BMW N55 Engine Guide

The N55 is BMW's 3.0 liter (2,979 cc) turbocharged inline six. BMW describes its design as a twin-scroll turbo with high-precision direct injection and Valvetronic. It uses one turbocharger, where the N54 it replaced used two. Production began in 2009, and the N55 began to be phased out after the B58 arrived in 2015.

Where you find it

BMW service bulletins list the N55 in these chassis.

135i and 135is (E82, E88)
M235i (F22, F23) and M2 (F87)
335i (E90, E92, E93, F30), 335i Gran Turismo (F34), ActiveHybrid 3
435i (F32, F33, F36)
535i (F10), 535i Gran Turismo (F07), ActiveHybrid 5
640i (F06, F12, F13) and 740i/740Li (F01, F02)
X1 xDrive35i (E84), X3 xDrive35i (F25), X4 xDrive35i and X4 M40i (F26), X5 xDrive35i (E70, F15), X6 xDrive35i (E71, F16)

The F80 M3, F82 M4 and F87 M2 Competition use the S55, BMW M's high performance version of the N55.

Known wear items

Valve cover and crankcase vent

BMW bulletin SI B11 09 19 covers N55 cars with the check engine light on and a stored throttle valve fault code. Among its checks, it tells technicians to look for a micro-crack in the wastegate vacuum reservoir built into the valve cover. BMW's crankcase ventilation bulletin lists rough idle or misfire, a whistling or howling noise, and higher oil use among the results of a faulty vent system. Shops report oil can leak from the cover onto the exhaust manifold, noticed as a burning oil smell. Shops note the vent (PCV) valve sits inside the cover, so the fix is a new valve cover.

Oil filter housing gasket

Shops report that the housing seals dry out and shrink with heat, and oil leaks around the housing. The risk: oil on the belt can make it slip off the crank pulley, get shredded and be forced through the front crank seal. The parts are the oil filter housing gasket, and sometimes the oil cooler gasket too.

Oil pan gasket

Shops report heat cycles make the gasket rubber separate from the steel. You see oil seeping around the pan.

Electric water pump and thermostat

Shops note the N55 uses an electric water pump, and that when it fails, it is typically the control module inside the pump. When the pump quit on one owner's car, it went into limp mode with an overheating warning. Shops replace the pump and thermostat together.

VANOS bolts: BMW recall 23V-707

BMW recalled certain model year 2010-2013 cars built between September 2, 2009 and July 12, 2012 with the N51, N52 or N55 engine. BMW says the VANOS bolts may loosen over time and eventually break. The driver may see a reduced power safe mode. In some cases the engine may not restart after it is switched off, and in rare cases it can stall. The dealer replaces the bolts, or the VANOS unit if its bolts are already loose or broken. BMW notes these cars also had a VANOS limited warranty extension of 10 years, unlimited mileage. Ask a BMW dealer to check your VIN.

Ignition coils and spark plugs

Shops report worn plugs and failing coils show the same symptoms: hesitation, misfires, lost power and worse fuel economy. One parts retailer cites a BMW plug interval of 60,000 miles and says stock coils last around 60,000 miles. The parts are six spark plugs and, when needed, ignition coils.

Turbo oil and coolant line seals

On the N55, BMW replaces the turbo oil and coolant line seals with the turbo off the car, so a leak there and a big turbo install are the same job. Our N55 turbo line leak guide has every seal with its BMW number, BMW's steps and the torque specs.

Oil and routine service

BMW SI B11 01 15 (Feb 2017) lists 0W-30 LL01FE oil for the N55 in model years 2012 and newer. For model year 2011 and older gasoline engines it lists 5W-30 LL01 or 0W-30 LL01FE, and says 0W-30 LL01FE is fully compatible with older engines. For the N55 models on its chart, BMW lists 6.9 quarts (6.5 liters). Check your owner's manual for your car.

BMW's oil consumption bulletin says turbocharged engines use more oil and may need topping up more often, so check the level between services.

What we carry:

Oil change kits (7 liters Liqui Moly Special Tec B FE 0W-30, filter, lifter additive): Hengst E61H D215 kit, 2012 Mann HU 8002 Y kit, N55/S55 Mann HU 8011 Z kit
Oil filters: Hengst E61H D215 (11427953129), Mann HU 8002 Y (11427634292), Mann HU 8011 Z (11427854445)
Spark plugs: Bosch ZR5TPP33 (12120037582), NGK 95712 (12120037663), NGK 97506 (12120039634)
Ignition coil: Delphi GN10571 (12138616153)
Six-coil, six-plug kits: with NGK 95712, with Bosch ZR5TPP33, with NGK 97506
Engine air filters: Hengst E1228L (13717602643), Hengst E1461L (13717599285), Mann C 27 051 (13718616909), Mann C 28 125 (13717571355), Mann C 28 125/1 (13717605913)

Before you buy

The right oil filter, spark plug and air filter depend on the car, which is why we list several of each. Confirm by VIN with our fitment check, or use find your part number. For oil, see the BMW fluids guide. See all our N55 parts.