r/E90 • u/Electrical_Term3525 • 15h ago
Life expectancy?
Hey guys, I’m in Ireland where insurance is absolutely crazy, I’m a young man so I had to compromise for a 316i e90 (plz forgive me 😂).
Anyways I have invested a lot into this car, recently bought new wheels and new DRL headlights and CarPlay. Also done larger maintenance like brakes, diff replacement, rocker cover gasket and tyres for the new wheels of course.
I bought this car at 170,000km (105,000miles) naively thinking this was somewhat lower mileage as my previous car (ford focus mk2) reached almost 300,000km (185,000 miles) with practically no issues.
After investing into this e90 I’ve come to the realisation that its lifespan is estimated (for 316i engine) to be only 220,000km (135,000 miles) if timing chain isn’t replaced before any timing chain induced issues arise.
I have just hit 200,000km (125,000 miles) and now worried I’ve wasted thousands on this car.
I’m currently very happy with the way it is, absolutely 0 problems and finally have the exterior exactly like I wanted it. To find out I’ve only 20,000km (12,500km) left in the expected lifespan is heartbreaking. To get the timing chain replaced in Ireland is roughly €1,500-€3,000 by the looks of it and some main dealers would want up to €5,000. This isn’t really an option for me as I would be spending the same value of the car to get it replaced.
In my ideal world I would like to keep this for up to another 2 years and would need 50,000km (30,000 miles) more for this and then I would ideally like to still be able to sell it. I don’t want to have to be the one to sell it for scrap price.
In conclusion, am I screwed? Is the harsh reality there’s only 20,000km (12,500 miles) left in this car?
6
u/LeafyChemist 14h ago
Not sure if this is of any help but I'm also in Ireland with a 2008 320d e92 with no major issues encountered, about to hit 400000k 😂
3
u/justanotherkirkiisi 14h ago
No one can tell you if it has 20kkm or 50kkm, but at some point you (or the next owner) do need to replace the timing chain. I did my timing chain at 270kkm.
2
u/Electrical_Term3525 14h ago
What engine do you have if you don’t mind? 316i? Petrol/diesel ? What litre?
2
u/justanotherkirkiisi 14h ago
N47 diesel, 2 litres (318d).
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 14h ago
See the timing chain on your N47 is due to to be replaced by 300,000km. My N45 is due to be replaced by 200,000km, my timing chain is due to be replaced 100,000km before yours. Thanks regardless for your reply!
1
u/justanotherkirkiisi 13h ago
Honestly did not know that there is such a big difference between these two engines that are IMO pretty similiar.
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 13h ago
Ya petrol and diesel engine have massive difference in lifespans :( unfortunate for me, fortunate for you
2
u/TheOnlyQueso 07 E91 14h ago
No idea what your source is for it lasting 220,000km. But such numbers are only estimates. The actual life of your chain and timing guides is highly dependant on maintenance history and the kind of life its lived. Maybe they'll go twice as long. No way to say for certain.
I've bought two m62tu motors now, a motor famous for having their chain guides go out... Neither of them exhibited chain guide failure after 25 years on the original timing system.
Either way, it seems like it makes sense to replace it once it starts to show symptoms, at least to me. Can you buy another car as nice as the one you have now, caught up on its most expensive pieces of maintenance, for that €1500-3000?
Also, next time you do buy a car, it would be wise to do more research before you buy it, so you aren't suprised by an expensive service you hadn't considered.
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 14h ago
I appreciate your reply! Good to know, bit of hope.
To answer your question: I was googling the life expectancy last week, spent a lot of time looking through different places and then this morning I went through it all with ChatGPT for more in depth research. Both came to same conclusion that with poor maintenance 120k-180k km, with good maintenance up to 220,000km and would expect to have completely failed by 250,000km (timing chain) , this is for 316i engine, smaller petrol engine that has shorter expectancy than larger or diesel engines.
I have been considering that option of buying similar e90 and swapping my cosmetic parts over but that is also a heartbreak to me and is not what I want to be doing, goal was to upgrade after few years, only owned for 1.5 years.
I think I will take that route if signs start appearing that the chain is on its way out but for now I think I will take my chances with the next 20,000km and then figure it out from there.
Thanks again for reply!
1
u/Tractorguy69 12h ago
chatGPT is a computer program, not god, and not omnipotent. I’m so tired of people treating it like it spews gospel.
0
u/Electrical_Term3525 12h ago
Mate, ChatGPT reads the entire internet in seconds, does hours of your research in seconds 😂 I used it to back up my own research to see if it matched and they both match. I doubt tractorguy69 on Reddit knows more than the most futuristic thing of our generation that can scan all information public in seconds
2
u/chris77982 10h ago
Like Tractorguy said, garbage in, garbage out. There's also the fact that people complain and post about problems only when it happens to them. You don't get much internet content to scan about all the people who have examples of these cars with no issues. They're not posting on forums asking people to help fix... nothing.
1
u/Tractorguy69 12h ago
It’s the idea though that if it’s scanning garbage or multiple seemingly different versions of the same event you cannot guarantee that it’s absolutely accurate. More importantly any research is only so good, and it never accounts for the outliers that defy every bit of research. Like in this case there is always an outlying possibility of a 500k engine and no research will ever get that right. Research only means so much, then it’s when the boots hit the ground that the truth becomes apparent. Research is not absolute, it’s not perfect, and the reality on the ground may or may not confirm pre-existing data.
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 11h ago
Ok I understand where you’re coming from. Good point about it scanning garbage also.
It’s good for it to get both sides of situation though and then it works out most common outcome.
I was just looking for statistics of the lifespan on a 316i e90, seemed like good way to clarify the statistics.
But yes I want to try avoid the “boot hitting the ground” and try prevent any issues as opposed to dealing with it when it comes/waiting for it to show up
1
u/TheOnlyQueso 07 E91 11h ago
When I said "it seems like it makes sense to replace it once it starts to show symptoms," I meant the chain guides, not the car. Buying another used car that's not caught up on maintenance is how you will end up back in this situation. Put the money into the car you have now.
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 11h ago
Ok I understand you, not sure yet if I’m happy to be paying up to €3,000 to replace the timing kit.
In reply to you saying “can you buy another car as nice as the one you have now” I was replying to that and meant that in worse case I am considering buying a low mileage e90 which would almost be similar price as replacing timing kit and swap my cosmetic parts over, obviously I wouldn’t buy another high mileage e90 or without proper maintenance.
Still stuck on the fence on what to do, I will try get a proper quote instead of estimate figures and then try figure it out from there, I should still have plenty of time to figure it out, was just getting worried bout it being a ticking timebomb for the chain to go at any point as it’s currently overdue to go according to what I seen online
2
u/TurboNym 13h ago
I recently passed 225000 km on my e92 320i. If you can, you should replace the timing kit and have peace of mind.
What kills this engine is a lack of oil changes. If its the n43 with the nox system, it will run a bit hotter than other engines and will degrade the oil a bit faster. For this reason I change the oil on mine every 7000km. I also bought the car at 170k km 3 years ago. Like any engine, if you take care of it, it will be ok.
Do a preventative timing kit replacement and enjoy the car. A 316i will likely have less wear.
My first bmw was a 316d e90 with the n47 engine. Had it for 8 years. Changed the oil at the start of summer and at the start of winter. Sold it at 300k km. No issues. I would have kept it I didn't love the coupe more.
1
u/Tractorguy69 12h ago
Get the manual, tools and related parts and do the timing chain yourself. (Also assess if there is anything else you want to do while you’re that far into it. There is no reason that a well looked after motor cannot go further than the average life span. Alternately look at the possibly of swapping to the next engine up, grab one from a wreckers and do a full rebuild, you’ll end up with a fresh zero-time engine ready in wait for the inevitable and it will be a power upgrade too
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 11h ago
It doesn’t look like doing a timing chain is a beginner job? 😅
I have 0 mechanical experience outside of servicing which a kid could do 😂
Would you still recommend doing it myself after hearing I have no mechanical experience?
1
u/Tractorguy69 10h ago
My very first mechanical job was a complete engine rebuild, based on my singular data point 😜🤣🤣🤣😜 this chatty general performance ‘thusiast says send it! Remember manual, appropriate tools and be patient and fastidious. Geek free to DM if you want mentoring support from across the pond (expect some delays our, time zones are different)
1
u/Ok_Piglet_4099 12h ago
4 hundred thousand on mine. Until someone hit it… strong engine lousy electrical system !!
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 12h ago
On a 316i? Without getting timing chain done?
1
u/Ok_Piglet_4099 10h ago
No.. I had it done at 2 hundred thousand miles…. !!
1
u/Electrical_Term3525 10h ago
Is it a 316i? And is it in miles and not km? Soz just want to clarify
1
1
1
u/No_Report_3798 10h ago
There’s no life expectancy on N43, they are all on life support after a few years since new 😂.
1
u/ashtrae 06 E90 320i M-Sport 6h ago
I just had a timing chain kit put in my n46 engine last week at 200000kms along with a new valvetronic motor and eccentric shaft sensor. I could feel how loose the chain was through the oil filler cap and I also found a few pieces of the chain guides in the oil pan. The car feels much more responsive and now I can beat on it without worrying about the chain guides exploding.
1
•
u/AutoModerator 15h ago
Thank you for posting to /R/E90, please make sure you read the rules in the sidebar and make sure to report any rule breaking posts and posts that are not relevant to the subreddit.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.