typical mileage on m42

[xwill112x]

they will run forever if taken care of.

check the cam gears!!! if they are pointy they need replaced. should have about 1/8" flat spot on top of each gear... or else...

what happens if you dont change them? it mashes the valves? mine have been pointy for a while now..

[4bangerfury]

I wish I knew what my m42 was getting, but the odometer gears are stripped. 28-30mpg feels pretty right. It's what my previous car would do and I'm filling up about once every two weeks just like I was with the old car. The odometer stopped working at 250k with the previous owner and it's still going strong. I've added at least 10k to that since I bought it.

Definitely pull the valve cover at least and check the cam gears. Both m42 motors I have had great cam gears, but the both of them had sharp points on the crank timing chain gear. It's at least a day long job to get to that gear, let alone replace it too.

Another thing to check is for bolts in the oil pan. There is a very informative thread on m42club all about why it happens and what to do about it. I basically scoured that site for information for 2 weeks before finally pulling the trigger on my 318is.

[b*saint]

34 mpg @ 55 mph.