2011 N47 Timing chain noise when cold

[AllyBassman]

Urgh,

Got out the car when it was running this morning (engine had only been running for 5 mins or so after a short drive) and I heard the dreaded woosh, woosh, woosh noise from the chain. it was fairly loud and could hear it from 10 meters away!

Spent the whole drive to work (15 miles, 40 minutes) thinking about how much it's going to cost me to fix the dam thing or is it better losing money and chopping it in etc. When I pulled up at work, I got out and the noise had gone?!

Background on car: May 2011 build 320d, 58k miles and oil changed every 10k since 20k miles when I bought it.

Has anyone else noticed that their timing chain is noisey when cold?

Serves me right for banging on about how great a car it's been for me!

[Ninja59]

Did you have HVAC system on in any description?

Is is audible when you hold the throttle down for about 30 seconds at or around 2k rpm?

These are some of the tests they did when considering to investigate further on the timing chain front.

[AllyBassman]

Ninja59 said:

Did you have HVAC system on in any description?

Is is audible when you hold the throttle down for about 30 seconds at or around 2k rpm?

These are some of the tests they did when considering to investigate further on the timing chain front.

No it didn't have the AC on, just the standard climate control with AC off. I will try the rev test later after work when the engine will be cold again.

[smashy]

Any help? http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98... realise this is petrol but....a chain is a chain I guess,

.

Edited by smashy on Thursday 11th January 23:04

[hilly10]

smashy said:

Any help? http://f20.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98... realise this is petrol but....a chain is a chain I guess,

.

Edited by smashy on Thursday 11th January 23:04

The N47 timing chain problems are well known. The OP is asking for people who have had the dreaded N47 TC stretch

[AllyBassman]

Yeah i'm well aware of the potential issues, I did hope that buying a 2011 built car will help protect me as the engine was revised. The problem N47's were mainly around 07-09 I think.

Well the noise hasn't re-appeard today, very odd indeed. I can only think it's dependent on Oil temp? Maybe it goes through a stange of being louder than usual as part of the engine heat cycle.

Either way, I think I better start saving some pennies for a timing chain replacement!

[hilly10]

The safest engine to buy is the 2014 October onwards total revision and named B47. I have a 2014 but April so not the B47. My car has done 28k miles and as been serviced with interim oil changes that help. I have AUC warranty for two years so not worried at the moment.

[northandy]

AllyBassman said:

Yeah i'm well aware of the potential issues, I did hope that buying a 2011 built car will help protect me as the engine was revised. The problem N47's were mainly around 07-09 I think.

Well the noise hasn't re-appeard today, very odd indeed. I can only think it's dependent on Oil temp? Maybe it goes through a stange of being louder than usual as part of the engine heat cycle.

Either way, I think I better start saving some pennies for a timing chain replacement!

All I can add is that my 2012 118d needed full timing chain replacement after just 18,000 miles, it was off the road 4 weeks while parts were sourced

[AllyBassman]

Here's a video of the engine noise: https://youtu.be/F9JV4WqqxGY

Just incase anyone wan't to have a listen and see what they think?

[northandy]

https://youtu.be/3oWrjdxM6eQ

This was mine, sounded like it just had a fan belt issue. Needed new chain and tensioners replaced under warranty.

[northandy]

AllyBassman said:

Here's a video of the engine noise: https://youtu.be/F9JV4WqqxGY

Just incase anyone wan't to have a listen and see what they think?

That doesn't sound as bad as many I heard, I think to a degree most n47 engines have some chain noise.

[AllyBassman]

Just an update,

I've had my 10k oil change service as usual, when I got the car back I've found that the noise has quietened down alot.

My trusted indy listened to the chain before the oil change, they said it sounded fine.

Even more convinced that the N47 needs regular oil changes now!

[Mr Tidy]

Just a thought but as the noise hasn't come back, could it be a sticky tensioner?

To be honest it was reading some of the horror stories about N47s that made me bail out of my 57 plate 123d after 6 and a half years and 81K miles!

A shame really as I'd had it from virtually new (it was a pre-reg with less than 20 miles on it) and it was a good drive with decent performance - but then I moved onto N/A straight 6 petrol BMWs and they're better all round (apart from economy and road tax)!

[dmarkovina]

I would add LM ceratec to help with both noise and fiction, especially handy with such a sensitive chain drive. In my experience it has been nothing short of miraculous - especially when the engine is cold.

Edited by dmarkovina on Thursday 15th March 22:18

[AllyBassman]

dmarkovina said:

I would add LM ceratec to help with both noise and fiction, especially handy with such a sensitive chain drive. In my experience it has been nothing short of miraculous - especially when the engine is cold.

Edited by dmarkovina on Thursday 15th March 22:18

I've taken your advice, added a bottle into my oil and I agree, it's quitened things down considerably! Will post up a video later.

It didn't work straight away, but I've noticed it working after a couple of hundred miles and a few good heat cycles with the oil getting nice and hot.

This morning, during my usual routing of getting out of the car when the engine is running (when I normally hear the dredded tish tish tish noise, I didn't hear it at all! Brilliant stuff.

[dmarkovina]

AllyBassman said:

I've taken your advice, added a bottle into my oil and I agree, it's quitened things down considerably! Will post up a video later.

It didn't work straight away, but I've noticed it working after a couple of hundred miles and a few good heat cycles with the oil getting nice and hot.

This morning, during my usual routing of getting out of the car when the engine is running (when I normally hear the dredded tish tish tish noise, I didn't hear it at all! Brilliant stuff.

Give it some more time/miles to properly bed in.

If you happen to have manual gearbox, adding 6% of the said potion also helps there - you get ridiculously smooth shifting no matter how cold it is and suppression of noises if there were any. With my 17 year old E39 with 230k+ miles I can still just about hear it with windows down but before it used to be positively loud.

[AllyBassman]

dmarkovina said:

Give it some more time/miles to properly bed in.

If you happen to have manual gearbox, adding 6% of the said potion also helps there - you get ridiculously smooth shifting no matter how cold it is and suppression of noises if there were any. With my 17 year old E39 with 230k+ miles I can still just about hear it with windows down but before it used to be positively loud.

Still all good, it's had plenty of good heat cycles to properly coat everything.

Good stuff, highly reccomended!

[sunjay-iafzz]

AllyBassman said:

Urgh,

Got out the car when it was running this morning (engine had only been running for 5 mins or so after a short drive) and I heard the dreaded woosh, woosh, woosh noise from the chain. it was fairly loud and could hear it from 10 meters away!

Spent the whole drive to work (15 miles, 40 minutes) thinking about how much it's going to cost me to fix the dam thing or is it better losing money and chopping it in etc. When I pulled up at work, I got out and the noise had gone?!

Background on car: May 2011 build 320d, 58k miles and oil changed every 10k since 20k mile
...

Hi Ally - I was wondering how this saga with your noisy timing chain worked out for you? I have the same 11 plate n47 as yours and also have had 12 month service (LL04). I’ve just ticked over to 62k.

I’m tempted to sell my car next summer now as I’m unsure what’s in store for my running my car. But I wanted to know what happened in your instance.

Thanks in advance

[asifmalik]

BMW X5 E70 Xdrive 2011 Cold Start engine noise

https://youtu.be/eyTPp0iRBX8

Can anyone please advise what could be the problem?

Thanks in Advance

[Scahill21]

asifmalik said:

BMW X5 E70 Xdrive 2011 Cold Start engine noise

https://youtu.be/eyTPp0iRBX8

Can anyone please advise what could be the problem?

Thanks in Advance

Hi - just wondering did you ever get to the source of the problem. I have the same noise with a 2010 525D for about 4 or 5 minutes when cold then the car drives perfect.