I repeat regularly – expensive and responsible spare parts purchased only from a reliable supplier. This time – about my success in the purchase of the spare parts. I hope my experience will be useful. Conclusions – at the end of this entry.
This time, the story is about my everyday car, whose N53B30 engine has a mileage of 500’000km. I will mention only facts, and it will be maximum compact.
In three cylinders: injectors of 07 and 09 releases, which have a resource of at least 350’000km without the slightest problems.
In cylinder No.4 – the injector of the 11th release was installed more than a year ago, purchased from one of the wholesalers, and has performed perfectly for at least 100’000km already. Reason for the replacement – the previous injector (07 release) started to leak in idle. Unfortunately, it happens – for example, due to micropart, stuck in the nozzle of the injector, this is a typical defect.
In the remaining two cylinders, during the last 100’000 (around one/one-and-a-half years), four injectors of 11th release in each cylinder are replaced!
All replaced injectors are supplied by the same supplier (different from previously mentioned) – this is the unifying component.
Defects of the injectors:
- after a 9’000km in Stratified charge by the average required torque (70 .. 100Nm), strong knocking/misfires started in the cylinder. Defect stable. At the same time – all parameters of the injector and bank; adaptations – correct;
- after 40’000km, the nozzle started to get stuck in an open condition. Interval: 200 .. 500km. For 5 .. 10 seconds, the injector stuck in the open position. 7 events waited before replacing the injector;
- directly after installation, increased misfire density in Stratified charge observed; adaptations and Lambda – correct; after 15’000 – 20’000km, the injector was replaced;
- directly after installation, strong “floating” of the chemical efficiency was observed during the Stratified charge (till +1.50mg/stk). For approximately 5’000 .. 10’000km, the defect progresses – floating becomes swift; short-term vibration of the exact cylinder appears. After a while, irregular shivering of the engine starts (misfiring not as a cause but misfires as a consequence due to the inadequate amount of injected fuel). Finally – 4 events were observed, during which the injector was stuck in the open position for 5 .. 10 seconds. This problem is not solved even by switching off the engine several times and switching the HPFP in emergency mode; the total resource of the injector is around 30’000km;
- directly after installation, significant flowrate difference from the planned is detected; the defect progresses over time. Finally, DME detects that the injector “falls out” of the allowed corridor;
- quite regular “leaking” in idle – shortly after installing, the injector started to leak strongly in idle several times. Offset adaptations on Stratified charge mode fell out of the allowed corridor.
In all cases, previously identified defects completely disappeared after replacing the current injector. After the first two cases, I thought: coincidence. After 6+ cases… I see two possible scenarios:
- in my case, the percentage of the defective (new) injectors makes up 100%, defects – quite untypical; the manufacturer of the injectors suddenly is not able to manufacture a quality product or deliberately sells brack;
- injectors, purchased by me, actually are for example used, but – cleaned (probably, sorted out without severe defects or wiped with some chemicals) and packed in the boxes of new injectors.
All injectors were purchased from a cooperation partner, who said that they were obtained from a dealer in Germany. Now, the version is slightly different – injectors were acquired via an international wholesaler who purchased them from a dealer in Germany. Unfortunately, the injectors were obtained without any documentation or warranty. Accordingly, – I have bought a pile of defective injectors. Of course, these are lies because the purchase of spare parts for a legal person (company) from an authorized person (company) is not possible without any accompanying documents. No doubt – my ex-corporation partner lies to me – and avoids any responsibility in this situation.
The situation is quite dumb. I did not even want to save any money. I had that cool “team” feeling when the cooperation partner organized the deals. I don’t have suspicions that the cooperation partner deliberately sold any defective spare parts. His profit from the sale – is most probably negligible. Yes, if I knew that a massive seller of spare parts sold its products without documentation and warranty – I would consider such an offer very suspicious. I would not choose such a supplier. But I did not know it because I trusted my cooperating partner.
Sentence of this entry: unfortunately, we can not know who is a “reliable” seller, who – a fraud. So I modify my suggestion: responsible spare parts purchase only from the dealer! Keep the purchase documentation! If the service installs the spare parts, ask for documentation! Including:
- in which cylinder;
- by which mileage;
- which encoding data (of the injector);
or any other specific signs of the installed part. Only if you have the purchase and installation documentation, you can ask for the fulfillment of warranty obligations.
Yes, I’ve lost around EUR 1500, not even counting the time. Yes, I have no slightest illusions that anyone in the supply chain will react in any way. You can learn from my experience. Don’t do it like me!
p.s. Upgrade. After some time, I got a confirmation – all these injectors were refurbished by the manufacturer (as well as all of the piezo injectors after 2021). Unfortunately, the quality of the first batches was pitiful.
