2004 BMW 320D SE

GT_TDI_150

the Timing chain ... do they need replacing, is there a recommended interval?


Do they give trouble?

Thanks

Leonard Hofstadter

No there is no problems with the timing chain on any 320d built before September 2007.

The turbos do give trouble on the E46s, there is some sort of filter (the name of which escapes me right now) that is supposed to be changed for a vortex style one every (third?) service and that will help prolong the life of the turbo. It is also recommended that the swirl flaps are removed at the earliest opportunity as they have been known to injest themselves into the engine, which writes off the whole engine. In general the older 320ds aren't too bad for reliability - so long as they've been looked after! I would not touch one with a bargepole if it looks any way rough or abused and I would want to see a decent bit of service history as well (a task easier said than done in Ireland of course!).

Do you really need a diesel? The six cylinder petrols although heavy on juice are fantastic to drive - the engine is amazing; so smooth, refined and dignified and quiet when you want it to be but they pull like a train (as long as you don't go for the 320i as they're rather lacking in oomph) all the way up to the redline and sound fantastic when you want to have fun.

As an E46 owner, I can tell you if you are on the lookout for one to make sure that you check all around the arches, they can go AWOL, also the handbrake is a bit crap to be fair so definitely check that, but other than that they're generally a well made car.

bazz26

The filter is called the turbo breather filter and needs to be replaced with a vortex shaped one and housing to help eleviate oil blockages. It is also recommended to change the filter every third oil service to further prevent a blockage.

Swirl flaps in the inlet manifold also need to be removed if not already done as these can break off and get ingested by the engine killing it.