Chronology
In the year 2011/12, BMW introduced
a radical change in that they swapped their well-loved straight six engine with
a variety of turbos that had four cylinders. This was driven by ever-stricter
emission laws as well as the need to provide better fuel efficiency. It's still
a controversial choice and the only one models available were one of them, the
3.0 turbo N55.
In its original 2011 version, the
N20 was available with the 320i 2.0 turbo as well as it was also available in
the 332i 2.0 with a larger turbo. Traditionalists, like myself were not
satisfied with the latter. There's a very small price difference between the
two models since there's little difference in engineering. Some of the reasons
why buyers go for the more affordable version in UK are lower annual road tax
because of lower emissions, less expensive policies, more economical, and
corporate car tax.
In 2013, a 1600cc version was in
development to drive the F10 520i. As of the time of writing, all other models
run on the N20 with two liters, however there are a variety of tuning levels to
suit the various Z4, Three, X1, and one series.
Power figures must be taken with
pinch of salt, or three, in particular when it comes to used cars. The
efficiency of the engine and turbo depends on how it has been maintained and
operated. If the engine has accumulated a lot of carbon deposits at the back of
the valves, power is likely to be reduced a amount. In any of the turbo
engines, there's a variations in the condition of tune from factory and also
for local markets. A good amount of owners will have their cars rebuilt to
increase output.
The N26 was developed for markets
that required a super low emission N20. It features features like the use of
all-metal fuel pipes instead rubber, and additional engine sensors.
Design
In many ways, the N20 engine is about two
thirds of the six-cylinder N55. The current BMW concept is three 6 and 4-cylinder engines , each with 500cc of capacity per cylinder. This is the area
where the N20 is located. BMW believes that cars weighing less than 1300kg
should come with three cylinders, the N13 and above that , that is the N20 and
for bigger or more powerful models, the six.
The turbo is twin scroll, this is
the reason you'll will see "Twin Power" on the engine's cover for the
acoustic. Twin scroll turbos feature two inlets and nozzles. A small sharply
angled one for rapid response , which reduces the turbo's lag, and a larger
smaller angled one that is designed for more boost production. This is similar
to the way they attempted to go with the turbos with variable incidence. Two
exhausts from cylinders are fed into each turbo nozzle section.
Like you'd imagine, the engine was
Valvetronic and has double VANOS. It utilizes Bosch Direct Gas Injection (GDI)
as well as an extremely high pressure (200 bars) fuel pump that is driven by
the camshaft for exhaust. It comes with an automated stop and start as well as
an electric coolant pump that is part of BMW's Efficient Dynamics measures.
The block is made of aluminum and
comes with iron cylinder liners created using the thin film deposition
technique. The engine has a robust forging crankshaft, which has the four
weights for balance. To reduce friction between the pistons, the center line of
the crankshaft's axis is offset from the cylinders below it, which is a first
for BMW. The engine comes with two balancer shafts for reducing vibration. It
is a breakthrough technology that was first introduced by M43TU. M43TU engine.
Initially, the N43 BMW encountered
issues with direct injectors as well as ignition coils that failed in the heat
of. To address this issue, the N20 featured additional coolant passages close
to the injectors. The engine was equipped with a brand new design of the
crankcase's ventilation system, which was included in the valve cover.
Hopefully, it will not clog as much.
Problems
Because it is a direct-injection
engine, the intake valves won't be being cleaned by fuel. They'll accumulate
carbon deposits, which must be removed by taking off the intake manifold every
40 000 miles. All GDI engines are affected by this and not only BMWs It's the
cost we pay to get less emissions. This is more likely to happen on engines
that don't very revved and go on many short journeys.
Turbo engines require
well-maintained, high-quality oil to ensure an extended life. It is recommended
to change the oil prior to the interval recommended by the manufacturer. Pay
attention to the level of oil and don't allow it to fall below the its minimum.
A recall has been issued of an oil
shortage on the vacuum pumps for brakes. in the absence of this, brake servo
assistance could be cut down. Valvetronic engines require vacuum pumps because
they don't have a throttle plate, so they don't generate an vacuum in the
intake manifold.
Tuning these engines to increase
power isn't something to be avoided, so you do it professionally on a road that
is paved. Take care of "wonder chips" and miracle power chip sellers
on eBay.
There are reports of heads that have
cracked due to heat issues when aftermarket tuners push things too far. A limit
of 330lb/ft is quoted by a variety of sources as a number that should not be over.
In January of 2015, BMW revamped the
timing chain in order to fix an issue on some engines in which it stretched.
The timing chain was replaced by an TSB that was issued in 2012 in order to
repair the seal for oil for the tensioner of chain.
The recall was issued on the 2014
models year engine because of malfunctioning of the fuel pump with high
pressure. Nickel plating within the pump was not up to the standard required
issue with the supplier, which has affected many car makers. Pumps in these engines
are believed to last longer than the three-litre N54/N55 engines.
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