High mileage N47 without problems (120D, 320D, 520D etc)
Discussion
I don't have a big problem with the prefacelift E90 (I bought one, so can't be that offended by it 
). They're very spec dependant, though. Some of the early wheels and in grey don't do it for me. Nor do the mustaches above the grilles.
Plus, with a prefacelift you get the benefit of the rock solid DPF-less N47, the also solid N57, or the N52.
). They're very spec dependant, though. Some of the early wheels and in grey don't do it for me. Nor do the mustaches above the grilles.Plus, with a prefacelift you get the benefit of the rock solid DPF-less N47, the also solid N57, or the N52.
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
2007 N47 320d with 215,000 miles Replaced Turbo Clutch flywheel in 9 years ownership I service the car Oil change every 10 to 12K thrashed daily 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
Hello, new member, first post, i am looking to buy an e90 lci 330d with the n57 on 120k, It seems quiet and smooth, no noticable chain noises, I have had numerous m57's and finally taking the plunge, I hope i dont regret it, its a very good price so i can not afford to pass on it. I've been doing some homework and on YT theres probably 2, maybe 3 channels that have suffered a snapped chain on an n57, a few more with stretched, noisy chains. Having read this thread for the last hour, it has put my mind at ease a little more. i would like to revive it though and get some fresh input if possible as a lot of the adverts today are for f30's with siezed engines with damaged chains, whether this is down to stop start , im not sure. My 2011 e90 is not a stop start, so not as much strain on the chain... Its first 60k were motorway miles and the service record looks quite good with frequent oil changes. Thanks for your time.
Ankerhill said:
230K miles on my E61 2009
10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
Cancel that!10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
Edited by Ankerhill on Tuesday 18th January 20:50
timing chain snapped today, no warning.
Will scrap the car as not worth fixing due to age (2009) / mileage etc
Owned it for 10yr but a shame to end that way, at least was only 2 miles from home and failed in at start up in a car park
Always annoying, moreso when it’s not at home!Ankerhill said:
Ankerhill said:
230K miles on my E61 2009
10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
Cancel that!10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
timing chain snapped today, no warning.
Will scrap the car as not worth fixing due to age (2009) / mileage etc
Owned it for 10yr but a shame to end that way, at least was only 2 miles from home and failed in at start up in a car park
Sounds like the car had a decent innings though.
spreadsheet monkey said:
Ankerhill said:
Ankerhill said:
230K miles on my E61 2009
10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
Cancel that!10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
timing chain snapped today, no warning.
Will scrap the car as not worth fixing due to age (2009) / mileage etc
Owned it for 10yr but a shame to end that way, at least was only 2 miles from home and failed in at start up in a car park
Sounds like the car had a decent innings though.
Anyway replaced with an 2011 Audi A6 2.7 tdi, as a stop gap, massive improvement in every way even though I was a big fan of the bmw
fishseller said:
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
2007 N47 320d with 215,000 miles Replaced Turbo Clutch flywheel in 9 years ownership I service the car Oil change every 10 to 12K thrashed daily 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
Good thing about the 118d/318d etc is that they have no swirl flaps unlike the 120d/320d/520d etc - still have the same chains though.
230k+ is good innings, many go further though, luck of the draw it seems.
My 2008 118d is still going (albeit with new owner) at 220,000 miles I've been told, all good apart from soggy suspension parts.
My current 318d 2012 is nearly reaching 140,000, so still trucking on.
230k+ is good innings, many go further though, luck of the draw it seems.
My 2008 118d is still going (albeit with new owner) at 220,000 miles I've been told, all good apart from soggy suspension parts.
My current 318d 2012 is nearly reaching 140,000, so still trucking on.
Ankerhill said:
Ankerhill said:
230K miles on my E61 2009
10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
Cancel that!10k oil changes, swirl flaps removed (all broken and some found jammed in cylinder head inlet ports)
Edited by Ankerhill on Tuesday 18th January 20:50
timing chain snapped today, no warning.
Will scrap the car as not worth fixing due to age (2009) / mileage etc
Owned it for 10yr but a shame to end that way, at least was only 2 miles from home and failed in at start up in a car park
Sorry to hear that your chain snapped. Truth be told though, it's not surprising. All parts wear out, no exceptions. If you had a car with a cambelt you would expect to replace it as some point, so I don't get why everyone thinks chains are not a maintenance item. Probably because chains usually last twice the length of a cambelt does, but chains can and do stretch, the plastic guides to become brittle with age and heat cycles, sprocket teeth wear, etc. I have seen videos of N57 and M57 leggy engine with stretched chains and a chain tensioner at or past its safe limit as far as the tensioner piston goes, those engines would also have failed and soon if they weren't caught just in time.
I get that it's a pig of a job to do, but budget 1K ish and get it done, then you know you have at least 100K in the engine. I see it as a false economy to instead spend 5-10K on a used replacement that will have its own maintenance issues as it ages. One perceives that a newer car is in a much better shape in all respects, sometime that's true, but sometimes it is not.
If it's an N52 then it's HPFP, coilpacks,injectors, etc.
One thing I do agree with, BMW service intervals are based on selling cars to business users and they only care that they last 3 yrs, after the end of the lease they get sent off to the second hand market and they don't care much about their lifespan. Think about how great a Marketing tool it is to say every 18K/2Yrs for a service when trying to sell to the lease market from new....
Hum
OP my understanding is that it’s bad design and those on high mileage are lucky because the chain on that engine is a ticking time bomb. Failures range from as little as 12k miles. Any chain will eventually stretch overtime no matter how many additional preventative oil changes. There are known cases of 6k oil change intervals and failure. It’s the sporadic failures which is an issue. Everything sounds fine then on the M25 you’ve had a loss of power. Some have the chain checked/replaced at 100k miles as good practice. When you look at it like that… wife, kids, and dogs in tow to the beach and suddenly.. snap. What hoped to replace it’s predecessor didn’t pan out too well. The B47 is a lot better though. The theory for why N57 failures are less common is that the engine makes more power so the chain doesn’t undergo as much stress but then the EGR is a weak point.
Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 27th May 06:43
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff