You know I consulted a few people and everyone told me it was the timing chain. After I replaced the timing chain and the issue wasn’t fixed I was told that most likely the valves and or pistons have damage at this point and not worth fixing the engine. I was kind of done with it at the time. Now I wish I spent an extra day and god the rid bearings replaced. All well, I have a 30k mike engine in now and will keep the car for years to come. Thanks for watching.
GetoverYourself I have a 2017 X1 with 30k miles that has a very similar knock. It has the B48 engine in it though not the N20.... any way to diagnose this without pulling the pan out and looking for wear? How can I rule out valve tap or any other issues?
Hmm, sounds like a bottom end sound like a big end to me. Timing chains have a particular sound, as does injectors. I'd look for metal shavings in the oil, gold shavings never ends well. Removing the pan isn't that big a job, but honestly, they're not that bad to drop the whole motor out of them which you'll need to do if it's bottom end worries.
This was about a year ago and I've since decided to swap the engine to a 30k mile engine. I do believe it is rod bearings since I found plenty of metal in the oil and the filter. Thinking of it.. I still have that engine sitting in the garage, could make for a fun video putting that engine on a stand and tearing it apart.
@@SimpleCarGuy Can I suggest you do that - I'm willing to bet that you'll be able to see very quickly what damage has happened. If you want, I can help guide you through the process.
@@madbikeboysins Thanks! I will keep that in mind, just need to get an engine stand so I can work on it comfortably. Would definitely be interesting getting to the bottom of it. Maybe I can even rebuild it.
Pull out the oil filter. Look for metal shavings. Sometimes you may have to cut the oil filter open. The type of metal may determine what your problem is. How many miles do you have on the engine.
Thank you everyone for watching. Check out my video on tearing this engine down and finding the source of the knock: BMW N20 Teardown After Engine Failure: ua-cam.com/video/1FxiBsenLIk/v-deo.html
Sounds like a bad timing chain guide that is clogging up your pick-up. There are a lot of good shop that will fix this for about 2k and it's worth doing. Your engine should be ok after this. If you need a good BMW shop, I would highly recommend Munich Autoworks in Austin,TX. (Even worth shipping your car there).
I have the same problem with my f30 328i I ended up changing my engine I took it to the dealer stayed there for 2 weeks the problem started from the injectors and cylinder head since i had aftermarket warranty I took it to my local shop contacted the warranty for engine replacement they sent someone to inspect the car everything went smooth , my. Old engine had 134k new one has 14k
Would the sound go away when you accelerated mine goes away while driving or reving engine it’s the loudest when I’m on D and waiting for a light and when in Parked it’s a little quieter
Looking to buyout our lease on 2017 X3 xDrive28i M-Sport with 90k kms (56k miles).. while this might be coming in future if i can get to 100k miles to have such issues i'd say its worth keeping it and maintaining it for such lifecycle issues...
Hi mate have you figure out what the problem actually is ?? mine bmw 320i 2013 have the same issue i upload video on my channel if anyone can help to fix
Sounds like piston is slapping, this n20 motors are notorious on timing chain failing, was the chain making whine noise before this happen? Probably the belt is stretched and skipped timing..
I bought this car at auction with no history relayed to me. I did a timing chain job on it but it only fixed half the problem as the rod bearings were bad as well. I’m sure it was all related, but I decided to swap a 30k engine into the car and be done with it.
It ended up being rod bearings. I decided to replace the engine with an engine that had 36k miles since rod bearings usually mean more damage in the engine. Since I wanted to keep the car for years, I replaced it instead of fixing and risking more issues after.
The rest of the car was in fantastic condition, all bushings in good condition, not a bit of rust or anything like that. They might have just followed BMW’s recommendations on oil change intervals.. which are absurd for longevity.
If the noise is like what you hear in the video, you’ll have to do the rod bearings or replace the engine. So, it really depends on the price and how much of your own work you’re willing to put into it
Hi, you mention it was rod knock (had this before on an FTO and did the same as you) did you lose oil causing starvations? Did the oil pump go giving a EML or was it due to modifications? Or just pure bad luck? Normally get rod knock due to low oil or starvation
I bought the car at auction with ‘mechanic issue’, so I don’t know what caused it. History shows regular oil maintenance around 10k between changes. For this and many other reasons, I change my oil every 5-7k miles.
I would rev the engine to 3k rpm and hold it for 5 minutes, or drive it aggressively at 80-90 miles an hour for 5-10 minutes. I think it's carbon buildup on the valves due to direct injection poor design. An "Italian tune up" will most likely solve your problem.
@@nabeelmamoojee3324 thanks, guess i wont buy the x1 with the exact sound from exact area, left of block. really like bmw, but cant afford new, and too scared to buy old
Sounds bad. Tear the top end down and inspect for damage. No real way to tell what's broken from watching the video. Timing chain guides are the weak point on the engines. They are plastic.
Thank you for the advice! When I take the cylinder head off, how can I tell if there is rod bearings or other damage deeper in the engine? Should I expect scarring or other symptoms? I also assume I’d have to replace timing chain and guides at the same time.
@@SimpleCarGuy yes, you would see scars in the cylinder walls. Another option is to pull the oil pan and check for metal debris and bottom end damage. I don't know how mechanical you are, but this is most likely going to be best left to pro's or advanced home mechanics. Special BMW tools will probably be needed, which are expensive.
Thank you for the suggestion with the oil pan. I'm going to start by taking the oil filter to see if there is any metal in there. I'm also going to check the condition through the spark plug with an endoscope; hopefully, I will be able to see something. As far as leaving it to the pros, this is a high mileage engine which if I can fix myself for cheap (under $1000) it'd be worth it. If not, I'll replace the engine with a low mile example.
Hi- I have a 2017 BMW X1 with the B48 4 cylinder engine. I bought the car used and cheap due to a similar sounding noise... the noise doesn’t go away as the car warms up, and it matches the RPMs. Any insight into N20 similarities to B48 engine? How difficult and time intensive is changing the rod bearings? can a beginner/intermediate car guy do this job? The engine only had 30k miles on it, so I do find it hard to believe it is something related to wear.
This is common problem called the dreaded lifter tick! Nothing you can do it's been a problem with direct injection. Yours does sound worse than mine I would change oil and put Restore Engine Restore in and change spark plugs to NKG good to go!!
You have to remember that I bought this car at auction knowing it had mechanical issues, so we don't know what was done to it or how it was driven. Thanks for wathcing!
@@joemama5259 can't be 100% sure, but I found a lot of metal in the oil. A little too late now, but I remember this for next time! Thank you for watching.
replying for the next guy, it is the timing chain slapping around in there and can be a combination of chain stretch, chain guide wear, and tensioner failure. The higher pitched tick noise alone is perfectly normal.
This is the timing chain problem, just did a 13 528xi, The brown color guides have to be replaced before 100,000 miles, the guide slowly busts in the engine.
When i dropped the pan, the guide was completely destroyed, into a thousand pieces, small and large. this bmw only had 69,300 miles. The guide being broken didn't allow the car to start, because timing was off by a lot due to the missing chain guide. To my surprise the engine had compression after installing the new kit and the engine started up lovely...
Another important note: The timing chain guide had busted up into so many tiny pieces that the oil catch was completey clogged with bits of guide. That could be why you're hearing a knock, no oil is lubricating the head/pistons.
Rod bearings for sure, should have just replaced them since the pan was off. It cost me $250 more and 2 extra hours. Perfect.
You know I consulted a few people and everyone told me it was the timing chain. After I replaced the timing chain and the issue wasn’t fixed I was told that most likely the valves and or pistons have damage at this point and not worth fixing the engine. I was kind of done with it at the time. Now I wish I spent an extra day and god the rid bearings replaced.
All well, I have a 30k mike engine in now and will keep the car for years to come.
Thanks for watching.
GetoverYourself I have a 2017 X1 with 30k miles that has a very similar knock. It has the B48 engine in it though not the N20.... any way to diagnose this without pulling the pan out and looking for wear? How can I rule out valve tap or any other issues?
How did you remove the oil pump without removing the chain assembly?
I might need to change my bearings
so was it the bearings?@@SimpleCarGuy
Did you fix the issue? I took mine into the dealership had to do full engine rehaul 3K
The nightmare of every N20 bmw owner lol
Gotta love it! There is always something with these.
My 328i F30 is also making this noise (knock). What can it be?
Hmm, sounds like a bottom end sound like a big end to me. Timing chains have a particular sound, as does injectors. I'd look for metal shavings in the oil, gold shavings never ends well. Removing the pan isn't that big a job, but honestly, they're not that bad to drop the whole motor out of them which you'll need to do if it's bottom end worries.
This was about a year ago and I've since decided to swap the engine to a 30k mile engine. I do believe it is rod bearings since I found plenty of metal in the oil and the filter.
Thinking of it.. I still have that engine sitting in the garage, could make for a fun video putting that engine on a stand and tearing it apart.
@@SimpleCarGuy Can I suggest you do that - I'm willing to bet that you'll be able to see very quickly what damage has happened. If you want, I can help guide you through the process.
@@madbikeboysins Thanks! I will keep that in mind, just need to get an engine stand so I can work on it comfortably. Would definitely be interesting getting to the bottom of it. Maybe I can even rebuild it.
Pull out the oil filter. Look for metal shavings. Sometimes you may have to cut the oil filter open. The type of metal may determine what your problem is. How many miles do you have on the engine.
Sounds like bad bearing cause the piston to slap or whatever they call it. I'd drop the pan and see whats up.
It's the wast gate on the turbo if the bar doesn't move when you start it then that's your problem
It was a spun rod bearing. I have a video where I take that engine apart and show the problem.
Hello. I have x6 2014 twin turbo bad engine sound. How can I send you the video pls
I would check spark plugs/ engine mounts/ and allll the intake pipes for air leaks
Would an auto leak cause this
@@RafaelRodriguez-wi6ewno this sounds like rod knock
Thank you everyone for watching. Check out my video on tearing this engine down and finding the source of the knock: BMW N20 Teardown After Engine Failure: ua-cam.com/video/1FxiBsenLIk/v-deo.html
Is there an update ?
Sounds like a bad timing chain guide that is clogging up your pick-up. There are a lot of good shop that will fix this for about 2k and it's worth doing. Your engine should be ok after this. If you need a good BMW shop, I would highly recommend Munich Autoworks in Austin,TX. (Even worth shipping your car there).
I have the same problem with my f30 328i
I ended up changing my engine I took it to the dealer stayed there for 2 weeks the problem started from the injectors and cylinder head since i had aftermarket warranty I took it to my local shop contacted the warranty for engine replacement they sent someone to inspect the car everything went smooth , my. Old engine had 134k new one has 14k
Luckily for you, you had the warranty! I’m in the middle of tearing the engine apart to see if I can fix it. Otherwise, I’m getting a newer engine.
Would the sound go away when you accelerated mine goes away while driving or reving engine it’s the loudest when I’m on D and waiting for a light and when in Parked it’s a little quieter
It would get a little quieter but not go away. I have a follow up video where I take this engine apart and show what the damage was.
the n20 is a rough engine and sounds like a diesel even when new. but the clunk is not normal.
I’ve done a lot of troubleshooting since the video and I’ll have another video up with the reason for that mess. Learning a lot about this engine.
Mine didn't sound like this new.
Looking to buyout our lease on 2017 X3 xDrive28i M-Sport with 90k kms (56k miles).. while this might be coming in future if i can get to 100k miles to have such issues i'd say its worth keeping it and maintaining it for such lifecycle issues...
just looked at a 2012 with 100k, similar sound, now i get why it's so cheap (12k canadian) in this market
Hi mate have you figure out what the problem actually is ?? mine bmw 320i 2013 have the same issue i upload video on my channel if anyone can help to fix
Sounds like piston is slapping, this n20 motors are notorious on timing chain failing, was the chain making whine noise before this happen? Probably the belt is stretched and skipped timing..
I bought this car at auction with no history relayed to me. I did a timing chain job on it but it only fixed half the problem as the rod bearings were bad as well. I’m sure it was all related, but I decided to swap a 30k engine into the car and be done with it.
Did you figure it out what is the problem?... I have the same problem right now
It ended up being rod bearings. I decided to replace the engine with an engine that had 36k miles since rod bearings usually mean more damage in the engine. Since I wanted to keep the car for years, I replaced it instead of fixing and risking more issues after.
SimpleCarGuy hey I have the exact same diagnosis for my N20, if you don’t mind could you share how much the replacement costed you?
I did it myself in the garage. I paid $3800 for the engine
Can you help with finding a good used engine I’m going through the same problems
I bought mine through car-parts website. Try looking there. EBay was about 300-500 more and I was able to pick mine up locally.
Holy shit.... Definitely not normal. I work on BMWs and that sounds very troubling. No experience with N20. If imbalance code, then replace mounts.
It was knocking rods.. I replaced the engine with a 30k mile one.
@@SimpleCarGuy rods?! The previous owner must have treated it like an F1 car. Good lord.
The rest of the car was in fantastic condition, all bushings in good condition, not a bit of rust or anything like that. They might have just followed BMW’s recommendations on oil change intervals.. which are absurd for longevity.
How much in parts, time and labour involved with replacing the rods ?
Did this engine overheat at some point?
I got the car at auction so there was no way of knowing. I just took it apart and found the damage in a video I posted last week. Check it out!
Sounds normal after the hot car?
Definitely not, this was a rod bearing that went bad. I have a teardown video on my channel if you're interested in seeing inside.
My car had same problem I pulled the injectors out and it was the injector gasket check it out u have the very same motor
Thanks for the reply, it ended up being rod bearings, but it may help someone in the future!
I like buy 280i with 2013 bmw with noisy engine what's your advise
If the noise is like what you hear in the video, you’ll have to do the rod bearings or replace the engine. So, it really depends on the price and how much of your own work you’re willing to put into it
The sound of money.
Yeah.
Only money can fix that
HEY THATS YOUR TIMING CHAIN. IF RED GLIDE IT NEEDS CHANGED. I JUST BOUGHT ONE 80.000 MILES
Can you move the timing chain up and down? That'd tell you if it's bad or if it's something else like rods.
What is the oil level?
Oil level was fine at that time.
Ciao come hai risolto questo problema ?
I replaced the engine.
Perche anche tu hai avuto problemi con l'n20?
So do these cars have so many issues bc the service intervals are to far apart at 10000 miles before an oil change.
That's a huge factor as to why they grenade like that. 10000 is just ridiculous for an oil change interval.
Ill sell mine this week
I replaced the engine in mine and I've been having a great time driving it! Good luck.
Hello, thanks for the video, I wanted to know how many miles engine was on when this happened and when your car has been manufactured?
The car had 110,000 miles and produced in late 2011.
SimpleCarGuy thanks, did you have your car since new? If so how often did you changed oil?
That’s a fuel injector HAHAH
No, it was not a fuel injector. It was rod knock. I have a video tearing the engine apart.
Hi, you mention it was rod knock (had this before on an FTO and did the same as you) did you lose oil causing starvations? Did the oil pump go giving a EML or was it due to modifications? Or just pure bad luck?
Normally get rod knock due to low oil or starvation
I bought the car at auction with ‘mechanic issue’, so I don’t know what caused it. History shows regular oil maintenance around 10k between changes. For this and many other reasons, I change my oil every 5-7k miles.
I would rev the engine to 3k rpm and hold it for 5 minutes, or drive it aggressively at 80-90 miles an hour for 5-10 minutes. I think it's carbon buildup on the valves due to direct injection poor design. An "Italian tune up" will most likely solve your problem.
Ended up being rod bearings and I replaced the engine entirely.
Then youd be stuck an need to be towed back home, you can hear its not carbon build up
@@nabeelmamoojee3324 thanks, guess i wont buy the x1 with the exact sound from exact area, left of block. really like bmw, but cant afford new, and too scared to buy old
Sounds bad. Tear the top end down and inspect for damage. No real way to tell what's broken from watching the video. Timing chain guides are the weak point on the engines. They are plastic.
Thank you for the advice! When I take the cylinder head off, how can I tell if there is rod bearings or other damage deeper in the engine? Should I expect scarring or other symptoms?
I also assume I’d have to replace timing chain and guides at the same time.
@@SimpleCarGuy yes, you would see scars in the cylinder walls. Another option is to pull the oil pan and check for metal debris and bottom end damage. I don't know how mechanical you are, but this is most likely going to be best left to pro's or advanced home mechanics. Special BMW tools will probably be needed, which are expensive.
Thank you for the suggestion with the oil pan. I'm going to start by taking the oil filter to see if there is any metal in there. I'm also going to check the condition through the spark plug with an endoscope; hopefully, I will be able to see something.
As far as leaving it to the pros, this is a high mileage engine which if I can fix myself for cheap (under $1000) it'd be worth it. If not, I'll replace the engine with a low mile example.
I am not so much into BMW engines, but definitely rod bearings, so disappointing in the BMW engine, not so great at all,, shame.
Garunteed rod knock seen a few at rhe dealership i work at
I wish I had people give me the right answer back then! Would have saved so much time and money. Oh well.. have a 30k mile engine in the car now.
@@SimpleCarGuy just inbox me
Hi- I have a 2017 BMW X1 with the B48 4 cylinder engine. I bought the car used and cheap due to a similar sounding noise... the noise doesn’t go away as the car warms up, and it matches the RPMs.
Any insight into N20 similarities to B48 engine? How difficult and time intensive is changing the rod bearings? can a beginner/intermediate car guy do this job?
The engine only had 30k miles on it, so I do find it hard to believe it is something related to wear.
soldier1900 s any insight is appreciated
bad injector seal
It ended up being rod bearing knock.
This is common problem called the dreaded lifter tick! Nothing you can do it's been a problem with direct injection. Yours does sound worse than mine I would change oil and put Restore Engine Restore in and change spark plugs to NKG good to go!!
Thanks for the info. This ended up being rod bearings and I just replaced the engine from a newer car.
@@SimpleCarGuy how are was it to change rod bearings and how long did it take you?
I decided not to change the rod bearings and just replaced the engine with one that had 30 miles.
If you don’t mind me asking what did it set you back for the engine ? $
I paid about $3800 for the engine that had 30k miles on it. I have a video of me swapping the engine if you’re interested.
At least one bad injector with malfunction.
It was knocking rod. Replaced the engine. Check the video on my channel
Probably one of the worst engines designed ever. %50 of these engines knock very poor wuality
Up until 2013, they fixed most of the issues after that, but still not the best reliability.
Just more reasons NOT to buy bmw
You have to remember that I bought this car at auction knowing it had mechanical issues, so we don't know what was done to it or how it was driven. Thanks for wathcing!
Wrong, every car has its own weak points. This n20 engines only weakness is wastegate rattle and timing chain assembly. It’s an amazing car
Unplug the servo plug going into your valve cover see if noise goes away
It did not, I since replaced the engine as it had a bent rod.
SimpleCarGuy it was still knocking at 30 seconds when the car was off , are u sure u needed a engine ? Sounds like the bad eccentric shaft .
@@joemama5259 can't be 100% sure, but I found a lot of metal in the oil. A little too late now, but I remember this for next time! Thank you for watching.
@@SimpleCarGuy so how does the new engine sound?
Zed can you tell me where is the servo plug? I'm not familiar with these engines and trying to diagnose mine too
Did you figure it out what is the problem?... I have the same problem right now
replying for the next guy, it is the timing chain slapping around in there and can be a combination of chain stretch, chain guide wear, and tensioner failure. The higher pitched tick noise alone is perfectly normal.
Did you figure it out what is the problem?... I have the same problem right now
This is the timing chain problem, just did a 13 528xi, The brown color guides have to be replaced before 100,000 miles, the guide slowly busts in the engine.
When i dropped the pan, the guide was completely destroyed, into a thousand pieces, small and large. this bmw only had 69,300 miles. The guide being broken didn't allow the car to start, because timing was off by a lot due to the missing chain guide.
To my surprise the engine had compression after installing the new kit and the engine started up lovely...
Another important note: The timing chain guide had busted up into so many tiny pieces that the oil catch was completey clogged with bits of guide. That could be why you're hearing a knock, no oil is lubricating the head/pistons.
@@khalidgiravi1076 im having same problem where are u located.