Discussion
Hi! I have a new (to me) 2015 Mini Countryman SD 2.0 Diesel Automatic, it is the N47T engine not the OG N47. It is at 68k miles, with service history and oil changes in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026. I paid £6999, however since purchasing I ve been advised by a few people that I should replace the timing chain. I was aware this was a risk, but I was told it was significantly less of a risk on an N47T engine as opposed to the OG, and I d likely be ok to 100k+ miles, and there will be warning signs if it starts to go, it won t just go. I m reading the opposite on the Facebook groups and now it feels like a bit of a ticking time bomb. I love the car, she s in great condition and has clearly been well cared for, and whilst it is a negative in a way none of the major works have been completed, it is also a positive that it hasn t needed them?! Realistically if I get enough warning and need to replace timing chain in next 3/4 years, that s fine! My fear is that I need to do it now (can t afford, just spent all my money ) or that it will fail, destroy my engine and I ll have basically flushed 7K down the drain. I thought I might get more useful advice on here as opposed to the alarmist comments on Facebook. Could anyone advise?
minimads said:
Hi! I have a new (to me) 2015 Mini Countryman SD 2.0 Diesel Automatic, it is the N47T engine not the OG N47. It is at 68k miles, with service history and oil changes in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026. I paid £6999, however since purchasing I ve been advised by a few people that I should replace the timing chain. I was aware this was a risk, but I was told it was significantly less of a risk on an N47T engine as opposed to the OG, and I d likely be ok to 100k+ miles, and there will be warning signs if it starts to go, it won t just go. I m reading the opposite on the Facebook groups and now it feels like a bit of a ticking time bomb. I love the car, she s in great condition and has clearly been well cared for, and whilst it is a negative in a way none of the major works have been completed, it is also a positive that it hasn t needed them?! Realistically if I get enough warning and need to replace timing chain in next 3/4 years, that s fine! My fear is that I need to do it now (can t afford, just spent all my money ) or that it will fail, destroy my engine and I ll have basically flushed 7K down the drain. I thought I might get more useful advice on here as opposed to the alarmist comments on Facebook. Could anyone advise?
Ignore them - all working off negatives and hearsayIs the car running as it should be? Are there any untoward noises?
If not; run the car, enjoy it, keep the oil & filter fresh (minimum every 12 months) - this is paramount
And that's it
There are a lot of N47s out in the wild with super-high miles with zero issues; all because they've been used, looked after and maintained properly
minimads said:
Thank you for that s really reassuring, would you advise a mileage where it s worth doing preventatively?
Well I change the oil & filter in my F31 325D M Sport every 6 months; just peace of mind for me, and x2 oil & filter changes per year is less than one full tank of VPower diesel!If I were to do it on mileage; I'd go for every 6-8k miles personally
My pal Chris has an F31 320D Luxury (same engine); it's now on over 180k miles and on al original engine bar the turbo and he changed oil & filter every 5k miles religiously; he drives from here in Lancashire down to Germany and back a lot
My manual 13yr old pre LCI F25 X3 with an N47 engine has covered 156k and has just been serviced since new as per the service indicator without any interim oil changes and it's been fine.
I do have an oil change slightly ahead of schedule - once the service indicator states 1,000-1,500 miles to go to the next oil service and I also asked my local independent BMW & Mini specialist to disable the start-stop function via their code reader. The very small amount of additional CO2 emissions are more than offset by extending the car's lifespan.
I asked them if I should have an interim oil change and they told me no need - just observe the service indicator. They also provide an annual health check with the MOT.
It was purchased at 3yrs old with 110k (main dealer serviced every 4-6months in that period) and since that time I've averaged around 5k p.a. - mix of short urban commute, and longer bi-monthly weekend trips.
The DPF was cleaned at 150k and apart from two ABS sensors, rear springs and some discs and pads it's just been serviced by the same independent in my tenure and is well cared for. Objectively, it's hard to justify replacing hence the longevity of my ownership.
I do have an oil change slightly ahead of schedule - once the service indicator states 1,000-1,500 miles to go to the next oil service and I also asked my local independent BMW & Mini specialist to disable the start-stop function via their code reader. The very small amount of additional CO2 emissions are more than offset by extending the car's lifespan.
I asked them if I should have an interim oil change and they told me no need - just observe the service indicator. They also provide an annual health check with the MOT.
It was purchased at 3yrs old with 110k (main dealer serviced every 4-6months in that period) and since that time I've averaged around 5k p.a. - mix of short urban commute, and longer bi-monthly weekend trips.
The DPF was cleaned at 150k and apart from two ABS sensors, rear springs and some discs and pads it's just been serviced by the same independent in my tenure and is well cared for. Objectively, it's hard to justify replacing hence the longevity of my ownership.
Forums | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff