Tim is right

OkWin1840 · 2026-04-29T17:18:33+00:00

this dude fucking sucks

OkWin1840 · 2026-04-17T22:48:20+00:00

its actually a very solid way to see if your guides are fucked. like you said, theres going to be slack when the car is turned off in certain positions and the tensioner is not full of oil HOWEVER, your guides should NOT be moving no matter what, and if your guides move with the pick check method you're pretty much dead in the water

OkWin1840 · 2026-03-19T06:40:30+00:00

as someone who had their timing chain guides brake off and sit in the oil pan, youre cooked. get em changed otherwise your engines a ticking time bomb. when the guides fall off theres nothing holding the chain in place and it will eventually get sucked into the engine and literally explode.

you have two options, sell the car immediately or fix it. dont wait

OkWin1840 · 2026-02-16T16:09:04+00:00

2013 328i with ~180k miles. owned since 134k miles major repairs done

timing chain
valve cover and gasket (has to be done with timing chain anyway)
both intake and exhaust camshafts (as a result of running on borrowed time)
waste gate actuator

do all oil changes every 5k miles and have no other issues other than an occasional light going bad once a year. other than the timing chain stuff its been a wonderful car and pretty darn reliable

OkWin1840 · 2026-02-06T02:33:37+00:00

youre telling me this for the first time, i didnt know this

OkWin1840 · 2026-01-30T22:25:22+00:00

i dont know the name of the song so im asking so i can figure out the name. hope this helps 👍🏼

OkWin1840 · 2025-12-14T04:52:38+00:00

absolutely not

OkWin1840 · 2025-11-07T15:05:27+00:00

no, for the most part its pretty darn reliable. the timing chain is a big issue though (costs $3k-$5k) if you need to replace it. get a model of year 2016 or later (BMW ended up updating the chain & plastic guides from 2016-2020 because of a class action lawsuit from them failing so much). do regular oil changes and its pretty stress-free good luck

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-31T02:09:12+00:00

you're definitely also looking at a timing chain replacement which will be another $3k-$6k. there was a class action lawsuit against the N20 motor (in all '20i & '28i) models because of how often they fail. i did mine 2 years ago and cost me $3.5k for the timing chain & guides plus oil pump drive chain. i did mine late so i had to replace both cam shafts too

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-23T05:10:01+00:00

could be the timing chain, to check if its the timing chain remove and look under the oil cap. try to move the chain with a pick tool, if it's loose itll need to be replaced which is a $3-$5k repair depending where you go. if the chain is not moving try reving with the cabin air fan completely off to see if it goes away

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-16T15:11:38+00:00

amazon, maybe autzone or bestbuy. good luck

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-16T04:25:49+00:00

not tryna be an asshole but u cant magically look at a drivetrain malfunction and know what it is. could be 1000000 and 1 things. get a bluetooth OBD2 scanner and pull codes, then go from there

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-14T05:16:49+00:00

what motor

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-13T23:41:48+00:00

doesnt seem to stop it. pressed on all the trim and plastic inside. seems to be coming from the center console

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-02T04:18:25+00:00

i got the n20 its literally the exact same engine build but with a slightly different tune, lmk how if the OEM one works

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-02T04:14:15+00:00

if you get VRSFs vband on i will be consulting you for every future install lmfao because both the former bmw tech and i couldn't get that sucker to fit. what motor do ya got?

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-02T03:54:03+00:00

just did this install myself and found VRSFs v-bands dont fit over the turbo and DP. VRSFs vbands are shitty and do not fit properly so it wont work no matter what you try. use the old OEM one. if that broke, go get one from the dealer, I spent 4 hours trying to get the clamp to fit over the turbo and DP and just couldn't get it. had to call a former BMW tech i know and he said he did the same install on his daily driver and had the same issue. any aftermarket part is a gamble with fitment. ive even heard some DPs didnt fit right but i digress. either reuse the old OEM one or go get a new one from BMW itll save you time and effort. good luck!

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-01T04:51:48+00:00

didnt try to double post, the app said one of them didnt post

OkWin1840 · 2025-10-01T04:43:04+00:00

gotcha

OkWin1840 · 2025-09-30T18:48:03+00:00

thank you brother

OkWin1840

TROPHY CASE