2.0 Cracked manifold?

[un1eash]

Anyone else had a cracked manifold on there 2.0l before?

My cars developed an annoying noise that sounds like a blown exhaust and my mechanic says its common on the 2.0l engines.
Will be getting it up on the ramps this weekend to have a closer look but need to be sure before i take it down to the stealers.

[OwenT]

Yep mine was replaced under warranty a couple of months ago... didn't get any major symptoms but they picked it up while in for MOT
.

[un1eash]

Dropped my Z4 of at sytner leicester this morning and the manifold is cracked on number 2. Must be made of the same quality metal they used for the rear springs. I'm really starting to think they dont make BMW's like the use too.

[konas]

No problem here. (prefacelift -2005)

[Zed-Shed]

My 2.0 exhaust manifold cracked and was replaced under warranty - welding had cracked and it sounded like a gasket was blowing close to the engine. I think the catalytic convertors were replaced too. It was quite a hefty bill BMW funded.
On the whole - I wasn't that impresssed as the car has had an easy life thus far (BMW engineering et al).......
Pleased BMW picked up the tab though

[un1eash]

Exactly, my cars only 2.5 years old with 17.5k on the clock. Ive had other brand new cars that ive driven hard for the first 3 years as i figure if anything breaks its covered by warranty and they have never had problems, one of which was a Citoren C2 VTS.

Seems the welding cracking is a common problem on the 2.0, also i think the 2 cats are part of the manifold, i look forward to seeing the invoice because i wont be paying a penny.

Not bad service from sytner leicester though, the car will be ready for collection tomorrow lunch time.

[nigelgeast]

Suspect that my Manifold is cracked. MOT man told me I had a slight blow on my exhaust. My 2007 2.0L is now out of warranty. What should I do 45000 miles on the clock. What will it cost me.

[nigelgeast]

Suspect that my Manifold is cracked. MOT man told me I had a slight blow on my exhaust. My 2007 2.0L is now out of warranty. What should I do 45000 miles on the clock. What will it cost me.

[Bazzer79]

I'm in the unfortunate position of also having a 2.0 with a cracked manifold. It's a 55 plate so well out of warranty.

I've researched it quite a bit and yes, the Cat Conv is integrated, hence a scary bill of £1-1.5k to replace

My concern is that if I replace the manifold for a new one, I could end up in the same situation a few months down the line as it's a known weakness and I don't believe that BMW have revised the design. Apparently the extra weight of the integrated Cat Conv causes extra strain that it can't handle very well.

As the car is 'only' worth £5k I'm trying to find a cheaper solution. First port of call will be a custom exhaust fabrication shop to see if they can repair and improve the existing manifold. I've had loose discussions with a exhaust shop that specialise in custom systems for hot-rods, performance cars & racing cars. Apparently it's very important to ensure you use a welder who really knows what he's doing and has the right facilities & equipment - if the manifold isn't pre-heated before the repair and correctly cooled afterwards it can cause further failures. I'm hoping to solve the issue for £300-400. Hopefully it's not wishful thinking.

Probably won't go down that route for another 3-4 weeks, but I'll be sure to post my findings/experience on the forum so keep your eyes peeled if you're in a similar boat.

If anybody else has solved the same issue with their 2.0, what was your method? Thanks in advance!

[Geezah]

Blimey! It all sounds expensive. I've noticed that the reported problems above seem to be with older 2.0 models. Mine is a 2008 model, hope they've modified it for longevity! Hope you get it sorted cheaply!

[Bazzer79]

Update on the issue;

I took the car to Kevin Bird Garages in Middlesex. I've been taking my BM's there for years as the service and advice there is 2nd to none and it's reasonably handy for where I live and work. They removed the manifold and weld repaired it on site. The factory weld had failed close to the catalyst and they have wellded around the crack and across it to ensure it's durability. All in, this was a £660 job. A new manifold + removal of old and installation of new would have been £1300 approx. so it was definitely worth repairing the old one!

Happy Days..............

[nigelgeast]

Update on the issue;

I took the car to Kevin Bird Garages in Middlesex. I've been taking my BM's there for years as the service and advice there is 2nd to none and it's reasonably handy for where I live and work. They removed the manifold and weld repaired it on site. The factory weld had failed close to the catalyst and they have wellded around the crack and across it to ensure it's durability. All in, this was a £660 job. A new manifold + removal of old and installation of new would have been £1300 approx. so it was definitely worth repairing the old one!

Happy Days..............

I confirmed my Manifold is cracked at the joint weld between the manifold and the Cat Converter took it to the local agent who said a new manifold would cost me £1285_00 fitted. Has anyone removed the cat converter, what effect would this have. Are there any EFI sensors mounted in the Cat converter.

[Bazzer79]

NigelEast,

That sounds like the same weld that failed on mine? I asked the garage to take photos of the manifold before the repair and I'm waiting to see if they did. I'll post pictures here if I get them.

If you removed the CAT what would you put in it's place a section of straight pipe?

[nigelgeast]

I think that I would just put a straight section of pipe, my feeling is there is to much unsupported weight to v
close to the manifold.