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

[Lowtimer]

Morning, all

We hear a lot about N47 cam chain problems but as with the infamous Porsche RMS failures, you never hear about the majority that keep on running fine. So it always it is hard to know the proportion of cars affected.

So who's got an N47 powered car that is running fine at high mileage? My 57-plate 320D Touring manual is just passing the 100,000 mile barrier and sounds just fine. I've had it since it came out of the BMW UK fleet at 7000 miles. I've always had the oil changed at around 10,000 miles rather than the full service interval, but apart from that is treated like any other old shed, thrashed mercilessly around the Dales and Yorkshire moors, and for high speed commuting up and down the motorway network.

I'm sure there are many higher mileage cars out there with the N47 engine and would like to hear about them. The cars with the engine are:
- All 1-series diesel after the March 2007 facelift
- All 3-series four-cylinder diesel from the 2008 facelift
- All 520D after September 2007 build.
- X1 and X3 diesel four-pots from, I believe, some time in 2008 onwards.

Over to you...

[smashy]

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

[Lowtimer]

So your timing chain is fine. What is the current mileage on the engine?

[Lowtimer]

smashy said:

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

What research have you done?

That's why I am asking the question about timing chains. "Everyone knows" on the internet that every N47 blows up, because there are people complaining about it happening to them. Yet I am only actually aware of about 45 documented cases, and yet around half a million new N47 engined cars have been sold in the UK since 2008. So what's the actual risk? Naturally, people who are having problems self-select as the dominant contributors on "My BMW has blown up" threads so it's in no way a representative sample.

And when I do what little research I can in the wider world, when I see an N47 engined car parking next to me at the supermarket or the petrol station, every time I ask how it's going and if they've had the cam chain problem. And everyone I've spoken to in the last year has said "no problem".

[farbbm]

My November 07 120d has just crossed over to 123,000 miles (touching wood) and it's been ok since the steering column packed up at 80,000 miles.

Edited by farbbm on Thursday 26th September 14:03

[Panda76]

An 07 is likely to be the m47tu2d20 no timing chain problems.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Nov 07 will be N47 I'd have thought. Ours is Dec 07 registered and is N47.

Ours is approaching 80k and sounds fine. Not that I know what I should be listening out for!

[Lowtimer]

One the old 1-series, the N47 engine was from March 2007 production on, the facelift cars with revised bumpers. This includes all coupes, convertibles and 3-door models. Before the facelift only the 5-door hatch was available.

[forcedinduction7]

I've a 2010 123d, timing chain noise appeared at just over 30k miles at the start of the year. Now at 43k and still waiting nearly 6 months on for BMW to design and make parts available that will resolve the issue. I've spoken to BMW UK, prior parts will not definitively resolve the issue, and it will return.

[Panda76]

Ahh he edited The post . It said only 07 earlier not November 07.

[farbbm]

Panda76 said:

Ahh he edited The post . It said only 07 earlier not November 07.

Not true I edited the post to try and get rid of the gigantic blank space below my post but without success.

[Locknut]

forcedinduction7 said:

... timing chain noise appeared at just over 30k miles ...

I don't mean to cut you short FI7, but Lowtimer is looking for N47 engines that have done big mileages WITHOUT trouble. I am interested in his question and I would not like to see the thread being side-tracked by those that have problems, there are numerous other threads all over the 'net for that issue.

In my own case I'm not able to contribute because my car has only done 42k miles, but I'm taking the precaution of changing the oil every year/9k miles.

[HoagieLomax]

Seen two instances of snappage on 2007 N47,one at 125k miles and one at 140k.Also seen noisy ones at 80k and 150k and some with a slight noise at 50k.

Having said this,I have also had two broken chains on M57 TU2 engines which were at lowish mileage 60-70k and this engine is not really known for chain issues.

Buy with your ears open!

[Lowtimer]

HoagieLomax said:

Seen two instances of snappage on 2007 N47,one at 125k miles and one at 140k.Also seen noisy ones at 80k and 150k and some with a slight noise at 50k.

Having said this,I have also had two broken chains on M57 TU2 engines which were at lowish mileage 60-70k and this engine is not really known for chain issues.

Buy with your ears open!

Thank, but I already know there are some broken ones. As you evidently see lots of cars with these engines let me put it this way: how many unbroken ones over, say, 50,000 miles and 100,000 miles have you seen?

[HoagieLomax]

Lowtimer said:

Thank, but I already know there are some broken ones. As you evidently see lots of cars with these engines let me put it this way: how many unbroken ones over, say, 50,000 miles and 100,000 miles have you seen?

If we are talking about the majority of faulty engines 07/57/08 I would say it's 50/50,the fact remains that there is an awful lot of duffers out there and I wouldn't advise one in that year.

[Lowtimer]

HoagieLomax said:

If we are talking about the majority of faulty engines 07/57/08 I would say it's 50/50,the fact remains that there is an awful lot of duffers out there and I wouldn't advise one in that year.

Not sure I understand. Are you are saying that half the total population of cars in your area in that age band have had engine failures? Or is that a skewed sample, i.e. based purely on cars which have been brought to you with engine problems?

[smashy]

Lowtimer ,serious q as a follower of your thread.Your going to get one of these arent you.I reckon.

Your looking for reasons to buy one not ,not to buy one.But when your driving one arent you going to be constantly thinking "when is it going to go".
Do you do a lot of miles,I do and getting towed from the M42 to chiswick west london at ten oclock at night after waiting 2 hours on the hard shoulder ,is NOT funny.Never mind the big bill coming....that was the other problem the Turbo

Dont do it. Get a 3 ltr if you must!!Your safe then.

Edited by smashy on Saturday 28th September 00:11

[Lowtimer]

smashy said:

Lowtimer ,serious q as a follower of your thread.Your going to get one of these arent you.I reckon.

Your looking for reasons to buy one not ,not to buy one.But when your driving one arent you going to be constantly thinking "when is it going to go".
Do you do a lot of miles,I do and getting towed from the M42 to chiswick west london at ten oclock at night after waiting 2 hours on the hard shoulder ,is NOT funny.Never mind the big bill coming....that was the other problem the Turbo

Dont do it. Get a 3 ltr if you must!!Your safe then.

Edited by smashy on Saturday 28th September 00:11

No... if you read my first post you will see that I have just come up to 100,000 miles driving one. It's never missed a beat or made any untoward noises. The same is true of all the other N47 owners I've actually met face to face. What I'm interested in is that there seems to be no connection at all between 'internet life' and 'real life' i.e. my first-hand experience and that of people in the wider world who I meet, versus what is reported on the internet which is the idea that they all blow up.

The risk of it cam chain failure obviously exists. The chance of me winning £1m on the lottery also exists. But if one only hears from the people who've had it happen, it makes a (maybe) one in 10,000 risk feel like a certainty.

Meanwhile, if it goes, it goes. In the last 33 years of driving, I've only experienced two engine failures while the car is in motion, which have forced me to stop at the side of the road. One of those was a 9 month old Honda Accord 2.2 CDTI which switched itself off in mid overtake - presumably a mysterious electronic fault, cleared itself after recovery, no fault found by dealer.
One was a sheared distributor drive shaft on a Vauxhall Chevette.

Edited by Lowtimer on Saturday 28th September 10:48

[HoagieLomax]

At 100k with no issues and no noise is simply pot luck.But you are not in breakage territory yet,I would guestimate your engine could be fine up to 150k from first hand experience.

It was a factory defect so you have to have a contingency plan.....Sell sell sell!

[Lowtimer]

No, I'm going to keep it.