B47 diesel: the timing chain stretches on the early model years
Typically above 120,000 km. It does not show up on every car.
critical
severity
above 120,000 km
mileage
1,200–4,500 EUR
repair cost
2 sources next to the write-up.
The fault
How you spot it
On the early model years the timing chain of the B47 stretches faster than intended. The chain tensioner compensates for the stretch for a while and then no longer can: the chain jumps, the valve timing goes off, and in a severe case engine damage follows. The first sign is a rattling, clacking noise on a cold start that goes quiet after one to three seconds. On the B47 the chain sits at the front of the engine, not at the rear as on its predecessor, the N47. The replacement is therefore considerably less, between 1,200 and 1,800 euro, against 2,000 to 2,500 euro on the N47; if the chain has already jumped, the repair can run up to 4,500 euro. The risk is highest on units built before the end of 2015, with a reported rate of 3 to 5 per cent. 2016 was better but cases remained, and between July and December 2016 an improved chain tensioner was phased in. After mid-2016 the problem is rare, below one per cent. The engine has been in almost every four-cylinder diesel BMW since 2014, from the 1 Series to the 5 Series and from the X1 to the X4. The build date therefore says more here than the model.
Which model
Who it affects
The card opens the generation, the engine or the transmission.
Engines and transmissions
Engine
B47B20
Engine
B47C20
Engine
B47C20B
Engine
B47C20O0
Engine
B47C20O1
Engine
B47C20T0
Engine
B47C20U0
Engine
B47D20
Engine
B47D20A
Engine
B47D20B
Engine
B47D20TU1
Checklist
B47 diesel: the timing chain stretches on the early model years
What you would check for this fault. Take it to the car.
Before you buy
Checklist
What you tick stays on this device only.
Sources
How we know
Information, not an expert opinion
We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.
- A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
- A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
- You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.

