Engine BMW B37 (C15/D15)

The 1.5 liter BMW B37 3-cylinder diesel engine series has been assembled since 2014 and is installed on models with front-wheel drive as B37C15 and rear-wheel drive as B37D15. On Mini cars, this diesel engine is known under its own index B37C15A.

Diesel three-cylinder B37 engines from the modular family debuted in 2014. The design is typical for that time: an aluminum block with a closed cooling jacket, an aluminum 12-valve cylinder head with hydraulic lifters, a variable geometry turbine, a modern Bosch Common Rail system with piezo injectors and a timing chain drive.

In 2017, the engines of this series were upgraded and in the literature they are called B37TU1. The updated units received a more sophisticated exhaust cleaning system with AdBlue injection, an upgraded block of balancers, thanks to which it was possible to seriously reduce vibrations and a more modern fuel system with an injection pressure increased from 2000 to 2200 bar.

Front-wheel drive engine modifications:

  • B37C15K0 (95 hp / 220 Nm) installed on BMW 2-Series F45 in 2015 – 2016, 2-Series F46 in 2015 – 2018;
  • B37C15U0 (116 hp / 270 Nm) installed on BMW 1-Series F40 since 2019, X1 F48 since 2015, 2-Series F45 in 2014 – 2021, 2-Series F46 since 2015.

Rear-wheel drive engine modifications:

  • B37D15K0 (95 hp / 240 Nm) installed on BMW 1-Series F20 in 2015 – 2019;
  • B37D15U0 (116 hp / 270 Nm) installed on BMW 1-Series F20 in 2015 – 2019.

Specifications

Production years since 2014
Displacement, cc 1496
Fuel system Common Rail
Power output, hp 95 – 116
Torque output, Nm 220 – 270
Cylinder block aluminum R3
Block head aluminum 12v
Cylinder bore, mm 84
Piston stroke, mm 90
Compression ratio 16.5
Hydraulic lifters yes
Timing drive chain
Phase regulator no
Turbocharging yes
Fuel type diesel
Euro standards EURO 6
Engine lifespan, km ~300 000

Disadvantages of the B37C15, B37D15 engine

  • This is a very reliable diesel engine and owners often complain only about vibrations. After the 2017 update, the engine began to run smoother and there was less scolding.
  • In the early years of production, the EGR system, here it is called AGR, could clog up to 30,000 km. There was a recall campaign in the European market to replace a defective valve.
  • As with other modern diesel engines, a lot of trouble is associated with the vagaries of piezo injectors, the rapid contamination of the intake manifold and the turbine geometry change system. And there were also cases of destruction of the thrust bearing due to axial play of the crankshaft.

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