BMW 320d 150Bhp Turbo Problems

[patdavies]

Originally Posted by ivorbiggun

Problem with turbos are that most drivers don't allow them to cool properly by allowing the engine to idle after fast driving or a motorway run. I guess that TDIs tend to be used by a lot of company car drivers who are in a rush and just switch off the engine as they are in a rush.

Honest John in the motoring telegraph says that the main problem is the extended service intervals loved by fleet managers. He recommends halving the service interval and having a basic oil and filter change to extend the life of engines and turbos.

This is true, the turbo needs to be allowed to cool a little at idle speeds, otherwise the oil in the turbo bearings carbonises.

More frequent ol/filter changes will generally give a longer-lasting engine, but won't affect turbo failures - turbochargers are sealed for life lubrication

[Budfrog]

Originally Posted by patdavies

This is true, the turbo needs to be allowed to cool a little at idle speeds, otherwise the oil in the turbo bearings carbonises.

For most people this advice is 'After The Event' and should be included in the owners handbook.

[patdavies]

Originally Posted by Budfrog

For most people this advice is 'After The Event' and should be included in the owners handbook.

I can't speak for the 3-series, but all three turbo cars that my family has owned (BMW 530d, Audi A4, Merc E320CDI) have all had this in the handbook.

[Budfrog]

Nope .... didly squat ....

[syrill-sneer]

Originally Posted by patdavies

This is true, the turbo needs to be allowed to cool a little at idle speeds, otherwise the oil in the turbo bearings carbonises.

More frequent ol/filter changes will generally give a longer-lasting engine, but won't affect turbo failures - turbochargers are sealed for life lubrication

Pat, turbochargers do use the engine oil, which is why the turbo failure in this instance caused the enigne to fail as it dumped all the enigne oil in the exhaust/intake systems. The oil is fed to the turbo and drains back into the sump, so if a turbo fails, the oil is still pumped into turbo, just doesn't return to the sump so the engine eventually runs dry and fails, unless your lucky and notice the problem early, as in another post.

[sadmum!]

Went out in the car (BMW 320sed on a 02 plate,) with the kids on saturday and the very same thing happened to me. A puff of white smoke came out the back then the car just stopped. The garage, who are BMW mechanics said it was the turbo blown and i twould need a new engine, turbo and inlet manifold, oh and posibly a new cat. The total cost of the jobs comes to a hefty £7k! what the hell am i going to do? It has been serviced regularly but to be honest it's been one thing after another, the car cost me £10k. I am at the end of my tether, i feel sick, i can't even sell it like it is but where do you find that sorts of money. After reading all the other replies it makes me really angry that BMW know about this but are doing nothing to help those it affects. i will never ever buy another BMW and will make sure i tell everyone i know what has happened to me.

Can anyone give me some advice?

[GSMGuy]

Sadmum - is the car on finance, and is it an HP agreement??? If so, the finance company themselves may be legally liable. How long have you had the car and has it been serviced correctly since you have had it? I personally managed to get the HP company to pay over £2300 plus hire car on my last car, and Auto TDi Galaxy when the gearbox went, and on my current car, I managed to get over £3000 in repairs to the alternator and injector replacements.... So all may not be lost

Mike

[Budfrog]

Sadmum!

I really do sympathise .... it's no suprise that BMW have just posted record profits.

I think that their attitude is basically once you're out of warranty you're on your own which should not be the case so long as the car has been serviced according to the service schedule by a reputable (not necessarily BMW) garage.

The only advise, such as it is, that I can give is to get an independant garage which specialises in BMWs to give you an independant assessment of the car. My experience of BMW franchise dealerships is that they make absolutely no effort to undertake repairs in a cost effective manner and quite often discard perfectly serviceable compenents as a matter of course. Private owners really are at the bottom of the food chain as far as BMW are concerned as they primarily look after their company car customers who can offset costs against tax as a matter of course.

[burns3008]

4 weeks ago my local garage replaced the exhaust because the flexible joint had smashed inside the exhaust pipe near to the engine.
Since then it has 'whistled' he has relooked and confirmed there were no gaps and that it must be the TURBO. I'm certain this whistling never occured before the new exhaust.
However, I could live with the whistling except today (26th March) I noticed a rattling noise and there was little power when I tried to accelerate (although the petrol usgae gauge swung across the rev counter hardly moved) the next thing was the car was full of exhaust fumes with noticable exhaaust coming from the pipe at the back.
The garage have spent 2 and 1/2 hours taking the TURBO apart and noticed it was 'loose inside'. They intend to forward to a specialist to find the cause.
The cars has done 60,000 miles.
Anyone any idea please?
Situation at 3rd April:
I have been quoted £1400 to replace the turbo. (I too felt sick at the thought of paying this amount. The whole idea of buying a BMW is the reliabilty isn't it?) my garage suggests I may not need the exhaust and Cat replacing as they intend to 'clean' the exhaust and the heat may clean the cat sufficiently before the next MOT!
However, I spoke with a neighbour who just before Xmas has had his turbo (BMW same year 2002)replaced along with his engine because the turbo sent splinters into the engine leaving him with compression in 1 chambre only! BMW have paid for his parts (approx £6000) but not his labour (approx £3000). He intends to sue the dealer where he bought it. Also, the guy who delivered my replacement turbo today told my garage this was his 8th delivery this week. Surely there is something wrong with this model why will BMW not admit it

[burns3008]

Has anyone thought of involving Top Gear or (possibly better) Watchdog to publicise our predicament?

[daveg675]

Hi fellow sufferers,just had my turbo go to.I purchased from new and has been serviced at required times by a BMW dealer. I have now been given a hefty bill for replacement of the turbo, in addition to this the knock on effect has required a new intercooler and possibly a complete new exhaust system (if unable to salvage)!!! Cost approx £2200!!!!!!!
Im amazed at such a problem occuring on a 52 plate vehicle with only 52,000 miles on the clock.Suggestions please.

[Bill_H]

Im amazed that the manufacturer of a 'quality' would treat their customers so badly. I can only offer sympathy Im afraid, and recommend Honda. I had an Accord for years and the dealer was always a pleasure, but the thing NEVER went wrong.
Honda make probably the most refined diesel in the market these days. (No I dont work for Honda!)

[MARTIN3030]

Turbo problems are fairly common on Golfs too.
A hell of a job to replace but can be done without Engine out.
Cost of an exchange is around 1400 quid someone somewhere is making a few bob remanufacturing these.
Of course garages will try and sell you a new cat.......best thing to do is take it off and stand it up regularly turning it around.
You will still get the oil and the smoke coming from the exhaust for a short time but will save 600 quid for a new one.

[dodonline]

I've had a similar problem with a BMW 530d a year ago.

I was driving along the motorway and pressed the accelerator gently to maintain speed on a slight incline when I just lost all power. Then a puff of white smoke came out of the engine compartment and I just about managed to coast to the hard shoulder.

I phoned BMW Assist and they said it was most probably a turbo failure and that they would get a recovery vehicle out to me.

5 minutes later, however, the car was an incandescent ball of fire, with flame reaching 20 foot into the sky - quite spectacular. Unfortunately, the fire brigade took 50 minutes to get to me, comically asking if anybody was still inside (as if they'd still be alive) before putting the flames out. By this time, the whole of the front of the car forward of the front doors had disappeared leaving just the engine block and the alloy wheels.

This was a godsend for BMW who once they realised the car had been destroyed, refused to have anything to do with me. They offered me no help whatsoever unless, they said, I could prove it was their fault, which is difficult as virtually nothing of it was left. They didn't even appear interested that one of their cars had nearly killed a customer.

BMW's argument boiled down to saying it might have been a cigarette butt sucked into the air filter (which is made of paper). However, as I was going quite slowly in traffic before this I think I would have noticed some smoke before losing power. Also I don't think this is a particularly good excuse, that a £40k car under two years old can literally go up in smoke for the sake of a grill costing, say, £2.50.

Does anybody have any advice on whether I can sue BMW for the difference between the warrantee value and what my insurance company paid out? The car was second hand from a BMW main dealer but still under warrantee. The insurance company paid out due to the absence of evidence but they have now put up my premium by £500 per year 'to recover their losses' as they put it.

[Amar]

Hi Guys,

after saving long and hard for years i bought myself the car i always wanted a BMW Sports Coupe. as i do about 600 miles per week i decided to go for the 320cd as i thought it would give me more miles..which it does.

ive only had the car for 6-7 weeks and when driving down the motorway loads of white smoke started coming out of the exaust and under the bonnet. i pulled up on the hard shoulder, the smoke was so bad that it was restricting the view of other motorists (SAFETY ISSUE). my garage (Not BMW) identified the problem as my turbo. other parts had to be replaced also as oil had got into them. the total bill £2100. the car is a september 2003 and just came out of warranty in Sept 2006.

as i need the car i instructed the mechanic to do the work after i cleared out my bank account. the car has covered 81000 miles and the last service was not from BMW but Nationwide autocentre.

Does anyone have any ideas of what i can do, to try and recoup some of this cost. i have always been a lover of BMWs but now i will think twice before buying one.

Do you think we should take the matter to Watchdog? if i had know i would of just bought a pertrol car

[ghettomessiah]

A turbo is chosen by 3 factors; boost, lag, and durability.

using these three factors manufacturers usually choose a turbo to last around 60,000 miles. This is not to con you into paying out more often, but its a compromise of performance versus lifespan that their research states is the optimum balance.

A turbo must have intensive oil care also. If its black its bad, really bad. The bearing in a turbo is softer than most of the engine internals, so will wear faster with the grinding paste that forms with overdue oil changes.

these are all normal things to consider with your turbo car, not just bmws.

[ivorbiggun]

Originally Posted by ghettomessiah

A turbo is chosen by 3 factors; boost, lag, and durability.

using these three factors manufacturers usually choose a turbo to last around 60,000 miles. This is not to con you into paying out more often, but its a compromise of performance versus lifespan that their research states is the optimum balance.

A turbo must have intensive oil care also. If its black its bad, really bad. The bearing in a turbo is softer than most of the engine internals, so will wear faster with the grinding paste that forms with overdue oil changes.

these are all normal things to consider with your turbo car, not just bmws.

Ghetto,

You quite right on these points.

But the biggest killer of turbos are the BMW computer servicing telltale and the fleet managers love of 15-20,000 miles between services. Most first owner cars owned by a rep will be pushed hard for long periods and immediately switched off to make the next appointment without allowing the bearing to simmer and cool. If you want to make your turbo last then you really need synthetic oil every 6k. My last Saab 900 Turbo was sold with 300k on the clock and still going strong because I always idled the car and did the 6k oil changes.

[ghettomessiah]

Maybe its time turbo timers were fitted as std on cars equipped with turbos, and the security issues worked around.

Assuming that bmw dont specify a lube service at more frequent intervals thats quite shocking. bmw have given the impression turbos need no extra care by what i've read here, which is misleading to the customer.

Good to hear you found a goodun If i remember right saab tend to specify slightly oversize turbos, no bad thing by any means!!

[Rob S]

As Ivor said the key issue with turbos is to let the car run at idle for about 30 seconds before you switch the engine off to allow oil to circulate around the turbo bearing. Regular oil changes is also a great help.

[ghettomessiah]

yes, and i agree strongly, however i felt that those other points needed to be made, as i got the impression some people were expecting a turbo to last longer than it was designed to.