Strange wooshing noise coming from BMW N47 engine, help!!
Discussion
Hi everyone,
I’ve got a 2013 316d with the N47 twinpower turbo engine which has had a stage 1 remap. It’s got high motorway miles (150,000) but extensive servicing.
I’ve only had it 6 months and recently had an exhaust repair and I know during the repair the main pipe was displaced quite a bit.
In the last couple of months (and really since the exhaust work I think) I’ve noticed a sort of ‘chugging’ noise coming from the back of the engine somewhere in the area of the dpf generally. It seems to be pronounced when accelerating for the first 10-15 mins of a drive then after that I can’t really hear it although I think it’s still probably there faintly. It seems especially audible in those first 10-15 mins in lower gears at lower speeds and stops when the engine isn’t revving, eg if I drop the clutch. The more the engine revs the louder it seems to be and it seems to be in time with engine. Definitely not wheel related as it does it if I rev the engine at standstill.
If I start the engine when it’s warm I can’t really hear it either. It’s on the left side of the engine as you looking at it generally in the area of the exhaust manifold/turbo/cat/
Guessing it was exhaust related I had the manifold gaskets changed but no joy, still there.
Someone suggested alternator but it’s the wrong side so I don’t think it’s that. Someone else has suggested clutch/flywheel. It’s had a new clutch (but not flywheel) in the last 6 months. Gear changes fine etc and from listening to clutch/DMF noises on line I think it’s different.
I have considered timing chain.... that was changed by previous owner 30,000 miles (2016) but all I have in the servicing is timing chain replaced so I don’t know to what extent that was or full kit or whether genuine parts were used. I’m honestly hoping it’s not that because of the cost.
I’m taking it off the road and getting it diagnosed next week, but if anyone could share any opinions it might help me sleep a bit better!!
I’m hoping it will be something fairly simple like DPF or pipework etc but I’ve got a horrible feeling it won’t be!
Any clues or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Video links below
I’ve got a 2013 316d with the N47 twinpower turbo engine which has had a stage 1 remap. It’s got high motorway miles (150,000) but extensive servicing.
I’ve only had it 6 months and recently had an exhaust repair and I know during the repair the main pipe was displaced quite a bit.
In the last couple of months (and really since the exhaust work I think) I’ve noticed a sort of ‘chugging’ noise coming from the back of the engine somewhere in the area of the dpf generally. It seems to be pronounced when accelerating for the first 10-15 mins of a drive then after that I can’t really hear it although I think it’s still probably there faintly. It seems especially audible in those first 10-15 mins in lower gears at lower speeds and stops when the engine isn’t revving, eg if I drop the clutch. The more the engine revs the louder it seems to be and it seems to be in time with engine. Definitely not wheel related as it does it if I rev the engine at standstill.
If I start the engine when it’s warm I can’t really hear it either. It’s on the left side of the engine as you looking at it generally in the area of the exhaust manifold/turbo/cat/
Guessing it was exhaust related I had the manifold gaskets changed but no joy, still there.
Someone suggested alternator but it’s the wrong side so I don’t think it’s that. Someone else has suggested clutch/flywheel. It’s had a new clutch (but not flywheel) in the last 6 months. Gear changes fine etc and from listening to clutch/DMF noises on line I think it’s different.
I have considered timing chain.... that was changed by previous owner 30,000 miles (2016) but all I have in the servicing is timing chain replaced so I don’t know to what extent that was or full kit or whether genuine parts were used. I’m honestly hoping it’s not that because of the cost.
I’m taking it off the road and getting it diagnosed next week, but if anyone could share any opinions it might help me sleep a bit better!!
I’m hoping it will be something fairly simple like DPF or pipework etc but I’ve got a horrible feeling it won’t be!
Any clues or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Video links below
Hi
We have a 2011 countryman cooper diesel with the n47 engine. Had an exhaust leak fixed, noticed a noise, it time with the engine - noisy at standstill, but not really noticeable on the go.
Got worse, timing chain stretched , engine got lunched. Needed a recon engine and a clutch and dpf while we were there, no change from £5k
The chain kit is only £100 or so, just the engine drop for the labour but would end up being £2k not 5.
Up to you, I would stop using it now and book it in
Sorry!
We have a 2011 countryman cooper diesel with the n47 engine. Had an exhaust leak fixed, noticed a noise, it time with the engine - noisy at standstill, but not really noticeable on the go.
Got worse, timing chain stretched , engine got lunched. Needed a recon engine and a clutch and dpf while we were there, no change from £5k
The chain kit is only £100 or so, just the engine drop for the labour but would end up being £2k not 5.
Up to you, I would stop using it now and book it in
Sorry!
Thanks for the reply.
That’s sounds like it was a complete nightmare!
I’ve taken it off the road and booked it into a BMW specialist on Thursday so I’m going to limp it to them, they’re only a couple of miles away.
Out of interest was there ever any correlation to the exhaust issue and the timing chain failure and what caused you to have a new dpf?
Cheers
That’s sounds like it was a complete nightmare!
I’ve taken it off the road and booked it into a BMW specialist on Thursday so I’m going to limp it to them, they’re only a couple of miles away.
Out of interest was there ever any correlation to the exhaust issue and the timing chain failure and what caused you to have a new dpf?
Cheers
Wow that’s definitely a painful repair...
I’m hoping if it is the chain that I don’t need a new flywheel as well as they don’t look cheap, although part of me thinks perhaps better to do it while it’s dismantled and soak up the hit now to save on labour down the line, at 150,000 I’m guessing it’s something that will eventually go.
I’m hoping if it is the chain that I don’t need a new flywheel as well as they don’t look cheap, although part of me thinks perhaps better to do it while it’s dismantled and soak up the hit now to save on labour down the line, at 150,000 I’m guessing it’s something that will eventually go.
Can anyone recommend any cheapbut experienced garages in North East Wales that would be a good bet for BMW timing chain replacement?
I’m booked in for diagnosis with a good independent BMW specialist garage but I think they’ll quote me an arm and a leg for whatever they find. I’d like to keep the bill as low as possible but wouldn’t want to trust just anyone with this kind of work.
I’m booked in for diagnosis with a good independent BMW specialist garage but I think they’ll quote me an arm and a leg for whatever they find. I’d like to keep the bill as low as possible but wouldn’t want to trust just anyone with this kind of work.
Hi all, sorry for the delay in updates.
Well I can confirm the noise was the timing chain. Despite being done 20-30,000 miles ago, it appears that a cheap kit was used and it was on its last legs, literally days away from snapping completely.
Luckily I got it into an independent garage who have saved it from any further damage. The bad news is the flywheel was knackered as well and needed replacing at the risk of imminent failure!!
On the plus side I’ve averted an engine rebuild and I should be good to go for a few years now.
The downside is that with parts, seals, oil etc it’s setting me back £1800. A small price I suppose in the grand scheme of it.
Only advice I can give to anyone is; if you engine sounds anything like this, park it up and get it seen immediately.
Thanks for all the help and advice and if you own an F30 with an N47 engine, good luck!
Well I can confirm the noise was the timing chain. Despite being done 20-30,000 miles ago, it appears that a cheap kit was used and it was on its last legs, literally days away from snapping completely.
Luckily I got it into an independent garage who have saved it from any further damage. The bad news is the flywheel was knackered as well and needed replacing at the risk of imminent failure!!
On the plus side I’ve averted an engine rebuild and I should be good to go for a few years now.
The downside is that with parts, seals, oil etc it’s setting me back £1800. A small price I suppose in the grand scheme of it.
Only advice I can give to anyone is; if you engine sounds anything like this, park it up and get it seen immediately.
Thanks for all the help and advice and if you own an F30 with an N47 engine, good luck!
..Hi..I would seriously think of selling it on now. I can see the Turbo being next on the list. Mine was vice versa great car my 120d told everyone how good it was then the turbo went ..10 k later the Timing chain mashing the engine. Never the same after the Turbo like a Boxer suddenly running out of steam after being brilliant
Edited by smashy on Thursday 2nd May 21:15
najainitro said:
Wow that sounds bad. Was the turbo to blame for the chain going? What was the mileage? Honestly bought a BMW for the build quality how wrong!!
Hi....the Turbo went at 90k the Chain actually at 115k. 7 years old ...I had had it serviced and bits and pieces ALL at BMW N Oxford apart from one service after the Turbo incidentWhen the Turbo went I was 100 miles away Towed to a local indie In London where I live (not a BMW Indie) very near me at 1 in the morning has a great local reputation. The timing chain also went 100 miles away 18 months later another tow at night
They fitted a BMW Turbo and as it needed a service they did it £2400 all in or £2200 cant remember ....and THAT one service was enough for BMW to say no way hose when I asked for some help financially on a new engine based on a known fault.
FWIW the owner of said indie said what everyone else seems to say if I had done between BMW condition service oil changes it would have saved both the chain and Turbo ..who knows
I have challenged BMW about long service intervals they just bleat on about long life oil blah blah blah...but it seems its not just the oil its the oil filter change which makes the difference
smashy said:
FWIW the owner of said indie said what everyone else seems to say if I had done between BMW condition service oil changes it would have saved both the chain and Turbo ..who knows
I have challenged BMW about long service intervals they just bleat on about long life oil blah blah blah...but it seems its not just the oil its the oil filter change which makes the difference
Yup, this completely! Long life intervals are a death penalty for the turbo and chains, the oil is the only thing lubricating them, very wise to change oil and the £15 filter at 8/10k MAX on these engines, ran two N47's and know alot punching 200/250k on original gear with this regime, says alot.I have challenged BMW about long service intervals they just bleat on about long life oil blah blah blah...but it seems its not just the oil its the oil filter change which makes the difference
Edited by DailyHack on Thursday 2nd May 23:01
DailyHack said:
Yup, this completely! Long life intervals are a death penalty for the turbo and chains, the oil is the only thing lubricating them, very wise to change oil at 8/10k MAX on these engines
What I am curious about is if you do say 35/40k a year mileage that would be 2 condition based services a year ,its not sitting around gunking up or does it still need changing at halfway through? smashy said:
What I am curious about is if you do say 35/40k a year mileage that would be 2 condition based services a year ,its not sitting around gunking up or does it still need changing at halfway through?
It's not gunking up thats the issue with the oil it's the quality of the oil loosing it's lubricating qualities over say 18k miles, putting your £££ turbo and it's bearings in jeapordy and wearing out your ££££ timing chain like sand paper....makes me shudder 
Oil filters have been known to collapse after 10/12k and thus stop filtering, these may well gunk up aswell....
only my opinion of course and the opinion of some well regarded mechanics I know, but it's put me in good stead with maintaining these engines virtually trouble free in that department.
Edited by DailyHack on Thursday 2nd May 23:31
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