Timing chain OEM Audi or OEM BMW

Mate, this is probably the timing chain and tensioner.

You’ve already got **P0016**, stalling at idle, worse with start stop, and some cold start noise. That’s all early timing issues on these.

timing chain still had a lot of tension and no wear on bearings… crankshaft and everything still in spec. The timing chain was even better in the e60 pre facelift models, along with more reliable solenoid type injectors.

I bought an e61 520d in 2020 with 201k miles, replaced timing chain at 204k and had it until 2023. Sold it with 233k miles to a breaker exporting to Lithuania. Other than the timing chain, it was bullet proof. Only ever replaced the oil, filters and tyres

I still have original timing chain on mine and it has 185,000kms on it. Hasn’t skipped a beat yet

I have 635d with m57 at 200k miles on the original chain

I bought my E91 N43B20 with 120.000km in 2017. Now its 2025 and 250.000km I had to replace the timing chain and the NOX sensor once, but other than that I had no problems with the engine. Still the same injectors, ignition coils, high pressure fuel pump etc.

Thanks for this very interesting and informative post! I wish I had found something similar before purchasing my F07 (which, at 300k kms, is costing a lot to maintain) and my F30 (in which the timing chain let go and caused engine rebuild).

I decided against the allroad due to the ea888 engine issues. I can deal with some problems but was not willing to deal with the flawed and fragile timing chain/guide failures along with the low tension piston ring problems. It’s a shame because I love these allroads. I ended up buying a 2020 Volvo xc60 which thus far has been problem free but it’s not a forever vehicle and I’ll probably dump it when it gets close to 100k on the clock. It’s a real shame that Audi doesn’t seem capable of building a solid engine anymore. The Audi timing chain service will set you back $3-$5k and even more if the piston rings get clogged and stuck. Audi has known about both problems for many years and does nothing to improve this engine. Volvo had piston ring issues for a few years but addressed the problem in 2017 and up engines. I prefer a timing belt vs a chain. The Volvo timing belt interval is 150k miles and not terribly expensive. My ea113 VW timing belt is super easy to replace and has a 110,000 mile interval. From an engineering perspective the belt is superior with less weight and more teeth per area. If Audi would put the good old ea113 in an allroad I’d buy it. Keen Audi fans will note that when the tts came out Audi dusted off the ea113 to use in that highly boosted model because they knew it was a much stronger engine.

What I did not know is that the Audi timing chains are *designed* to stretch. Yes you read that right. They stretch. They use both metallic *and* interlocking plastic components and will slowly over time reach a point where your timing is subtly off (and the sensors "designed" to warn you of this do NOT warn you soon enough). This, combined with my wife largely driving it like a grandma, slowly and silently destroyed my catalytic converter required a massive overhaul of both the exhaust system and timing chain, pulleys, etc.

The timing chain broke at 185k km(115k miles) while driving and had to rebuild the engine since it messed up many things.