N52 legality in NY?

[superawesomemegakittens]

Hi everyone, first time poster on this forum. I'm looking at getting myself a 128i after the summer and have started looking at the cars and generally what is available. I moved to the US a year ago and this would be my first time car buying stateside.

I'd like to ask about the legality of the N52 engine in NY (which follows CA rules as far as I understand when it comes to emissions and where the 128i was sold with the N51 instead). Can anyone chip in whether there would be any issue getting the N52 registered and passing smog emissions? Ideally i'd be looking at a N52 with the DISA upgrade but that would be the extent of it. I wouldn't be interested in catless headers.

Thanks in advance!

[zapatista]

Get a N51 and the tune, you won't need to do the DISA upgrade as the intake manifold already has the 2 valves. I have the Active Autowerke tune on my N52 and it's very nice for more upper RPM band response. I think it works well with the N51 too.

[bNks334]

Originally Posted by jadedaid

Hi everyone, first time poster on this forum. I'm looking at getting myself a 128i after the summer and have started looking at the cars and generally what is available. I moved to the US a year ago and this would be my first time car buying stateside.

I'd like to ask about the legality of the N52 engine in NY (which follows CA rules as far as I understand when it comes to emissions and where the 128i was sold with the N51 instead). Can anyone chip in whether there would be any issue getting the N52 registered and passing smog emissions? Ideally i'd be looking at a N52 with the DISA upgrade but that would be the extent of it. I wouldn't be interested in catless headers.

Thanks in advance!

It doesn't work like that here in the states... N51 engine just passes "SULEV" standards... It's just a badge for them to market the car as low emissions.

NY does not do smog testing at the tailpipe. They just check for emissions monitor "readiness." New York being a "SULEV" state means that registering an N51 in NY will give you an extended warranty. If you register an N51 in a non-SULEV state the extra warranty doesn't apply. That is all it means...

[superawesomemegakittens]

Originally Posted by bNks334

It doesn't work like that here in the states... N51 engine just passes "SULEV" standards... It's just a badge for them to market the car as low emissions.

NY does not do smog testing at the tailpipe. They just check for emissions monitor "readiness." New York being a "SULEV" state means that registering an N51 in NY will give you an extended warranty. If you register an N51 in a non-SULEV state the extra warranty doesn't apply. That is all it means...

Thanks a bunch - I wasn't aware that the N51 is an engine which because it meets a certain standard comes with certain additional perks in SULEV states. I was worried there might be something more to it, such as that you can only register vehicles vehicles made after a certain year which meet a certain standard. I'll go on my merry way and hunt for a N52 then

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by zapatista

Get a N51 and the tune, you won't need to do the DISA upgrade as the intake manifold already has the 2 valves. I have the Active Autowerke tune on my N52 and it's very nice for more upper RPM band response. I think it works well with the N51 too.

Just saying, the N51 has the 3 stage intake to compensate for the fact it's lower compression and has a worse head than the N52.

[zapatista]

Just sayin'

https://store.activeautowerke.com/pr...-tune-software

[ArmatageShanks]

Originally Posted by desertman123

Just saying, the N51 has the 3 stage intake to compensate for the fact it's lower compression and has a worse head than the N52.

The N51 is just fine. Maybe your butt dyno "feels" the higher compression in an N52, but if both had the tune and 3 stage intake, the hp difference is minuscule.

[Manual Transmission]

Originally Posted by ArmatageShanks

The N51 is just fine. Maybe your butt dyno "feels" the higher compression in an N52, but if both had the tune and 3 stage intake, the hp difference is minuscule.

I wasn't aware people even tuned the n51 since it came with a 3IM from the factory. Is there even any noticeable power to be made with a n51 tune? I was under the impression the factory tune had extracted maximum power since it had a lower compression ratio.

Since you mention heads, could an n52 head be put on an n51 for higher compression?

[ArmatageShanks]

Originally Posted by Manual Transmission

I wasn't aware people even tuned the n51 since it came with a 3IM from the factory. Is there even any noticeable power to be made with a n51 tune? I was under the impression the factory tune had extracted maximum power since it had a lower compression ratio.

Since you mention heads, could an n52 head be put on an n51 for higher compression?

That is not true. One of the most popular N52 tunes, Active Autowerkes, is also available for the N51. The difference after upgrades and tunes between an N52 and an N51 is maybe ~10 hp.