Sulfur in the gasoline? (cnn.com)
05-29-2004, 07:50 PM
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Sulfur in the gasoline? (cnn.com)
Here's the story.
What is going on these days, is there a conspiracy to get us off of gas or at least make us pay for our Porsche addiction through the nose? I think this particular incident is another thing that will invariably make prices go up. Haven't seen or heard anything about this "sulfur" problem here on the Left Coast.
What is going on these days, is there a conspiracy to get us off of gas or at least make us pay for our Porsche addiction through the nose? I think this particular incident is another thing that will invariably make prices go up. Haven't seen or heard anything about this "sulfur" problem here on the Left Coast.
05-29-2004, 08:06 PM
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One of our local gas chains has been advertising entirely sulphur free fuel for a while now... so apparently there's at least a bit of it in usual fuels. Never knew about this problem though, I always thought it just had something to do with emissions...
05-29-2004, 11:38 PM
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This was apparently a problem at one refinery in Louisiana, which explains why its a regional issue.
This year refineries have to meet standards of 300 ppm sulfur maximum with an average of 120 ppm in gasoline. I guess that explains why Motiva decided not to sell the gasoline with high sulfur.
The sulfur reduces the efficiency of catalytic convertors.
This year refineries have to meet standards of 300 ppm sulfur maximum with an average of 120 ppm in gasoline. I guess that explains why Motiva decided not to sell the gasoline with high sulfur.
The sulfur reduces the efficiency of catalytic convertors.
06-01-2004, 09:19 AM
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Had that problem here in Tampa Bay area just last week. The stupid news people said "Just makes the gas guage act up no harm done to the engines." It was shell with there drive clean fuels lol and techron. For some reason it was only in 87 and 89 grades and the 93 wasn't effected. Also they had to sell the 93 at the price of 87 but I didn't see that maybe in some gas station they did. Also the news people said "They have to sell 93 for the price of 87 by law and also if your car doesn't used 93 it could cause damage to the engine" They really must be just reading it off the paper and know nothing.
06-01-2004, 10:22 AM
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One positive side effect was that the price of the replacement gas at Shell stations in the New Orleans area was significantly lower this past weekend.
06-01-2004, 10:25 AM
#7
BMW had to replace a tonne of 4.0L V8 engines due to corrosion from sulphur...
That is the super short overview isnt it :>)
My 540 had the replacement done as well.
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That is the super short overview isnt it :>)
My 540 had the replacement done as well.
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06-01-2004, 11:55 AM
#8
Race Car
I believe its all V8s made by BMW in the 90s including the 3.0 had a factory recall. Most were replaced but I still would not buy one without documentation....
06-01-2004, 12:12 PM
#9
Only the 4.0V 8 with the Nikasil block was a problem. Affected 540 and 740. The 3.0L have a lower CR and were not affected. You dont need documentation, just a flashlight as the engines are stamped differently. You want an Alusil block. My Al. block has over 80K on it and it runs strong. The Nik. block lasted 92K.
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06-01-2004, 09:47 PM
#11
Edit:
The E34 530/540/E38 740 and 840 were also effected.
ALL BMWs with the M60 in 3.0L and 4.0L variations appear to have suffered the failures.
by Brett Anderson
introduction by Paul Dzimian
I remember the first time I noticed Brett in an e-mail on the BMW digest that I thought his reply to a question was very insightful. Time and again I would run into Brett in various news groups on the internet until we both wound up in the Bimmer Tech Group. I finally met Brett at Gateway Tech in St. Louis this spring after he decided at the last minute to go. He drove about 24 hours straight through to get there, it was quite an experience. He is one of the very best technicians that I have ever met. Brett Anderson is an Australian, living and working on BMW’s in the New York City area. One of his current projects is a CD-ROM service manual for E30, three series cars. It will set the standard by which all other service manuals will be judged. His web site, from which this article came from is http://www.koalamotorsport.com/ .
What’s wrong with the V8?
BMW released the M60B30 and the M60B40 V8's with the 93 model year, five, seven and eight series cars. These engines were produced until the 95 model year. From the 96 model year, they were replaced by the M62B44. The 3.0L was dropped in the US, but the rest of the world got the M62B35, a 3.5L V8.
There are many rumors about the fate of the M60 engine, but only one is true. The engines have been known to suffer damage to the cylinder bores from the excessive amounts of sulfur in the US fuels. (Since this article was written I have heard of similar failures in these motors in other countries, the lower sulfur content of there fuel allowed the engine to last longer but the failure seams unavoidable. Sulfur content in fuel is not a constant and will vary between brands and regions of the country as well as other countries.)
The blocks are made of Nikasil, which is aluminum impregnated with nickel and silicone. Apparently, sulfur reacts adversely with the nickel, causing very slight blemishes in the top few millimeters of the cylinder bore. The cylinder bores are crosshatched, which is the name given to a pattern scratched into the surface of the cylinder wall. These scratches help seat and seal the piston rings, allowing for good compression. It is this area (C) that gets damaged by the sulfur and will wear through the crosshatching, causing the piston rings to not seal.
When the cylinder walls become damaged, the piston rings can no longer seal properly. As a result, the engine suffers from “leakdown.” This is the term given for the amount of air that can escape past the piston as it attempts to compress the air into the combustion chamber. A near new engine, in good condition, should have a leakdown rating of approximately 5-8%. BMW’s maximum allowable leakdown, on any engine, is 15%. Anything beyond that requires repair to the engine. Leakdown can also be caused by poorly seated valves, worn or damaged pistons and rings due to a variety of other causes other then the sulfur problem.
The problem in the V8's manifests itself as an EXCESSIVELY rough idle. These engines, due to their performance oriented camshafts, have a noticeable “rock” at idle, this is completely normal. However, excessively rough idle will cause the entire car to shake, usually unevenly. The loss of compression can become so severe that the engine will not be able to start!
While BMW was investigating the cause of the problem, several different methods of repair were tried.
First, they decided to raise the operating temperature of the engine, in an attempt to get a better burn of the gas, and therefore lessen the damage. The benefits of this campaign, which included replacement of the engine EPROM and the thermostat, were negligible, if existent. At that time they were attempting to fix a problem that the root cause of which was still unknown.
Once it was decided that the engines needed to be opened and repairs made, the first try was installation of new pistons and rings, this was only tried on a couple of engines and was immediately dismissed as not viable.
The next step was to replace the short block assembly. This is what is still being done now, however, until the problem was 100% diagnosed by BMW, the replacement short blocks were of the same material as the original engines. This was not so much an oversight, but the only possible way of keeping cars on the road until a permanent solution could be found.
As a measure of good faith, BMW initiated an engine warranty, covering all internally lubricated parts, which includes the short block, for 100,000 miles, or six years. Until this, the engines were only covered under the standard four year 50,000 mile warranty. As short blocks were originally being replaced with the exact same part, future problems could be expected without a doubt. The result of this situation is that some cars have had two and even three short block replacements.
As of early 1997, ALL replacement short blocks were of the new material, called Alusil. This material has been used in the V12 engines since their inception. No reason was given for the change to Nikasil, but I’d like to bet that guy no longer has a job. Anyway, Alusil does not suffer the same problem as the Nikasil and if the Alusil short block has been installed, you no longer need to worry about the situation.
How to tell which material is in your short block.
This part is fairly easy. However, it requires getting under the right front of the car. All M60 and M62 blocks have casting numbers on the right side, directly alongside the third cylinder, slightly above the coolant drain bolt. You can see these numbers if you look between the undertray and the front subframe. You will need to move the starter wiring harness over a bit to get an unobstructed view, but nothing needs to come apart.
These are the casting numbers to look for, and the only way to determine which engine you have.
Nikasil M60B30 1 725 970 or 1 741 212
Nikasil M60B40 1 725 963 or 1 742 998
Alusil M60B30 1 745 871 NOTE: all M62 engines are Alusil.
Alusil M60B40 1 745 872
Alusil M62B44 1 745 873
What you do if your engine idles roughly.
If you feel that your M60 motor is idling roughly, make an appointment with your dealer for an idle quality check. This checkup is free, under conditions of the 100,000 mile engine warranty. In this test, the technician will hook up the car to a diagnostic computer which will monitor the condition of the engine. If, during this test, the computer finds that there is a potential problem, it will order the technician to perform a manual leakdown test. If any ONE cylinder is found to have more then 15% leakage, you will be advised of the need for a new short block. You will then be requested to make an appointment for the work needed. The dealer may require the car for approximately five days, during which, they are to make a rental or loaner car available to you.
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The E34 530/540/E38 740 and 840 were also effected.
ALL BMWs with the M60 in 3.0L and 4.0L variations appear to have suffered the failures.
by Brett Anderson
introduction by Paul Dzimian
I remember the first time I noticed Brett in an e-mail on the BMW digest that I thought his reply to a question was very insightful. Time and again I would run into Brett in various news groups on the internet until we both wound up in the Bimmer Tech Group. I finally met Brett at Gateway Tech in St. Louis this spring after he decided at the last minute to go. He drove about 24 hours straight through to get there, it was quite an experience. He is one of the very best technicians that I have ever met. Brett Anderson is an Australian, living and working on BMW’s in the New York City area. One of his current projects is a CD-ROM service manual for E30, three series cars. It will set the standard by which all other service manuals will be judged. His web site, from which this article came from is http://www.koalamotorsport.com/ .
What’s wrong with the V8?
BMW released the M60B30 and the M60B40 V8's with the 93 model year, five, seven and eight series cars. These engines were produced until the 95 model year. From the 96 model year, they were replaced by the M62B44. The 3.0L was dropped in the US, but the rest of the world got the M62B35, a 3.5L V8.
There are many rumors about the fate of the M60 engine, but only one is true. The engines have been known to suffer damage to the cylinder bores from the excessive amounts of sulfur in the US fuels. (Since this article was written I have heard of similar failures in these motors in other countries, the lower sulfur content of there fuel allowed the engine to last longer but the failure seams unavoidable. Sulfur content in fuel is not a constant and will vary between brands and regions of the country as well as other countries.)
The blocks are made of Nikasil, which is aluminum impregnated with nickel and silicone. Apparently, sulfur reacts adversely with the nickel, causing very slight blemishes in the top few millimeters of the cylinder bore. The cylinder bores are crosshatched, which is the name given to a pattern scratched into the surface of the cylinder wall. These scratches help seat and seal the piston rings, allowing for good compression. It is this area (C) that gets damaged by the sulfur and will wear through the crosshatching, causing the piston rings to not seal.
When the cylinder walls become damaged, the piston rings can no longer seal properly. As a result, the engine suffers from “leakdown.” This is the term given for the amount of air that can escape past the piston as it attempts to compress the air into the combustion chamber. A near new engine, in good condition, should have a leakdown rating of approximately 5-8%. BMW’s maximum allowable leakdown, on any engine, is 15%. Anything beyond that requires repair to the engine. Leakdown can also be caused by poorly seated valves, worn or damaged pistons and rings due to a variety of other causes other then the sulfur problem.
The problem in the V8's manifests itself as an EXCESSIVELY rough idle. These engines, due to their performance oriented camshafts, have a noticeable “rock” at idle, this is completely normal. However, excessively rough idle will cause the entire car to shake, usually unevenly. The loss of compression can become so severe that the engine will not be able to start!
While BMW was investigating the cause of the problem, several different methods of repair were tried.
First, they decided to raise the operating temperature of the engine, in an attempt to get a better burn of the gas, and therefore lessen the damage. The benefits of this campaign, which included replacement of the engine EPROM and the thermostat, were negligible, if existent. At that time they were attempting to fix a problem that the root cause of which was still unknown.
Once it was decided that the engines needed to be opened and repairs made, the first try was installation of new pistons and rings, this was only tried on a couple of engines and was immediately dismissed as not viable.
The next step was to replace the short block assembly. This is what is still being done now, however, until the problem was 100% diagnosed by BMW, the replacement short blocks were of the same material as the original engines. This was not so much an oversight, but the only possible way of keeping cars on the road until a permanent solution could be found.
As a measure of good faith, BMW initiated an engine warranty, covering all internally lubricated parts, which includes the short block, for 100,000 miles, or six years. Until this, the engines were only covered under the standard four year 50,000 mile warranty. As short blocks were originally being replaced with the exact same part, future problems could be expected without a doubt. The result of this situation is that some cars have had two and even three short block replacements.
As of early 1997, ALL replacement short blocks were of the new material, called Alusil. This material has been used in the V12 engines since their inception. No reason was given for the change to Nikasil, but I’d like to bet that guy no longer has a job. Anyway, Alusil does not suffer the same problem as the Nikasil and if the Alusil short block has been installed, you no longer need to worry about the situation.
How to tell which material is in your short block.
This part is fairly easy. However, it requires getting under the right front of the car. All M60 and M62 blocks have casting numbers on the right side, directly alongside the third cylinder, slightly above the coolant drain bolt. You can see these numbers if you look between the undertray and the front subframe. You will need to move the starter wiring harness over a bit to get an unobstructed view, but nothing needs to come apart.
These are the casting numbers to look for, and the only way to determine which engine you have.
Nikasil M60B30 1 725 970 or 1 741 212
Nikasil M60B40 1 725 963 or 1 742 998
Alusil M60B30 1 745 871 NOTE: all M62 engines are Alusil.
Alusil M60B40 1 745 872
Alusil M62B44 1 745 873
What you do if your engine idles roughly.
If you feel that your M60 motor is idling roughly, make an appointment with your dealer for an idle quality check. This checkup is free, under conditions of the 100,000 mile engine warranty. In this test, the technician will hook up the car to a diagnostic computer which will monitor the condition of the engine. If, during this test, the computer finds that there is a potential problem, it will order the technician to perform a manual leakdown test. If any ONE cylinder is found to have more then 15% leakage, you will be advised of the need for a new short block. You will then be requested to make an appointment for the work needed. The dealer may require the car for approximately five days, during which, they are to make a rental or loaner car available to you.
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Last edited by Matt H; 06-01-2004 at 10:02 PM.
