Bulletin
Engine code

IA Technical Bulletin

BMW S65 Engine Guide

Engine: S65

Bulletin text

The S65 is BMW M's 4.0 liter V8, the first V8 fitted to a series-production M3. BMW's training says it is derived from the S85 V10 of the M5 and M6, with the main changes in the oil system, the VANOS valve gear and the air intake. It followed the V8 S62 of the E39 M5 and Z8.

In the US the S65 went into the E90 M3 sedan, the E92 M3 coupe and the E93 M3 convertible. This guide only states what BMW documents support. Rod bearings are the topic most people search on this engine, so that part of the page spells out exactly what BMW has and has not documented.

S65 · 3,999 cc · 90-degree V8 · US-market M3: E90 sedan built 12/2007-10/2011, E92 coupe built 12/2007-06/2013, E93 convertible built 03/2008-10/2013

Quick read

Ownership position: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
Reliability: No engine recall turned up in the NHTSA records we searched; the M3 recalls found concern a transmission, wiring and air bag inflators. IAIK, from our own shop: no major S65 engine problems seen.
Cost to own: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
Power potential: Not established yet. We are still researching this engine. Factory output is in Technical Specifications.
Main watch item: IAIK, from our own shop: a throttle body stuck open and the common leaks. Rod bearings are covered in their own section below.

S65 At a Glance

Question	Practical answer
Where you find it (US market)	E90 sedan built 12/2007-10/2011, E92 coupe built 12/2007-06/2013 and E93 convertible built 03/2008-10/2013, as build months in BMW's US parts catalog.
Sold in the US?	Yes. BMW's US parts catalog lists US-market types for the E90, E92 and E93 M3.
Not US-market	E90 M3 CRT: not sold in US-market BMWs, per BMW's own vehicle lists (data to December 2019).
Factory output	414 hp at 8,300 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 3,900 rpm. One passage of the same training says 400 hp.
Maximum engine speed	8,400 rpm
Engine oil	BMW's February 2017 oil bulletin lists BMW M 10W-60 for S54, S65 and S85 engines in all model years.
Engine oil fill	BMW's parts catalog lists an oil fill of 8.8 liters.
Reliability profile	Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
Typical annual planning budget	Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
Possible first-year catch-up	Not established yet. We are still researching this engine.
Largest documented exposure	BMW documents name no engine-specific failure for the S65. Rod bearings are covered in Known Failure Points and Service Items.
Before buying or modifying	Not established beyond the items listed in Known Failure Points.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Configuration	90-degree V8 with four valves per cylinder
Displacement	3,999 cc · 92 mm bore x 75.2 mm stroke
Compression ratio	12:1
Power	414 hp at 8,300 rpm · BMW's M engine training also gives 414 hp.
Torque	400 Nm at 3,900 rpm
Maximum engine speed	8,400 rpm · BMW's training says the rev limit drops to 7,000 rpm when the car is stationary.
Compression pressure	6.5 to 10 bar, about equal on all cylinders, as BMW lists it
Block	Aluminum-silicon alloy upper crankcase without cylinder liners, and a die-cast aluminum bedplate reinforced with grey cast iron inlays
Crankshaft	Forged from one piece with five main bearings, 60 mm main journals, a 90-degree crank pin offset and 98 mm cylinder spacing
Firing order	1-5-4-8-7-2-6-3
Connecting rods and pistons	Cold-cracked high-tensile steel connecting rods that can only be fitted one way, and cast aluminum pistons of about 480 grams with the same design as the S85
Valvetrain	Bucket tappets with hydraulic valve clearance adjustment and 5 mm valve stems · two double-roller chains drive the intake camshafts and a gear drive turns the exhaust camshafts
VANOS	Double VANOS on normal engine oil pressure, with camshaft setting angles of 58 degrees (intake) and 48 degrees (exhaust) of crankshaft rotation
Induction	Eight individual throttle valve assemblies moved by two electric actuators, four throttles per cylinder bank · no air mass sensor; airflow is calculated by the engine control unit
Engine management	MSS60
Lubrication	Two oil pumps: the crankshaft drives an oil return pump through a gear, and that pump drives the volume-flow-controlled main pump by chain
Engine oil	BMW M 10W-60. The source is the February 2017 oil bulletin named in At a Glance.
Oil fill and oil pan	8.8 liters fill per BMW's parts catalog. BMW's training gives the oil pan capacity as 8.3 liters.
Coolant capacity	Not established yet.

The Insider Read

IAIK means IA-insiders knowledge. Our collected BMW technical and ownership notes.

IAIK has not seen an S65 come into our shop with a major engine problem.

What IAIK does see is the common items: a throttle body stuck open, and the common leaks.

When an S65 comes in with a rod bearing problem, IAIK's shop recommends a replacement engine rather than a bearing repair.

Factory Deep Dive

Block and bedplate

BMW's training says the block construction and materials match the S85 V10. The grey cast iron inlays in the bedplate also limit crankshaft bearing clearance changes over a wider temperature range, which helps oil flow.

Crankshaft, rods and pistons

The connecting rod big end is ground asymmetrically to shorten the engine, which is why installation is direction-specific. BMW says the bearing shell identification markings are engraved on the crankcase and on the first crank web.

Cylinder head, VANOS and chains

The cylinder head is one aluminum casting based on the S85, with the secondary air channel cast in. The low-pressure VANOS needs no high-pressure pump, extra lines or reservoir, which saves about 8.4 kg (18.5 lb) against a high-pressure system. BMW lists the intake adjustment range as 72-130 degrees and the exhaust range as 81-129 degrees of crankshaft angle.

The S65 uses double-roller timing chains where the S85 uses single-roller chains, because of the higher chain load in the V8.

Oil supply

Unlike the S85, the S65 has no electric scavenge pumps for the cylinder heads. BMW says oil supply is kept up to 1.4 times normal gravitational acceleration.

Variants and market notes

BMW service information names a special-edition variant, the S65B44A, in the E92 M3 GTS and the E90 M3 CRT. For those cars BMW sets a shortened engine oil interval of about 12,000 km or 12 months. The documents we read do not describe the S65B44A hardware, and the CRT was not sold in US-market BMWs, per BMW's own vehicle lists (data to December 2019).

Service Parts at a Glance

Part	BMW part number	Note
Oil filter element set	11 42 7 837 997	Current. Listed for all US M3 body styles.
Oil filter cover	11 42 7 838 009	Current.
Spark plug	12 12 0 032 273	Current. Eight per car.
Ignition coil	12 13 7 841 754	Current. Eight per car. Replaced 12 13 7 838 388.
Air filter element	13 72 7 838 805	Current. For cars built 12/2007-09/2009.
Air filter element	13 72 7 838 804	Current. For cars built from 09/2009.
Coolant pump, mechanical	11 51 7 838 201	Current. Replaced 11 51 7 839 062.
Thermostat	11 53 7 836 155	Current.
Thermostat housing	11 53 7 838 480	Current.
Connecting rod bearing shell, red	11 24 7 841 702	Current. Eight per car.
Connecting rod bearing shell, blue	11 24 7 841 703	Current. Eight per car.

Treat a matching number as a way to find a part, not as proof of fit for your VIN. Bearing shells are fitted by size class, so confirm the class marks on your own engine.

Known Failure Points and Service Items

Rod bearings: what BMW documents do and do not say

We did not find a BMW recall, an NHTSA recall or a BMW service bulletin that names connecting rod bearing wear or failure on the S65. That is a statement about the documents we could search, not a claim that the bearings never wear.

What BMW documents do show:

BMW's February 2017 oil bulletin calls for BMW M 10W-60 in the S65 for all model years.
BMW's parts catalog lists red and blue connecting rod bearing shells, eight of each per car.
BMW publishes a repair instruction for replacing all connecting rod bearings on the S65. It calls for one blue and one red shell in each connecting rod and a bearing clearance check.
BMW's training says the bearing shell identification markings are engraved on the crankcase and on the first crank web.

Not established: how often S65 rod bearings wear, at what mileage, and whether BMW sets a replacement interval. Those questions are on our research list.

IAIK, from our own shop: when an S65 comes in with a rod bearing problem, the shop recommends a replacement engine rather than a bearing repair. IAIK gives no rate or mileage for bearing wear.

01 Oil filter head cover tightening torque

BMW service information raised the tightening torque for the oil filter head cover from 25 Nm to 40 Nm on all M vehicles with the S65. BMW tells technicians to disregard the 25 Nm value marked on the cover.

Watch for the 25 Nm marking on the cover itself: BMW's current figure is 40 Nm.

02 Recall 08V-595: double clutch transmission software

NHTSA recall 08V-595 covers about 2,500 model year 2008-2009 M3 cars with the optional double clutch transmission. BMW's notice says transmission software may perform a multistage downshift in rapid deceleration, which at low speed can stall the engine, and the remedy reprograms the engine and transmission control unit.

Watch for a car with the double clutch transmission that has not had the software update. The recall concerns software, not engine parts.

03 Recall 19V-472: positive battery cable connection

NHTSA recall 19V-472 covers 2008-2012 M3 coupes and convertibles and 2008-2011 M3 sedans, where the positive battery cable connection at the fuse box terminal may degrade. BMW says this can cause an intermittent loss of electrical power and stalling, and the remedy replaces and secures the cable connector.

Watch for intermittent electrical power loss. The recall concerns the cable connection, not an engine part.

04 Throttle body stuck open and common leaks (IAIK, shop experience)

IAIK sees S65 cars come into our shop with a throttle body stuck open and with the common leaks. IAIK gives no frequency or mileage for them.

Reliability Verdict

Not established yet. The BMW and NHTSA documents we read show no engine recall and no engine-specific bulletin for the S65. They do not rate how long the engine lasts or how often its bearings wear.

IAIK, from our own shop, has not seen an S65 come in with a major engine problem; the items IAIK sees are a throttle body stuck open and the common leaks. That is IAIK shop experience, not a failure rate.

Power Potential

Not established yet. BMW's factory figure is the only power number given here: 414 hp at 8,300 rpm.

Cost of Ownership

Not established yet. No BMW document we read gives a service budget, repair cost or replacement mileage for the S65.

Common Questions

What BMW has the S65 engine?

The S65 is the engine of the E90 M3 sedan, E92 M3 coupe and E93 M3 convertible, built from December 2007 for the US market.

How much oil does an S65 take?

BMW's parts catalog lists 8.8 liters of engine oil for the S65. BMW's February 2017 oil bulletin lists BMW M 10W-60 for the S65 in all model years.

How much horsepower does the S65 make?

BMW's training lists the S65 at 414 hp at 8,300 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 3,900 rpm.

Has BMW recalled the S65 for rod bearings?

We did not find a BMW or NHTSA recall, or a BMW service bulletin, about S65 connecting rod bearings. The M3 recalls we did find concern a transmission, battery cable and air bag inflator issues, not the engine.