High mileage N47 without problems (120D, 320D, 520D etc)

[smashy]

Your thinking of getting into a high mileage N47 Engine???? So im thinking of paying for a hypnotherapist to get the idea out of your head.
Dont do it friend,

Edited by smashy on Friday 23 January 18:00

[va1o]

To be fair I think a March 2011 car might be new enough to not be at risk to timing chain problems. They made a production change at some point but I don't remember the exact date.

[smashy]

Hello valo that is a fair point HOWEVER when thinking of buying a new 225d Bill the Service manager at a BMW Dealer in Bedford said it is only now (sept 2014) that he would happily buy an N47 engine .Now that was an honest upfront position.When I told him that I had seen forum posters on babybmw talking about noisy N47 in their new shape F20 2012 models he said he knew about that issue and that has been resoved now hence his view of only now being happy with said engine.

[2109peterb]

thanks for all the feedback - going to go for it !! and just get a warranty - seems to me to be a cheaper option than losing depreciation on another one. GOt a quote from click4 warranty and so far they have sent a voucher for £75 off and now £125 off - the warranty is only £300 - with this and Quidco means the warranty will cost £145 ! for a year.

[glenn04cars]

Hello guys my 520d e61 lci is done just short of 180k,im a taxi driver and using it everyday,the only problem ive had is the DPF,i had it deleted and removed and cost me loads due to the damage it caused to other parts such as the inlet manifold and the rocker cover,air flow mass.
Ive noticed these engines are generally quite noisey but seems mine is louder than ive heard,the soundproofing looks as if its tierd and im trying to find a soundproof that fits under the plastic engine cover as that looks gone too. Engine runs lovely I just wish I could quiet it down a bit, Any ideas would be ideal.
Cheers Glenn

[Dun123]

Having just purchase a 2010 320d ED to replace my ultra reliable 55 plate 320d (M47) 101k, I am now questioning whether I have done the right thing, specifically considering the amount of negative postings there are concerning the N47 engine. That said, what is clearly missing is detailed statistics in relation to the alleged problem. Without access to that specific data the second best option is warranty companies who do collect data, detailing the risk (basically how much does the warranty cost) compared to similar class vehicles which makes interesting reading. The non scientific analysis shows that warranty for a 320d is approx 7% less than a Mondeo/Peugeot but approx 7% less than a Mazda 6. More interestingly is that the 320d warranty is 25% less than a Audi A4 TDI and approx 60% less than an Jaguar XF. Considering a complete engine rebuild is probably the most expensive warranty job on a car, the data available doesn't support that this issue affects the majority (or anywhere near) of N47 engines. However it is accepted that cam chain failures/noise is an issue for that engine. Hopefully this helps a little.

[Dun123]

Sorry to clarify my last posting, the warranty for the 320d is approximately 7% more expensive than that for a Mondeo/Peugeot, not less than.

[Eoghanb123]

I'm wondering could anyone answer a question I have, I know about the timing chain issues with the N47 but I could of swore I read somewhere that this mostly affects the BMW's with 177bhp. The reason for this is because I am looking at a 2010 320D which has 184bhp (82,000 miles). I'd like to know if this is actually the case or if there is just less issues with these models because simply there are less of them. Apologies that this isn't exactly referring to me personally owning a high mileage N47, however if my question is answered and I go about buying the car hopefully I can come back here at a later stage proving that car to have done 150+ miles without any issues!

[va1o]

I don't understand what you're asking? 82k miles isn't high for a 2010.

[Eoghanb123]

va1o said:

I don't understand what you're asking? 82k miles isn't high for a 2010.

Well it is high but not excessively high, but the question was. Are timing chain issues as big a problem with 184bhp compared with the 177bhp models. I read somewhere that they aren't but I wonder is this just a myth as don't they both use the same engine?

[tjlees]

smashy said:

I can tell you that my 57 plate 120d auto Turbo went at 90K and the mechanics who are highly respected in my part of the world said if I had changed the oil between BMWs "ridiculously long" 18000 miles then the Turbo would not have blown.

Who knows??? Just waiting for the Timing chain to go and that will be the end of that.

From the research Ive done I wouldnt go anywhere near these 2ltr diesel engines in your chosen cars

Edited by smashy on Thursday 26th September 09:34

Thanks for tip. For the price of the change you may as well do it every 10k. At the moment the service indicator is giving a change every 22k

[smashy]

tjlees said:

Thanks for tip. For the price of the change you may as well do it every 10k. At the moment the service indicator is giving a change every 22k

By the way TJ ,not sure when i posted that about waiting for the timing Chain to go......it did at 115k and that was that,

120 miles tow for the turbo and 85 mile Tow for the Chain.

What did Bob Hoskins nearly say in the Long good friday? " N47 engines? ive st 'em"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVVrZJaN1IU

Edited by smashy on Saturday 21st March 12:33

[tjlees]

smashy said:

tjlees said:

Thanks for tip. For the price of the change you may as well do it every 10k. At the moment the service indicator is giving a change every 22k

By the way TJ ,not sure when i posted that about waiting for the timing Chain to go......it did at 115k and that was that,

120 miles tow for the turbo and 85 mile Tow for the Chain.

What did Bob Hoskins nearly say in the Long good friday? " N47 engines? ive st 'em"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVVrZJaN1IU

Edited by smashy on Saturday 21st March 12:33

As well as the changing every 10k miles, I'm probably going to go for the BMW warranty on a monthly basis which hopefully will cover the majors until around 120k

[DailyHack]

Hi, recently came across this thread.

I have a 2008(58) 118d, the same N47 engine that was supposed to of blown up years ago.

I thought I would give me 10 pence worth.

Had the car for 4 years and it is now sitting on 140,000 miles.

Car has been a dream to own, just had a clutch and Flywheel and an new auxiliary belt, but that is it, give or take few sets of tyres and brakes but that's all wear n' tear...

It has taken me to Southern Italy and back to the North West in a breeze, and doing it again in May 2016, where it will be punching up to 150,000+ miles

My mechanic who has looked after this car since I have owned it knows all to well about the "timing chain" issues this 4-cylinder has on the internet...its all about the oil and the long-service intervals BMW put upon this engine.

Long-service intervals are disastrous for any car over a long enough period many other manufacturers are having the same issues, and reducing their intervals, Toyota my other favourite brand has done this also.

I change my oil every 7,000 MAX, sometimes earlier than that, oil is cheap! As I don't use fancy Castrol oil, any oil that is LL04 spec is perfect!

My car has had the chain noise since 50,000 miles, but its the "character" of this engine, it is not synonymous to the chain about the snap!! I use a 5w40 oil, seems to of quietened down the engine alot...may help.

Change your oil more regularly, forget relying on the Dashboard to tell you when.

It's not just a N47 issue, the six-pot 325/330d etc (chain at back of engine also), all on this long-service intervals will develop the same issue if neglected, (20k oil services = neglected)

Timing chains need fresh oil to stay healthy, and so do Turbos!

Bit long winded but hope this stops people worrying about their car about to blow up..I have certainly put this issue to bed.

Gonna try and creak upto 200,000 miles in my little 118d, don't see why it can't get there... Won't be worth anything..it is a shame why we over in the UK have such a negative view on high mileage vechicles...but that's for another thread

Edited by DailyHack on Tuesday 29th December 14:20

Edited by DailyHack on Tuesday 29th December 14:22

[iSore]

True enough. The N47 is possibly BMW's most common engine in recent times with production measured in millions. Most are okay.

[UK345]

We had a 2008 520d bought at 94k and sold at 132k. The car was ultra reliable and was a good spec. It never gave us any problems. This one was an automatic.

We now have a 2011 520d F11 which is currently at 100k. The only problem we had with it was once while on the motorway a drive train error appeared on the idrive and the car lost power. This soon went away and it was fine for the rest of the trip. This one is a 61 plate and I wondered if the timing chain issues affected this car ? It has start stop which I noticed the earlier ones didn't have

[n1co-e61]

2009 manual 520d M-Sport Touring on 88k...serviced at Sytners for the fuel filter and stamps in the book but I, myself, do an oil and filter change every 8k max...still as quiet as it was 20k ago, so can't fault my n47....yet lmao

[Jamesainzye87n47]

E87 118d late 2007 N47 85k all seems sweet at the min, thinking of getting chain changed around 100k just to be safe

[GTEYE]

Our company fleet has just sold some of these:

2011 320d - 215k

2012 320d - 170k

2010 520d - 169k

2012 125d - 103k (not sure if this was N47)

All had the normal long-life BMW servicing, no engine related issues with any of them...so they don't all fail!

Very easy to over-react due to a few bad experiences, you tend not to hear from happy owners...

Edited by GTEYE on Friday 21st July 14:06

[Joseph Ben]

Hi guys, I have 320d, year 2008, 177 bhp, passed 207.000 km in Croatia, car is in top condition, I decided to change timing chain now just because of prevention.
This car is a beast.