I have found a nice 28i but it's 2012, so unless it's been changed would have the old style cam/timing chain and guides which I have read are prone to failing and expensive to fix. I believe BMV redesigned it in 2015 so they don't fail, so is it better to steer clear of pre-2015 cars? There aren't so many post 2015 E89s around and also start to get out of my price range at that age. How common is the timing chain fail on the earlier cars?
Is it risky to buy a pre-2015 28i with the original timing chain?
- Thread starter Vectian
- Start date
Scottish Borders
Pinkladie12
Member
I have a 2012 E89 things can go wrong suddenly with any car im certainly not fretting about it if you google the Z4 years to avoid 2016 comes up as one lol
At the summit of the picturesque fens
If you look hard enough on t'internet, you would avoid EVERY car ever built for one reason or another.
We are on our second E89 with the N20 engine. No problems so far. I even have a 320i with the B48 which leaks coolant just for fun, apparently. No coolant leaks so far.
I've said it before...but I have a neighbour with a 2013 528i (same N20). He has had it from new and done 120k miles in it. He doesn't even know what a cam chain is, let alone worries about it going pop. And it hasn't so far!
If you are that worried, go and get an EV (and a big fire extinguisher).
We are on our second E89 with the N20 engine. No problems so far. I even have a 320i with the B48 which leaks coolant just for fun, apparently. No coolant leaks so far.
I've said it before...but I have a neighbour with a 2013 528i (same N20). He has had it from new and done 120k miles in it. He doesn't even know what a cam chain is, let alone worries about it going pop. And it hasn't so far!
If you are that worried, go and get an EV (and a big fire extinguisher).
Pondrew said:If you look hard enough on t'internet, you would avoid EVERY car ever built for one reason or another.
We are on our second E89 with the N20 engine. No problems so far. I even have a 320i with the B48 which leaks coolant just for fun, apparently. No coolant leaks so far.
I've said it before...but I have a neighbour with a 2013 528i (same N20). He has had it from new and done 120k miles in it. He doesn't even know what a cam chain is, let alone worries about it going pop. And it hasn't so far!
If you are that worried, go and get an EV (and a big fire extinguisher).
True every car can have issues, but a very well known design flaw which is expensive to fix and can result in total engine failure is something that needs to be considered. Wondering if I should wait for a 30i with the N52 engine instead, they seem to have less problems
B21 said:
There is a lot of conflicting info about this around, about how common this is but there are a LOT of people who have had it fail, to the extent that there was a class action law suit around it I believe. £1k is a lot more to stump up if you already spent your hard-earned on the actual car, and if the whole engine gets trashed in the process way more than that. I'm wondering if I should wait for a 30i to come up with the N52 engine
San Francisco, CA
I'll add my smarter-than-thou 2 cents for you to rub together and try to make a buck.
BMW stands for Bring More Wallet. If you want peace of mind, either buy a brand new BMW with warranty --and still, God knows it's not that simple--, or buy a Toyota Camry. Personally, I'm at my last BMW.
Fearmongering aside, the E89 is a massively fun and smart motor. Take the plunge and enjoy many miles with air running through your hair.
BMW stands for Bring More Wallet. If you want peace of mind, either buy a brand new BMW with warranty --and still, God knows it's not that simple--, or buy a Toyota Camry. Personally, I'm at my last BMW.
Fearmongering aside, the E89 is a massively fun and smart motor. Take the plunge and enjoy many miles with air running through your hair.
My 28i had the fix done before I bought it, but I understand it starts making quite a noise before the whole engine goes bang. If you find a car you like, allow for £1K and stuff it away in case it is needed (or get the fix done anyway and sleep at night!).
I found out about the Plastic Timing Chain tensioner issue after I bought my 2012 28i. My super mechanic told me not to worry...he checks the the timing chain at every service anyway and there's plenty of warning. I think it's the fact that someone in the US attempted a class action lawsuit against BMW because his engine grenaded that the issue got more media coverage than it should have. The lawsuit didn't get anywhere. I used to think it was something to worry about but after owning the car for over 5 years now, I don't think about it.
North West Surrey
I'm a big fan of the N52 engines - I've currently got my 4th, albeit in a 3 Series.
But the N20 cam-chain issue seems to be similar to the N47 diesel one in that if it goes it can be catastrophic, but given how many got built only a small percentage seem to have been affected. And assuming it starts rattling before it lets go that's probably the time to worry about it!
I suppose it depends what level of risk you are willing to live with. Good luck anyway.
But the N20 cam-chain issue seems to be similar to the N47 diesel one in that if it goes it can be catastrophic, but given how many got built only a small percentage seem to have been affected. And assuming it starts rattling before it lets go that's probably the time to worry about it!
I suppose it depends what level of risk you are willing to live with. Good luck anyway.