I Picked up a fully loaded 2012 50i about 4 months ago. I was in the market for a Kia but saw this and after falling in love with the power, I just had to. Dealer let it go for 14K (cheaper then the 2012 kia I was looking at lol!). I did my homework, this is NOT the car to buy if your on a budget but I just couldn't help it plus the parts are really not that bad...its the LABOR that kills ya and I do all the work myself.
Was in Mint condition and engine looked to be taken care of meticulously but.....it wasnt. Within a few weeks I started blowing engine codes. Now I do drive the living piss out of it, I average 1000 miles a week here n my job here in AZ where the temps pass 110 easy daily in the summer.
So far I replaced all the plugs (looked to be orginal...WTF) and some of the coils. It recently started blowing so much smoke out the back I was sure not only the valve seals were toast but I must have blown a turbo seal too...was using a quart of oil every 100 miles...yes one hundred!
Turned out to be BMWs lame-ass excuse for a CCV system. I didn't have time to wait for parts and hooked up a catch-can system on the cheap. Still shocked of how they engineered a cheap valve that when it goes will allow FULL BOOST to hit your crankcase...
Anyway after hooking those up she is running better then ever. I plan to do the rest of the coils and pop the intakes (call BS on having to remove the engine on that, I'll find away even if it means I have to plasma cut some holes in her to get to the bolts
) so I can clean all the carbon out. Then Its time for downpipes and a burgerracing JB4, intercooler upgrade, etc. Want to have a solid 550+ hp poor-mans X5M.
