BMW N53B30 engine

N53B30 is a famous N53 brand gasoline engine with a displacement of 3.0 liters. The power output is 204-272 hp. The company Munich Plant acted as the developer. The motor was released in 2007. The motor replaced almost similar engine N52B30, representing its improved and upgraded version. Changes were made to the cylinder head, piston. Production of this engine was completed in 2013. The named power unit gave way to a more advanced engine N55B30.

It was installed mainly in BMW cars. By its type, this power unit is in-line, has 6 cylinders, each of which is distributed on 4 valves. In total, there are 24 valves. There is a dual gas distribution system “Vanos”. It has an injector power system. As fuel, it is recommended to use AI-95 gasoline. Consumption per 100 km is within 8-10 liters, depending on where the car is used. This is a very economical level, given the outstanding power parameters of the named motor. On the highway, the power unit feels twice as comfortable than in urban conditions.

Quality materials have been used in the construction. For example, the cylinder block is made of magnesium-aluminum.

N53B30 engine specifications

Advantages

The motor was produced on the platform of the N52 engine, and provided for the replacement of the piston group and cylinder head. In the finalization was added a direct fuel injection system, and also removed the Valvetronic system responsible for changing the valve lift, which received mixed reviews from owners of cars with the previous version of the power units. The engine control unit was also changed – Siemens MSD81 was installed.

The cars of the German concern BMW were chosen for installation of N53B30 motors, which depending on the modification of the power unit could have indexes 23, 25 and 30 with prefix i at the end.

2013 was the last year for the production of atmospheric engines with an in-line arrangement of six cylinders. It was replaced by a turbocharged inline six-cylinder motor N55, and junior modifications were replaced by four-cylinder motors for two liters N20B20.

Disadvantages

The problems encountered by vehicles powered by the N23B30 powertrain are no different from those of their 2.5-liter brothers. There are no global disadvantages to this powertrain, but there are a number of typical faults that can cause owners some difficulties.

After about 100 thousand kilometers of mileage, the high-pressure fuel pump, known to motorists as the fuel pump may fail. About 10 thousand kilometers can pass and standard plugs, which is very little. After 50 thousand kilometers of mileage, ignition coils may break down. No less problematic are high-pressure injectors, which last up to 100 thousand kilometers.

High-quality fuel and oil are essential for this engine, otherwise it will not work properly. The cooling system, which is the weak point of such motors, must be constantly monitored. In order to avoid overheating of the power unit it is necessary to constantly clean the radiator. This motor does not consume oil, unlike the previous modification, so its resource is at the proper level.

Tips and advice

If we talk about reliability, the real resource of the power unit N53B30 is about 250-300 thousand kilometers. Problems and shortcomings of the engine are similar to those of its younger “brother” with a volume of 2.5 liters. – N53B25. The nuances concern such trifles as short-lived candles (about 10 000 km), ignition coils (about 50 000 km), high-pressure injectors (about 100 000 km). Also, the high-pressure fuel pump malfunction occurs periodically (about once every 100,000 km).

For normal operation of the engine, depending on its modification, requires filling from 6.5 to 7.5 liters of oil. Manufacturers insist on using only high-quality synthetic fillers. This affects the service life of the power unit, and allows you to prolong its life. Reviews of owners also assert the need to use only quality oil, as they have checked this in practice.

For N53B30 engines it is recommended to use only oils with 5W-30 or 5W-40 markings, as these are the oils prescribed by the manufacturers and allow to ensure maximum engine life. This enables guaranteed elimination of most of the typical malfunctions that may occur with the motor.

If you wish to create the most tangible increase in power parameters, it is realizable on the younger versions of the N53B30. The modification with 218 hp can thank you for the purchase of a BMW Performance intake manifold, sport exhaust, and chip tuning. After the work done, the powertrain is capable of producing in the neighborhood of 290 hp.

If we talk about refining the version with 272 hp, it is much less profitable. After all, you can hardly feel the increase in the form of 10-20 hp. But if you have a desire, by purchasing a sports exhaust and firmware you can achieve a very beautiful sound of the exhaust system of the motor.

Modifications

A total of four modifications of this motor were produced:

• N53B30-U0 – produced from 2007 to 2011. This is the basic entry-level engine, which allowed to reach a power of 218 horsepower with 270 Nm of torque. As a rule, such power units were installed on BMWs with the 25i index.
• N53B30 – the engine was launched in 2011, and the last model was produced in 2013. With a torque of 270 Nm, this power unit allowed to reach a power of 204 horsepower. These motors were installed only on the BMW F10 523i, other modifications were not equipped with it.
• N53B30-O0 – this motor was produced from 2007 to 2013. This modification was developed as an analog for the base power unit. In it, the intake manifold was replaced with a full-fledged unit. This made it possible to achieve a torque of 320 Nm with 272 horsepower of power. Such power units are intended for installation on cars with the index 30i.
• N53B30 with no additional designations, which was produced in 2009 and 2010. It was developed specifically for installation on BMW F10 528i cars. With 310 Nm of torque, this powertrain allowed up to 258 horsepower.

This engine is installed on the following models:

BMW 3-Series (E90)

BMW 5-Series (F11)

BMW 5-Series (F10)

BMW 6-Series (E64)

BMW 6-Series (E63)