Another Headgasket Bites the dust!

[_Nathan_]

I used to just stick to the normal service intervals when I was doing a lot of track days, mainly becuase I couldn't be arsed to do anything more

[shane@mbtech]

Would changing the oil very frequently help the HG from not failing?

Any routine maintenance will prevent engine issues Yes.

I change my oil after every track day.

I have done 4k in my CSL and oil changed by me 5 times and murketts have just done it last month FOC. It certainly does no harm and the oil temps the cars see when driven hard I think its needed.

That said its very easy for me to change the oil:thumbs:

[XKaLiBaR]

Would changing the oil very frequently help the HG from not failing?

[cantfind1]

Feel for you mate.

I've still got 'people' looking at mine - could be a new engine, they think the piston has hit spark plug so not technically a head gasket failure but maybe a HG failure could of caused it ?

Mine's on 28k and has been used mainly as a commuter.

9 weeks and counting and still no remedy.

There definately seems something with age/mileage causing this to happen. Does the standard M3 suffer from the same ?

Someone correct me if I am wrong but I am not sure that the piston hitting the spark plug is possible on this engine as I think it s non interference ie even if your cam chain went the valves would not hit the piston, so I ve heard never actually checked though? any one know for certain?

HG failure would not cause that any way.

Well perhaps its that you are not driving it hard enough you really need to get these engines hot and rev them occasionally to get rid of the carbon build up, it can be quite severe! maybe enough carbon to soak up some of the fuel mixture on initial start up making it run a little rough? Just a thought. Really depends how rough it is though. keep us informed!

[mattCSLnut]

Oh thoust may mock today ........

Going all Tudor on us ? all of the sudden :whistle:

[shimmy]

Maybe I should take a leaf out of your book and not do any Ring laps at all :gayfight: :blalalala:

Oh thoust may mock today ........

[mattCSLnut]

technically it covers HG but just make sure you don't tell anyone on a public forum about the remap :thumbs:

I think you've got another 20k miles of driving yours half throttle around the Ring before you'll need a new HG Matt

I'll make sure I don't :whistle:

... and there was me thinking half throttle was the way to preserve the H.G. :banghead:.
Maybe I should take a leaf out of your book and not do any Ring laps at all :gayfight: :blalalala:

[shimmy]

I wonder if I'm next in line for a NEW H.G. :smt087 as I'm past 75K now, tracking the car extensively and have no evidence of a replacement H.G as yet, in the extensive history file :smt100 Good thing the BMW extended warranty covers the H.G. though :whistle:
Bad luck about your one letting go :smt085

technically it covers HG but just make sure you don't tell anyone on a public forum about the remap :thumbs:

I think you've got another 20k miles of driving yours half throttle around the Ring before you'll need a new HG Matt

[bromers]

Yep its true!

Got it leak tested today and its leaking between cylinders 1 and 2 didn t bother testing the others as no need.

Will see what it looks like when it comes off.

So I had the same symptoms as Bromers and Shimmy, Replacing fuel Pump, Fuel relay and fuel filter did improve the rough running dramatically but something was still not right!

So while its off will have the injectors cleaned, new water pump, rads cleaned, water temp sensors, knock sensor, ARP head bolts, valves shimmed and have the valves re seated.

I can t wait for the Bill!!:banghead:

Moral of the story, seems that there are a lot of head gasket issues at the moment, if you are concerned about rough running get the engine leak tested.

Not sure what's causing these HG issues as my car has no history of running hot on oil or water temps, however I do believe it has been running lean due to the fuel pump pressure, will see what the report says about the injectors.:smokin:

Feel for you mate.

I've still got 'people' looking at mine - could be a new engine, they think the piston has hit spark plug so not technically a head gasket failure but maybe a HG failure could of caused it ?

Mine's on 28k and has been used mainly as a commuter.

9 weeks and counting and still no remedy.

There definately seems something with age/mileage causing this to happen. Does the standard M3 suffer from the same ?

[mattCSLnut]

True Lawsy you should be wary of remaps, most of them are a load of crap that have been copied and passed around from tuner to tuner and fiddled with by some inept bloke who thinks he knows how to change the code and in which tables to change it. Good luck I say!

Find a good one though and you have nothing to worry about.

There are loads of cars without maps on them that have had HG fail,

Good thing then that Rob @ DMS writes his remap programs from scratch and guarantees his work :thumbs: and the cars that they are applied to :beer:

I wonder if I'm next in line for a NEW H.G. :smt087 as I'm past 75K now, tracking the car extensively and have no evidence of a replacement H.G as yet, in the extensive history file :smt100 Good thing the BMW extended warranty covers the H.G. though :whistle:
Bad luck about your one letting go :smt085

[shane@mbtech]

Could it be oil starvation caused by doing very fast cornering whilst accelerating? The drifting lot, put extra oil in their engine because of this.

If an engine knock developed or a rod through the block then engine starvation could be blamed, but not likely causing hg failure.

I always run my engine at max for this reason when on track :thumbs:
Slightly high would probably be ok too. ,

[cantfind1]

True Lawsy you should be wary of remaps, most of them are a load of crap that have been copied and passed around from tuner to tuner and fiddled with by some inept bloke who thinks he knows how to change the code and in which tables to change it. Good luck I say!

Find a good one though and you have nothing to worry about.

There are loads of cars without maps on them that have had HG fail, It's just the design of this engine. The cylinder walls are very thin in between cylinders hence the gasket is thin, added to this the head and block are alloy so they flex and stretch, they are bolted together using BMW crap Head bolts which stretch as well, so the gasket is not held tightly.

Mark my words every body's gaskets are probably on the way out shortly especially if it's over 60000 miles and driven hard.

Hey if I am wrong then we have nothing to worry about! :thumbs:

[XKaLiBaR]

Could it be oil starvation caused by doing very fast cornering whilst accelerating? The drifting lot, put extra oil in their engine because of this.

[shane@mbtech]

Or:

alot of cars with HG seem to have HG problems :hahaha:

At least someone else is talking sense:thumbs:

[shane@mbtech]

easy to say Lawsy but you could equally of said;

alot of cars with Intrax seem to have HG problems
alot of cars with flaps removed seem to have HG problems
alot of cars with high track miles seem to have HG problems
alot of cars with Recaro front seats seem to have HG problems

if you know what I mean

If you want to talk bollocks then Yes.

Only one really relevant to HG issues on your list would be the high track miles. The pedant in you might already know this though.

I know my reasons for being dubious about remaps.

I have been thinking about it a lot lately and to the consequences of such. As it is hard to tell "what caused what", I am merely thinking out loud. The remaps available may be perfectly safe, it still does not stop me being concerned.

It seems there has been a rise in the frequency of hg failures of late, whether that be age/"useage" related is unknown or whether there are external influences is unclear at present, but for the benefit of other csl register members and fellow enthusiasts I am merely bouncing thoughts around in the hope for some intelligent returns.

I take on board the heavy track useage as a major factor though