BMW’s turbocharged four-cylinder engines of the mid-2010s have developed a popularity for unreliability. That popularity comes from a variety of totally different issues, the most important of which—brittle plastic timing chain guides—brought on a failure on this specific engine.
The I Do Automobiles YouTube channel managed to get its arms on a failed N26 four-cylinder for its newest teardown video, giving us an inside take a look at why so many of those engines fail. The main principle is BMW’s 15,000-mile oil change interval suggestion, permitting varnish and sludge to construct up contained in the engine whereas ruining the plastics and rubber.
This engine actually helps this principle, going by the darkish brown-stained metallic within the head. Eric, the video’s host, begins to search out chunks of timing chain information—which had been plastic from the manufacturing unit—as he digs deeper. His discoveries culminate on the oil pickup tube, which has been totally blocked by items of timing chain information.
The chunks had been plentiful sufficient to clog the oil’s path to the pump, ravenous the engine of significant oil and ultimately inflicting numerous put on and harm. Surprisingly most of the internals had been salvageable, so at the very least it is not all dangerous information.
As of late, BMW recommends altering the oil on its automobiles each 10,000 miles—far fewer than earlier than, however nonetheless not the 5,000 to 7,000-mile interval that you just most likely ought to comply with. If this teardown is any proof, oil modifications ought to all the time be a precedence. In any other case, you may be paying the value down the road.
