BMW N13 and N18 Prince Four Cylinder Engines

BMW N13 engine

N13 in an F30 316i.

Chronology

The N13 was designed as 1600cc turbocharged engine which could be mounted longitudinally in a rear wheel drive BMW or transversely in a front wheel drive MINI. Development was carried out jointly with Peugeot Citroen (PSA).

The engine was first sold in 2011 on the F20 116i and F30 316i. A more powerful version was used in the 118i and a detuned version in the 114i.

In MINIs this unit is referred to as an N18 or "Prince" engine. Many components are made in France but engine assembly is performed at BMW's UK Hams Hall factory.

PSA will develop this engine for future models but BMW will eventually replace it with their new B38 three cylinder units.

BMW N13 engine

Front view of an N13.

Design

Unusually these engines have an 84mm cylinder spacing, the block is of Peugeot Citroen lineage rather than BMW. 1400cc and non-turbo 1600 versions exist but are not used by BMW.

This is an all alloy four valve per cylinder engine with a generously sized intercooler. The compression ratio is 10.5:1. Like the N20 the engine featured a new design of crankcase ventilation system that was part of the valve cover.

Most of the engineering and technology is from BMW. This includes the Valvetronic system, twin scroll turbo, dual VANOS, direct injection, electric coolant pump and on-demand oil pump.

BMW N13 engine

N13 in a 114i.

Variants

Code Size Power
bhp@rpm
Torque
lb/ft@rpm
BHP/
litre
Torque/
litre
Made Bore x
Stroke
Timing Weight
(kg)
VANOS
N13 1.6 100 @ 4000
134 @ 4350
168 @ 4800
110 @ 1100-3900
162 @ 1350-4350
184 @ 1500-4500
62.5
84
105
69
101
115
2011 on 77x84.8 Chain ? Valvetronic
+ VANOS

 

BMW N13 engine

Cutaway showing valve train and twin nozzle turbo.

Problems

As this is a direct injection engine the intake valves aren't cleaned by fuel. They will build up carbon deposits which need to be cleaned by removing the intake manifold, possibly every 40,000 miles. All GDI engines do this, not just BMWs - it's the price we pay for lower emissions. It'll be worse on engines that don't get revved much and do a lot of short trips.

Turbo engines need clean, good quality oil in order to have a long life. Consider changing the oil before the factory recommended interval. Keep an eye on the oil level and never let it go below minimum.

Tuning one of these engines for more power is not a bad thing, so long as it's done professionally on a rolling road. Beware of "wonder chips" and miracle power chips from ebay.

BMW versions of this engine seem to have a far better reputation for reliability than PSA versions.