BMW 525 D 3.0l Diesel E60

[bletchmonster]

Wow!! I thought BMW's were a paragon of fine German auto engineering and turns out they regularly die from something as fundamental as a broken timing chain.
Seems manufacturers are forgetting all the knowledge gained on how to make a vehicle mechanically work whilst concentrating on electric key gizmos.
Reminds me of very the popular John deere tractors, full of electronics now, but suffer faults such as axle bearings failing so the wheel falls off and diffs disintegrating.
They used to have the oily bits sorted.

 

[Ashley Burton]

Wow!! I thought BMW's were a paragon of fine German auto engineering and turns out they regularly die from something as fundamental as a broken timing chain.
Seems manufacturers are forgetting all the knowledge gained on how to make a vehicle mechanically work whilst concentrating on electric key gizmos.
Reminds me of very the popular John deere tractors, full of electronics now, but suffer faults such as axle bearings failing so the wheel falls off and diffs disintegrating.
They used to have the oily bits sorted.

They are getting worse!

It's all down to the end user buying on price rather than quality & reliability

 

[premmington]

Wow!! I thought BMW's were a paragon of fine German auto engineering and turns out they regularly die from something as fundamental as a broken timing chain.
Seems manufacturers are forgetting all the knowledge gained on how to make a vehicle mechanically work whilst concentrating on electric key gizmos.
Reminds me of very the popular John deere tractors, full of electronics now, but suffer faults such as axle bearings failing so the wheel falls off and diffs disintegrating.
They used to have the oily bits sorted.

At one time a BMW, Merc or VW badge meant something (upto the 90's). Now they only means big repair bills...

You are better off with the dull offerings from Mitsubishi - Honda - Toyota - Kia and Hyundai. Older proven technology - duller - but with less costly repairs.

Nissan & Renault is to be avoided - so is Land Rover - Mazda - Ford and Jaguar.


If everybody owned a Mitsubishi - Honda - Toyota - Kia and Hyundai - I might as well shut my garage doors - because it would not worth opening for the repair work you would get.


My fleet is made up of:

2001 Nissan K11 Micra (high mileage)
1999 Toyota 80 series Landcruiser (high mileage - dog rough but still going)
1983 W123 300D Merc Estate with an OM617 five cylinder engine (super low mileage pristine 7 seater - bright red and chrome - collectable now).
2010 Renault Clio 1.2 (as new - 15000miles only)
2006 Merc Vario 815D with a 4250cc OM904LA engine and a tilt and slide recovery body on it (low mileage - ex Police).
2014 Honda AFS110i scooter (high mileage)
1990 BMW R80RT motorbike (starship mileage)

If you look at the list I have picked them well - I am not investing in camchains and loads of electronic repairs.

The Micra and the Vario are at my workshop (micra is a customer loan car). Wifey drives the Clio. I either go to work on today's equivalent of a Honda C90 (wave 110) or use the Toyota truck with trailers. The BMW Motorbike is a hobby. The Merc estate is under a sheet in my garage at home (taxed and MOT'd - high days and holidays).

And if you really look at the value of the whole of my fleet - someone has paid more money retail for a singular two year old VW golf from the main dealers (the whole of my fleet's value does not add to the retail price of one decent two year old low mileage VW Golf).

Out of my collection of vehicles I can - tow - recover - commute - lend customers a car - have family days out with grandchildren - wifey can run about - and I have a hobby. And as for breakdowns - I always have a spare vehicle to use...

The downside is the RFL - road tax for all of them....

 

[johnik]

when you see the size of the chain, looks like it should be on a push bike, and the work they are expected to do, you can see why they go pop, all down to bean counters and built in obsolesence i supose

 

[Kayos]

At one time a BMW, Merc or VW badge meant something (upto the 90's). Now they only means big repair bills...

You are better off with the dull offerings from Mitsubishi - Honda - Toyota - Kia and Hyundai. Older proven technology - duller - but with less costly repairs.

Nissan & Renault is to be avoided - so is Land Rover - Mazda - Ford and Jaguar.


If everybody owned a Mitsubishi - Honda - Toyota - Kia and Hyundai - I might as well shut my garage doors - because it would not worth opening for the repair work you would get.


My fleet is made up of:

2001 Nissan K11 Micra (high mileage)
1999 Toyota 80 series Landcruiser (high mileage - dog rough but still going)
1983 W123 300D Merc Estate with an OM617 five cylinder engine (super low mileage pristine 7 seater - bright red and chrome - collectable now).
2010 Renault Clio 1.2 (as new - 15000miles only)
2006 Merc Vario 815D with a 4250cc OM904LA engine and a tilt and slide recovery body on it (low mileage - ex Police).
2014 Honda AFS110i scooter (high mileage)
1990 BMW R80RT motorbike (starship mileage)

If you look at the list I have picked them well - I am not investing in camchains and loads of electronic repairs.

The Micra and the Vario are at my workshop (micra is a customer loan car). Wifey drives the Clio. I either go to work on today's equivalent of a Honda C90 (wave 110) or use the Toyota truck with trailers. The BMW Motorbike is a hobby. The Merc estate is under a sheet in my garage at home (taxed and MOT'd - high days and holidays).

And if you really look at the value of the whole of my fleet - someone has paid more money retail for a singular two year old VW golf from the main dealers (the whole of my fleet's value does not add to the retail price of one decent two year old low mileage VW Golf).

Out of my collection of vehicles I can - tow - recover - commute - lend customers a car - have family days out with grandchildren - wifey can run about - and I have a hobby. And as for breakdowns - I always have a spare vehicle to use...

The downside is the RFL - road tax for all of them....

But you cant buy a car just based on reliability or running cost

What about looks, or coolness or as I often do the "oooooh land rover" factor?

With all due respect your fleet looks like the car park on oap bingo night

 

[daleyd]

But you cant buy a car just based on reliability or running cost

What about looks, or coolness or as I often do the "oooooh land rover" factor?

With all due respect your fleet looks like the car park on oap bingo night

 

[Ashley Burton]

With all due respect your fleet looks like the car park on oap bingo night

But I bet he isn't getting towed home buy the breakdown company!

 

[Parm]

So

Any recommendations for a mechanic in Reading Area. Can even get the car recovered to me for a mechanic in Northampton/ Milton Keynes area

Happy to share diagnosis and repair once we know

 

[ajlelectronics]

But you cant buy a car just based on reliability or running cost

What about looks, or coolness or as I often do the "oooooh land rover" factor?

With all due respect your fleet looks like the car park on oap bingo night

Only a fashion victim would be into fur coat and no knickers. Who cares about the latest eurobox mould? I have more respect for drivers of older vehicles than those.

 

[Ashley Burton]

So

Any recommendations for a mechanic in Reading Area. Can even get the car recovered to me for a mechanic in Northampton/ Milton Keynes area

Happy to share diagnosis and repair once we know

I would take it to a Bosch Car Service, Not always the cheapest. But most of the ones I've worked with over the years are pretty clued up & have decent equipment to get the job done. Independent garages are very hit & miss to find a good one if I'm honest! Even some of these so called specialists aren't always that great.

 

[Kayos]

Only a fashion victim would be into fur coat and no knickers. Who cares about the latest eurobox mould? I have more respect for drivers of older vehicles than those.

I'm not talking new, just not dull

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

It used to be belts snapping in the old days and anything with a chain was concidered good. Now it seems the manufacturers have turned full circle and are turning out Jabberwocky cam chains!

Aye. Think the service interval for the chain on my old 2.4 duratorq was 200k

 

[ajlelectronics]

I'm not talking new, just not dull

DULL? Every single eurobox on the road from the last 10 years plus looks like every other and is a sea of white, grey or black with silly fairy lights on the front and headlights that aren't screwed down. That's hardly individual.

My fleet is a 1995 Ford Scorpio in metallic red, yellow Scimitar GTC, Nightfire metallic GTC, BMW K1100LT in red and K1200LT in dull graphite grey, which might just get redone in Lamborghini pearlescent yellow when I have time.

Apart from the Nightfire, I didn't choose reds, it again was the fashionable colour of the day, but at least it's not monochrome.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

So

Any recommendations for a mechanic in Reading Area. Can even get the car recovered to me for a mechanic in Northampton/ Milton Keynes area

Happy to share diagnosis and repair once we know

You might find somewhere from here - maybe hasn't been updated for a while but it should give you a starting point?

http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/garages.html

 

[Parm]

You might find somewhere from here - maybe hasn't been updated for a while but it should give you a starting point?

http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/garages.html

Cheers John, I’ll send link to my Brother

 

[jerrytug]

I've just bought a 320D, high mileage but running like a swisss watch, I was enjoying chucking it about..

..until I read this thread, now I'm just waiting for a huge expensive crunch when the chain lets go

 

[Nomad]

I've got a 2007 325i (n53 engine) and found a great forum for technical advice https://www.e90post.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2

A cheap code reader (eb@y £10) helps a lot but reliability has been a big disappoinment. Suggest you browse the forum for 325d (same engine as yours?) and see if there's a common fault.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I've just bought a 320D, high mileage but running like a swisss watch, I was enjoying chucking it about..

..until I read this thread, now I'm just waiting for a huge expensive crunch when the chain lets go

Well 'twas ever thus. Even the 70’s Ford Essex with a dirty great timing wheel had the same problems. Teeth would strip, valves met pistons and the cash registers started to go 'ting'. The one piece steel replacements make it sound like a jet engine until it beds in.

 

[hareng]

I've just bought a 320D, high mileage but running like a swisss watch, I was enjoying chucking it about..

..until I read this thread, now I'm just waiting for a huge expensive crunch when the chain lets go

Thats only the earlier N47 engine i have when abused, newer 2 Diesels no problems just bought a 66k 120D 174hp yesterday for nipper, boy its slow to my 118D.

Parm join a BMW forum there will be someone willing to come out and do a DIS diagnostic. Alternatively can buy off ebay about £20 for 6 discs plus adaptor, trouble is couldnt get it working on XP32 or XP64 or even Win 7 32 or 64 bit, now slapped on a Win 10 untried.
Until you have that info its no use contemplating what it might be, literally it can be as simple as a switch or sensor, who knows! If i plug Carly in it will come up with 16 faults on mine created by one pressure sensor back of engine at £68.

 

[Moose McAlpine]

Aye. Think the service interval for the chain on my old 2.4 duratorq was 200k

I used to work at a place where 75% of our work was Transits. I did timing chains at least twice a week there, often more. Most had developed issues long before 200k.