BMW Tech

Engines

Thankfully, the 2 Series wasn’t fitted with the 1.6 N13 ‘Prince’ engine with all of its problems. Starting with the smallest, the three pot 1.5litre B38 is a pretty good engine; it goes well and is very good on fuel. So far it’s proven to be reliable although there have been cases of crankshaft thrust bearing wear allowing the crank to machine its way into the alloy block – a weird noise when the clutch is depressed is cause for alarm and if the oil looks like silver paint when drained then there is a major issue. Cars with a full BMW history will probably be looked upon favourably for a goodwill claim. There have been some instances of timing chain guide breakage but it’s not common.

The N20 engines in the 220i and 228i were quite short lived, launched in 2012 and gone by 2017. These have much the same potential issues as the B38 – timing chain guides and the crank thrust washer problem but again, it’s not as common as it was on early engines in the 3 Series. The chain is at the front of the engine this time and the whole lot can be replaced with the engine fitted and it’s perhaps not a bad idea to change the chain and guides at 100k as a precaution. Earlier pre-2015 units were known for oil pump chain problems so listen out for a strange whining sound. Big end (rod bearing) failure can happen as well and a lot of this is due to a blocked oil filter restricting flow. You just can’t expect a turbocharged 2.0 petrol engine to thrive on old dirty oil. Extended oil changes don’t do any engine much good and so doing an interim service so that the engine gets clean oil and a new filter every 10,000-miles will help. That apart, the N20 isn’t a bad engine at all and is far better than the previous N43 horror show was fitted to the 1 Series Coupé. Injector problems are rare and the nightmare of the N43 NoX sensor banished. A weird chattering noise could be the infamous turbo waste gate and if left, will result in boost loss. Beware of remapped 220i cars as well - the engine is not the same as the 228i unit and has different pistons that will not cope with 240hp for long before it goes bang. The 220i has a very high 11:1 compression ratio and the 228i had this reduced to 10:1 for good reason. BMW can also detect any remap no matter how clever your remap guy thinks he is – you’ve been warned.

The N47 diesel is a good engine but the bogey of timing chain problems is still there although by 2014 problems had been hugely reduced to the extent that you’d be unlucky to have a problem. Even so, it’s worth paying a bit more and buying a 2015 car with the B47 unit – whilst nothing is ever perfect, the B47 is basically an N47 with the chain problems sorted out and it’s an excellent engine – make sure the recent EGR recalls have been carried out though and think about an interim oil service as well.

Should you want to have the chain replaced on an N47, think in terms of £1300 using proper OE parts from BMW or febi – you can get this job done for less but question why.

The 235i N55 engine was the final version of the N52 unit that arrived in 2005 for the E90 2 Series. It’s a good engine but your problem might be finding one that hasn’t been abused –it’s one of those cars you want to buy from the

owner so you can see who has driven it, one owned by a lead footed yoof with Facebook posts of the thing being drifted is not the car for you. Common problems are basically oil leaks – cam cover gasket, oil filter housing gasket and the gasket between the oil cooler and the filter housing. Replacing the last two is easy, the former is quite involved but be aware that a bad oil filler cap seal and/or a blocked breather will cause leaks. The breather valve is built into the cam cover but is easy to replace and costs under 20 quid. The N55 can also throw the alternator belt off inwards with the belt being pushed into the engine past the crank oil seal – you read that right. The cause is a worn out belt tensioner but to be fair, it’s not a common problem and a new belt tensioner is not expensive at about 60 quid and it’s easy enough to replace.

The B58 six as fitted to the M240i has so far proven to be a very good engine. The chain and VANOS units are at the back of the engine and whilst the VANOS pulleys are reliable (they also are on the N55), the solenoids can give trouble and they are an utter pain to replace being at the back of the head.

Slow coolant loss can be a problem but unless there is a visible leak and very infrequent, it’s best just to live with it and add a drop of coolant as and when it needs it. A pressure test will pinpoint a bigger problem and sometimes it’s just the rad cap. Cam cover gaskets can leaks (what a surprise) but again, check that the filler cap seal isn’t leaking. Pull the coils out and check for oil in the plug wells as oil in there mans you really need a new gasket fitting, a joyous task. Oil filters can fall to bits thanks to the extended oil change intervals and this is why we recommend a 10,000-mile limit on oil services. The oil can still lubricate when dirty but if the filter looks like a chocolate cake, it’s in trouble.

Try the auto before dismissing it out of hand –chances are you’ll never drive a manual again

Transmissions

You have a choice of a six-speed manual or the superb eight-speed automatic here. Both are good gearboxes but you should try the auto before dismissing it out of hand, chances are you’ll never drive a manual again.

The manual gearboxes fitted to the 218i, 220i and 228i are all versions of the Getrag GS6-17 units and they are good units that rarely give problems. The box in the 218d is another GS6-17 unit and is fine. However, the 220d uses the bigger Getrag GS6-45DZ unit and this is the unit that has problems including failed synchromesh on a forward gear like second or third and also on reverse making the car very difficult to drive – trying to double declutch and switching the engine off to select reverse soon wears a bit thin. Good used gearboxes are very expensive and may not last as long as a rebuilt unit. Given that the 218d goes pretty well anyway, we’d think twice about a manual 220d unless you’re buying one from a BMW dealer with an extendable warranty. Clutches and flywheels are the usual; many are rattling by 70k depending on use with the 235i/240i units lasting longer.

The eight-speed auto is a fantastic unit and it’s so reliable that secondhand boxes are worth peanuts. An oil and filter change before 100,000-miles is a fair idea although most boxes still working at 200,000-miles haven’t had one. Personally I wouldn’t bother but it’s down to the individual. Propshafts and diffs are very strong and rarely give trouble but on X Drive cars, the rear propshaft output flange on the gearbox can strip its splines. Repair costs about £400.

Suspension, steering and brakes

This is all pretty robust stuff with just the usual bushes, dampers and suspension arms on early high mileage stuff and even then it’s pretty good. These cars have EPS electric power steering which again is reliable enough. The only thing of note is the infamous steering rack clunk that afflicts some cars and this is wear between the rack bar and the motor, this isn’t a huge issue as specialists such as Grosvenor Motor Company in Reading (0118 958 3481) can repair the rack for £299.

Other Stuff

As ever with any car, look out for badly repaired write-offs; always do a proper HPI check and check online for the last keeper change (date of last V5) as well as an MoT history check. Cars with pattern body panels, smashed Xenon lights replaced with halogens and nonsense like that are about. The cheapest 2 Series is still £7,500, a lot of money for something that’s been on its side in a ditch and badly repaired. It’s far better to buy a proper 150,000-mile 2015 car than a 79,000-mile 2014 car that’s been in a smash. The cloth trim in these cars can look a bit tired after a few years but in general, the cars cosmetically hold up to high mileage pretty well.