N43 and N13 chain and guides

Engine / equipment

N43 four-cylinder petrol (116i, 118i, 120i E87 and 318i, 320i E90, 2007–2011) and N13 (114i, 116i, 118i F20 and 316i F30, 2011–2016)

Period mentioned

2007–2016

Symptoms

Chain rattle on cold starts, VANOS engine light, rising oil consumption and, in severe cases, the engine seizing with no prior warning.

Possible cause described

On the N43 the plastic chain guides break and their debris can block the oil pump strainer, starving the engine of oil. On the N13 the chain stretches and the tensioner fails (BMW improved it on later engines), and the turbo diverter valve, the valve cover ventilation membrane and the VANOS solenoids also fail.

Check for the garage

Listen to a cold start, check the oil filler cap for plastic debris and read VANOS codes.

Cost cited in the source

Chain kit: several hundred to over a thousand euros depending on the garage; a seized engine, far moreA rough figure from the original database, not an up-to-date quote.

Sources from the original database