The Most Common BMW N55B30 3.0 Engine Problems

This N55B30 engine was intended to be a replacement for the somewhat outdated N54B30 bestseller, as well as the less popular N62B40. A representative of one of the generations of in-line six-cylinder turbocharged engine from BMW, the production of which was launched in 2009.

The basis of the N55B30 engine is an aluminum cylinder block with cast iron liners, borrowed from the N54. The N55B30 engine received a lighter crankshaft, upgraded pistons and connecting rods. The length of the latter is 144.35 mm.

The developers changed the cylinder head, improved the valve timing system, in addition to which they installed the third generation Valvetronic system, the function of which is to adjust the valve lift height.

The intake devices used have a diameter of 32 mm, exhaust – 28 mm. The intake phase is 255 degrees, the exhaust phase is 361 degrees, the valve lift is 9.9 mm and 9.7 mm, respectively. The intake/exhaust systems have been redesigned.

Instead of two turbochargers, it was decided to use one such device of the Twin Scroll type, one of the advantages of which is to provide an even shelf of torque, starting from 1200 rpm.

The boost pressure indicator in the stock version is 0.65 bar. The engine is controlled by the MEVD17.2 system from Bosch.

The N55B30 engine is intended for installation on BMW cars with indexes 35i and 40i. Based on this device, the S55 engine was created for the M4 and M5 sports cars.

N55B30 engine specifications

Power, hp	300 – 360
Fuel type	Gasoline AI-92 AI-95 AI-98
Volume, cm*3	2979
Maximum torque, N * m (kg * m) at rpm.	300 (31) / 5000; 400 (41) / 1200; 400 (41) / 1300; 400 (41) / 5000; 450 (46) / 1300
Fuel consumption, l/62 miles	7.9 – 7.1
engine’s type	Inline, 4-cylinder
Add. engine information	High Precision Fuel Injection, Valvetronic Valve Control, Double VANOS Variable Valve Timing
CO2 emissions, g/miles	163 – 146
Cylinder diameter, mm	84
Number of valves per cylinder	4
Maximum power, hp (kW) at rpm	300 (221) / 5800; 300 (221) / 6250; 306(225)/5800; 306(225)/6000; 306(225)/6250
Supercharger	Turbine
Start-stop system	optional
Compression ratio	10.2
Piston stroke, mm	89.6

Modifications of The N55B30 Engine

There are a number of different types of this engine:

The N55B30M0 is the base 306 hp version with 400 Nm of torque from 1200 to 5000 rpm. Installed on the BMW 35i. Produced since 2009. N55 – 320-horsepower modification with a torque limit of 450 Nm. It is installed on cars with index 35i and 40i. It features a more advanced cooling system and updated firmware for electronics control. Produced since 2010.
N55B30O0 is an analogue of the N55, having a slightly higher power (326 hp) with the same torque indicators. Focused on the BMW 35i. Produced since 2011.
N55HP – 340-horsepower model with a torque of 450 Nm or 500 Nm (in the Overboost series). It is installed on machines of modification 35i. Manufactured since 2011.
The N55B30T0 is a 360 hp engine with an impressive 465 Nm of torque that ranges between 1350 and 5250 rpm. Since 2015, it has been installed on the BMW 40i.
N55B30O0 – 370-horsepower with a torque indicator of 365 Nm (or 500 in the Overboost version). Since 2015, this engine has been equipped with the BMW M2.

This N55B30 Engine is installed on the following models:

BMW 1-Series (F20)
BMW 1-Series (F21)
BMW 3-Series (F30)
BMW 3-Series (E90)
BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo (F34)
BMW 4-Series (F33)
BMW 4-Series (F36)
BMW 4-Series (F32)
BMW 5-Series (F10)
BMW 5-Series (F11)
BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo (F07)
BMW 6-Series (F06)
BMW 6-Series (F12)
BMW 6-Series (F13)
BMW 7-Series (F01)
BMW X4 (F26)
BMW X5 (F15)
BMW X5 (E70)
BMW X6 (F16)
BMW X6 (E71)

The Most Common Problems Of The N55B30 Engine

The most obvious negative features that owners of cars with an N55 engine face are as follows:

Increased oil consumption. Most often, excessive consumption of the lubricant is due to a breakdown of the ventilation valve for gases formed in the crankcase cavity.
Misfires. Usually caused by excessive coking of hydraulic lifters. The N55B30 problem can be avoided by using exclusively high-quality oil.
Engine vibration. The culprits of this problem are most often worn nozzles, which should be changed every 62,000 miles.

It is also important to monitor the condition of the fuel pump, which will last a long time only when using high-quality fuels and lubricants.

In general, this engine model has proven itself mainly on the positive side, since it combines high power, excellent reliability and stability in operation. Also, the manufacturer has laid down a significant margin, allowing tuning enthusiasts to modify the installation to their liking.

Chip tuning of The N55B30 Engine

This N55B30 engine, like the N54, is great for chip tuning. Fairly simple manipulations, consisting mainly of downpipes and JB4 Stage 2 firmware, allow you to get more than 360 hp from it.

By installing a cold intake, you can easily overcome the mark of 380 hp, which will provide a quarter mile in about 12 seconds, which is 1.5 seconds faster than stock time.