Got Burned On This One! BMW 335i N54 Twin Turbo Engine Teardown. Salvage Auction Strikes Again!
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Published 2023-01-21
I don't always win at the auction. I bought this 2009 BMW 335i Sedan from IAA in Kansas City as it had a trunk fire. Car fax showed lower mileage and being as this car is equipped with an N54 engine, its something I normally buy. However, during the inventory process we discovered the engine would not turn a full revolution, and we condemned the engine.
This is one of those situations where I didn't come out smelling like a rose, because a car I bought that was burned in the rear actually had a bad engine. This sort of thing happens at the auction somewhat often, and there's little I can do about it. Its part of the game, and I'm certainly not upset over it.
So, it became a teardown engine and you get to see why the engine was bad. With so many improper repairs there could be a multitude of issues that caused this failure, but one thing I can't understand is the correlation between a bad engine, and a trunk fire.
Its almost like... someone set it on fire on purpose? No way. No-one would ever do that!
Why am I doing this? I own and run a full service salvage business in the Saint Louis area called Importapart. Part of our model is buying bad engines and salvaging the good parts from them to sell. We do not rebuild engines, merely supply parts to those that do.
If you're wondering if I've torn down a particular engine, there are over 100 engine teardowns spanning the last two years on this channel. Feel free to search and peruse.
I hope you enjoyed this teardown. As always I love all of the comments, feedback and even the criticism. Catch you on the next one!
-Eric
All Comments (21)
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This was clearly the unluckiest grandma in history. First, the engine blew up while she was idling out of the grocery store parking lot a mile from her house, then the battery caught fire in her driveway while she was calling the dealership to make arrangements for repair. Sad really, but I'm glad she's OK. Its a good thing she had insurance!
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That is a friction fire. The repair estimate was rubbing against the insurance policy.
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my dad was hired a few times to investigate this exact thing....one of the local insurance companies would hire him when they suspected this exact type of fraud (using fire insurance to make a claim when the problem was actually engine or trans that the owner decided to "repair" by fire)
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I worked in a junkyard in the 80s and it was a 50/50 shot that a burnt car had a bad engine or transmission
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The grin on your face when you destroyed that timing chain guide was priceless. 🤣
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Hi Eric! I’m currently lying in bed recovering from back surgery and there isn’t much fun going on in my life right now. Except this channel. I hope you understand how your work brings joy to people. To some people it may just be broken engines. To me it’s a chance to hang out with a really cool guy while learning a lot of new things. Thanks for all you do!
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I think I finally see a legit use for the "Shake Weight." It trains you for injector removal!
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"Daggum. I guess the [super expensive part] was damaged in the incident. What a coincidence!" - The last owner of every twin turbo car, ever.
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Eric, it's nice that you enjoy your BMW's. My one experience owning a BMW taught me never to do that again. Now I own a 4 cylinder Accord, and I'm a much happier guy. Watching you tear these down is always a treat. Thanks for a taking the time to make this video!
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All these years and I finally get to see you DESTROY a "good" timing chain guide, absolutely epic!!😂😂😂😂
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The satisfaction in your face when you slammed the timing chain cassette on the ground… priceless.
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From a career as an auto adjuster for a large P&C company, I saw a lot of this. It got passed on to the SIU for an investigation to look for proof. In a case like this everyone gets burned. The rate payers, the folks doing the legwork, and eventually the purchaser of the salvage piece because everyone is denied the opportunity to inspect the mechanical workings. If you do a teardown and discover the engine damage, you spend thousands on a forensic teardown with a good chance you don't get enough evidence to convict. The best you can hope for is for the policyholder to withdraw the claim, in which case the lender takes a bath. It's all our money so everyone loses no matter what.
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That last injector got a happy ending... lol
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The broken valve allowed the combustion to travel all the way down the exhaust where it found a hole leading to the trunk and the still burning combustion gasses caught the trunk carpet (and a spare container of gas) on fire. This is common on engines with horizontal valve springs. I think Ralph Nader wrote about it in his book "German Flamethrowers." I could be wrong though. I was wrong once before so it's possible I could be wrong again.
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i wonder how long until that insurance adjuster sees this video
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When I hear insurance jobs I imagine Altimas, not BMWs. But looking at the condition and lack of care for this BMW I'm positive it's a former Altima owner. Great video as always!
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Great camera work, great editing, great video. I love Saturday nights!
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I love the correlation between the length of the videos and the "don't buy" list! Jags and Land Rovers get into the 50's! A Ford 289 takes, what, about 8 minutes? Good stuff Eric!
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I was just smiling and laughing away with that last injector removal 😂😂
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Wow the smile on your face smiling while smashing the chain guides. Gold, one of the best youtube channels.
