M54 vs. M57
 

So I'm looking for some opinions, as I'm in a bit of dilemma right now (or a dream). My wifes E53 (m54) is sitting at home in our garage right now with a blown head gasket due to overheating, waiting for me to repair it when I get back home. We live in Canada, where the more common engine in the E53 seems to be an M54.

I'm currently working out of country right now in Latvia until June. There are E53 X5s everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE it seems here. The best part...they all seem to be diesel. I however know nothing about these diesels (M57's from my research). Are they good engines compared to the M54? Which one would you rather have?

Part of me really wants to buy an E53 X5 3.0d while I'm here and have it shipped back to Canada.

Convince me not to...or convince me I need to take advantage of my time here and start looking at some X5s.

Are any of them manuals?

I don't know anything about the M57, but I've been in Winnipeg enough times to know that you miiiiiight have problems starting a diesel there in February.

A lot of them are automatic (which the wife needs anyways). We live in Winnipeg...and you are right it does get cold in the winter! Thankfully we have a heated garage though. That is one good reason not to have a diesel, though!

My truck is equipped with a webasto coolant heater to preheat the engine before starting up most morning in the winter.

Only experience I have with it is in the E70 X5 generation. I really liked it. Finally sold ours with 170k on it after having to replace a transmission (nobody had bothered to service the trans).

Like any BMW the engine needs bringing up to standard if it was previously owned by a "normal" person.

The E53 may be different, but the "gotchas" on the M57 seem to be the crank pulley/balancer, the turbos, the vacuum lines, and the worst part (most expensive) is the DEF/emissions gear. That can get pricey in a real hurry.

My m54 ended up costing me about $40 USD/month in parts and ran fine up to 205k miles. It got killed by a deer or I'm confident it would still be going.

There are a few on xoutpost with the diesel and they do not seem to get proportionately more trouble.

There's something to be said about the m54 generation motor with dual vanos but no Valvetronic. Very much a diy workhorse!

If bmw made the 4.6 no Valvetronic in a 2011 that's prob what I would own now vs. 35i.

All that said, I'm getting used to wrenching the n55 and it's a very nice power plant but they will self destruct if you don't prime the oil after a big job. I'm helping resurrect a pair of 35i with spun rod bearings.

M57 is a solid engine. Fitted with a Webasto aux heater (as most e53 3.0d seem to be) they aren’t bothered by colder weather.

The harmonic balancer seems more of an issue in hot climates - I hear of Aussies having issues but rarely ever any Brits.

Turbo will last a long time with quality oil, changed regularly and proper use (warm up and run down).

Glow plugs need to be changed around 100,000 miles and in the M57TU LCI models, the glow plug controller will often need replacing too.

The M57TU in the LCI also came with a stainless steel exhaust manifold that can fail (split) as it gets miles on it - plenty of cast iron replacement options.

Mine has no emissions gear (beyond an EGR) so can’t comment on that. YMMV...

I'd expect that an E53 M57 in Euro spec would not have any DEF/EGR gear that's pretty much killed diesels here (US).

I'm sure you're right. :thumbup:

I prefaced that my experience was in the E70. I wish we got a DEF system free M57 E53 (or any chassis) here in the lower half of NA.

Facelift E53 3.0d with M57N engine was produced in both EU3 (without DPF) and EU4 (with DPF) specs. All M57 engines have low pressure EGR.

Did pre-LCI have M57 as an option? Not in US.