Life and times of Index 12 injectors

[pbondar]

Continue to behave like a demented squirrel…I bought some 20k mile used index 12 injectors from a guy I knew on a tuning forum..he was moving onto port injection hence those becoming available…

I paid a 1,000 USD and had them shipped direct to IQRaceworks who has a cleaning , calibration and analysis capability …for less than 200 USD he runs them, then cleans them with ultrasonic including back washing them..if they survive all that then they are good to go…he ships them out with fresh seals and decouplers..

Pick of his test rig here…

So I’ve added to that my pile of goodies.new HPFP, cam box, injectors, turbos etc .


Interesting to see how one injector at 20k miles was already misbehaving..something to say for high detergent fuel

 

[jayntguru]

Was that one able to be cleaned and saved?

 

[pbondar]

Was that one able to be cleaned and saved?

Yup..pls read his commentary ..

 

[Racetune]

It's Great there is a recon / flow service as well as new options from Vitesco.

Unfortunately this design is faulty for a reliable DI system. Index 12 doesn't mean it's going to last forever - it's just the latest and last revision with fixes. I've had Index 12 fail on my S63 and the car is 100% stock.

I'd assume this is why they ditched the Siemens / VDO setup and went straight to Bosch for the N55, S55 using EU6 injectors.

 

[ShocknAwe]

It's Great there is a recon / flow service as well as new options from Vitesco.

Unfortunately this design is faulty for a reliable DI system. Index 12 doesn't mean it's going to last forever - it's just the latest and last revision with fixes. I've had Index 12 fail on my S63 and the car is 100% stock.

I'd assume this is why they ditched the Siemens / VDO setup and went straight to Bosch for the N55, S55 using EU6 injectors.

We're pretty thoroughly stuck with the piezos

 

[pbondar]

It's Great there is a recon / flow service as well as new options from Vitesco.

Unfortunately this design is faulty for a reliable DI system. Index 12 doesn't mean it's going to last forever - it's just the latest and last revision with fixes. I've had Index 12 fail on my S63 and the car is 100% stock.

I'd assume this is why they ditched the Siemens / VDO setup and went straight to Bosch for the N55, S55 using EU6 injectors.

The N55 was a row back to reduce manufacturing costs where they over engineered the N54 and address the weaknesses of the N54s which were it’s peripherals..BMW stated that they didn’t get the benefits they hoped for with the original injectors..

 

[wheela]

The N55 was a row back to reduce manufacturing costs where they over engineered the N54 and address the weaknesses of the N54s which were it’s peripherals..BMW stated that they didn’t get the benefits they hoped for with the original injectors..

Over engineered is an interesting way to describe reliability problems

 

[pbondar]

Over engineered is an interesting way to describe reliability problems

I refer to the forged crank, forged rods and an engine at its highest peak output of 335 BHP doesn’t suffer from piston, valve, timing chain, cylinder head, crankcase , oil pump, clutch, gearbox, camshaft issues

 

[SlowE93]

I refer to the forged crank, forged rods and an engine at its highest peak output of 335 BHP doesn’t suffer from piston, valve, timing chain, cylinder head, crankcase , oil pump, clutch, gearbox, camshaft issues

But crank hub slips if you sneeze at it and bends rods, valves, damaging pistons, oil pump, camshafts.....

 

[pbondar]

But crank hub slips if you sneeze at it and bends rods, valves, damaging pistons, oil pump, camshafts.....

As Stephen Hawkin would say ''its a question of relativity"...if you look at the issues with N20 engines you'll be glad you've got a N54..maybe a B58 is better but they seem to be starting to have their own issues..

And of course I was referring to a stock N54 not a tweaked one..I can't recollect many crank hub slipping on stock N54s?

 

[wheela]

As Stephen Hawkin would say ''its a question of relativity"...if you look at the issues with N20 engines you'll be glad you've got a N54..maybe a B58 is better but they seem to be starting to have their own issues..

And of course I was referring to a stock N54 not a tweaked one..I can't recollect many crank hub slipping on stock N54s?

N54's will spin too, but s55 is the one that really has a spun hub issue.

 

[wheela]

I refer to the forged crank, forged rods and an engine at its highest peak output of 335 BHP doesn’t suffer from piston, valve, timing chain, cylinder head, crankcase , oil pump, clutch, gearbox, camshaft issues

N55 doesn't have issues with any of those things either. And it actually doesn't suffer from various things n54 suffers from due to additional engineering that went into the n55 specifically to fix n54 issues.

I thought about a thorough rebuttal to clear up some misconceptions about n55, but decided not to clutter OP's thread with a bunch of n54 vs n55 chatter

 

[pbondar]

N55 doesn't have issues with any of those things either. And it actually doesn't suffer from various things n54 suffers from due to additional engineering that went into the n55 specifically to fix n54 issues.

I thought about a thorough rebuttal to clear up some misconceptions about n55, but decided not to clutter OP's thread with a bunch of n54 vs n55 chatter

Errr..I think we are furiously agreeing..I didn’t say the N55 was bad ..what it is is better cost engineered for its intended task..anyway i’ll go home now

 

[wheela]

Errr..I think we are furiously agreeing..I didn’t say the N55 was bad ..what it is is better cost engineered for its intended task..anyway i’ll go home now

No worries, I always like some good discussion with fellow enthusiasts!!

 

[ShocknAwe]

Let's not conflate N54 with spun crank hubs. That's not one of the common issues.

I can think of a lot of issues my N54 has had, but that's not one of them.

It's basically just leaks and injectors tbh. Oh did I mention leaks? Yes. Leaks. Everywhere.

 

[SlowE93]

Let's not conflate N54 with spun crank hubs. That's not one of the common issues.

I can think of a lot of issues my N54 has had, but that's not one of them.

It's basically just leaks and injectors tbh. Oh did I mention leaks? Yes. Leaks. Everywhere.

@SLOWESTN54 has seen this in person a few times. It in fact does exist.
However, my N54 so far has no issues, zero leaks, crank hub still intact, no injector issues, and runs like a champ. @SLOWESTN54 can attest to how clean the car is with no issues.
Kind of amazing actually, prolly cuz it's slow

 

[ShocknAwe]

@SLOWESTN54 has seen this in person a few times. It in fact does exist.
However, my N54 so far has no issues, zero leaks, crank hub still intact, no injector issues, and runs like a champ. @SLOWESTN54 can attest to how clean the car is with no issues.
Kind of amazing actually, prolly cuz it's slow

N54s have thrown rods through blocks too but it's not like it happens on a schedule.

 

[SlowE93]

N54s have thrown rods through blocks too but it's not like it happens on a schedule.

True, but more spun hubs than rods...although they do bend* rods as well. Not usually in stock form BUT has happened plenty on 100% stock motors as well.

 

[SLOWESTN54]

@SLOWESTN54 has seen this in person a few times. It in fact does exist.
However, my N54 so far has no issues, zero leaks, crank hub still intact, no injector issues, and runs like a champ. @SLOWESTN54 can attest to how clean the car is with no issues.
Kind of amazing actually, prolly cuz it's slow

Can Confirm, the clean but slow 335 is infact very clean, with a good N54