Complete Timing Chain Failure

[just2talented]

Kind of a question/warning. i have a 2006 white m roadster. I have absolutley no powertrain modifications whatsoever. Now having said that and without any warning my timing chain snapped last nite. It happend in second gear at about 15-20mph. My motor has 24477 miles on it. My question is has anyone had this happen before? and if not have your service advisor check it on the next service interval. From what im being told is that once your timing chain goes it automatically bends almost every valve inside the motor. In my case it was such a sever rupture that it caused some springs to snap and get sucked into the cylinder sleeve and cracked a piston head. Needless to say complete engine failure.

question is im still under new car warranty. what do i allow my dealer to do? do i let them just rebuild my current motor or should i fight tooth and nail to have them give me a new engine?

any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

[onebluemcm]

new motor, hands down, no discussion allowed - you should get a new motor. Period.

As you go through this process, can you try to get them to fully detail out what happened? I've never heard of the timing chain just snapping by itself. With all the VANOS issues and cam gear bolt issues, I'd wonder if it might have been a problem there that resulted in the mass destruction. Anyway, it would be helpful for the S54 owning community to know what they think was the cause of your dismal situation.

All the best - new motor, has to happen.

[chickdr]

Very scary stuff(especially since mine just went out of warranty). Chains are not supposed to fail. I wonder, as the previous poster said, if something else gave way which led to the chain breaking. You are lucky the car is under warranty! Keep us up to date on what happens.

[Diokaef]

New engine, I would not setle for less. GL OP

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by onebluemcm

new motor, hands down, no discussion allowed - you should get a new motor. Period.

As you go through this process, can you try to get them to fully detail out what happened? I've never heard of the timing chain just snapping by itself. With all the VANOS issues and cam gear bolt issues, I'd wonder if it might have been a problem there that resulted in the mass destruction. Anyway, it would be helpful for the S54 owning community to know what they think was the cause of your dismal situation.

All the best - new motor, has to happen.

^WHS +1
I would suspect that the timing chain failure was likely secondary to a cam gear/vanos failure.

[esqu1re]

OMG.

[wildag]

pictures if you can.

[Swashplate]

Thats very rare on such a low milage car.

[just2talented]

Thanks everybody. The second I find out exactly what caused it I will post. From what I'm being told is that somebody from BMW Germany needs to assess it because it's such a rare and catastrophic problem. I'm going tomorrow to get a BMW service loaner. I'll ask to see the car and get some pics.

[Hughbert]

Wow - Yuck. Definitely need a new engine. Hope you get the roadster back to enjoy ASAP.

[AWM3]

Usually in rare failures like that the manufacturer will want the engine to examine it and see what went wrong. I think it is very likely that they will give you a new engine so that BMW can examine the old one.

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by car62

Usually in rare failures like that the manufacturer will want the engine to examine it and see what went wrong. I think it is very likely that they will give you a new engine so that BMW can examine the old one.

......and we will never find out the details.

[O-cha]

I would be surprised if they tried to fix it at all or even suggested it. You just got unlucky.

[just2talented]

What do u mean?

[SCHMOUPE]

would this be covered out of warranty?

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by just2talented

What do u mean?

I think he's saying that with such a catastrophic failure, it would be pointless to try to repair anything so you'll get another engine and just bad luck the chain broke at all, that is pretty rare on an S54, especially one so young.

[Thisisdudewhoru]

Originally Posted by shakib

would this be covered out of warranty?

99.9% chance no.

[just2talented]

I'm starting to get really aggravated. It's been 3 days and they are still yet to give me a BMW service loaner or give me a definitive answer as to the car. Really hate having work done other then where I bought it.

[thekurgan]

A call to BMWNA should set your dealer straight. You are under warranty, they've basically left you with no vehicle or method of transportation. Let us know how you make out.

[vachss]

Along these same lines, does anyone here know if all the Z4's had interference engines like the S54 or were the M54 and/or N52 non-interference? I had a timing belt blow out at speed once on my old MR2, but as it had a non-interference engine it only needed a replacement belt to run happily for another 200K.

[O-cha]

BMWna doesn't really do anything anymore, they have become a bunch of pansies.

OP you could try going down their in person, if they give loaners normally IDK why you left without one to begin with?

[just2talented]

Nah they gave me a civic but he told me that the next day I'd be in a BMW. Tomorrow makes day 4 I think