Giving up on Diesel
Discussion
Just home after a quick tow from the RAC, it would appear my E91 320D has committed suicide and had a timing chain failure, looking up it would appear a common fault with this engine, a common fault? it freaking expensive one more like.
My last BMW a 330d E90 also committed suicide and caught fire after the dpf set alight.
So my question is, my commute is 100miles round trip Bedford - Wembley 4x a week on average, the other two times I get the train.
I'm thinking should I go back to petrol , as it seems the diesels of the last 8 years are overly complicated to beat emmisions. maybe I've just been unlucky, but the repair costs are seriously outweighing the fuel payments.
I think I've just got the broken down blues as well
My last BMW a 330d E90 also committed suicide and caught fire after the dpf set alight.
So my question is, my commute is 100miles round trip Bedford - Wembley 4x a week on average, the other two times I get the train.
I'm thinking should I go back to petrol , as it seems the diesels of the last 8 years are overly complicated to beat emmisions. maybe I've just been unlucky, but the repair costs are seriously outweighing the fuel payments.
I think I've just got the broken down blues as well
To be fair it could have been the oil pump as they are made of chocolate and BMW in their infinite wisdom do not fit an oil pressure light on these cars... well done.
It's £3k for a rebuild, n47 is the worst engine you can buy.
I have scrapped 08 and 09 BMWs with this engine it is a joke!
It's £3k for a rebuild, n47 is the worst engine you can buy.
I have scrapped 08 and 09 BMWs with this engine it is a joke!
I was lucky enough to own a few 3 litre BMW diesels over the years without issues but I knew others with butterfly valves etc I moved to the Audi A8 4.2tdi a while back, in fact I'm on my second and I've had amazing service from them. Trip from Southampton to Edinburgh only used 1/2 a tank at just over 40mpg. Around town between 28-31 depending on how heavy the right foot is.
I do similar miles a week, no fuel cards so funded myself.
I'm running a petrol. I occasionally think that a diesel E Class would do the job.
But over 20,000 miles/yr:
25mpg £4275
35mpg £3054
45mpg £2375
On balance I'll stick with petrol. Man maths helps. £2k seems a lot of cash..
.. but peace of mind, not wearing a glove to fill up and not listening to a diesel clatter first thing in the morning for £5.50/day? Yeah, go on then, I'm in.
Plus you can buy very decent petrol cars for not a lot of money.
I'm running a petrol. I occasionally think that a diesel E Class would do the job.
But over 20,000 miles/yr:
25mpg £4275
35mpg £3054
45mpg £2375
On balance I'll stick with petrol. Man maths helps. £2k seems a lot of cash..
.. but peace of mind, not wearing a glove to fill up and not listening to a diesel clatter first thing in the morning for £5.50/day? Yeah, go on then, I'm in.
Plus you can buy very decent petrol cars for not a lot of money.
Bad luck old chap....20K miles a year is quite a lot, but have you considered a petrol 320i? They are quick economical and without any turbos......
I certainly wouldn't go back to diesel. My 2005 Mazda 6 cost me £1600 and in 16K miles so far I have paid for a sticking caliper to be freed and two dynamic dampers. Total repair costs, ooh....£120! Its now on 107,000 miles and without cam-belt, turbo, Dual mass flywheel or DPF, hope for a few more years of cheap motoring yet!!
..but I only do 11,000 miles a year and it does 32 MPG...swings and roundabouts I guess....
I certainly wouldn't go back to diesel. My 2005 Mazda 6 cost me £1600 and in 16K miles so far I have paid for a sticking caliper to be freed and two dynamic dampers. Total repair costs, ooh....£120! Its now on 107,000 miles and without cam-belt, turbo, Dual mass flywheel or DPF, hope for a few more years of cheap motoring yet!!
..but I only do 11,000 miles a year and it does 32 MPG...swings and roundabouts I guess....
Edited by GreenArrow on Saturday 14th March 15:37
Go petrol. And have it lpg converted. Petrol reliability and diesel running costs.
I did it to my accord, only negatives are:-
Lose the spare wheel
Tank not massive (spare wheel well) so range not great
Filling stations not easy to find but on your commute that won't be an issue
Car used to cost 19ppm on unleaded. Not average 14ppm on gas.
I did it to my accord, only negatives are:-
Lose the spare wheel
Tank not massive (spare wheel well) so range not great
Filling stations not easy to find but on your commute that won't be an issue
Car used to cost 19ppm on unleaded. Not average 14ppm on gas.
Think diesels have to be for the long high mileages, although yours is decent enough to justify in my eyes. I do around 650 miles a week. Had a few work miles but my current 2007 320d N47 is up at 167k after I bought is 3 years ago on 91k. Original DPF would you believe it but I replaced the turbo 8 weeks ago.
So they can do the mileage and after a new turbo and then clutch and flywheel which was at 150k im crossing fingers she gets to atleast 250k. But I am aware of the chain issues. I just wonder what actual percentage does really suffer a failure ?
She always returns 55-57 mpg which is great and she still drives good and tights. I drive it with a lot of mechanical sympathy but still push on. I'm fortunate to have an M3 in the garage for fun so I don't need to find my fun from the 320d not that it's any comparison
So they can do the mileage and after a new turbo and then clutch and flywheel which was at 150k im crossing fingers she gets to atleast 250k. But I am aware of the chain issues. I just wonder what actual percentage does really suffer a failure ?
She always returns 55-57 mpg which is great and she still drives good and tights. I drive it with a lot of mechanical sympathy but still push on. I'm fortunate to have an M3 in the garage for fun so I don't need to find my fun from the 320d not that it's any comparison
Sounds like you've got the wrong diesel.
My wife's V70 D5 is still going strong at 12 years and 173K miles - it's had a few big bills, but that's £500-£1000 in a bad year including servicing. Last 12 months has just hit £1600, but hopefully that's a one-off or my wife will get her way and swap to an automatic Jazz for her 1 mile commute. That would sadden me because the V70 has been our family wagon on and off for 11 years now, but an XC90 has taken its place so I'm not that sad.
My wife's V70 D5 is still going strong at 12 years and 173K miles - it's had a few big bills, but that's £500-£1000 in a bad year including servicing. Last 12 months has just hit £1600, but hopefully that's a one-off or my wife will get her way and swap to an automatic Jazz for her 1 mile commute. That would sadden me because the V70 has been our family wagon on and off for 11 years now, but an XC90 has taken its place so I'm not that sad.
Diesels have been missold to a lot of people in the last few years, they're great for 200 mile journeys every day 50-60 mpg no DPF problems , big service intervals, cheap tax but for the sort of miles most people do 7k a year mostly round town they're useless, not much better on fuel by the time you factor in the price difference and the potential for massive bills with DPF problems or filling it up with petrol
.. but peace of mind, not wearing a glove to fill up and not listening to a diesel clatter first thing in the morning for £5.50/day? Yeah, go on then, I'm in.
Wearing a glove.......wtf, if you cannot put the nozzle in the hole then squeeze, your a bit of a cock.
Clatter, your insulation is crap then, turn the radio up. Bit knobbish
mikal83 said:
.. but peace of mind, not wearing a glove to fill up and not listening to a diesel clatter first thing in the morning for £5.50/day? Yeah, go on then, I'm in.
Wearing a glove.......wtf, if you cannot put the nozzle in the hole then squeeze, your a bit of a cock.
Clatter, your insulation is crap then, turn the radio up. Bit knobbish
Soft office type hands will require a glove for nasty diesel and sensitive ears can be damaged without ear muffs so a little unfair to call him a cock and a knob.. Wearing a glove.......wtf, if you cannot put the nozzle in the hole then squeeze, your a bit of a cock.
Clatter, your insulation is crap then, turn the radio up. Bit knobbish
ks people talk. My car has no clatter, when I put my foot down it sounds like a V8. Cheap engines, petrol or diesel sound rubbish. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff