BMW N54
Encyclopedia
The N54 is a direct injection
Gasoline direct injection
In internal combustion engines, gasoline direct injection , also known as petrol direct injection or direct petrol injection, is a variant of fuel injection employed in modern two-stroke and four-stroke gasoline engines...

 twin
Twin-turbo
Twin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine, in which two turbochargers compress the intake charge. There are two commonly used twin turbo configurations: parallel twin-turbo and sequential twin-turbo...

-turbocharged straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...

 automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

 engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...

 from BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...

. It was launched in late 2006 as a high-performance option for the BMW 3-Series, first to be released along with the new 3-series E92 Coupé, to be followed closely by other existing 3-series models, then with other BMW series as well. It is BMW's first production turbocharged gasoline engine in 26 years since the 745i in 1980. The new engine debuted at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show and won the International Engine of the Year
International Engine of the Year
The International Engine of the Year is an annual competition for automotive industry internal combustion engines, judged by a panel of automobile journalists from around the world. It is organised by the United Kingdom's largest technical motoring, aerospace and traffic management publication...

 award in 2007 and 2008.

Specifications

Models
EngineDisplacementPowerTorqueRedlineYearNote
N54B30 3.0 L (2979 cc/181 in³) 190 kW (254 hp) @ 6600 310 N·m (230 ft·lbf) @ 2600 7000 rpm 2009 Naturally aspirated; Asian markets only
N54B30 3.0 L (2979 cc/181 in³) 225 kW (306 hp) @ 5800 400 N·m (295 ft·lbf) @ 1400-5000 7000 rpm 2006 Twin Turbocharged
N54B30 3.0 L (2979 cc/181 in³) 243 kW (326 hp) @ 5800 450 N·m (332 ft·lbf) @ 1500-4500 7000 rpm 2008 Twin Turbocharged
N54B30 3.0 L (2979 cc/181 in³) 250 kW (335 hp) @ 5900 450 N·m (332 ft·lbf) @ 1500-4500 7000 rpm 2010 Twin Turbocharged


The N54B30 does not use the second generation Valvetronic
Valvetronic
The Valvetronic system is a variable valve timing system to offer continuous and precisely variable intake valve lift, from ~0 to 10 mm, and duration. It typically works in conjunction with the independent Double VANOS system that continuously varies the timing...

 technology found in the naturally aspirated N52
BMW N52
The BMW N52 is a straight-6 engine made by BMW, which debuted in 2004 on the BMW E63 630Ci. The N52 is BMW's 12th generation production straight-6 engine.Its crankcase is made entirely of magnesium and aluminum, a first in the world of engine construction...

 and the newer (single) turbocharged straight-6 N55
BMW N55
The N55 is a turbocharged straight-6 automobile engine from BMW. It was launched in early 2009 in the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo in the BMW 535i GT model...

.

Surprisingly the engine block of the N54B30 is similar to the older generation BMW M54B30 engine - all aluminum with cast iron cylinder liners. This is because the newer N52
BMW N52
The BMW N52 is a straight-6 engine made by BMW, which debuted in 2004 on the BMW E63 630Ci. The N52 is BMW's 12th generation production straight-6 engine.Its crankcase is made entirely of magnesium and aluminum, a first in the world of engine construction...

 aluminum-magnesium engine block was not deemed as suitable for turbo-charging with the above-mentioned engineering goals. As a result, the N54B30 is physically heavier (195 kg (430 lb)) than the very light (161 kg (355 lb)) N52
BMW N52
The BMW N52 is a straight-6 engine made by BMW, which debuted in 2004 on the BMW E63 630Ci. The N52 is BMW's 12th generation production straight-6 engine.Its crankcase is made entirely of magnesium and aluminum, a first in the world of engine construction...

 engine. This also explains why the engine block size is identical to the older M54B30 at 2979 cc/181 in³ instead of the 2996 cc/182 in³ of the new N52B30
BMW N52
The BMW N52 is a straight-6 engine made by BMW, which debuted in 2004 on the BMW E63 630Ci. The N52 is BMW's 12th generation production straight-6 engine.Its crankcase is made entirely of magnesium and aluminum, a first in the world of engine construction...

 3.0L engine. There are some differences between the M54 and N54; the M54 is a single-piece block, with the water pump housing cast into the block, and is a closed-deck design, compared to the N54's two-piece block with a separate bedplate, electric water pump, and open deck.

According to BMW, the N54B30 produces 306 hp and 295 ft·lbf/400 N·m. Third party testing has revealed the engine is significantly underrated, producing 332 hp and 311 ft·lbf/422 N·m in one test. The engine uses two small low-pressure turbochargers to remove turbo lag at low elevations. For this reason, the turbo pressure is only 8.8 psi as the engineering goal was to offer the same driving feel as with naturally aspirated engines.

In the Asian-only F01 730i/Li variant, the twin turbochargers are removed leaving the engine to be naturally aspirated.

Comparison with 6-cylinder engines

The N54 has considerably higher horsepower and torque, compared to BMW's recent straight-6 engines which were all naturally aspirated such as the high output versions of the N52B30 (which has the same displacement as the N54), with the N54 having an additional 45 horsepower and 80 pound-feet of torque over the N52B30.

The N54 gives similar acceleration to the high-reving 3.2L S54B32
BMW S54B32
The S54B32 was a high-performance engine used in BMW M vehicles. The block was made from grey cast iron rather than aluminum to achieve greater rigidity from the same dimensions. It is a 3.2 L engine; bore is and stroke is...

 which was based on the M54
BMW M54
The BMW M54 is a straight-6 engine, debuting in the year 2000. It is an evolution of the BMW M52. The engine has Double VANOS variable valve timing to adjust timing of both intake and exhaust valves.-M54B22:...

); the N54 has less horsepower but greater torque is available at a much lower rpm while consuming less fuel. In addition, while the S54 was an expensive engine limited to uses a BMW M
BMW M
BMW M GmbH is a subsidiary of German car manufacturer BMW AG.BMW M, also known as M-Technik or just "M" was initially created to facilitate BMW’s racing program, which was very successful in the 1960s and 1970s...

 model, the E46 BMW M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...

, the N54 is less costly to produce and has a wider range of application in BMW's lineup.

The N54 has proven its superiority against larger displacement naturally aspirated 6-cylinder engines (citation needed), such as Infiniti
Infiniti
is the luxury division of automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America. Marketing operations have since grown to include the Middle East, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, China, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Infiniti began sales in additional...

's VQ37VHR 3.7 L V6 that has an output of 328 hp (245 kW) 269 ft·lbf (365 N·m). While the N54 has around 30 less horsepower than the VQ37VHR, the N54's horsepower and greater torque are available at much lower rpms. The N54 mated with a shorter gearing manual transmission and this combination gave the 2007 BMW 335i the advantage over a 2008 Infiniti G37 with a 0.3-second lead in 0-to-60 mph and quarter-mile times (5.1 and 13.7, respectively) with a 3.1-mph-higher trap-speed. The N54 is also a smoother and more efficient engine, as the 335i got 3.3 mpg more in fuel economy over the G37's 18.4 mpg. The N54 also compared favorable to the Lexus 3.5L V6 (2GR-FSE) which has a top output of 305 hp and 278 ft·lbf, in a comparison between the 2007 BMW 335i and Lexus IS 350.

BMW's newer N55 3.0L turbo inline-6
BMW N55
The N55 is a turbocharged straight-6 automobile engine from BMW. It was launched in early 2009 in the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo in the BMW 535i GT model...

 uses a single turbocharger but with twin scroll technology, and its 300 lb-ft of torque comes at 1200 rpm which is 200 revs earlier than the N54’s identical output. The N55 is also more fuel-efficient and has less emissions than the N54. However, the N54 engine has more output potential and a variant of the N54B30 with higher power and torque but across a narrower peak torque band is used in the F01 2009 BMW 740i
BMW F01
The BMW F01 is the current BMW 7 series that went into production in September 2008. The long-wheelbase model, codenamed BMW F02, is longer than the BMW F01.-Presentation:...

. A comparison test saw the 2011 BMW 740i accelerate quicker than the 2011 BMW 535i (equipped with the N55), even though the 535i weighs 300 pounds less.

A comparable 6-cylinder engine to the N54 in torque and horsepower is Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....

's 3.0 TFSI (G60
G60
G60 refers to an inline-four cylinder automobile petrol engine, which uses a specific method of forced induction - by way of a specific type of supercharger...

) supercharged V6 engine. The 2009 Audi A6
Audi A6
The Audi A6 is an executive car marketed by the German automaker Audi AG, now in its fourth generation. As the successor to the Audi 100, the A6 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany – and is available in saloon, and wagon configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant.All generations...

 3.0T is a direct competitor to the 2009 BMW 535i, as is the 2010 Audi S4
Audi S4
The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan...

 to the 2009 BMW 335i, and in both cases the N54 was able to deliver largely equivalent performance.

Comparison with V8 engines

The ample torque of the N54 engine combined with the lack of turbo lag provides the same feel as a small V8. The advantage of the N54B30 engine is that compared to similar power output 225 kW 290 lbft V8 4.0L N62B40 it weighs 70 kg less than the V8, which is massive at 265 kg (584 lb). Additionally, the N54 has higher low-end torque than the N62. It is likely for these reasons BMW chose to develop bi-turbo inline straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...

 engines for the 3-series instead of using heavier V8 engines. In the 5 Series (E60)
BMW E60
The BMW E60 is the BMW 5 Series automobile, replacing the BMW E39 in 2003. It was replaced by the BMW F10 from March 2010. The E60 was available in both sedan and station wagon platforms....

, the N54 in the 2008 BMW 535i gives it almost equivalent acceleration to the BMW 550i, with a V8 engine (4.8L N62B48) which costs an additional $10,000 USD in MSRP and makes the front 200 pounds heavier (which dampens driving reflexes).

Only the 2008 BMW M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...

 will have a V8 engine in the 3-Series lineup, weighing in at 202 kg (445 lb) and generating 414 hp and 295 lbft, however this V8
BMW S65
The S65 is a naturally aspirated DOHC 32-valve automobile V8 engine from BMW.Derived from the BMW S85 V10 engine used in the M5/M6, it shares the same basic architecture and aluminium construction. It was introduced in the E92 M3 as a replacement for the S54 straight-6...

 is derived from the V10
BMW S85
The BMW S85B50 is a DOHC 40-valve V10 automotive piston engine present in the E60 M5 sedan, E61 M5 touring and E63/64 M6 coupé. It was derived directly from BMW's Formula 1 racing division....

 engine that powers the BMW M5
BMW M5
The first BMW M5, based on the E28 5 Series, made its debut at Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1984. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a saloon , but the overall performance of a sports car. It utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from...

. Nonetheless the tuned version of the N54, which is found in the 2011 BMW 335is, has higher low-end torque than the M3's V8 engine, 332 pound-feet at 1500 rpm for the 335is versus 295 pound-feet at 3900 rpm for the M3, and the V8's higher maximum horsepower of 414 hp is only available at 8300 rpm.
In the 2011 BMW 740i, the N54 is down 85 hp and 120 lbft compared to the 750i’s N63 4.4L twin-turbo V8
BMW N63
The N63 is a family of 4.4L, direct-injected, twin-turbocharged V8 automobile engines produced by BMW since 2008.-Specifications:The N63B44 features a reverse-flow air design in which the turbochargers are mounted in the engine valley and the intake manifolds are located on the sides of the block...

, however the 740i weighs about 215 pounds (97.5 kg) less, which considerably improves handling dynamics. The 740i also retains respectable straight-line acceleration in a comparison test as it could make the 0 to 60 mi/h run in 5.1 seconds compared to the 750i's 5.2, and the 750i only catches up at 70 mi/h, with the N54 having less turbo lag and smoother acceleration than the N63. Fuel economy of the 740i is 17 mpg city and 25 highway, compared with the 750i’s 15/22 and the ActiveHybrid 7's 17/26, considering that the 740i has an MSRP of $71,025 USD while the ActiveHybrid 7 starts at $103,125 USD.

Applications

The N54 has been found in every BMW nameplate, except for the 6 Series, X3
BMW X3
The BMW X3 is a compact crossover SUV marketed by the German automaker BMW, based on the BMW 3-Series automobile platform, and now in its second generation. BMW designed the X3 in conjunction with Magna Steyr of Graz, Austria — who manufactured all X3s under contract to BMW for the first...

 and X5
BMW X5
The BMW X5 is a luxury crossover SUV introduced in 1999 as the first generation E53. It was BMW's first SUV also known as "Four-by-Four" in the UK. It features all-wheel drive which is branded as the "X" drive system and is available with either manual or automatic transmission...

.

For the 3 Series, the N54 engine powered the 335i high-end configuration from the 2007 model year onwards, replacing the 330i and its 3.0L naturally aspirated straight-6 as the top model (aside from the BMW M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...

).

For the 5 Series, the N54 engine powered the 535i midrange configuration from the 2008 model year onwards, replacing the 530i and its 3.0L naturally aspirated straight-6 as in that segment. The top model (aside from the BMW M5
BMW M5
The first BMW M5, based on the E28 5 Series, made its debut at Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1984. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a saloon , but the overall performance of a sports car. It utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from...

) was already renamed from 545i to 550i for 2006 as it saw an increase in its V8 engine output from 4.4L to 4.8L.

The eventual successor N55 retains the N54's horsepower and torque, while improving emissions and packaging and reducing fuel consumption, so it has replaced the N54 in many applications as well as supplanting the high output versions of the N52B30. However, the N54 engine has more output potential and is easily modified with aftermarket tuning to produce in excess of 400 hp. A version of the N54B30 with higher power and torque but across a narrower peak torque band was introduced in the F01 2009 BMW 740i
BMW F01
The BMW F01 is the current BMW 7 series that went into production in September 2008. The long-wheelbase model, codenamed BMW F02, is longer than the BMW F01.-Presentation:...

. While the 2011 BMW 335i sedans and the face-lifted 2011 BMW 335i coupes will be offered with the N55, the N54 will be retained in the higher-performing 335is.
Most N54 engines are mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, while the 6-speed automatic with Steptronic is optional. However, the 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive35is and the 2011 BMW 335is have either a 6-speed manual or optional 7-speed dual clutch transmission
Dual clutch transmission
A dual clutch transmission, commonly abbreviated to DCT , is a differing type of semi-automatic or automated manual automotive transmission. It utilises two separate clutches for odd and even gear sets...

.
  • 2007–2010 E90 Sedan
    BMW E90
    The saloon model was the first model sold of the 5th generation BMW 3 series. Debuting in the US in 2006, the E90 came in two trims, the 325i/xi and 330i/xi models...

     335i
  • 2007–2010 E91 Touring 335i
  • 2007–2010 E92 Coupé 335i
  • 2007–2010 E93 Convertible 335i
  • 2008–2010 E60 Sedan
    BMW E60
    The BMW E60 is the BMW 5 Series automobile, replacing the BMW E39 in 2003. It was replaced by the BMW F10 from March 2010. The E60 was available in both sedan and station wagon platforms....

     535i
  • 2008–2010 E61 Touring 535i
  • 2008–2010 E82 Coupé 135i
  • 2008–2010 E88 Convertible 135i
  • 2009– F01 Sedan
    BMW F01
    The BMW F01 is the current BMW 7 series that went into production in September 2008. The long-wheelbase model, codenamed BMW F02, is longer than the BMW F01.-Presentation:...

     730i
  • 2009– F01 Sedan
    BMW F01
    The BMW F01 is the current BMW 7 series that went into production in September 2008. The long-wheelbase model, codenamed BMW F02, is longer than the BMW F01.-Presentation:...

     740i
  • 2009– BMW X6
    BMW X6
    The BMW X6 is a mid-size luxury crossover released for sale in the second quarter of 2008 by German automaker BMW. The X6 was marketed as a Sports Activity Coupé by BMW...

     xDrive35i
  • 2009– BMW Z4 sDrive35i
  • 2011– E92 Coupé 335is
  • 2011– E93 Convertible 335is
  • 2012– Morgan Eva GT
    Morgan Eva GT
    The Morgan Eva GT is a proposed 2+2 Grand tourer being developed by Morgan Motor Company of Malvern, Worcestershire, United Kingdom.Launched at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance show in California, it shares the chassis of the Morgan Aeromax SuperSports, but uses an elongated body...

  • 2012– E82 Coupé 1-series M Coupe

Problems

In at least the US market, the N54 engine has been characterized by a very large number of High Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failures, leading to many BMW NA vehicle Lemon Law "buy backs" and reduced customer goodwill. On some engines the HPFP was replaced four times within the first few years of service. BMW has instituted a 10-year, 120000 miles (193,120.8 km) warranty on the part, but only for 2007, 2008 and 2009 model year vehicles with the N54 engine. Other model years, to include 2009 models, continue to report HPFP failures.http://www.bimmerissues.com/ As of late 2009, the low pressure fuel sensor has become suspected of causing some premature failures of the HPFP by engine tuners such as AMS and CP-E.

BMW tried to engineer a newer HPFP solution to eliminate HPFP issues users were having. The first 335/135s came out with 1351 7 537 320 HPFP followed shortly by 1351 7 585 655 HPFP and 2009 model had 1351 7 592 881 HPFP followed by 1351 7 596 123 HPFP. These pumps were updated and replaced again due to the high rate of failure with 1351 7 594 943 HPFP. But these also started to fail and got updated and replaced in May 2010 with a brand-new re-manufactured pump 1351 7 613 933 HPFP. On the 26th of October, 2010, immediately following an ABC News story about HPFP failures, BMW announced a recall of vehicles with the pump in question from manufacturing years 2007-2010. A class action suit has been filed against BMW regarding these problems. http://www.scribd.com/doc/17233560/Bmw-Law-Suit-Hpfp

External links

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