Jalopnik BMW engine rant - I read this and I am pissed

[andy_sk]

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/bmw-en...hit-1784684330

Your thoughts ...

[SD ///M4]

It's Jalopnik. The anti-BMW sentiment runs strong there. And basically, anyone can submit anything they want. A fertile ground for wannabe writers.

You can always submit your comments on how many times that BMW has won Ward's "Best Engines" awards but I doubt that that would sway the writer one bit.

[SmokinFast]

What? There are rod bearing issues on the E9X platform? I want my money back.

Did I spell all that correctly and use proper grammar?

Originally Posted by andy_sk

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/bmw-en...hit-1784684330

Your thoughts ...

[wntrsnowg]

The guy has a personal bias against it because of the bad situations he has experienced. Does that make ALL of them bad? I don't think so

[RichZ4]

A lot of that stuff is true...

Lets say you really want a 540 wagon like 2000 ish as a daily beater... Found a mint one with 77k miles down the road..

You will have to change the timing rails and water pump and why not just do all the main hoses, radiator etc ? Why would you not take care of the vanos issues also?

OK. Try explaining that to a customer that doesn't understand this.

So do we have bad owners? That Camry wagon doesn't have many secrets but I wouldn't want one unless I start a new family in a third world nation.

[Redd]

I wouldn't call it anti-BMW just because he's pointing out facts. For example, why should we accept rod bearing issues that spans across multiple generations of engines as 'normal'?

Gearboxes and valve covers that leak oil? Normal. Creaky interior, normal. In this day and age, from a German engineered car? Come on.

[davis449]

He's not wrong...I laughed when I read that months ago.

[wdb]

Nope not wrong. He pushes it harder than necessary, but not wrong. I didn't, and won't, buy a used BMW to be a daily driver for this very reason. But I will buy them as toys, and (if I wasn't too much of a cheapskate) I'd happily drive a new one and let the warranty worry about that stuff.

[Germanauto]

Jalopnik is the Buzzfeed of the automotive world.

[GuidoK]

A little bit about the author:

Tavarish writes and makes videos about

If he really knew what he was talking about he would do actual work on cars....

Think about it: if your car is broke or you want to improve it. Do you bring it to a journalist or to a reputable mechanic/shop?

People who write about cars almost per definition dont have any understanding of their true workings.

Originally Posted by Redd

For example, why should we accept rod bearing issues that spans across multiple generations of engines as 'normal'?

You think an understroke engine that revs to 8k is normal?
Even honda's can have this issue and these are usually oversquare.

[MalibuBimmer]

Hyperbolic bullshit from a hyperbolic bullshitter. This phrase lets us know just how seriously to treat the opinions by this guy: "all BMW engines are monumental piles of unreliable garbage."

Having had a large number of BMWs, many with over 100,000 miles on their odometers, my engines have not suffered the same fate. Perhaps that was because I took care of them and didn't drive them into the ground.

[jeffc83]

What the hell? At the bottom, it says this about him?!

"Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez@theRealTavarish
Tavarish writes and makes videos about fixing and modifying cars on the internet. Sometimes they actually run."

Sometimes they actually run? WTF? And I want to read anything he writes about cars?

[motorwerkeman]

He's spot on about the N20.

[davis449]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

A little bit about the author:


If he really knew what he was talking about he would do actual work on cars....

Think about it: if your car is broke or you want to improve it. Do you bring it to a journalist or to a reputable mechanic/shop?

People who write about cars almost per definition dont have any understanding of their true workings.


You think an understroke engine that revs to 8k is normal?
Even honda's can have this issue and these are usually oversquare.

Umm, he does ACTUALLY work on cars. His rant comes from his own experience with BMW's tearing them apart and rebuilding them. I'm not saying he isn't hyperbolic and a bit overblown, but he does know of which he speaks.

What the hell? At the bottom, it says this about him?!

"Freddy "Tavarish" Hernandez@theRealTavarish
Tavarish writes and makes videos about fixing and modifying cars on the internet. Sometimes they actually run."

Sometimes they actually run? WTF? And I want to read anything he writes about cars?

Do you understand sarcasm and/or tongue-in-cheek remarks?

Hyperbolic bullshit from a hyperbolic bullshitter. This phrase lets us know just how seriously to treat the opinions by this guy: "all BMW engines are monumental piles of unreliable garbage."

Having had a large number of BMWs, many with over 100,000 miles on their odometers, my engines have not suffered the same fate. Perhaps that was because I took care of them and didn't drive them into the ground.

Good for you...for everyone one of you there's one who's had the opposite experience.

I'm not anti-BMW at all...I'm just realistic about them, and every car from every marque I've owned.

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

People who write about cars almost per definition dont have any understanding of their true workings.

You're wrong, and here's why:

Find me anybody, in any field, who is an expert at what they do to the point where the majority of enthusiasts in that field respect that person. Now, among those experts, find me somebody who can write their ass off with minimal editing, on deadline, and in volume. Now, among those experts who can write, find me anybody who can write in a style that almost everybody can understand.

I could go on. It's not that simple. The skill set necessary is extraordinarily rare. Take it from someone who knows this firsthand.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

You're wrong, and here's why:

to the point where the majority of enthusiasts in that field respect that person.

You would be right when your statement would say the majority of experts.

This is about factual matter, not about what makes good reading for 'enthousiasts' as that doesnt say anything about their intellect.

That writer is a journalist and nowhere near an engineer otherwise he'd write an in dept column. But that's no good reading for 'enthousiasts' as it would require thinking to understand. What makes a good or bad engine is usually a very complicated matter.
If you write that down in a matter that almost everybody can understand... then you're leaving things out.

Take it from someone who knows this firsthand.

Originally Posted by davis449

Umm, he does ACTUALLY work on cars. His rant comes from his own experience with BMW's tearing them apart and rebuilding them. I'm not saying he isn't hyperbolic and a bit overblown, but he does know of which he speaks.

Then why doesnt he speak of undersquare cylinder setups with high revs (regarding bearings), why doesnt he speak of cam timing/lobe angle (regarding vanos) or speak of specific output, torque curvers etc. Even emissions come in play.
He leaves that out because he doesnt grasp the relationship.
That is not in my book 'he does know of which he speaks'. But maybe I set the bar a bit higher than the average reader.
Says as much about them as about me I guess...

And you can also write this exact same column about any brand. Every car brand has its reliable engine blocks and unreliable engine blocks. But hey, thats boring too.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by wdb

Nope not wrong. He pushes it harder than necessary, but not wrong. I didn't, and won't, buy a used BMW to be a daily driver for this very reason. But I will buy them as toys, and (if I wasn't too much of a cheapskate) I'd happily drive a new one and let the warranty worry about that stuff.

I agree that he is not wrong and he pushes it a bit hard. I'm on my 4th BMW. My E28 528 I bought new and ran it up to 150k miles and gave it to my son who put another 75k or so on it. Total issues: one water pump. My two E39 540s ('97 and '03) were both bulletproof except for pixels and radiator neck cracking (both cars). Like my E28, I sold my '97 to my son at 120k miles or so and he put another 50k in it with only one issue, a fuel pump.

So far, my F30 has 42k miles and its been perfect so far.

I think about the extra money I would have spent if I'd sold my BMWs when the warranty expired. In my case, a few problems now and again are no big deal financially compared to the cost of switching cars every 4 years just because they might break. Now, if a person wants a newer car for advanced technology or status sake, I say go for it. But BMWs can be reliable, properly maintained, for years and years. and a heck of a lot less expensive than being stuck with perpetual car payments.

[///M Power-Belgium]

The truth never lies...

[r20]

Originally Posted by andy_sk

http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/bmw-en...hit-1784684330

Your thoughts ...

Every time I go to service my BMW there is almost always 1-2 cars in there with major engine repair.. I mean entire front end off, suspension off, engine on chains etc..

Take a peak yourself.


I also think BMW created that culture of just throwing anything away that's not functioning because of their Warranty.

I mean BMW techs are trained to be morons/ theifs.

Because BMW USA is paying... sort of like the healthcare problem in America. You keep going to the doctor because someone is paying for it.

[yousefnjr]

Special engines require special care water is wet, sky is blue...

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by GuidoK

You would be right when your statement would say the majority of experts.

This is about factual matter, not about what makes good reading for 'enthousiasts' as that doesnt say anything about their intellect.

That writer is a journalist and nowhere near an engineer otherwise he'd write an in dept column. But that's no good reading for 'enthousiasts' as it would require thinking to understand. What makes a good or bad engine is usually a very complicated matter.
If you write that down in a matter that almost everybody can understand... then you're leaving things out.

Take it from someone who knows this firsthand.

Oh, so you're going to be snide now. OK, gloves off:

So you're judge, jury, and executioner regarding factual matter? Please. Who made you a demigod of engineering?

You talk as if good journalists don't deal in facts. Well, "fact" is, they do -- particularly ones who deal, day in and day out, in technical topics that are easily proven or disproven. Sir, journalists can be fired for misrepresenting things easily disproven.

I ask you to prove to me that these dudes were not experts, were not good automotive journalists, and were not all that knowledgeable about engines and such:
- Patrick Bedard
- Csaba Csere
- L. J. K. Setright
- Tom McCahill
- Dan Neil
- Dennis Simanaitis
- Dan Carney
- Peter Egan
- Larry Webster

I pretty much rolled these off the top of my head. "Fact" is, every one of the writers above has extensive technical experience. Several have engineering degrees. A few have raced competitively -- including major races. A couple have built their own race vehicles. And they all wrote for mainstream publications in which the ability to explain complex topics in plain language was absolutely key to them keeping their jobs.

Ask any one of these people -- in "fact", why don't you ask the Jalopnik writer, too, since he's basically said things about BMW engines few are refuting with their own proof -- if it's impossible for them to explain what makes a good or bad engine "in a matter that almost everybody can understand," as you say. I guarantee you that to a person, none would say it is impossible. It's just not easy.

Thing is, very, very few people want a writer who is going to get that technical, man -- and it damn sure isn't going to sell papers or magazines or get click-thrus or views. So what if he's leaving things out? If he makes his point and backs it up with some reasonable and prove-able facts -- not ALL reasonable facts, just some -- really: who the hell cares except extremists like you?

[Beartato]

Jalopnik, ha. Didn't even click the link, the URL just screamed of clickbait, like most of Jalopnik.