E46 releaser bearing, crank case vent valve query

Yuben

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Guys has anyone ever suffered oil pump failure? If so, at what mileage?

And what are the signs?
 

Maljan

Active member
Which model E46 are you thinking of? This would affect all models with the same engine, e.g. the 325i has an M54. Therefore the 525i, 530i, X5 3.0i, Z3 3.0i etc. would also suffer from it. FWIW I haven't heard of this happening on any regular basis. It hasn't happened to any of my two cars with M54s either and they are somewhere north of 550 000km between them. Water pumps are another matter (sigh).
 

Nikhil

Honorary ///Member
Well documented on the US forums with the M54B30 engine, due to harmonics on the crank the oil pump nut rattles loose and hence loss of oil pressure ect ect, however this is only a problem is your car sees life after 6500rpm for extended periods at a time.
 

Blert

///Member
Nikhil said:
Well documented on the US forums with the M54B30 engine, due to harmonics on the crank the oil pump nut rattles loose and hence loss of oil pressure ect ect, however this is only a problem is your car sees life after 6500rpm for extended periods at a time.

HAHHA and your e46 can never reach that :tiptoe::tiptoe:
 

Nikhil

Honorary ///Member
Blert said:
Nikhil said:
Well documented on the US forums with the M54B30 engine, due to harmonics on the crank the oil pump nut rattles loose and hence loss of oil pressure ect ect, however this is only a problem is your car sees life after 6500rpm for extended periods at a time.

HAHHA and your e46 can never reach that :tiptoe::tiptoe:

It doesnt need to scream to go fast :rollsmile:
 

Coisman

Administrator
Staff member
Nikhil said:
Well documented on the US forums with the M54B30 engine, due to harmonics on the crank the oil pump nut rattles loose and hence loss of oil pressure ect ect, however this is only a problem is your car sees life after 6500rpm for extended periods at a time.

If that was the case mine should have dropped off in 2007 when I bought it already...and every since then till today :mmm:
 

Nikhil

Honorary ///Member
Coisman@TheFanatics said:
Nikhil said:
Well documented on the US forums with the M54B30 engine, due to harmonics on the crank the oil pump nut rattles loose and hence loss of oil pressure ect ect, however this is only a problem is your car sees life after 6500rpm for extended periods at a time.

If that was the case mine should have dropped off in 2007 when I bought it already...and every since then till today :mmm:
 

Coisman

Administrator
Staff member
Look...all I know is my car is a E46 with Vanos or something like that, and its only barely faster than my mother in law on her broom... Other than that its got 137k kms on, and still using the same water pump, and oil pump, and the post was about oil pump on an E46...so I answered :dunno:
 

H|TM@N

Member
Coisman@TheFanatics said:
Look...all I know is my car is a E46 with Vanos or something like that, and its only barely faster than my mother in law on her broom... Other than that its got 137k kms on, and still using the same water pump, and oil pump, and the post was about oil pump on an E46...so I answered :dunno:

Xoisie, it means only the 330i's are affected. The 325i doesn't have that problem. And I would know, because my 325i used to sit at the rev limiter in 5th for extended periods.

It only affects the 330i, and only if you run it at 6500rpm for extended periods. Only then will the oil pump rattle loose and fall off.
 

KPM3_30

Moderator
Staff member
H|] [quote='Coisman@TheFanatics said:
Look...all I know is my car is a E46 with Vanos or something like that, and its only barely faster than my mother in law on her broom... Other than that its got 137k kms on, and still using the same water pump, and oil pump, and the post was about oil pump on an E46...so I answered :dunno:

Xoisie, it means only the 330i's are affected. The 325i doesn't have that problem. And I would know, because my 325i used to sit at the rev limiter in 5th for extended periods.

It only affects the 330i, and only if you run it at 6500rpm for extended periods. Only then will the oil pump rattle loose and fall off.
[/quote]

What does extended periods mean in this context? If you run at 6500rpm for 10 seconds once/twice or for a second but multiple times in the car's life? Just need some clarity here.

I would love to think that the nut self tightens once below 5000rpm but I have more sense than that, so I wonder how would you know of possible symptoms?

I know overseas that there is a fix for this in the form of a split-pin on the nut but its a heck of a job, usually reserved for track cars running with this engine.
 

moranor@axis

///Member
Official Advertiser
only seems to be a problem on 330i that see alot of track use even then there are some that run with 0 problems...

the 3l crank has a harmonics issue at around 6500 this can be fixed with a special damper pulley and some modifications to the oil pump
 

Coisman

Administrator
Staff member
I see...... :thinker:

What about a 325i with a 57mm twin freeflow and a full decat, and custom headers. :fencelook:
 

KPM3_30

Moderator
Staff member
Coisman@TheFanatics said:
I see...... :thinker:

What about a 325i with a 57mm twin freeflow and a full decat, and custom headers. :fencelook:

Still no :rollsmile: Be happy.
 

Coisman

Administrator
Staff member
What if I rev it 7,000rpm trying to out run a CitiGolf with a cone filter?? :mmm:

...sorry... I just derailed the thread... :facepalm:
 

Yuben

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Thanks. I'm just trouble shooting at this stage. I am getting a strange noise on start up only in the mornings. Sounds like something is loose. It has that scary bearing knock "clatter" sound.
Not sure if it's a pulley. Was thinking if it was the oil pump that is not pushing up oil fast enough.

It is a worrying sound...that only lasts a few seconds and foes away.
 

LPM320

///Member
YUBEN said:
Thanks. I'm just trouble shooting at this stage. I am getting a strange noise on start up only in the mornings. Sounds like something is loose. It has that scary bearing knock "clatter" sound.
Not sure if it's a pulley. Was thinking if it was the oil pump that is not pushing up oil fast enough.

It is a worrying sound...that only lasts a few seconds and foes away.

I would definitely get that checked out.
 

moranor@axis

///Member
Official Advertiser
YUBEN said:
Thanks. I'm just trouble shooting at this stage. I am getting a strange noise on start up only in the mornings. Sounds like something is loose. It has that scary bearing knock "clatter" sound.
Not sure if it's a pulley. Was thinking if it was the oil pump that is not pushing up oil fast enough.

It is a worrying sound...that only lasts a few seconds and foes away.

if oil pressure related the oil warning light should be on when you hear the noise and go away soon as the noise stops
 
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