RE: Shed Buying Guide | BMW 1 Series (E87)
Discussion
So:
116i's are crap. They're dog slow for a start, and can be spectacularly unreliable. The original pre 2007 N45 in non Valvetronic and just fartless, earlier ones are 5 speed. The engine, timing chain/guides apart, isn't bad but they like to leak oil. The 1600 and 2000 N43 replacements are just awful. Never ending coil/injector/NoX sensor issues, they run as hot as hell for emissions so both the rubber gaskets and the plastic timing chain guides just get cooked. By 50k an N43 ideally needs a full chain kit and a set of gaskets.
118i's are as above but go much better as a Valvetronic N46. Like the N45 they run hot, they piss oil out and need a chain kit after 100k. They are much better than an N43 but so is Herpes.
120i is as above. A good well cared for N46 is OK, but the N43 is just awful. A 120d is better again.
130i's are nice but they're getting on a bit, oil leaks (!) on the N52, tappet chatter, Vanos failure because the front cam ledge is worn, all expensive stuff. N53's newer and nicer but NoX and injector problems can be £££ to fix. But they're generally pretty good. Electric water pumps are now cheaper and not bad to fit.
M47N diesels were great but they're getting very old now and good ones are getting rare. Turbos, injectors, glow plug relays etc are common issues.
N47's were better but of course, the timing chain. That's a £1200 fix before it breaks. That's when, not if. High pressure pumps are now failing, destroying the entire fuel system and I mean everything. Glow plugs are a b
d to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.
Diffs can whine/howl on the 116i, 118i, 120i and M47 118d. But it's nowhere near as common as you'd think. A lot of it is down to which bearings BMW used - Koyo (Japan) are the worst by miles. Later N43 cars are worse as well.
By 100k, a dual mass flywheel is generally getting juddery on take off. They are a LOT of money from LuK. A flywheel and clutch job is enough to write off an earlier one.
5 and 6 speed manual boxes are generally good, later ones with stop-start have synchro issues.
6 speed automatics generally very good, some leak from sump and electrical socket seal.
Most old ones (pre 2008) are getting quite rusty underneath now. Not the body, the suspension and brakes. Rear calipers seize, ABS units fail but these are cheap fixes.
Rear wiper motors seize. Trim is very robust, electrical issues not very common.
Running gear is very good, usual shagged dampers but bushes, balljoints, steering rack etc very long lived.
So, old ones are pretty much scrap now, just waiting for that big bill and breakers are full of them for a reason. Newer ones such as the 125i Coupe and 130i are worth having and looking after because they're so good to drive. A really nice low mileage M47N 118d or 120d is ok for a couple of grand, the rest you can keep. Typical modernish BMW, very nice to drive, not rust prone but generally borderline niggly reliability (no better than Ford) and expensive to repair.
116i's are crap. They're dog slow for a start, and can be spectacularly unreliable. The original pre 2007 N45 in non Valvetronic and just fartless, earlier ones are 5 speed. The engine, timing chain/guides apart, isn't bad but they like to leak oil. The 1600 and 2000 N43 replacements are just awful. Never ending coil/injector/NoX sensor issues, they run as hot as hell for emissions so both the rubber gaskets and the plastic timing chain guides just get cooked. By 50k an N43 ideally needs a full chain kit and a set of gaskets.
118i's are as above but go much better as a Valvetronic N46. Like the N45 they run hot, they piss oil out and need a chain kit after 100k. They are much better than an N43 but so is Herpes.
120i is as above. A good well cared for N46 is OK, but the N43 is just awful. A 120d is better again.
130i's are nice but they're getting on a bit, oil leaks (!) on the N52, tappet chatter, Vanos failure because the front cam ledge is worn, all expensive stuff. N53's newer and nicer but NoX and injector problems can be £££ to fix. But they're generally pretty good. Electric water pumps are now cheaper and not bad to fit.
M47N diesels were great but they're getting very old now and good ones are getting rare. Turbos, injectors, glow plug relays etc are common issues.
N47's were better but of course, the timing chain. That's a £1200 fix before it breaks. That's when, not if. High pressure pumps are now failing, destroying the entire fuel system and I mean everything. Glow plugs are a b
d to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.Diffs can whine/howl on the 116i, 118i, 120i and M47 118d. But it's nowhere near as common as you'd think. A lot of it is down to which bearings BMW used - Koyo (Japan) are the worst by miles. Later N43 cars are worse as well.
By 100k, a dual mass flywheel is generally getting juddery on take off. They are a LOT of money from LuK. A flywheel and clutch job is enough to write off an earlier one.
5 and 6 speed manual boxes are generally good, later ones with stop-start have synchro issues.
6 speed automatics generally very good, some leak from sump and electrical socket seal.
Most old ones (pre 2008) are getting quite rusty underneath now. Not the body, the suspension and brakes. Rear calipers seize, ABS units fail but these are cheap fixes.
Rear wiper motors seize. Trim is very robust, electrical issues not very common.
Running gear is very good, usual shagged dampers but bushes, balljoints, steering rack etc very long lived.
So, old ones are pretty much scrap now, just waiting for that big bill and breakers are full of them for a reason. Newer ones such as the 125i Coupe and 130i are worth having and looking after because they're so good to drive. A really nice low mileage M47N 118d or 120d is ok for a couple of grand, the rest you can keep. Typical modernish BMW, very nice to drive, not rust prone but generally borderline niggly reliability (no better than Ford) and expensive to repair.
Touring442 said:
So:
116i's are crap. They're dog slow for a start, and can be spectacularly unreliable. The original pre 2007 N45 in non Valvetronic and just fartless, earlier ones are 5 speed. The engine, timing chain/guides apart, isn't bad but they like to leak oil. The 1600 and 2000 N43 replacements are just awful. Never ending coil/injector/NoX sensor issues, they run as hot as hell for emissions so both the rubber gaskets and the plastic timing chain guides just get cooked. By 50k an N43 ideally needs a full chain kit and a set of gaskets.
118i's are as above but go much better as a Valvetronic N46. Like the N45 they run hot, they piss oil out and need a chain kit after 100k. They are much better than an N43 but so is Herpes.
120i is as above. A good well cared for N46 is OK, but the N43 is just awful. A 120d is better again.
130i's are nice but they're getting on a bit, oil leaks (!) on the N52, tappet chatter, Vanos failure because the front cam ledge is worn, all expensive stuff. N53's newer and nicer but NoX and injector problems can be £££ to fix. But they're generally pretty good. Electric water pumps are now cheaper and not bad to fit.
M47N diesels were great but they're getting very old now and good ones are getting rare. Turbos, injectors, glow plug relays etc are common issues.
N47's were better but of course, the timing chain. That's a £1200 fix before it breaks. That's when, not if. High pressure pumps are now failing, destroying the entire fuel system and I mean everything. Glow plugs are a bd to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.
Diffs can whine/howl on the 116i, 118i, 120i and M47 118d. But it's nowhere near as common as you'd think. A lot of it is down to which bearings BMW used - Koyo (Japan) are the worst by miles. Later N43 cars are worse as well.
By 100k, a dual mass flywheel is generally getting juddery on take off. They are a LOT of money from LuK. A flywheel and clutch job is enough to write off an earlier one.
5 and 6 speed manual boxes are generally good, later ones with stop-start have synchro issues.
6 speed automatics generally very good, some leak from sump and electrical socket seal.
Most old ones (pre 2008) are getting quite rusty underneath now. Not the body, the suspension and brakes. Rear calipers seize, ABS units fail but these are cheap fixes.
Rear wiper motors seize. Trim is very robust, electrical issues not very common.
Running gear is very good, usual shagged dampers but bushes, balljoints, steering rack etc very long lived.
So, old ones are pretty much scrap now, just waiting for that big bill and breakers are full of them for a reason. Newer ones such as the 125i Coupe and 130i are worth having and looking after because they're so good to drive. A really nice low mileage M47N 118d or 120d is ok for a couple of grand, the rest you can keep. Typical modernish BMW, very nice to drive, not rust prone but generally borderline niggly reliability (no better than Ford) and expensive to repair.
The N53 never made it into the 1 Series. The 125i Coupe was fitted with the N52 all the way up until it was discontinued in 2013. Plus, the only real weak spot of that engine is the water pump, the tappet noise you mention was fixed around 2008 iirc, with earlier ones fixed under warranty. Only real issue seen with VANOS on these are the solenoids, which tend to need cleaning / replacing to keep it running smoothly. 116i's are crap. They're dog slow for a start, and can be spectacularly unreliable. The original pre 2007 N45 in non Valvetronic and just fartless, earlier ones are 5 speed. The engine, timing chain/guides apart, isn't bad but they like to leak oil. The 1600 and 2000 N43 replacements are just awful. Never ending coil/injector/NoX sensor issues, they run as hot as hell for emissions so both the rubber gaskets and the plastic timing chain guides just get cooked. By 50k an N43 ideally needs a full chain kit and a set of gaskets.
118i's are as above but go much better as a Valvetronic N46. Like the N45 they run hot, they piss oil out and need a chain kit after 100k. They are much better than an N43 but so is Herpes.
120i is as above. A good well cared for N46 is OK, but the N43 is just awful. A 120d is better again.
130i's are nice but they're getting on a bit, oil leaks (!) on the N52, tappet chatter, Vanos failure because the front cam ledge is worn, all expensive stuff. N53's newer and nicer but NoX and injector problems can be £££ to fix. But they're generally pretty good. Electric water pumps are now cheaper and not bad to fit.
M47N diesels were great but they're getting very old now and good ones are getting rare. Turbos, injectors, glow plug relays etc are common issues.
N47's were better but of course, the timing chain. That's a £1200 fix before it breaks. That's when, not if. High pressure pumps are now failing, destroying the entire fuel system and I mean everything. Glow plugs are a b
d to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.Diffs can whine/howl on the 116i, 118i, 120i and M47 118d. But it's nowhere near as common as you'd think. A lot of it is down to which bearings BMW used - Koyo (Japan) are the worst by miles. Later N43 cars are worse as well.
By 100k, a dual mass flywheel is generally getting juddery on take off. They are a LOT of money from LuK. A flywheel and clutch job is enough to write off an earlier one.
5 and 6 speed manual boxes are generally good, later ones with stop-start have synchro issues.
6 speed automatics generally very good, some leak from sump and electrical socket seal.
Most old ones (pre 2008) are getting quite rusty underneath now. Not the body, the suspension and brakes. Rear calipers seize, ABS units fail but these are cheap fixes.
Rear wiper motors seize. Trim is very robust, electrical issues not very common.
Running gear is very good, usual shagged dampers but bushes, balljoints, steering rack etc very long lived.
So, old ones are pretty much scrap now, just waiting for that big bill and breakers are full of them for a reason. Newer ones such as the 125i Coupe and 130i are worth having and looking after because they're so good to drive. A really nice low mileage M47N 118d or 120d is ok for a couple of grand, the rest you can keep. Typical modernish BMW, very nice to drive, not rust prone but generally borderline niggly reliability (no better than Ford) and expensive to repair.
Only PIA job I've had on mine was the ABS Rings which took a couple of days in the shop to get fixed. Symptoms were initially scary (TCS cutting in for no reason), until you find the workaround (turn TCS all the way off). Am I particularly bothered about a 10 year old car with 136k on it needing fairly major surgery? Not really.
dan98 said:
Owned one for a few months.
Cramped, uncomfortable, laughably impractical interior, terrible ride quality, gutless diesel engine, awful gear change, poor economy, ridiculously expensive servicing.
Flabbergasted why anyone would buy one through choice (BMW brand obsession?)
There aren't any other RWD options...Cramped, uncomfortable, laughably impractical interior, terrible ride quality, gutless diesel engine, awful gear change, poor economy, ridiculously expensive servicing.
Flabbergasted why anyone would buy one through choice (BMW brand obsession?)
What diagnostic tool is recommended for a shedman running one of these? Is it worth forking out for Carly? Or is there a cheaper option?
dan98 said:
Owned one for a few months.
Cramped, uncomfortable, laughably impractical interior, terrible ride quality, gutless diesel engine, awful gear change, poor economy, ridiculously expensive servicing.
Owned one for many years and have no such complaints, in fact it’s pretty much my perfect daily driver.Cramped, uncomfortable, laughably impractical interior, terrible ride quality, gutless diesel engine, awful gear change, poor economy, ridiculously expensive servicing.
Strange how we’re all different, eh?
swanny71 said:
dan98 said:
Owned one for a few months.
Cramped, uncomfortable, laughably impractical interior, terrible ride quality, gutless diesel engine, awful gear change, poor economy, ridiculously expensive servicing.
Owned one for many years and have no such complaints, in fact it’s pretty much my perfect daily driver.Cramped, uncomfortable, laughably impractical interior, terrible ride quality, gutless diesel engine, awful gear change, poor economy, ridiculously expensive servicing.
Strange how we’re all different, eh?
dan98 said:
swanny71 said:
Owned one for many years and have no such complaints, in fact it’s pretty much my perfect daily driver.
Strange how we’re all different, eh?
Yes - each to their own.Strange how we’re all different, eh?
I would’ve thought that kind of goes without saying for a subjective opinion....
dan98 said:
Flabbergasted why anyone would buy one through choice (BMW brand obsession?)
Consider yourself flabbergasted then..
Touring442 said:
N47's were better but of course, the timing chain. That's a £1200 fix before it breaks. That's when, not if. High pressure pumps are now failing, destroying the entire fuel system and I mean everything. Glow plugs are a bd to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.
Beg to differ on the N47's (it is this their "well known" achilles heal...) but, they are good if maintained, and I mean 8-10k oil changes religiously! It does mitigate the problem usually, I ran two N47's like this (and running one now - a combined 360,000 miles) and the timing chain was the least of my problems - cant be that bad if taxis are now using them in the 3series and 5series. d to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.MrMister said:
Touring442 said:
N47's were better but of course, the timing chain. That's a £1200 fix before it breaks. That's when, not if. High pressure pumps are now failing, destroying the entire fuel system and I mean everything. Glow plugs are a bd to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.
Beg to differ on the N47's (it is this their "well known" achilles heal...) but, they are good if maintained, and I mean 8-10k oil changes religiously! It does mitigate the problem usually, I ran two N47's like this (and running one now - a combined 360,000 miles) and the timing chain was the least of my problems - cant be that bad if taxis are now using them in the 3series and 5series. d to change. These had the bigger diff that is better, failures are quite rare. If you must have an N47, have a 123d because they really do go like a train.When it worked it was a decent car, the engine pulled quite strongly and gave good fuel economy. I'm somewhat wary of BMW's and turbo diesels now though, certainly wouldn't rush to have another one after this experience, the worst automotive failure I'm had during my time owning cars (it wasn't actually me that owned it but it was in the household as it were). Very poor engineering if you ask me. I've had all sorts of sheds bought off ebay with no history for £500 and they've been years of trouble free motoring...
MX6 said:
Sounds to me like you are brave and lucky... We had a 120d auto with the N47 for my girlfriend, bought it on 96k, full BMW/independent specialist service history, fully stamped up book, super clean looking car. We had an expensive full service with an independant specialist during our ownership, the chain let go at about 117k miles.
Maybe I am lucky and brave 
But, a 120d bought on 96k would of been on a BMW's long life schedule I am sure (18/20k between oil changes), so would of had 4 oil services it its life, I may be wrong?I would never buy a N47 engined car unless if had interim services.
For example my current 318d 2012 N47 (115k) has had 9 oil services in its entire life by the time it got to 100k.
My other N47 118d 2008 - had a total of 18 oil services by the time I sold it on 170k 2 years ago, again still running perfectly by all accounts.
I am still very firm on long intervals being a massive factor to this issue, and it is well documented from many mechanics and HonestJohn
(I am starting to sound like a broken record now on this issue
so apologies to posters, I will remain in the background 
)Edited by MrMister on Thursday 1st August 10:16
Edited by MrMister on Thursday 1st August 10:16
I've had a 58 plate 125i for three and a half years taking the mileage from 62k to 80k.
I've had both rear Abs sensors go - £53 each and DIY fitment.
Water ingress into the right hand side of the boot causing PDC unit to fail - DIY again and was able to dry it out so no cost.
Washers failed due to bunged up filter in the wash bottle - DIY again and no cost.
Seized bonnet catch - this one is ongoing, I have a new front section of cable to fit costing £25 and is DIYable as soon as I can be arsed to take the front bumper off. If that doesn't fix it I need the rear section - £25 again but looks like a right **** to get through the bulkhead.
I think that's pretty reasonable for a now 10 year old car and I have no plans to change it any time soon. No idea what I'd replace it with tbh.
I've had both rear Abs sensors go - £53 each and DIY fitment.
Water ingress into the right hand side of the boot causing PDC unit to fail - DIY again and was able to dry it out so no cost.
Washers failed due to bunged up filter in the wash bottle - DIY again and no cost.
Seized bonnet catch - this one is ongoing, I have a new front section of cable to fit costing £25 and is DIYable as soon as I can be arsed to take the front bumper off. If that doesn't fix it I need the rear section - £25 again but looks like a right **** to get through the bulkhead.
I think that's pretty reasonable for a now 10 year old car and I have no plans to change it any time soon. No idea what I'd replace it with tbh.
Edited by mdavids on Thursday 1st August 17:36
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