bmw engine code

charlie55

My wife blew the engine on her bmw.details would make you cry.she ignored a banging sound in the engine.The point is I need the engine code so that I can get another engine. The car is a 2002 316ti compact,i've tried all bmw dealers in Ireland and got no help from them.Do any of you out there know where I can find it.I've checked the engine and found nothing,log book no joy either. Please help .

Owen

The reason BMW can't help is because cars sold in Ireland prior to mid 2004 aren't on their system for examining specifications and original equipment. That's when BMW Ireland took over distributorship.

What you need to do is go to a BMW Garage, sit down at the service desk and ask them nicely if you can chat to the Warranty Administrator. If you can get a few minutes with them, they'll be able to look up the chassis number on the ASAP system, and that will give you the 3 digit engine code. A 320d for example from 2002 has the M47 engine.

Your other option is to go on a BMW owner's forum. If you specify the year of your car, and the exact cc and bhp of your engine, someone will know. There's always an anorak on owner's forums

JHMEG

PaintDoctor wrote: »

The reason BMW can't help is because cars sold in Ireland prior to mid 2004 aren't on their system for examining specifications and original equipment. That's when BMW Ireland took over distributorship.

Is that correct? Other manufacturers' dealerships can tell the engine model and serial number for any car sold worldwide going back 30 or more years, going just on the chassis number. If the car was registered in Ireland they only need the reg plate.

Owen

It's unfortunate, but correct. The only way to examine the specification of a car prior to 2004 is to do it through the warranty system, which will be linked back to the manufacturing systems. Any car after 2004 has a much simpler system for examining equipment.

This is only peculiar to Ireland though, any other BMW Dealership in Europe can examine the specs of cars built in the 80's. It's a hangover from the switch between Frank Keanes distributing BMW's and Mitsubishi for Ireland, and BMW taking over.

beam99

Can you give me the last 7 digits of your chassie no, i should be able to get that for you, will i pm it to you or post it here?

vanos

N42 B18A - thats your engine code if its 2002 E46 316ti model.

DexterT

If its the original ECU, A diagnostic ID check with a LAUNCH etc. will give you the code. Most non-dealer garages carry these. It only takes about 10 seconds to do.

DT.

reverandkenjami

PaintDoctor wrote: »

It's unfortunate, but correct. The only way to examine the specification of a car prior to 2004 is to do it through the warranty system, which will be linked back to the manufacturing systems. Any car after 2004 has a much simpler system for examining equipment.

This is only peculiar to Ireland though, any other BMW Dealership in Europe can examine the specs of cars built in the 80's. It's a hangover from the switch between Frank Keanes distributing BMW's and Mitsubishi for Ireland, and BMW taking over.

Afraid your wrong on this one Paintdoctor! With the chassis number it can be checked without going near the warranty system. Even the reg number will do(assuming its irish car) going back as far as 1998!

JoeySully

Put your VIN number in here and it will tell you the engine code

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/select.do

charlie55

thanks to you all i'll try them all and hope for the best. thanks again :):)

rebel.ranter

http://bmwfans.info/vin/decoder/

http://www.bmwfans.info (alternative to Realoem)

It looks like you have the n42 engine from above link.

charlie55

thanks rebel ranter thats been verified .six months looking and i never thought of you guys.Thanks again

reverandkenjami

charlie55 wrote: »

thanks to you all i'll try them all and hope for the best. thanks again :):)
for beam99 the last 7 digits are fu52986

Wouldn't keep that there if i were you!!

Owen

reverandkenjami wrote: »

Afraid your wrong on this one Paintdoctor! With the chassis number it can be checked without going near the warranty system. Even the reg number will do(assuming its irish car) going back as far as 1998!

Fraid I'm not wrong on this one I've 7 years of working with IVS systems, and the only way to get a call up on the spec of an Irish car is to go through warranty. If it's a UK car, then the chassis number will work.

Owen

rebel.ranter wrote: »

http://bmwfans.info/vin/decoder/?decode=xxxxxx

That's a brilliant link RR, bookmarked

TirNaNog.

Does anyone know if one can get a audi radio code online anywhere by entering chassis No:?

Mr.Diagnostic

I think you are both partly right and equally wrong
The code is not directly available but enough info to figure it out is.

The vin will give the engine type, n42 in this case, but not the engine code. However, being an n42 means it must be a 1.8 or a 2 litre and since its an e46 Ti it has to be a 1.8, so, N42B18A.

Bear in mind that an N42 could be a 2 litre (N42B20A) so that code alone in not enough info for the man to buy a used engine.

remotesensor

TirNaNog. wrote: »

Does anyone know if one can get a audi radio code online anywhere by entering chassis No:?

No

TirNaNog.

remotesensor wrote: »

No[/QUOTE
explain yourself!

Scooteris

TirNaNog. wrote: »

Does anyone know if one can get a audi radio code online anywhere by entering chassis No:?

Just go to main dealer with car,it will cost about 60 euros,as 1hour charge.:D

reverandkenjami

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Fraid I'm not wrong on this one I've 7 years of working with IVS systems, and the only way to get a call up on the spec of an Irish car is to go through warranty. If it's a UK car, then the chassis number will work.

As its my current job i can assure you thats not the case!

TirNaNog.

Scooteris wrote: »

Just go to main dealer with car,it will cost about 60 euros,as 1hour charge.:D

Yeah right as if I want to give them greedy c.unts 60 euro,it takes under 60 seconds to reprogramme it I know how to do it just need a code.anyway I have a spare radio so feck them and there leave it in for 1 hour.

rebel.ranter

PaintDoctor wrote: »

That's a brilliant link RR, bookmarked

http://www.bmwfans.info is an alternative to Realoem.com too, not just a VIN decoder.

Mr.Diagnostic fair play for spotting the 1.8/2.0 thing, although the 316Ti had the 1.8 so the engine supplier should have cottoned that one. Fair play none the less.
Here is further confirmation (don't know why I didn't look here first):

Owen

reverandkenjami wrote: »

As its my current job i can assure you thats not the case!

Not to drag this off topic, but it can't be the case. This isn't meant to be a go at RKJ, more of a bit of interesting reading for anyone who wants to know. Sorry in advance Mods! I was working for the group in 2003, before the switchover to BMW Ireland distributorship. At that point, cars were recorded using a very antiquated system called Autoline, not BMW's IVS system. So, unless you enter a warranty screen on IVS, or if you're using SA3, it's impossible to call up the spec of an irish car on IVS which was sold here before 2004. That was the case up until about 7 weeks ago when I was still working with the dealer network.

In can happen in certain circumstances that vehicles before 2003 can be 'created' and their specifications recorded, but this happens in a few cases, and not in all. It's splotchy at best, and that's why I recommended the OP went to a Warranty admin who would have access to the complete specification of the vehicle, regardless of origin.

Of course Mr Diagnostic has blown us all out of the water now, as has RR, and they've turned up some pretty interesting results. Will be using those links in future guys, nice one!

charlie55

thanks again everyone . a mate who lives in england has found an engine already £1000 .he can bring it over at end of the month. i'll let you know how things go then. lets hope she doesn't blow this one up. thanks again

Owen

That's good value, a friend of mine ended up sourcing a short block engine for an e36 318i and it was around 4k. Let us know how you get on!