E90 320i -What Do I Need To Know - LCi?

[SiT]

Morning,

I am inbetween cars and houses and faced with a job move meaning I NEED a car now, I have been surviving up until now sharing my wife’s and cycling but the new office is not doable by bike.

Looking at an E90 LCi 2011 car, have option of a 320d and a 320i but don’t think the diesel is really a starter - I don’t do ‘diesel journeys’ and worry about the DPF, also read about timing change rattle etc. I am not looking to spend much so mileage will be 100k type level.

In terms of the 320i it’s a manual which is a shame, would have loved another auto but it’s not a deal breaker. Just need to understand a bit more about the engine - reliability, issues to look out for, ability to take high miles.

I am guessing it’s a fairly straight forward affair being a 2.0 NA engine without the complications of turbos etc.

What sort of mileage would a clutch need doing on a manual and is it a belt or a chain???

Any help greatly appreciated - hoping to sort this out over next few days.

Adding to that if anyone has a nice saloon/touring they are looking to sell then let me know.

Si

[Andyspro]

Why would you prefer an auto over a manual? Real men choose manual.

[Nickbrapp]

Doesn’t that Diesel engine suffer from timing chain strech which knackers the engine very quickly?

[SiT]

I prefer commuting in an auto that’s all, this isn’t a rip snorting weekend toy it’s a daily and I enjoy the relaxing nature of an auto for that sort of driving.

Yes the diesel seems notorious for timing chain stretch, hence trying to research the 320i.

Si

[survivalist]

The four cylinder petrols can have their fair share of issues as well, I think chains or chain guides as well as injectors and coil packs.

Well worth researching. As usual many people won’t have had the issues but if they do rear their head it’s likely an expensive fix.

I test drove a couple when they were new and compared to the six cylinder ones they lacked torque and didn’t deliver much better economy in real world driving and weren’t much cheaper to insure. Give the cost difference is smaller now I’d always go for a 6 cylinder.

That said the facelift 325/330i with the n53 engine have a lot of the same issues, it’s really the n52 and n55 that seem to be largely bulletproof

[helix402]

The 320i post 03/07 has the N43. A terrible unreliable engine, terrible even when working.

If you want a reliable E91 the engines of choice are N52, M57, followed by N57 and N53.

[SiT]

Thanks for that, what are the N52 and N55 engines? What are they fitted too?

Si

[aka_kerrly]

SiT said:

Thanks for that, what are the N52 and N55 engines? What are they fitted too?

Si

Basically buy either a 3.0l petrol na (n52), 3.0 petrol turbo (n54/N55 depending if it's a early twin turbo or later single turbo)

Or a 3.0 diesel or 335d twin turbo.

Essentially according to Internet doom and gloom you never ever buy a 4 cylinder BMW in less it's an E30 M3. That said every day you will see hundreds of BMW 20d models driven around with no issues.

[Mattiebmw]

These engines seem to get a lot of stick. I ran a 120i from 70ish to 225k as my workhorse. Broke down a couple of times but on the whole was ok. I think getting it serviced is the key. Mine only had one owner before me and he got it serviced every 10k, I continued this and it was ok. I was told by the garage I bought it from that the Bmw service intervals are utter rubbish. So long and short is if you do get one, go through the service history and then make sure you get it serviced and it should be ok in my opinion.

[survivalist]

aka_kerrly said:

SiT said:

Thanks for that, what are the N52 and N55 engines? What are they fitted too?

Si

Basically buy either a 3.0l petrol na (n52), 3.0 petrol turbo (n54/N55 depending if it's a early twin turbo or later single turbo)

Or a 3.0 diesel or 335d twin turbo.

Essentially according to Internet doom and gloom you never ever buy a 4 cylinder BMW in less it's an E30 M3. That said every day you will see hundreds of BMW 20d models driven around with no issues.

Loads will be fine, but if you do have issues then it gets painful unless your car dealer is genuinely good or you have a decent warranty.

Even though I own one, I’d struggle to recommend the N54 engined cars (mine is a 335i). I’ve owned it for just shy of 5 years and in that time it’s had fuel pump, water pump, 6 injectors, 6 coil packs as well as springs and dampers. Luckily all covered by the insured warranty that costs about £600 a year. Also had new turbos just before I bought it. If I was buying again I’d get a later N55 engine one that seems to have far fewer issues.

The N54 is a great engine with a lot of character, but I’m not sure I’d want to run one without a decent warranty. As well as the cost of the work itself, you can chase tour tail diagnosing issues and burn a lot of cash doing it if the dealer/Bmw isn’t footing the bills.

With regard to the N47 2.0 diesel lump, it’s the only engine where I know 3 people who’ve had timing chain failure, none of which are forum or Facebook friends (2 colleagues and my brother). I know it’s a small sample, but big enough for me to steer clear.

[Mr Tidy]

I had an E46 325ti a couple of years ago that I was thinking of replacing.

I asked my ex-Sytner BMW Indy what he would recommend to keep me out of his workshop and he said anything with 6 cylinders, and preferably petrol!

So I bought an E91 325i, but it never felt as lively as my E46 (maybe because it was so much more refined) anyway last year I swapped that for an E90 330i which is much better!

I made sure both had the N52 engine because of what I had read about N53 issues, and anyway I'd had Z4 Coupes with the same N52 engine for several years and loved how they performed. It did mean they were both early models, but I wasn't too bothered about that.

And to be fair I think any Auto E90 would probably work much better with a 6 cylinder engine anyway.

[Peldrigal]

I bought a 320i E90 out of desperation because the previous deal I had did not go through, and I had every single problem people might warn you about.
Car took some time to have the timing chain tensioner redone, and something about vanos.
Then the exhaust got horribly smokey and they needed to take a look at the vacuum pump.
Then the engine light turned on and there was an awful rattle and they had to change a coil.
Then out of nowhere abs lights and dtc turning on, and they had to change a reluctor ring and its abs sensor.

Fortunately everything save the reluctor ring was done by the guy who sold it to me, as he had guaranteed me that the engine would not give me any problems, but it was really frustrating and scary having every week something different fail and not knowing if I could get to the office the next day, and if I'd need to get another car.

Oh, and now, it uses lots of oil and sometimes I can smell burnt oil in the cabin, which probably means head gasket to change. Fun times!

So, yes, listen to the general advice "skip the 4 cylinder ones", or at the very least ensure that chain tensioner job has been done relatively early in the car's life, and there are no oil leaks now or in the MOT history. Still, the difference in price would probably cover the repairs needed, if you have to pay them out of your own pocket.

[Touring442]

SiT said:

Looking at an E90 LCi 2011 320i

Stop right now.

They're absolute crap and a money pit. Buy a Honda, Ford or anything but one of those heaps.

[Touring442]

If you must have a 3 Series, buy a pre 2011 325d with the old M57N 3.0 engine. These are comparatively old fashioned engines of course with a sturdy timing chain and a standard of build that means they'll do 200k or more and in truth, they still go well enough. Lowish miles and evidence of careful owners are essential.

Anything else is too much of a lottery now - they're ageing cars