View Single Post
  #20  
Old 07-24-2009, 01:12 PM
StanF18's Avatar
StanF18 StanF18 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: northern NJ
Posts: 993
StanF18 is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by Werewolf View Post
I am not sure I agree with you. I have not seen a newer BMW with over 200k miles let alone 600K. The closest I've seen is a e24 with 215k miles; a much simpler engine design than a double-Vanos I-6 3.0i.

Modern (2000+) BMW engines are
1) high-compression, high-revving and are more 'sensitive'
2) have more gadgets and sensors than older engines
3) sometimes have coolant-related issues (warped heads, etc)

I don't think the engine would make 600k or even 300k without a major rebuild. But I don't know if we will see one. Why? b/c the rest of the car will break down 1st / repair costs will be too much and the owner will scrap the car before the engine rebuild.

Let's wait and see
We can debate whether typical BMW engines die at 300K miles or at 600K miles, but you've made the most relevant and practical point to this discussion: the rest of the car will break down LONG before the engine does! So if the OP is still around to hear feedback to his question, a well-maintained engine is NOT the rate-limiting factor on a 3.0i's "life expectancy".
Reply With Quote

Sponsored Links