Quote:
Originally Posted by Huz-Z
Ah okay! It seems then that you are well equipped if you do run into issues with an N55.
It seems to me that, after hanging out on the E85 Z4 forum for a while now, that there isn't much that can be done to significantly increase the power output of an N52. I presume that your X5 is producing something similar to the 255 hp that my Z4 produces (in that car, the engine is a freakin' joy by the way). Some N52s are detuned to 215 hp (as was the case with the 2006 - 2008 Z4 3.0i); those can be increased to 255 or so with a tune and an intake swap I think. But you probably already have that much power / torque now.
My X5 is a 2012 and its my daily driver, in a town with lots of hills, many pretty steep too. When its working right, its a total pleasure to drive - plenty of guts and sounds great. I'm hoping that I've just hit a statistical anomaly re the recent issues and I'll be in the clear soon, so I can get back to really enjoying my 35i. Avoid the 2012 model year if you can - transfer case issues are common for that year.
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Transfercase issues are RAMPANT throughout all xdrive systems- X3's and X5's and 3 series seem to get hit the harderst. In reality, the failure that happens 99% of the time is that the actuator motor gear strips out. The actuator motor worm gear is metal, and the gear it mates with is a type of plastic. I JUST had this issue on mine (about time, at over 240k) after beating my car up offroad for a day. $22 on amazon prime, and an hour and a half of subframe lowering (not removing all the way), and it's good as new. I also went ahead and changed the fluid in it, and ran the adaptations required when new fluid is put in. Easy fix, should it ever happen to you out of warranty.
My dash didn't show any lights, but I got horrible shuddering when applying throttle and turning, in addition to a jerk when coming to a stop.
As for reliability, I personally considder the n55 a reliable rig, considering ti's power output. The n55 and the v8's get the 8 speed, while the m57 35d kept the 6 speed. I LOVE my diesel, most of all for it's super unstressed driving especially in hilly areas. It NEVER reaches 3k rpm unles I'm purposely hammering the throttle... it just makes gobs of power even at 1200 rpm.