BMW E60 2007 Timing Chain

chops018

So the last few weeks have been hearing a metallic rattle sound when revving the engine or even driving generally.

Brought it to a local indy garage/mechanic to check.

They said the timing chain is on its way out and bad.

Gave me a quote of around €2,500 for a replacement timing chain.

I do like the car but that is a bit much for a 2007. I got it around a year and a half ago for €2,000 and it's given me no trouble bar getting it serviced and new tyres (which is normal).

Thoughts?

bazz26

If it's only the chain that needs replacing then your being robbed at 2,500. It's a common enough problem on them of that vintage but they can be replaced for a whole lot cheaper than 2,500. More like 1,200 these days.

Really depends on how long you want to hold onto the car. Even spending just over half of what you paid for it to replace the chain probably makes little sense unless you plan to keep it for a few more years. It could make good sense to spend 1k or 1,200 on a new chain if the rest of the car is sound and it's going to be a keeper. But if your plan is to spend no money on it then I'd just drive it on until the chain goes and kills the engine, then replace the car with something else. As it stands a 15 year old 5 Series needing a new timing chain is worth very little.

chops018

Thanks for the reply. Yes, they said the timing chain needs to be replaced.

I do really like the car and I was thinking of keeping it around 2 more years.

Only got new tyres and a service recently so it's very annoying.

I was thinking €2,500 was way too much. I thought if it was around €1,000 I'd get it done as everything else on the car genuinely seems ok.

I might try ring a few places tomorrow for quotes.

I do agree it doesn't make economic sense for me to spend that much on one job on a 15 year old car. However, only other option is head over to my local car dealer and see if he will give me something for it to trade in but then I'd be looking at cars €7-10k which doesn't make sense either so I'm not sure what to do. Maybe best option is to just keep driving it until it goes and then scrap it.

Would I get a few months out of it before it goes?

bazz26

I'd definately shop around for cheaper prices as lots of these cars had their chains replaced which brought prices down over the years. I'd say the mechanic quoting 2,500 probably doesn't want to take the job on hense the high price to discourage you.

I wouldn't bother trading it as is either, even a good one of that age wouldn't be worth a whole lot to a dealer so one needing a new chain will probably get you trade in offers of €500 I'd say, unless the car you would be trading in against is way overpriced to allow for a higher trade-in value.

Gumbo

www.BMWorkshop.ie

Check them out on FB. Can be done for half that price.

chops018

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119055461#Comment_119055461

Thanks. I've reached out to them for a quote. Rang another place who said they never did the M47 engine as they usually don't give timing chain trouble.

If I could get it done for €1,000-1,200 I'd go for it as driving it into the ground and buying another car would work out way more expensive unless I bought a bangernomics for a while.

I do like the car and otherwise it seems fine so I'd happily keep it 2/3 more years.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119055508#Comment_119055508

They are right. It’s normally the N47 that gives the chain trouble. Are you sure it’s a timing chain issue you have?

chops018

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119056335#Comment_119056335

I'm not 100% sure personally, but the mechanic I went to (which has serviced my car before) has said it needs to be done.

I'm going to try get a second opinion I think!

chops018

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119055461#Comment_119055461

Got on to these and they got back to me with a quote of €1,000 plus VAT @13.% for an FAI timing chain kit replacement or €1,350 plus VAT @13.5% for a genuine BMW timing chain kit replacement.

I think I'll go with the first option. Just double checking with them that it is the full price to include time and labour etc.

hayse

I’d buy a engine and put it in. Pick up a m47 engine for less than €200.

Or is yours a uk import with the n47 op?

chops018

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119072071#Comment_119072071

Really, that cheap? How much would it cost then to put a new engine in? And is it a scrapyard you'd buy it?

It's definitely M47. Checked book and even did a cartell search and says M47.

I said if I could get it done for €1,000 I'd do it as I really like the car. The idrive is way ahead of its time with Bluetooth, it has heated seats, air con, sun roof. Lovely to drive and automatic. Got it for €2k around a year and a half ago, a new iPhone isn't much less! Crazy! There's no value in the second hand market any more.

hayse

5-6 hours labour max old engine out and good used one in. In buying and fitting the engine you be out of it for €500.

Wildly Boaring

Any chance the first lad was quoting for clutch too at 2500?

Got a few quotes for chain on an f10 previously and half of them reckoned be madness not to do clutch at same time with engine out.

Now that said is the chain on that engine also an "engine out" job?

dil87

As others have said, 2.5k to replace the chain is robbery. I presume it hasn't done any damage so far? I was quoted 1k all in for mine last year. Definitely not worth doing if you can't get it done for less.

chops018

Hayse - that does sound good but tbh I don't really have time to go sourcing a good second hand engine! Otherwise I'd have looked into it.

Wildly Boaring - yes, it was just for chain replacement they gave the quote for.

dil87 - agreed, I had in my head if it was around the €1,000 mark I'd go with it as I like the car and as I said above the second hand market is awful no so you wouldn't even pick up a decent yoke for around €2k and it wouldn't make economic sense to go off to a dealer to try trade it in and pay maybe €5-6k for a 2010 or 2011 car that I don't know.

So I think the best option is to go with the quote the BMW specialist gave of €1,000!

It doesn't seem to have done any damage yet. I can hear the noise getting a bit worse though so the sooner it's done the better but it seems to be driving ok.

User1998

I know you have no plans to sell but when you do you will definitely get more for it with proof of a timing chain replacement. Most people won’t touch off them without it so its money well spent. Just make sure to get a proper invoice and keep it safe

chops018

Another update:

I saw there is a garage/mechanic near where I work with a load of good reviews. So I rang them this morning and explained what was going on and they told me to call down to them just before lunch.

Called in and they firstly hooked it up to a computer and went through a load of stuff that they said a bad chain might affect. All was clear. They even said that the DPF was coming up fine and doing a regeneration fine.

They listened to the engine and agreed it does sound very rattly/noisy. They popped the hood and opened the oil cap and checked all that and listened more. Again said it sounds very rattly but they said it doesn't sound like the chain is going to go and said it's the M47 engine so they'd be surprised if it was going to go. They said it's a 15 year old car and they are noisy anyway and said if it was them they'd just drive it on. They said if it was close to going it would affect some other part of the engine such as bits of metal somewhere or the car losing power or showing a fault somewhere and they can't see anything like that.

The BMW specialist who gave me the reasonable quote to change it also said they can't physically check the chain without taking out the engine but they would listen to the car and carry out checks before doing any work. I reckon as it's a 15 year old car I should just drive it on? I'd be happy if I get another year or so out of it. It's NCT'd till December anyway.

Thoughts?

Leonard Hofstadter

M47s don't give trouble with the timing chain, but if it was the timing chain, it's at the front of the engine (the cars with the N47 engine, which actually do suffer from this problem, have it at the back of the engine, so it take a lot longer to do it and hence the price is much higher), so anything above a grand is pricey. I would not recommend the use of FAI timing chain kits, they have a reputation for not lasting that long and obviously you don't want to replace a timing chain twice.

Driving on sounds like a plan tbh, as others have said, those cars are not worth a lot of money and there's loads of 520ds around the place should it pop its clogs and you need to get a replacement car.

chops018

Just said I'd update the thread for anyone interested.

So I brought the car to my sister's friend who is mechanic and does nixers.

He said the M47 engines don't give chain trouble. He didn't think that was it. So I drove it on and the air con belt came off while I was driving. Brought it back to him. He said not a big job. So he ordered a new air con belt and fan belt and then saw it needed a new crankshaft pulley as it was all cracked through. Changed that too. €500 all in for parts and labour.

Only got it back today so haven't driven it much but it seems like a totally different car after the work has been done. I don't even hear the rattle that I described in my OP. Hopefully continues on like this and I get another year or so out of it.

I'm pissed off with the original place telling me it was the chain and quoting me €2,500 (assuming it isn't the chain).

youtheman

Got a quote for replacing the timing chain on a Mazda 2.2D SkyActive engine (from a Mazda Garage). Just slightly North of €4,000. WTF!.

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119169996#Comment_119169996

I presume you are aware of that engine's very bad reputation?

youtheman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119175628#Comment_119175628

I have the car since new. Have 145K km on it and it hasn't missed a beat (the engine that is). Had some problems with the brakes 'early doors' but that was sorted under warranty. I haver heard some stories about the engine, but I suppose there's not a lot I can do about it (except keep my fingers crossed).