Here’s a hot topic with a lot of BMW owners,,,,this car came in with check engine light on and engine whine and rattle noise,,,,check engine light was low oil pressure and jammed oil pressure ,,,,,I noticed the timing chain whine but the engine was also rattling,,,,I removed the valve cover to inspect the timing chain,,,,you can see the chain rail missing and jammed under the vanos unit.
So I removed the oil pan to see what’s going on inside and this is what I found at the bottom of the oil pan,,,,there was so much plastic from the timing chain rail,,,there was also a broken bolt and metal shavings in the pan.
There was so much plastic in the oil pan that the oil pump was sucking up pieces of plastic causing a oil pressure issue and causing more damage.
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bmwtechnician 
Oh,Oh
Same issue as with the old BMW 4 cylinder engines N46 and N43, when they became older.
timing chain issue and oil pressure loss because of this.
Sometimes it seems that BMW does not learn from their mistakes
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Sorry not we don’t see the N46,N43 engine in the United States
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I know, be glad, these engines are mass products in germany and they have a lot of problems with the timing chains.
We see little problems with the N20 here, maybe the reason is that this engine is more common in the US market
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Yes the N20 and N26 very common engine in the states
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So I hope my X1 28i will remain as reliable as in the last 5 years without any issue
… Merry Christmas from Bünde, Germany ….
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I was born in Bremen Germany,,,,,Merry Christmas from the States
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What year and mileage? Was it covered? Thanks.
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This was covered under CPO warranty
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First off, Merry Christmas and thanks for running this blog.
I have a 2014 328i GT with an N20. Currently 89000 miles, always dealer maintained. This is well outside of the recent warranty extension. I intend to run the car for another 2-3 years.
What can I do to avoid a failure? Or what are the early warning signs? Can I expect my dealer to see any early signs of failure during a regular visit? They have seen the issue on three x3’s, but not other models as of yet.
Thanks!
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Merry christmas ,,,there really isn’t anything you can do to stop failure,,,,the early signs is the whine noise the timing chain make when it starts to go bad,,,,also there might be a chain rattle during morning start up.
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Wow this is pretty bad. It is surprising that the engine still runs. Well at least in PZEV states this will be covered 100% up to 15 years/150000 miles since CEL is triggered. Hooray! (NOT!!!!)
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is it really covered under PZEV warranty? This is part of the covered emission parts?
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This was covered under CPO
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BMW should really have a recall on this, which can be a safety if the timing chain busts in the middle of traffic.
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I replaced the tensioner which is easy and anyone can do it and probably worthwhile. Likely the chain loses tension from wear on the links and the tensioner weakening (I know its oil pressure assisted)causing slap and breaking the plastic guides as well as rubbing off the block creating aluminium filings.
Out of interest what’s the highest mile successful n20 engine you have seen that has not needed repair to it’s injectors, timing chain or oil pump? I would presume all have needed turbo replacement at some point.Most seem to last around 40000 miles.
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I have seen over 80k on timing chain,oil pump and turbo,,,,usually the injectors have been already replaced by then,,,,,,Merry Christmas
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Mine is at 43k on original chain and tensioners. The turbo and injectors have been replaced recently. 2012 28i z4. Ive seen them listed with 100k miles so the engine core must be capable of this and more.Merry Xmas from Ireland
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Do u think replacing tensioners is a good preventive maintenance?
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You could replace it,,,,it couldn’t hurt anything
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My 2014 328GT just flipped over 90,000 miles. The only major repair, covered under warranty, was a starter replacement under 20000. So far, regular BMW service intervals and dealer service have worked.
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It’s only a single screw in tensioner on the front of the engine. Takes about 10 minutes anyone can do it. It does take a few minutes to compress while pushing and screwing inwards to get it to thread in so no need to panic if it won’t just screw in. My new one had more spring to it than the old one did. It should take a mm or two of slap out of the chain to protect the guides.
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I doubt Bmw garages would change it but many enthusiasts do every 30k miles as a service item with the oil change. Can’t hurt and only costs around 30.
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I will pay out of my pocket to have it changed befor it snaps, my car is a 14 320i xdrive, are any of the new parts any better than the parts in my motor now.. n20
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On your 2014 you should not have a problem,,,,they updated the chain and the rails
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What year did BMW update or fix the plastic chain rails in the N2o Engine? I’m looking to buy a newer N20 engine for my 2012 328i and I don’t want to put the same “problem” back into my car. Will a 2015 engine work?
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Yes a 2015 should work,,,2015 has updated timing chain and rail
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Are you able to do a quick DIY on timing chain tensioner? Or how to remove electric wastegate (do we need to reprogram car after removal?). Also how many cars have you been seen with major timing chain issues? like 1/10, 1/100 etc. How worried should we really be?
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You might have to remove the wastegate depending on which one one you have electric or vacuum ,,,I forget which one you remove,,,,no you don’t have to reprogram if you remove the electric wastegate,,,I have probably seen about 5 or 6 out of 100
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Do I need to have the transmission in park or neutral when replacing timing chain, guides and oil chain and pump on an auto. Thanks
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You leave it park
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Apart from the timing tool, do I need any other special tools to replace timing chain and oil pump and chain?
🍻
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You will need flywheel lock out tool,,,because you will need that to hold the engine while torque down the front lower crank bolt
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VNRUYQE/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1516688099&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=n20+timing+tool
Is this all I need or does the flywheel lockout come separately.
I have an auto transmission
🍻
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Nice kit,,,I see the pin to lock out for TDC,,,,,but you need the separate tool to hold the flywheel when you torque down the front crank pulley
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Nice. Thank you
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https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00VNRUYQE/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1516688099&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=n20+timing+tool
Is this all I need. Or does flywheel lockout come separately
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How many hours do you think it would take as a DIY? Is engine removal necessary?
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That’s a tuff question,,,,,it depends if you have a car rack and all the proper tools,,,,,when we drop the engines,,,,we drop them from the bottom with the transmission attached,,,,we have a custom table to hold the engine and trans,,,,I can do a N20 engine swap in 2 days with all the equipment
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I have a 2014 X1 (E84) xDrive 28i. The build date is 6/2013. Right now the engine is running okay, but I think I see some evidence of rubbing on the chainlinks I see through the oil fill cap. Should I be worried about chain issues?
Engine also has 2 or 3 oil leaks, had to go to three different places to get a diagnosis and repair. I put new cardboard on the garage floor, and after a week I see a few more oil drips.
The muffler also just developed the butterfly valve rattle, not sure what to do about that. The plastic cover over that area is riveted down in my X1. I can’t believe BMW would come up with such an overly complex design to control ‘drone’ – just terrible mechanical design.
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I would just keep my hear peeled for the whine noise,,,,that will tell you the chain is going bad,,,the muffler rattle you can live with,,,,not hurting anything just noisey.
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Okay, I am going to have my local indy shop look at the muffler tomorrow. I might just have them weld it open.
Do I have any options for the timing chain? I have not received any letters or email notices about it. The BMW USA website does not indicate any open recalls or anything.
Looking around it looks like the lowest price for a new engine is about $7k. I doubt the local dealer will do anything, they have a poor reputation for service.
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Yes have your Indy look at the exhaust,,,,,,if it is vacuum controlled you can just disconnect the vacuum line and plug it up,,,,if the flap is electrical controlled you might have to weld it open and disconnect the connector,,,,on the timing chain not everyone needs a new timing chain,,,,only some of them are having problems.
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Hmmm…I am not sure. My X1 only has 41,000 miles, I’ve only had it for about 6 months and put 4000 miles on it. I had to have my indy fix the oil leaking from the oil filter gasket, oil filter housing gasket, and the oil pressure sensor switch gasket. I feel like this is too many problems for such a young vehicle. Thank you for your advice.
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I also have the strange noise I tried to capture in the video here, it is between 0:14 and 0:16, you have to turn up the volume because my camera is not the best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFtolTU-uto
No one seems to know about this soft “thump-thump-thump-thump-thump” that always happens at 10 mph after a cold start. It does not seem correct that this occurs.
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Received a 7 year/70,000 extended warranty on the Timing Chain and Oil Pump Drive Chain from BMW in the mail for my 2015 328i xDrive.
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That’s good news
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Is there a recall or anything for bmw f10 2013 528 n20??
Timing chain teeth jumped almost 7-8 ahead of the adjustment marks
Car wouldn’t start etc
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There might be,,,,some of the 528 were covered with a extended timing chain warranty up to 7/70,,,,you should ask your dealer if your car is still covered,,,,,if you have more then 70k miles you might be out of luck,,,,sorry
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I have a 2015 x1 xdrive 28i. No whine or noises as of yet. About 80k miles on it. Do you know if this model has the updated part for the timing chain?
Thanks!
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Your 2015 should have the new part,,,,the problem was 2012 and 2013
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f30 320i n20 prod.date: 2013-07-31 [model year 2014] also?
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Hey,
I’m planning DIY the guide and chains on X1
service manual calls for:
Lower front axle.
Remove front axle differential.
Remove bearing support
Do I really have to remove differential to remove oil pan ?
No way to get oil pan out without lowering front axle?
Thx
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Sorry the front diff and axles have to come out,,,,because the front diff bolt on to the side of the oil pan and the front axles go though the oil pan on a 4 wheel drive BMW
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Ahh I see it now thank you
How many hours/days does it take you to perform whole fix ? I will just x 3 my time.
Thanks
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That job pays me 10 hours,,,it’s not an easy job,,,,,take your time
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Does this TC issue throw a CEL? And do owners with this failure use the auto-stop start feature?
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No the timing chain does not turn on the check engine light,,,,and the auto stop function has nothing to do with this problem
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Does frequent engine start from auto start/stop wear out the plastic rails?
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Nope,,,,we don’t have this problems on the 6 or 8 cylinders and they both have auto start and stop
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It is quite amazing with so many broken plastic pieces, there is still no warning light(CEL) to alert the driver. Oh well.
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There would have to be a lot of slack on the timing chain to have a check engine light come on
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Ive bought all the bits,tools and torque wrenches to do the job. The tools likely cost more than the parts. The new plastic guide rails whilst the new part number look incredibly flimsy where the clip together with the top support, less than 3 mm of plastic and probably less than 1mm thin. Im thinking this is a every 60000 mile job. Just as well I intend on keeping her as like the car and generally never sell.
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All the 6 cylinder and 8 cylinders are the same way.
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The other thing is do you think a boroscope can inspect if the plastic is broken later on the new guides through the oil fill cap ,so something do do every x miles?
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I have a feb 2014 built 420i. Will this suffer the issue, auc warranty finished and am a bit worried.
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It hard to say if you will suffer the same problem,,,,I would go to your dealer and have your car checked out.
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I will just replace my chain and guides as preventative maintenance. I have 100k km on my 2013. Still have a year of warranty left. Likely complete this next summer. Very Keen to see a dyi on this as well.
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I don’t know of any dyi,,,,but there might be one out there by now
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What concerns should I have on purchasing a 12’ 328i with 2.0 turbo?
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My main 2 concerns is the timing chain issue has it been replaced with the oil pump chain,,,and also the turbo oil feed line was it also replaced and updated
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I bought the car a couple weeks ago and checked the service records and neither two had been done. It sounds like a possible small rattle at first start but smooth under a load. Has 81,500 miles.
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The rattle at first start up is normal and should go away after 5 minutes,,,,the timing chain noise is a whine noise and gets loader when you rev the engine.
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Anything to watch or hear for with the turbo?
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No nothing really on the turbo,,,,just pay attention to any abnormal noises that might come up
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When measuring the chain stretch with the BMW tool at what limit would it be wise to replace the chain to prevent catastrophic failure. Pin out by any degree or wait until flush per 11 31 540.
I have a noisy one but the pin is still out.
In all honesty, these are not bad engines. They just require a service that was not scheduled. No one called the M20 junk unless they failed to replace the timing belt before it broke – it that caused muse more severe damage than this chain jumping and busting up the guides. While being a lot more complex than an M10, these crank out a hell of a lot more power and all at the same size. The M10 would wear out at about 80,000 miles and everyone thought those engines were fantastic. Expectations and oils have changed.
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What we usually do is wait for the timing chain whine noise and then we know we have a problem,,,,and yes I do agree the N20 engine is not a bad engine and it makes good power
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Hello,
I have the X1 with N20 engine.
When I push more gas I get “limited power” symbol on my dash.
Its only under hard acceleration – any tips where to start any common issues that you are seeing ?
Thank you!
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Sorry I need more information then that,,,are there any faults codes?
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Low boos pressure recently, and before no any longer misfire on cylinder 1 and “multiple missfires”
Could this be caused by a vacuum leak ? Intercooler or something ( I had fender bender before, but this showed up months later )
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There could be a leak somewhere,,,you would need someone to smoke test the intake and intercooler,,,,,I would also check cylinder 1 misfire possible a injector,spark plug or ignition coil could also cause a low boost fault
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Hi. I will ask here but in my case it is probably not the timing chain issue. I’m looking for help with the whining noise in the N26 engine 328i F30 from 2015 hear. Two movies below are not mine, but in my engine I hear the same whining noise. My car only have 5000 mileage… Any advise? Any suggestions about the reason for this sound? Thank you in advance.
1. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=6s-gSuN5eFQ
2. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwa-Mj-svyI&feature=youtu.be
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They all made a little whine noise during start up and then the whine noise should quiet down when the engine gets warm,,,,but if the whine noise increases when you rev the engine then you probab have a timing chain issue
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Hi and thank you for your answer. This whining sound can be heard rather when the engine’s revs are falling (drop down between 2000 and 1000 rpm) than when they increase. Warming the engine does not help. Recently, I traveled about 200km and after returning to the garage despite the warm engine, the sound was still present. Of course, when the engine is cold in the morning, this noise can be heard more. Also the guy from BMW checked the timing chain and he told me that there is no problem with it. He also unmounted the belt in order to check the alternator and according to him the noise was still present. I can assume that the alternator and the A/C compresor are both OK. This whining sound is very werid. Sometimes I can hear it only in the morning when the engine is cold and sometimes this sound is present throughout the day.
Three more movies (not mine but noise is 100% the same). Not whistling sound but whining when revs drop down. This whining sound can be also heard when the revs are increasing but they can be better heard when revs are falling. Could you please check?
1. https://youtu.be/KKFlT4HsmQ0
2. https://youtu.be/2TDmD9apoUw
3. https://youtu.be/LxLp2ahcjxQ
Thank you in advance.
Mike
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All 3 of those videos are the timing chain making noise,,,,that one of the signs that the timing chain and oil pump drive chain need to be replaced
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Thx
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Hello, I haven’t seen or heard of 428i with n20 or n26 with these issues…are you aware of any? I have a 2014 428i xdrive with n26. I think it was built 10/2013. I don’t think there are any weird sounds but was wondering if you knew of 4 series having issues.
Thanks
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No I have seen any problems with the 428
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Hi,
I just bought a 2013 X3 28i 3 days ago as the car was in pristine condition (86000km) and I got an excellent deal on it.
After reading all these issues I am concerned. I believe there is a faint whining noise but nothing like the videos posted here. The car is still under warranty until Nov 2019 or 112600 km which ever comes first. I would highly appreciate it if you can answer my questions below.
1- Assuming the engine fails inside the warranty, will the dealership cover the cost ? Is there any fine print they can use to avoid the repairs (for example the car was not serviced at the dealership? or a request to provide the service history ?)
2- Is there any way I can convince the dealership to cover the cost of replacement of the parts that are defected now before a catastrophic failure happens ?
3- Is this issue inevitable ? I mean it is wide spread across the internet which doesn’t make it rare but does this mean that ALL engines of the same model WILL fail eventually ? Aren’t there any engines of the same model that didn’t fail and done over 200000km for example ?
4- other than changing the parts with the new ones, is there any way this can be prevented ?
Final thoughts about taking care of this car so it lives forever 😀 I really like it !
Thanks alot !
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Yes the dealership will cover it if it’s still under warranty and even if the car has not been serviced there,,,,it does help if you have any service records outside of the dealership,,,,no there is no way to convince them from doing it before disaster,,the only way is if they find a problem or if the whine is load enough,,,,no this is not inevitable not everyone has this problem,,,,no there is not preventive maintenance for this problem.
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Thanks for the valuable information.
I have seen the below post
https://bmwtechnician.com/2016/08/07/n20-timing-chain-issue/
Would you say that all the cases you witnessed have the same marks on top of the chain ? (the chain rubbing on something)
If so, this can be easily checked through the oil cap.
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No each one have been different
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Hi BMWTechnician, I just bought a 2015 428i and am paranoid about my engine failing due to this timing chain issue. I was previously bitten by the N54 engine issues so am very wary. My cars manufacture date is 04/2015, does it have the new chain and guide parts or do I need to take it in? I know the new ones are supposed to be white but when I open the oil filler cap it appears orange but not as orange as the pics above (could it be just oil coloring the white part?). I can send the pic of it to you if needed.
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The oil and heat is changing the color of the chain rail,,,your car has the newer parts in it,,,you will be ok
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Thank you for your advice! Helps put me at ease.
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Hi BMWTechnician,
Good news ! I took the car to a scheduled recall and when I was there I told the dealership to check the engine. They got back to me saying there is a problem with the timing chain which is covered under the warranty.
Now I have 2 questions:
1- will they use the newly designed parts ? will this eliminate the problem ? I really plan to keep the car for at least another 100k kilometres.
2- They said I have a problem with the drive belt and the drive belt tensioner (not included under the warranty) and they told me If I choose to do it, I will pay for the parts only since the labor will be included in the bigger job (timing chain change)
However, the price they quoted me is relatively high for the drive belt and drive belt tensioner (around 250 USD plus tax)
Is this price reasonable ?
Regards,
Omar
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Yes they will use the new updated parts 👍,,,this will eliminate the problem,,,and yes do the drive belt and tensioner that a normal price.
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Thanks mate. You have no idea how helpful you were.
God bless you!
Cheers
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👍
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Hello
I have been reading through this thread and have the same noise as Mike who posted in November. The noise I am hearing is a deep ‘diesel’ like noise which has only occurred in the past couple of days, my car is going into the shop next week as I think it may be timing chain related. It only happens when the car has first started and the throttle is jabbed.
Here are some video clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hYWclSCMZI (Most noticeable)
I would appreciate you help very much,
Thank you ever so much.
Nathan
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That doesn’t sound good,,,,,sounds like timing chain issue,,,I recommend to not drive the car,,,,sounds like the timing chain is getting ready to break at anytime causing severe engine damage.
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How many miles on that engine?
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I don’t remember but I believe it was about 40k because it was covered under BMW warranty
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So I have a 2013 BMW 528xi and the car is in “limp mode” and I error code P10F3.
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Sorry I don’t use P codes,,,,I need the BMW codes to help you out
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Sounds like a turbo boost issue,,,if it is then you should have a electric wastegate and that could be your problem
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So how can I diagnose this issue, what should I look for first. I’m pretty experienced DIYer and have owned a few BMWs but first one that’s been turnocharged
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If the problem is the the electric wastegate like the P code says,,,,the problem when you replace the wastegate to has to be adjusted properly or you will have check engine light on again,,,,and to replace the wastegate it needs to be checked by a BMW scanner that operates the wastegate and checks to see if it is adjusted correctly,,,if it is not then the test plan tells you if it has to be adjusted longer or shorter,,,,this is not a DIY fix
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There’s some error codes in the dash screen, would those be of any help
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No those won’t help
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Also what kind of scanner can I purchase that give me genuine bmw codes?
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There are no scanners that give BMW codes
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No.DTC Env 1(km) Env2(s)
1. B7F668 1677731 192861542
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Hi bmwtechnician, I have a 2013 X3 28i that has 65,000 miles on it. Recently the “drivetrain malfunction” warning light came on a few times, with the latest one accompanied by a slight shudder of the car. I brought it right into the BMW dealer for diagnosis. They came back saying that the car needs a new engine ($12,000 or so) because of low oil pressure issues. They are blaming the local service shop where I got my last oil change for breaking off the oil filter “stem” or housing piece, causing damage to the engine and resulting in metal shavings in the oil filter. I have read up on the timing chain problems and I am wondering if they are equally as likely to be the issue? It also sounds like the oil filter housing issue could be a BMW design flaw by using breakable plastic parts for a critical piece like that. I am at my wits end having to come up with $12,000 to replace an engine on a car with 65,000 miles on it! Am I justified in my suspicion that they are trying to pass this off on me when it could easily be a BMW design problem? Thanks in advance for your advice!
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Yes it sounds like they are passing the blame on to the oil filter housing which I think is B.S
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Well I have a 2012 528i xdrive and the engine is seized. So I’m looking for a good used. Is the oil pan going to be the only difference between awd and rwd? Are X1 engines or 3 series engines the same as long as I swap my parts over? That would broaden my search possibilities.
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Yes the difference is the oil pans,,,,and 3 series you are ok,,,not x1
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Hi BMWTechnican: Thank you for all your have done for the bimmer community. I have a 2012 528i xdrive and just had the whining noise issue fixed by BMW dealer in Monrovia CA. The dealer did the complete procedure as recommended by BMW for this issue (26 work hours). The whining noise is gone but I start noticing two issues: 1) my car does not drive as smoothly as before albeit feeling more powerful during acceleration. Vibration can be felt at a complete stop when transmission is in Drive. Vibration goes away if I switch transmission to Park. 2) my steer wheel seems to be a little off centered. Do you think 1) and 2) are possible or just my paranoia ? Which part of the procedure can possibly cause 1) and 2)?
Thank you so much. To help the community, the following is my experience related to this issue:
I noticed the whining noise around the engine of my 2012 528i from more than a year ago. The whine got progressively worse over time and finally I brought it to the BMW dealership in Monrovia. They (my SA, Tim) did a very good job representing my case (my car is 10k over the mileage limit for this problem) with BMW NA. I only paid $1300 out of pocket. I own 2 BMWs and financed the 528 through BMW.
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Ok problem 1 could be your motor mounts going bad which is a common problem on N20,,,, problem 2 maybe after they dropped the engine subframe the alignment of the steering wheel might be off ,,,to correct that problem you would need a alignment to straighten the steering wheel.
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I went back to get my alignment fixed and the service advisor admitted they forgot to do the alignment. Now a new problem has emerged. A whistling noise happens when breaking to a close-to-complete stop. I sent the car back and now they are saying the fault is with the crankcase vent unit (repair cost $1500). What is the chance the technician damaged it during the replacement of the timing chain unit?
To add a little background: alignment was not the only thing the dealership shop messed up. They accidentally made a cut on the inner CV boot when installing the front axles back to the differential. A week later I had to go back to have that fixed. Of course they had to admit fault because of an evidently small cut on the boot. But this is tricky: crankcase vent unit making whistling noise. Given the evidence of poor workmanship, I am suspicious. Do you think the tech (turns out inexperienced and new) possibly damaged the vent unit or valve cover during his replacement of the timing chain unit?
Many Thanks !
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Oh boy,,,it’s a good chance he cracked the valve cover when torquing down the bolts,,,I have seen it before,,,I wouldn’t be surprised with all the other stuff they screwed up,,,,sounds like a inexperienced tech or a newbie,,,,only 2 thing makes the whistling noise a cracked valve cover,,,or the vent valve built into the valve cover went bad.
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I have a 2013 BMW X3 M Sport {11/2012} and just hit 61,000. Recently had the drivetrain malfunction and low oil pressure error and car came to dead stop. BMW dealership had it for 2 weeks and replaced timing change and oil pump covered by Limited Extended Warranty. I picked up car last night and it’s not driving the same; it’s making squealing/ screeching noises and not as responsive. I called BMW this morning and I’m going to have it towed back to them for review. My question is – if all items were replaced except the engine, do you think that this is sufficient enough or do you think that I should press harder for new engine? I still have loan and almost done paying it off but I don’t want to drive around in a ticking time bomb that may need engine replacement down the road. In your experience and opinion, is this work sufficient enough to avoid future engine failure stemming from this? My timing chain guides were broken and they found clog in oil pan. I don’t have money to buy new one and I’d like to keep this one. How do I convey and push for new engine? Any advice will help as I’m not super car tech savvy but I just want it in tip top shape.
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Yes the job is sufficient,,,but you said the oil pump was clogged and that has me worried,,,,I’m wondering if anything else might be damaged internally,,,I wonder why they didn’t push for a engine,,,,I would ask them if you are covered and for how long on this Extended Warranty and does it cover a engine if anything else goes wrong.
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Just seen a lovely F34 Gran Turismo 328i 2015 in UK – built Feb 2015, but now having done further research am worried about potential failures down the road. Will this build date guarantee the newer parts and be a safe bet? Or am I better waiting for the LCI models with the B48 engines…?
Currently have 320d from 2008 with the N47 engine that suffered similar timing chain issues – though personally, I have not had any problems.
Many thanks – and really finding this blog great reading.
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The 2015 should be ok with the newer parts in it,,,,but if you can get a newer car with B48 engine I would do that before getting a Car with N20 engine.
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Thank you… that’s what my head was telling me. Sadly they no longer support the Luxury designation on the facelift model – if i can find one – such a nice vehicle. Probably have to wait a year or so for prices to drop, by which time my car will be worth even less. Toying with a 2015 6 cyl 335i (N55 engine?) as well. Would this be a better bet, reliability wise? – despite lower MPG and higher insurance etc as an alternative? Cheers.
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Yes the N55 is more horsepower,,,,pretty reliable,,,also depends on how many miles car has and what have been replace already,,,valve cove leaks,,,oil filter housing leakage,,,drive belt tensioner coming apart,,,also fuel injector updates
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In US, the cutoff of N20/N26 timing chain extended limited warranty is 2/2015 build date, so do check if the 2015 328i you are interested in was manufactured 3/2015 or after.
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Interesting… the build date as seen on the door pillar is Feb 2015, so that pretty much rules it out. I need to get a 2017 model to get B48, though if I go for a Touring it can be a 2016 – which is probably the inevitable option… you just don’t see than many GTs.
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That’s also because some of the GT they will stop making,,,the 5series GT stopped making them already,,,,I understand only certain models will be made GT
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Andreas, do you think BMWNA will extended warranty beyond 7 years/70000 miles, say, to 10 years/150000 miles? If so, do u advise keeping the car?
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No I don’t think they will extend to 10yr/150k,,,,,me personal I would not keep the car
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Has anyone proactively (and pre-emptively) replaced the timing chain + guide rails? I’m curious how much that would cost out of pocket.
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Yes there are a few people that have done that,,,expect to pay about 10hr labor plus parts
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Hi Andreas, I have a 2012 528ix, 93400 miles, properly serviced at dealer, which broke down last week, until it happened drove and sounded normal, got low oil pressure warning in red pulled over turned engine off, got charge battery warning and battery is discharging, checked under hood for anything abnormal, no signs anything, no leaks visible at engine or under car, consulted with BMW Tech on the phone, car just had been serviced 3 weeks ago, suspicion for bad battery extreme low voltage which I was told could have triggered false error codes on display, while talking to tech attempted to restart after 15 minutes sitting, normal engine noise, correct idle, no signs of abnormal behavior, low oil pressure warning did not reoccur, decided on attempting to drive since we had been stranded on a dangerous road 40 miles from home, car drove normal for 3/4 mile than the screen displayed >Transmission position “P” Park position “P” not selected. Vehicle may roll. It is not possible to lock vehicle from inside.< Vehicle immediately slowed down stopped and shut off, transmission displayed P, unable to get into neutral or restart. Towed to dealer, diagnosis compression on 1&2 was 20, 30 psi on 3 , 90 on 4. spark plug looked good, timing chain very loose. They drained oil 4.6 L, no signs of particles of any sort, recommendation was replace engine at $14500+, in your experience the described does that automatically mean lower end/piston damage ? I'm not sure why but no boroscope inspection was done. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.
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The reason they didn’t perform a borescope inspection is because the compression test was low at 20-30 psi on 3 different cylinders at that point no need to look any further,,,,it would just be a waste of time,,,unless you want to know what failed on the engine,,,,if you have low compression either the piston rings went bad or the cylinder head went bad,,,,at this point I’m sorry to say but the engine is no good.,,,,sorry
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Thanks for your input! I’m trying to determine my best option, to me it seems only be beneficial to know the cause for the purpose of documentation in case the time chain class action suit ends positive for the affected customers, since best case scenario with only timing chain,oil pump and cylinder head affected it still would likely be a $4000+ repair, I’m tempted to take my losses at this point and sell it as project car. In order to get confirmation that this is TC related could this be achieved with 2 hours of labor or would it more be 3-5 hours? Thanks Again !
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It might be a 3-5 hour job if they remove the valve cover to inspect the timing chain and inspect the cylinders with a borescope.
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Hello Andreas, thank you for posting relevant content about the N20 timing chain issue. I was wondering where you are at in the world? I own a BMW and MINI Cooper repair shop out side of Los Angeles, CA. I was wondering if you could make a post to let people know what to look for in a shop that does this type of repair. And if any live out this way, we would be happy to help them with their timing chain issues. You can check out my reviews and contact me via email if you like thanks so much!
Ben
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Thanks Ben ,,,but I don’t like to recommend any repair shop or to let people know which dealership I work for,,,,,I just like to help people and give them some personal advice so they fix there car correctly.
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I believe that I saw early build F22 models (i.e. built pre Feb 2015) on a revised service bulletin (which I can’t seem to find right now). I’m curious if you, bmwtechnician, or anyone else has actually seen the problem occur on a model year 2015 228i yet? Thanks!
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No I haven’t,
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Hi Andreas, I read from enthusiast forum that there is a timing chain tensioner that keeps the chain snug, so what does that tensioner tightens up once the car is started, or the engine needs to be warmed up first? The oil temperature gauge says 160F, 250F …. so does the tensioner becomes operational at, say, 160F, or even below?
Does a new tensioner every 60k-80k miles help to solve this N20 timing chain issue?
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The chain tensioner works off oil pressure,,,the second you start the car the chain tensioner is fully operational.,,,replacing the chain tensioner earlier would not hurt but that is not the problem.
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Thanks for reply. Since tensioner is fully operational once engine is turned on, there is not much that should slack except oil needs to be good(6k-8k oil change helps), and no start-stop. Besides these simple steps (and no extended high rpm driving), there is not much owners can do other than wait for the plastic guides to break eventually. This sucks big time!@#$%!
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bmwtechnician – how convinced are you that the new plastic guides + stronger (?) timing chain has permanently solved the problem? Or does it just buy another 60k miles before another blowup? thanks!
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Good question,,,,I believe the rails and updated chain are good,,,you should get well over 100k easy with new chain and rails
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