BMW Timing Chain - Extended warranty

John_Mc

Hi,

I have a 2010 E90 with the N47 engine. I purchased the car second hand and it came with an extended warranty which is due to expire in July. Given the severity of the problems from a failed timing chain I'm going to extend it.

I'm not a mechanic so I'm not sure if it's covered under this plan. Would really appreciate if someone could confirm whether it does or not. There's a higher up plan here but it's obviously more expensive and would like to avoid it if possible.

Engine
All internally lubricated components, including but not limited to the following:

Cylinder head, cylinder head gasket, valves (excluding decarbonisation, burnt or pitted valves and valve seats), valve springs, valve guides, camshaft and bearings, camshaft followers, hydraulic lifters, timing gears, timing chains, piston and piston rings, cylinder liners and liner seals, connecting rods and small end bearings, gudgeon pins, crankshaft and crankshaft bearings, oil pump and oil pump drive, distributor driveshaft, flywheel, starter motor ring gear, engine management sensors.

Final Drive
All internally lubricated components, including but not limited to the following:

Crown wheel and pinion, differential gears and bearings, 4X4 transfer box, halfshaft, halfshaft bearings, driveshafts, bearings and constant velocity joints, propeller shaft universal joints and centre bearing, wheel bearings, final drive sensors. This excludes rubber boots and gaiters.

Gearbox
All internally lubricated components, including but not limited to the following:

Gears, shafts, synchroniser hubs and baulk rings, selector shafts and selector forks, internal bearings and bushes, oil pump, valve and valve block, clutches and brake bands, governor, torque converter, modulator valve, gearbox sensors (excluding external linkages).

Thank you!

djimi

It says that the timing chain is covered. If in doubt maybe give them a call and clarify exactly what is covered.

John_Mc

Thanks, I saw that alright but I suppose if it were to fail then there would be other parts of the engine which would also be affected.

I'll send them a mail now

mickdw

Looks like it is covered but call them to be sure. I dont think BMW play silly beggars with the warranty. It would be possibly the best warranty available on a used car in the country but there is no doubt that it needs to be.

lomb

The maximum payout is 6700 though. How much is a new engine for it if the chain lets go?

John_Mc

They came back with this response this morning:

All levels of cover would protect the Timing Chain/Belt for mechanical failure and subsiquential failure, this is subject to you servicing the vehicle in line with the terms and conditions of the policy.

From what I've read repairing the engine if the timing chain fails comes in at less than 6700. Especially if BMW cover the parts and a % of labour.

Thanks for your replies everyone.

Elessar

I too am in the process of buying the extended warranty for my 2009 318D Msport - and yes timing chain is covered.

Might be worth considering the higher up level. Prices I was quoted are as follows:

Comprehensive: €609, with excess of €135, €499
Named Component: €531, with excess of €135, €444
DriveLine: €437, with excess of €135, €376.

Named component covers a bit more for about 100 extra. The only difference I was told between comp and named is comp covers certain cabin electrical items like the sat nav, and things like the air con compressor.

John_Mc

Elessar wrote: »

I too am in the process of buying the extended warranty for my 2009 318D Msport - and yes timing chain is covered.

Might be worth considering the higher up level. Prices I was quoted are as follows:

Comprehensive: €609, with excess of €135, €499
Named Component: €531, with excess of €135, €444
DriveLine: €437, with excess of €135, €376.

Named component covers a bit more for about 100 extra. The only difference I was told between comp and named is comp covers certain cabin electrical items like the sat nav, and things like the air con compressor.

Thanks yeah I'm considering it going for the higher up plan. I have a 2010 320D with 72,000km and am getting quotes for €284 for Driveline and €352 for Named Component (both without Emergency Service).

Not a bad price considering the piece of mind, especially with the likelihood of the timing chain going on it (:mad: :mad: :mad:).

mickdw

I think the way cars are going, it will soon be too much of a risk to own anything other than bangers outside of warranty.
I think the way kia etc are going is the future even going to a 10 year warranty possibly.

keith_d99

I would tell them now that you hear a rattle when you start the car from cold in the mornings

Get it done under warranty before July and you are sorted!

Idbatterim

with this warranty, will bm replace if the noise is present or does everything have to go "boom" before they will do anything?

keith_d99

Idbatterim wrote: »

with this warranty, will bm replace if the noise is present or does everything have to go "boom" before they will do anything?

No, they will replace if there are warning signs

dr.fuzzenstein

mickdw wrote: »

I think the way cars are going, it will soon be too much of a risk to own anything other than bangers outside of warranty.
I think the way kia etc are going is the future even going to a 10 year warranty possibly.

Well, you could also buy cars no older than 3-5 years within warranty and full dealer history with not a single service missing or done too late, because otherwise they could throw the warranty back in your face. Said car would have to be scrutinised by a specialist, the ECU queried for error codes and/or clocking and the car would be a complete write off if anything about the ECU or the service history was even slightly off. Because the dealer will try everything to worm his way out of any claims.
At least for all German cars, because they are built like German cars, i.e. they blow up every now and then, costing you €4k at the very least to put right if you're very lucky.
Or avoid executive German motors like the plague.
Or, as you said, 15+ year old bangers that can just be disposed off if they blow up.
This also has the added advantage that poorly engineered and built, overpriced crap will have blown up and thrown their pistons out of the pram a long time ago, so what's left has a chance of lasting.

Fountain man

Hi there, I have a 2009 5 series 2 litre diesel with 88k miles. Have just learned about the timing chain issue. I took the car down to the local BMW dealer and asked them to check the timing chain. They did this apparently by listening to the engine with a stetescope. They told me the chain is fine and as long as I stick with the servicing requirements that it should be ok as they will be able to listen for any tell tale noises at the service. Can anyone advise if this info can be trusted?
Before learning if the timing chain issue I took out a warranty through Mapfre. I contacted a BMW i dependant specialist to get a quote for replacing the timing chain and sprockets etc before they fail. He told me that Mapfre are not standing by their warranty for timing chain repairs because they claim that it is a BMW inherent design flaw. Of course when I contacted BMW ireland they dispute that it is a design flaw? Has anyone any advice as to how to deal with Mapfre?
Thanks in advance

Elessar

Fountain man wrote: »

Hi there, I have a 2009 5 series 2 litre diesel with 88k miles. Have just learned about the timing chain issue. I took the car down to the local BMW dealer and asked them to check the timing chain. They did this apparently by listening to the engine with a stetescope. They told me the chain is fine and as long as I stick with the servicing requirements that it should be ok as they will be able to listen for any tell tale noises at the service. Can anyone advise if this info can be trusted?
Before learning if the timing chain issue I took out a warranty through Mapfre. I contacted a BMW i dependant specialist to get a quote for replacing the timing chain and sprockets etc before they fail. He told me that Mapfre are not standing by their warranty for timing chain repairs because they claim that it is a BMW inherent design flaw. Of course when I contacted BMW ireland they dispute that it is a design flaw? Has anyone any advice as to how to deal with Mapfre?
Thanks in advance

If they say it's fine, it's fine. Why did you go with Mapfre? Could you not extend with BMW directly? I too have a 2009 BMW, got the chain checked by the dealer who also said it was ok, but I took the extended warranty with them directly, for peace of mind.

Bigcheeze

Can you buy extended warranty if the original warranty has expired? Warranty is out 6 months and car is still under a 5 year BMW service pack.

John_Mc

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Can you buy extended warranty if the original warranty has expired? Warranty is out 6 months and car is still under a 5 year BMW service pack.

Yes you can. Cheaper premium for cars under 100,000km.

Ferris

Elessar wrote: »

I too am in the process of buying the extended warranty for my 2009 318D Msport - and yes timing chain is covered.

Might be worth considering the higher up level. Prices I was quoted are as follows:

Comprehensive: €609, with excess of €135, €499
Named Component: €531, with excess of €135, €444
DriveLine: €437, with excess of €135, €376.

Named component covers a bit more for about 100 extra. The only difference I was told between comp and named is comp covers certain cabin electrical items like the sat nav, and things like the air con compressor.

While nobody bar BMW is sure of the rate of occurance of this issue on the N47, it cannot be that high. Certainly easily driven and well serviced cars seem to suffer less failures as do automatics.

Bearing in mind that a BMW specialist will charge ~1600eur for a replacement timing chain on one of these engines is it really cost effective to buy an expensive warranty to mitigate against it. Obviously something else could occur but I think this issue is being exacerbated by (understandable) hysteria.

On a side note I know from experience that Mapfre basically cover feck all and aren't worth the hassle.

bazz26

These third party so called warranties are a joke and waste of money, they are really an insurance policy to protect the warranty company or dealer selling them.

Fountain man

bazz26 wrote: »

These third party so called warranties are a joke and waste of money, they are really an insurance policy to protect the warranty company or dealer selling them.

Prior to buying the Mapfre warranty I checked the list of items that it covers and timing chains are included. problem is that in the small print they say that inherent design flaws are excluded. Obviously Bmw won't accept the notion of a design flaw, Mapfre argue otherwise and I'm caught in the middle with a potential time bomb and a dodgy warranty!! Might have to go legal with Mapfre and force them to prove bmw's design flaw.