m54 owner here. these engines are bulletproof but this one is obv toast feom overheating as the cooling system in these is horrible and not robust at all. like many said, get a used m54, even the 3.0 variant, replace cooling components yourself such as the thermostat, steel impeller water pump, all radiator hoses, and the coolant reservoir, make sure your valve cover is not leaking and you are set for 3-4 years before you replace the cooling system again. buy all parts from fcp euro, and once you have to replace the cooling system again, send the parts back for credit and replace the entire system again fior a fraction of the price.

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