N55 Engine
Here at JCR (Leeds) Limited we specialise in maintaining the high performance N55 Engine platform, we offer the full range of servicing requirements for these vehicles. The N55 engine can be found in many different BMW performance models.
- 2009-2017: 535i F10/F11/F07
- 2010-2013: 335i E90/E91/E92/E93
- 2010-2013: 135i E82/E88
- 2010-2017: X3 xDrive35i F25
- 2011-2013: X5 xDrive 35i E70
- 2011-2015: 335i F30/F31
- 2011-2014: X6 xDrive 35i E71
- 2012-2015: X1 xDrive35i E84
- 2013-2016: 435i F32/F33/F36
- 2014-2018: X5 xDrive 35i F15
- 2014-2019: X6 xDrive35i F16
- 2014-2016: X4 xDrive 35i F26
- 2013-2016: M235i F22/F23
- 2012-2015: 740i/Li F01/F02
- 2011-2018: 640i F06/F12/F13
- 2016-2018: BMW M2 F87
Changing the engine oil in your N55 engine is an essential part of keeping your car maintained and engine healthy. The engine oil has an important role in keeping your engine lubricated to reduce the wear on the moving parts.
Changing the oil is a DIY job, the below guide explains how to do this:
What happens if you do not change your engine oil on time?
Increases engine wear.
- Fuel economy decreased.
- Overall engine performance decreased.
The job of the engine oil is to keep all moving parts in your N55 engine lubricated. Without adequate lubrication the moving parts in your engine will wear and allow debris to circulate inside the engine, potentially causing catastrophic damage.
As oil ages it will suffer with degradation, the molecules of the oil break down and it will lose its viscosity. The oil can become oxidised and contaminated when used for too long. We suggest using fully synthetic oil to provide your N55 Engine with good lubrication.
Always follow the manufacturers service schedule unless your vehicle is run at a higher velocity than a stock vehicle, we recommend using high quality synthetic oil like Millers 5w 40 and servicing every 5,000 miles instead of 10,000 miles. The same can be said for vehicles over 80,000 miles as these engines have seen a lot of use and require more frequent maintenance to keep their reliability.
When should you change the engine oil on a N55 Engine?
BMW have a generic service interval listed on their vehicles of 15,000 miles between each service. Our recommendation is to perfrom preventative servicing on your highly tuned N55 engine at 7,500 – 10,000 miles between each interval.
The N55 engine burns oil faster than your average BMW and therefore you will require a top up of engine oil between services (see 5: How to check the oil level in an N55 engine?).
If you have tuned your N55 Engine or use your vehicle for track use, our recommendation is to increase the servicing intervals at 5,000 miles to prevent any engine damage.
Below we have created a recommended service interval guide for the N55 engine platform.
How much will it cost to change oil on a N55 Engine?
We sell an OEM service kit for our N55 owners who wish to service their own vehicle. You can use these parts to provide to your local garage if you want them to use OEM parts only and maintain your manufacturer warranty if applicable.
We offer 2 options for the N55 Engine:
OEM Sump Plug
OEM Oil Filter
OEM Quantum 0w30 (5L) recommended to change to 5w40 if tuned or over 80,000 miles to protect the engine components
(Coming to our shop soon)
OEM Sump Plug
OEM Oil Filter
Millers 5w40 (5L)
(Coming to our shop soon)
If you are booking in with us to bring your N55 down to our unit, the costs are as follows:
- Interim Oil service using Quantum 0w30 £160
- Interim Oil service using Quantum 5w40 £160
- Interim Oil service using Millers 5w40 £200
How long will it take to complete an oil change on a N55 engine?
It will take around 45 minutes to complete the engine oil service on your N55
What Tools are required to change the oil in your N55 engine?
- ½ ratchet
- ½ extension bar
- 86mm oil filter socket
- 17mm Socket
- Diagnostic scan tool
What Parts are required to change the engine oil in your N55?
Using high grade fully synthetic oil is essential as a N55 owner. The OEM specification is LL01 (BMW Long Life – 01) for the N55 engine, that is not to say you cannot use other high grade fully synthetic oil.
The N55 will run comfortably on the following oil:
- 0w30 Fully Synthetic Long Life
- 5w30 Fully Synthetic Long Life
- 5w40 Fully Synthetic Long Life
Our recommendation is to use Millers 5w40 nanodrive. This race competition specification oil is thicker in consistency, it has higher viscosity meaning it will provide more lubrication to protect your engine at high temperature.
What Parts are required to change the engine oil in your N55?
- N55 Oil Filter Part Number 11427953129
- N55 Sump Plug Part Number 11137535106
- Engine Oil (Quantum 0w30 / Quantum 5w40 / Millers 5w40) (requires 6.5L)
Step by step Guide to servicing the N55 engine:
1: Draining the engine oil
Before starting to drain the engine oil, make sure you have the car level and safe on the ramp or for those at home on secure the car level on axles stands.
- Remove oil filler cap (this allows vacuum to release oil quickly).
- Lift car to desired height.
- Flip the plastic service door open
- Place oil drain under the drain plug before removing and dispose of oil environmentally friendly.
- Using a 17mm socket unscrew anti clockwise and remove.
- Allow full contents of the oil to drain into the oil drain pan.
- Once all contents have drained replace with a new sump plug and washer and screw in to 25nm
2: Removing/Replacing the oil filter
Once all the oil has drained from the engine, you are now ready to remove and replace the old oil filter.
- The oil filter is located at the front right side of the engine on the top side
- Using an 86mm oil filter wrench unscrew the oil filter cap
- The oil filter will come out with the cap
- Remove the old oil filter
- Remove the old o-ring from the oil filter cap
- Lubricate the new o-ring with some fresh engine oil and place back in position
- Place the new filter into the guide and put back in position in the oil filter cap
- Thread the filter and cap back onto the oil filter housing, make sure its thread is engaging properly to avoid damaging it.
- The correct torque for the oil filter cap is 25nm.
3: Refilling the engine oil
Before filling the engine with fresh oil make sure you have replaced the sump plug and oil filter.
- You are now ready to refill the engine with the initial fill.
- Only use high quality fully synthetic 0w30 / 5w30 / 5w40 oil. (Recommended Millers 5w40 Nanodrive)
- We advise around 6.2L for the initial fill, top up if required after measuring the oil level.
5: How to check the oil level in an N55 engine?
Checking the oil level in your M135i, M235i, M335i is not done using a dipstick, you will have to use the in-car display to check the level.
- Using your I Drive select vehicle information.
- Then select vehicle status
- Now start the engine.
- Your vehicles engine oil will now have to reach temperature before it will do the measurement.
- The option show “start measurement” will be greyed out until turning white when it become selectable
- The message “start measurement” becomes available go ahead and select
- While the measurement is taking place the revs on the vehicle will rise
- Once completed the screen will display a bar showing the level of the engine oil
- If you need to add some more oil, remember to not overfill (far easier to add oil than remove it)
- The correct service fill amount for the N55 engine is 6.5L
Path to use: vehicle information - vehicle status - start measurement
6: How to Reset the service light in your BMW?
Now you have changed the oil in your N55 engine it is time to reset your service light. You can do this from the car or with a capable diagnostic scan tool.
- Ignition on.
- Press and hold the trip button
- This will open the service menu on your BMW
- Click the trip button until you find the option for oil service
- Press and hold the trip button again and this will reset your service interval
- You can now see a screen showing the new due date for the next oil service interval
- After doing any service now messages will disappear confirming this action and your service indicator will have been changed
- You can also perform a service reset using a diagnostic scan tool and these should have an option to reset the service indicator.
Following the above straight forward steps, you will successfully have changed your N55 engine. Thank-you for reading our guide, we do hope you found it useful. To follow us for more content and a little humour, you can subscribe to our Youtube channel here
Overview:
- 6.2 - 6.5 Service fill capacity / 0w30, 5w30 or recommended 5w40
- 17mm Socket for sump plug / Replace at 25nm
- 86mm Oil Filter wrench / replace at 25nm = 30nm
Using dealer level diagnostic tools, here at JCR (Leeds) Ltd we service the N55 engine with OEM parts to dealer specification. Servicing N55 vehicles for customers with vehicles from the West Yorkshire area:
| Area | City | Towns | |
| City of Bradford | Bradford | Addingham, Baildon, Bingley, Burley in Wharfedale, Cottingley, Crossflatts, Cross Roads, Cullingworth, Denholme, East and West Morton, Eccleshill, Eldwick, Esholt, Great Horton, Gilstead, Harden, Haworth, Ilkley, Keighley, Menston, Oakworth, Oxenhope, Queensbury, Riddlesden, Saltaire, Sandy Lane, Shipley, Silsden, Stanbury, Steeton, Thornbury, Thornton, Tong, Undercliffe, Wibsey, Wilsden. | |
| Calderdale | Halifax | Bailiff Bridge, Boothtown, Brighouse, Copley, Cragg Vale, Elland, Greetland, Hebden Bridge, Heptonstall, Hipperholme, Holywell Green, Luddendenfoot, Mytholmroyd, Norwood Green, Rastrick, Ripponden, Shelf, Shibden, Sowerby Bridge, Todmorden | |
| Kirklees | Huddersfield | Almondbury, Batley, Birkby, Birkenshaw, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Dalton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Emley, Golcar, Gomersal, Hartshead, Hartshead Moor, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Honley, Kirkburton, Kirkheaton, Linthwaite, Liversedge, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield, New Mill, Norristhorpe, Roberttown, Scammonden, Shelley, Shepley, Skelmanthorpe, Slaithwaite, Thornhill | |
| City of Leeds | Leeds | Crossgates, Allerton Bywater, Beeston, Boston Spa, Collingham, Garforth, Guiseley, Harewood, Harehills, Headingley, Holbeck, Horsforth, Hyde Park, Gipton, Kippax, Kirkstall, Ledsham, Ledston, Methley, Middleton, Morley, New Farnley, Otley, Oulton, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Pudsey, Rothwell, Rawdon, Scarcroft, Scholes, Stourton, Swillington, Walton (Leeds), Wetherby, Yeadon, Woodhouse | |
| City of Wakefield | Wakefield | Ackworth, Alverthorpe, Castleford, Crigglestone, Crofton, Durkar, Fairburn Ings, Featherstone, Ferrybridge, Fitzwilliam, Hemsworth, Horbury, Knottingley, Newmillerdam, Normanton, Nostell, Ossett, Outwood, Pontefract, Ryhill, Sandal, Sharlston, Stanley, Walton (Wakefield), West Bretton | |
