Buying 2010 320d ED, should I be worried?

Nick340 · 12-03-2022, 01:34 AM

Hi There,

Going to look at a 2010 (E91) 320d ED, manual this afternoon in UK.

Got 105k miles on clock. FSH and looks very well looked after.

MOT history good, only a few advisories. Owner has recently had all wheels refurbed, it has all same good quality tyres, various signs he's not skimped on maintenance and keeping it in good condition.

Doing some research online, I've obviously come across the N47 issue with timing chains.

Given its higher miles, I'm a bit concerned, yet equally found reviews of people who have run them well up to 200k with original parts without major issues apart from a clutch.

Should I be put off by the potential for timing chain needing changing? I understand they can be min £800 to fix.

But from what I read, clutches generally good for c150k miles.

Advice on what to check for and if it's an issue very much appreciated.

Cheers,

J21J · 12-04-2022, 05:36 PM

Generally if the car has had frequent oil changes and a good service history then that should drastically reduce the chance of timing chain failure. I know cars with the N47 which have 150k to 200k miles on them and driven HARD with no signs of any forthcoming timing chain issues.

On the other hand I have seen N47 engined cars with timing chain failure with less than 100k miles on them. Really you will have to have a good listen to the engine when inspecting.

If you change the oil every 10k miles then it is a very solid engine and not much goes wrong with it so don't be put off by all the horror stories.

12-03-2022, 01:34 AM	#1
Nick340 Private First Class 36 Rep 103 Posts Drives: 340i M Sport (shadow edition) Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Cambridgeshire, UK iTrader: (0)	Buying 2010 320d ED, should I be worried? Hi There, Going to look at a 2010 (E91) 320d ED, manual this afternoon in UK. Got 105k miles on clock. FSH and looks very well looked after. MOT history good, only a few advisories. Owner has recently had all wheels refurbed, it has all same good quality tyres, various signs he's not skimped on maintenance and keeping it in good condition. Doing some research online, I've obviously come across the N47 issue with timing chains. Given its higher miles, I'm a bit concerned, yet equally found reviews of people who have run them well up to 200k with original parts without major issues apart from a clutch. Should I be put off by the potential for timing chain needing changing? I understand they can be min £800 to fix. But from what I read, clutches generally good for c150k miles. Advice on what to check for and if it's an issue very much appreciated. Cheers, Last edited by Nick340; 12-03-2022 at 01:48 AM..
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12-04-2022, 05:36 PM	#2
J21J Enlisted Member 3 Rep 32 Posts Drives: Bmw E90 Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Scotland iTrader: (0)	Generally if the car has had frequent oil changes and a good service history then that should drastically reduce the chance of timing chain failure. I know cars with the N47 which have 150k to 200k miles on them and driven HARD with no signs of any forthcoming timing chain issues. On the other hand I have seen N47 engined cars with timing chain failure with less than 100k miles on them. Really you will have to have a good listen to the engine when inspecting. If you change the oil every 10k miles then it is a very solid engine and not much goes wrong with it so don't be put off by all the horror stories.
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