The other of the two major potential failures is the S65’s failure-prone rod bearings. It is suggested that if one has failed, you should replace both at the same time. Remanufactured OEM units are one of the most cost-effective solutions. They are not cheap to replace, especially if you don’t do them yourself, so this is something to expect and budget for if you are looking at an E92 M3 to purchase. They tend to just go at one point or another and that’s all there is to it. There isn’t a real reason why these actuators fail, nor a mileage/age that they commonly do. You will see codes that alert you to the failure along with your car entering limp mode and losing power. Throttle body actuators, the electric motors that open the butterfly valves in the throttle bodies, are known to fail in the M3. This is one of the two real problems that cripple S65 engines on a regular basis. It’s a good idea to go ahead and do the valve cover gaskets, coils, and plugs at the same time for the best results. Don’t forget to replace the spark plugs and spark plug tubes when you do this service.
However, if you see a puddle after your park your M3, chances are it needs new Valve Cover Gaskets. Using oil like LIQUI MOLY Molygen is an easy way to trace oil leaks, as it has a UV dye additive that makes spotting leaks easier. If you notice that you tend to top off the oil in your engine more than once a month from only regular driving, you probably have a leak. Look for oil buildup, stains on the driveway, and keep an eye on your oil level. You can spot this fault by inspecting the valve covers where they meet the heads of the engine. Particularly from the valve covers, as is often the case with the E92 M3’s S65 V8 engine. It will keep your intake, valves, and ports clean while still allowing your engine to relieve that built-up pressure in the crankcase for the cleanest operation possible.
The only solution is to install a catch can, like the ECS Baffled Oil Catch Can, to intercept that oil from the PCV system and prevent it from ever reaching your intake. That means your M3 isn’t receiving all the air it could, which hurts performance, and creates nasty buildup that coats your intake valves. Along with that relieved pressure comes oil and carbon particles that are introduced with the intake air and burned off in the combustion cycle. This solves one issue but creates another. Like almost all manufacturers, BMW uses a crankcase ventilation system (PCV) that releases built up crankcase pressure by reintroducing it into the intake system. We suggest replacing all the spark plugs and coil packs when you buy the car anyway, but if you didn’t and you are experiencing these symptoms, you should go ahead and tackle that maintenance service. If your M3 has trouble starting in cold weather, has irregular misfires, or is just generally slow to crank over, then you likely have bad plugs and/or coil packs. Not to be confused with a bad ICV, you may have some similar symptoms from bad coils and/or spark plugs. The only fix is to replace your ICV with a new unit.
It might seem like a vacuum leak, but you will not see a code in the event of a vacuum leak. You can identify a bad ICV if your M3 has a rough idle, irregular RPM at idle, or if it hunts to find a happy idle. The ICV can fail, which will put your M3 into limp mode and illuminate your dash with a Check Engine Light and some fun error messages. Idle Control ValveĪs your M3 racks up the miles, the possibility of an ICV failure grows. These are the most common issues you can expect from the M3’s S65 V8 that range from mildly inconvenient to catastrophically tragic.
In terms of overall reliability, the E92 M3 is one of the most dependable on the planet, but you have to address maintenance concerns and a few common faults before you can ease all worries. However, they aren’t without their faults.
For roughly $25,000, you can have a 414hp S65-powered coupe with a manual or DCT transmission that perfectly balances luxury and performance for a stellar daily driver, weekend cruiser, or track weapon. If you are looking at an E92 M3 or just purchased one, you’re in for one of the most rewarding driving experiences available, especially for cars at that price point.