335d and X5 xDrive35d in the United States in 2009, and BMW's parts data lists both cars.
Where you find it	US market: 335d (E90 LCI sedan), built 09/2008-08/2011, model years 2009-2011; X5 xDrive35d (E70), built 10/2008-03/2010, model years 2009-2010; X5 xDrive35d (E70 LCI), built 04/2010-06/2013, model years 2010-2013.
Factory output	265 hp at 4,200 rpm and 425 lb-ft between 1,750 and 2,250 rpm, per BMW's US press release.
Turbocharging	Sequential twin turbo: the small turbocharger at low engine speed, both in the mid-range, the large one alone at high speed.
Fuel system	Third-generation common-rail direct injection with piezo injectors.
Exhaust treatment	Oxidation catalyst and diesel particulate filter in one unit just downstream of the exhaust manifold, then an SCR catalyst fed with urea. BMW's press release says both models meet emissions requirements in all 50 states.
Engine oil	7.5 liters for the 335d and 7.3 liters for the X5 xDrive35d, per BMW's fluid data.
Reliability profile	Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. NHTSA recall records name the X5 xDrive35d diesel in campaigns 11V-441, 13V-339 and 18V-336.
Before buying	Check recall status by VIN. The campaigns apply by model year and production dates, so the model name alone does not settle it.
Typical annual planning budget	Not established yet
Common tuned street range	Not established yet

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Configuration	Inline-six diesel with sequential twin turbochargers and common-rail injection.
Engine code	M57D30T2 in BMW's service documentation; M57TU2 US engine in BMW's training; M57N2 in BMW's parts catalog.
Displacement	2,993 cc, 84 mm bore x 90 mm stroke
Compression ratio	16.5:1
Power	265 hp at 4,200 rpm
Torque	425 lb-ft at 1,750-2,250 rpm
Crankcase	Aluminum crankcase. Wikipedia says the first M57 and the M57TU blocks were cast iron and the TU2 block aluminum.
Fuel system	Third-generation common rail with piezo injectors. Injection pressure for the US engine: Not established.
Firing order	1-5-3-6-2-4
Engine oil capacity	7.5 liters (335d) and 7.3 liters (X5 xDrive35d), oil and filter change, per BMW's fluid data.
Engine oil grade	BMW's February 2017 oil chart lists 5W-30 LL04 for all BMW diesel engines in its model year 2011 and older table, and 0W-30 LL12FE for the M57 by name in its model year 2012 to 2015 table. The chart does not name vehicles.
Engine management, valves per cylinder, coolant capacity	Not established

Factory Deep Dive

What BMW changed for the US

BMW's US press release says the US engine got extra sound insulation and offset piston wrist pins, both aimed at lower noise. The same release says BMW sells the engine as a 50-state diesel by using urea-based exhaust treatment.

BMW's sources disagree on the exact US start. BMW's North American training gives 11/2008 for the introduction, BMW's parts data shows builds from 09/2008 on the 335d and 10/2008 on the X5, and BMW's press release says late 2008. The sources do not explain the gap, and this guide uses the parts data builds.

Sequential twin turbo

BMW describes the boost as sequential. At low engine speed the small turbocharger does the work, through the mid-range the two share it, and near the top of the rev range the large turbocharger boosts on its own. BMW says this lets the engine make its full 425 lb-ft from 1,750 rpm, and that the engine control unit manages how the two turbochargers interact.

Fuel system

BMW's press release names third-generation common-rail injection with piezo injectors for the engine, with an aluminum crankcase. It gives no US injection pressure, so none is stated here.

Exhaust treatment and the urea system

Per BMW's release, exhaust gas first passes a combined oxidation catalyst and particulate filter mounted close to the manifold, then an SCR catalyst dosed with urea, which BMW calls Diesel Exhaust Fluid.

The urea is carried in two tanks: an active tank of about 1.6 gallons and a passive tank of about 4.5 gallons. Because BMW gives 12.2 degrees F as the fluid's freezing point, the active tank and the dosing lines are heated. Placement differs by car: the 335d carries both tanks at the back, while the X5 xDrive35d puts the active tank at the front right of the engine bay and the passive tank beneath the floor beside the transmission. BMW's service documents list SCR repair procedures for the US E70, including one for the urea delivery unit.

Intake plenum and ports

BMW publishes a procedure for cleaning the cylinder head intake channels and the intake plenum on the US E90 and US E70 with this engine, and a separate intake plenum removal procedure for the SCR version. The sources do not say why the cleaning is needed, how often, or what it costs.

Earlier generations and other markets

BMW's parts data lists the M57 and M57N only under the ECE (European-specification) catalog. The M57N2 also has two Indian-catalog types besides its ECE types and the three US ones:

M57: E38 730d, E39 525d and 530d, E46 330d and 330xd, E53 X5 3.0d, catalog type dates (not production claims) 12/1997-12/2003.
M57N: diesels in the E46, E53, E60, E61, E65 and E83, catalog type dates (not production claims) 11/2001-02/2007.
M57N2: diesels in the E60, E61, E63, E64, E65, E66, E70, E71, E83, E90, E91, E92 and E93, catalog type dates (not production claims) 02/2004-06/2013.

Output and details for those versions are not covered here.

Service Parts at a Glance

Part	BMW part number (current)	Note
Oil filter element set	11427788460	All three US types
Glow plug	12237807277	Six per engine
Air filter element	13717797465 (335d), 13717798342 (X5 xDrive35d)	Different numbers by car
Fuel filter cartridge	13327793672 (335d), 13327811227 (X5 xDrive35d)	Different numbers by car
Coolant pump, mechanical	11517801063	Replaces the earlier numbers in the chain
Thermostat with adapter	11517805811	All three US types
Cylinder head cover gasket	11127796378	All three US types

Confirm each number against the car's VIN before ordering.

Known Failure Points and Service Items

This section lists only items that a NHTSA recall or a BMW document backs. NHTSA recall records apply to a car by VIN, so none of the items below means a given car has the fault.

01 Fuel filter heater (recalls 11V-441 and 13V-339)

NHTSA campaign 11V-441 covers 2009 X5 xDrive35d vehicles with the diesel engine built October 1, 2008 through June 12, 2009 (about 2,120 vehicles). Campaign 13V-339 is an expansion for 2009-2010 X5 xDrive35d vehicles built June 13, 2009 through November 9, 2009 (about 1,540 vehicles).

NHTSA's record says the fuel filter heater, which warms the diesel fuel in cold weather, can suffer an electrical overload and stay switched on. NHTSA lists the consequences as a dead battery and, possibly, overheating that could lead to a fire. The remedy is a new fuel filter heater at no charge to the owner.

Watch for a battery that goes flat after the car has been parked with the ignition off. That is the symptom NHTSA names. It does not name a mileage or an age.

02 Idler pulley bolt (recall 18V-336)

NHTSA campaign 18V-336 covers certain 2009-2013 X5 xDrive 35d diesel vehicles. The engine idler pulley bolt can loosen over time and break, and NHTSA lists the result as a possible loss of power-assisted steering. BMW's remedy is a new, improved bolt at no charge.

Watch for sudden loss of power steering assist. NHTSA names no earlier warning sign.

Not listed here

NHTSA also lists campaigns on these cars that are not engine items, for example a battery cable connection on the 335d. In the NHTSA records checked for the 335d, no campaign names the engine itself. No NHTSA diesel emissions recall was found for these two models.

Reliability Verdict

Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. The sources show two documented recall items on the US X5 xDrive35d and none on the 335d engine.

Power Potential

Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. BMW's US rating is 265 hp at 4,200 rpm and 425 lb-ft between 1,750 and 2,250 rpm, and this guide gives no tuning figures.

Cost of Ownership

Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. The recall remedies above are done by BMW dealers at no charge to the owner while a campaign applies.

Common Questions

What BMW models had the M57 in the US?

BMW's parts data shows only the 335d (E90) and the X5 xDrive35d (E70) with the M57 in US-market cars, built from 09/2008 to 06/2013.

How much power does the US M57 make?

BMW's US press release gives 265 hp at 4,200 rpm and 425 lb-ft of torque between 1,750 and 2,250 rpm for the 335d and X5 xDrive35d.

How much oil does the US M57 take?

BMW's fluid data lists 7.5 liters for the 335d and 7.3 liters for the X5 xDrive35d with an oil and filter change. BMW's oil chart lists 5W-30 LL04 for diesels of model year 2011 and older and 0W-30 LL12FE for the M57 in model years 2012 to 2015.

Does the US M57 use urea or AdBlue?

Yes. BMW's press releases say the US 335d and X5 xDrive35d use an SCR catalyst fed with urea, carried in a two-tank system.

What replaced the M57?

Wikipedia names the N57 as the M57's successor, and BMW's US parts data shows N57-coded 535d, 740Ld xDrive and X5 xDrive35d cars from 07/2013 builds. That engine has its own guide.