Questions - Diesel engine and transmission / gearbox reliability circa 2014-2019 -BMW - Mercedes - Audi ( on small hatchback or coupe models)

jpaul said:
Interesting to know rate of replacement of suspension parts since the onset of the low profile tyre fad - can't really beat a tyre as a first level of shock absorption, is there no way back ;
yes roads don't help either, if indeed they've genuinely got worse, perhaps helped by the low profiles.


I thought the jury was still out on the gdi engines (pre-chamber or something) and carbon build up unless you stuck with good quality fuels.


In terms of private versus garage purchase , would be very tempting to put a garage car immediately through an MOT.
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Tyres are a contributing factor, the exponential increase in potholes and speed bumps doesn't help either. For example on some of my past cars, in chronological order:

F30 330D on M sport 19" suspension RFT - sold at 130k miles - no issues but it was that mileage in 4 years so vast majority was motorway. Binned run flats the day I bought it
A4 B8 3.0 TDI quattro on 17inch factory fitted wheels - no problems at 110k miles when I sold it
E92 335D on M sport 19" suspension inc RFT - sold at 130k miles - shocks needed replacing, lower control arms I replaced for upgrading to M3 ones, drop links needed replacing. Binned run flats the day I bought it
A4 B8 3.0 TFSI quattro (S4) on 19" factory wheels - this is the most recent one and unfortunately probably most exposed to potholes and speed bumps. Replaced shocks, ball joints, upper control arms, lower control arms, all bushes.


As for the GDI engines - this is an issue with all modern engines. Indeed you should use Tesco 99 fuel and a proper walnut blast carbon clean can't be more than £3-400? Small beer for a second hand car!

A MOT will tell you next to nothing about the mechanical health of the engine and gearbox, it will tell you if the suspension components are completely knackered and if you can pass emission testing (brakes for something in this age and budget you'll be able to tell visually if they need replacing or not).

IC3 said:
F30 330D
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I was tempted to say this, having also had one. I'm surprised the ropey ones dropped to 5-7k, I guess ULEZ has come and hit hard on the older euro 5 diesels.
I'd say... if you budget £1500 for a timing chain replacement, £500 for a gearbox service and another £1000 for incidentals then yes it's a much much better car than an B8.5 A5 2.0 TDI!
 
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The F30 330d does look nice although I'm not seeing any really that's within budget and doesn't have lots of miles or is only 2 years older than the car I currently have. Not necessarily looking for a 3.0 but reading reviews a lot of people including yourselves seem to think the engine Is reliable and shouldnt suffer timing chain issues .

I agree though on the other point. Driving some previous BMWs around uneven potted roads there is so many knocks . Not sure what the later ones are like.


Yes I understand MOT generally is for general purpose testing. Suspensions, breaking , safety, awareness indication etc


In most cases a code reader at the point of viewing and test driving is what I would normally do. On my previous purchase as the car before was also a BMW I had a code reader. But the rest would be instinct and checking yourself.

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My main aims at the moment at

- want a reliable engine
- want a reliable transmission and gearbox
- want something that handles both well with a hybrid of city and motorway driving
-good suspension/ shock system

-new features and not the same feel BMW dashboard Iv been staring at for the past 8-9 years..

I'm still torn between BMW and Audi atm, also still torn between petrol Vs diesel

I live on the edge of a city , so use a mixture of dual carriageway, and single a roads, also motorway. However milage is not huge at the moment.
 
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Sorry if I've missed this, but why diesel? Your milage seems very low to try and justify it and as someone posted about diesels tend to be expensive to repair when they go wrong. I know modern petrols have more bits in them too, but I'd have thought it would be the safer choice (although I'm not sure if that would cost more than a diesel).
 
theone8181 said:
Sorry if I've missed this, but why diesel? Your milage seems very low to try and justify it and as someone posted about diesels tend to be expensive to repair when they go wrong. I know modern petrols have more bits in them too, but I'd have thought it would be the safer choice (although I'm not sure if that would cost more than a diesel).
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The last 4 cars I have owned have been diesel..

Golf MK4
Golf Mk5


BMW 320d
BMW 120d

My usage fluctuates.

Yes at the moment I'm working pretty close to home..but I also do some.dual.carrageway and motorway stints..also who knows my milage could change although I'm.hoping it doesnt.


Iv not owned a petrol in so many years now I don't really know reliability etc. They don't last aslong as diesel engines typically do they ? But they don't come with as many issues like getting carbed up, dpf and egr

If you service it well what's the possible life expectancy to keep the car say If you bought a petrol tfsi or something on 60-65k miles , could you run it up to 160k without having a catastrophy?
 
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If you're not already aware, BMW replaced the N series engines around the 2016 year (depending upon the model) with the B48 series (for the 4 pots). I get the impression that it's a good deal more reliable than the N series.
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
If you're not already aware, BMW replaced the N series engines around the 2016 year (depending upon the model) with the B48 series (for the 4 pots). I get the impression that it's a good deal more reliable than the N series.
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Ill have a look more at F30 engines models and 4 pot B48 when I get a chance .thanks

On another note

I think a test drive in a petrol car will probably sway me over, I just don't want it to start costing loads. I am a driver of not only city but dual carriageway and motorways. So I can't be placed in to an specific urban catagory.
 
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DJMK4 said:
The last 4 cars I have owned have been diesel..

Golf MK4
Golf Mk5


BMW 320d
BMW 120d

My usage fluctuates.

Yes at the moment I'm working pretty close to home..but I also do some.dual.carrageway and motorway stints..also who knows my milage could change although I'm.hoping it doesnt.


Iv not owned a petrol in so many years now I don't really know reliability etc. They don't last aslong as diesel engines typically do they ? But they don't come with as many issues like getting carbed up, dpf and egr

If you service it well what's the possible life expectancy to keep the car say If you bought a petrol tfsi or something on 60-65k miles , could you run it up to 160k without having a catastrophy?
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I sold my 911 turbo at 107,000 miles and it was still going strong but I realise that's not quite a 1 series :p . I don't really hear much about cars dying these days.
 
Straight from Google

One of the primary issues reported with the B48 engine is the failure of the timing chain tensioner. This can result in rattling or knocking noises and may eventually lead to engine damage. Regular maintenance and timely replacement of the timing chain tensioner can mitigate this issue.15 Jun 2023 - which means whole engine out

BMW still haven't sorted out their timing chain issues on some of the slightly newer models , this Is why I am assuming when I was searching for 2 series for instance I was seeing a lot of adverts for cars with timing chain done at 60-70k . This is why I was asking for a make and model of car which has decent transmission ( gearbox, clutch, flywheel etc)..

Don't really want to be having to bail out on a repair for potential timing chain failure and clutch failure, along with knocking, traction issues


I can see me looking for another BMW but I'd need to know it's got a good transmission that's not going to let me down and an engine that's not going to let me down .

Some models of audi was looking at, as the major service would be cambelt and waterpump rather than timing chain along with the hope that the transmission would be better on them.than what I have experienced.
 
DJMK4 said:
Straight from Google
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And that is your issue.

Every car/engine/gearbox you search for you will find a skewed representation. "Happy" owners rarely post about cars, the only people who do, are those that are vocal about their problems.

The bigger question is how many actual people do you personally know or have heard of who have had that problem?
In the care of e.g. Fords ecoboost then yes the problems were real and widespread - everyone had heard of someone who had an issue.


The other skewing factor is how many genuine failures aren't just caused by neglect, e.g. either not serviced often enough or at all. People picking up premium cars (because they can afford the monthly payment) but then running them on a shoestring budget.
 
Armageus said:
And that is your issue.


The other skewing factor is how many genuine failures aren't just caused by neglect, e.g. either not serviced often enough or at all. People picking up premium cars (because they can afford the monthly payment) but then running them on a shoestring budget.
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Neglect is not an issue from my part but yes I guess it does happen elsewhere, I have serviced the gearbox oil , clutch/brake fluids. My oil changes are usually within 7-8K miles which is a really good interval. I dont go for budget oils, I get premium.

If I buy another car id do this aswel
 
If you're looking for hassle free stuff, an S Line A5 with 19" wheels from that era isn't the way to go from a suspension perspective, as I've explained on the previous page.
Get a B48 engined BMW and spend some money on sorting the timing chain preventively?
 
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Audi A5
1.8 TFSI Black Edition Euro 6 (s/s) 2dr

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Not sure if I like white, I prefer black of dark grey on these. Also not sure on the wheels.

But is it worth looking at the 1.8tfsi? Seems to have good mpg for a petrol? Or would a 2.0 be better

Tax is a little higher than what I was looking at , £95 for 6 months.


Auto trader states that diesels cost more to tax but typically I'm finding models.that diesels are cheaper to tax than petrol..
 
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You will do, because these cars are all of the years when tax was based on CO2 emissions and diesels generally had lower CO2 emissions than a similar petrol car.
 
Would the 1.8 tfsi be a decent engine or 2.0?

The problem with me is I'm a hybrid driver. There will be city stints. Some motorway. And I want something that's not just going to be good for short journeys which Is what petrol cars would be good at. But I want the fallback of having something that could do nice longer motorway journeys or If for any reason situation changes and I have to commute further afield probably the TDI would be a better option
 
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Is it me or is there has there been a recent market problem? Searching for cars couple of weeks ago there were quite a few results in the search criteria I was looking for. Today had a quick look. Next to nothing unless you up the price.


Has there been an overall price increase on the second hand market In the last 2 weeks or something ? Or am I just not seeing the results because no one has something to sell
 
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