How to know if the timing chain of BMW X5 needs replacement?

BMW cars are known for their styling and power. These cars even surpass Audi in handling and agility. Because of the luxurious feeling, comfort and tech, these are some of the most sought after cars. There is a craze for BMW worldwide because of its best features that people find it smart and helpful too.

The BMW X5 is one of the popular car models among other luxury car models and is known for its great performance and innovative features. It is a great SUV having great handling capability even in highly rough or rocky terrains. Despite of having many impressive features, comfort and power, these cars have a lesser reliability. It requires a little more maintenance cost than other BMW cars of same budget. Some repairs in these cars are much costlier that many people cannot afford. Here in this article I’m going to discuss about such a problem of BMW X5 that is common and is more hazardous. Here I’m going to discuss about timing chain damage, its cause, the symptoms, precautions to be taken. If you have a BMW X5 car then this article is for you.

What is a timing chain? Functions and how it works

Timing chains are metallic chains that mechanically connect crankshaft and camshaft of the vehicle and synchronise their rotation. Due to this synchronisation, the opening and closing of the valves of the engine at the correct time is possible. Timing chains are one of the most important components of the engine which play a vital role in proper working of the engine. These chains link between upper and lower parts of engine. The upper part consists of the valves and cylinder head, while the lower one consists of crankcase and pistons. The intake amount of air and fuel for combustion is regulated by the opening and closing of the valves. The movement of valves and movement of pistons are interrelated because of the synchronisation and the link between upper and lower parts of engine. The timing belt resembles to the cycle chains.

Timing chains need to be replaced when it is damaged. There is no need for replacement if it is not damaged. A damaged chain cannot lead to proper running of your car. In BMW X5 cars a very good quality timing chain installed in engine which does not need much maintenance. These are always well tested before coming to the market. If a timing chain gets proper care then it can last upto 200,000 miles or even more.

What causes timing chain bad?

As you have got to know, the timing chain is present in the engine gets lubrication from engine oil. The timing chain needs proper lubrication. Use of bad or poor quality oil can cause engine failure by improper lubrication of the timing chain and other vital components of the engine that require lubrication. Damaged guides and tensioners can also lead to a bad timing chain. These components help timing chain to remain fixed in its place and allow proper working. These components prevent the timing chain from getting vibrated and help in its smooth running around the gears of camshaft and crankshaft. Damage of these parts will surely lead to abnormal running and hopping of the chain around the gears and the chain will quickly wear off.

Signs of requirement for replacement of the timing engine

Here are some signs that you’ll get if the chain is damaged. If you’ll find any of these signs, then know that replacement is to be done.

Misfiring

When a timing chain wears off or becomes loose, then it can cause misfiring of the engine. For proper operation, an engine needs proper amounts of fuel and air in a fixed ratio at a time. This ratio is maintained by the closing and opening of valves at specific intervals. This controlling of the valves is done by camshaft and crankshaft rotated by timing chain. If the timing chain is damaged and loosened or stretched out, then it can cause poor synchronisation between the camshaft and crankshaft and will lead to irregular opening and closing of valves. Thus, the ratio of air and fuel entering the engine gets changed and causes misfiring.

Rattling sound

When the timing chain becomes bad, the most common sign you’ll find is a rattling sound. The rattling sound comes when the timing chain is loosened and it is getting hit repeatedly with other components or vibration due to rough movements of the loose chain around the shaft gears.

Bad engine oil

You can get sure that your timing chain is bad by checking the engine oil. If the oil has some small broken metal bits, then surely it is a sign that your timing chain is damaged. These metal bits or flakes fall of from the broken parts of severely damaged chains.

Engine won’t start

If the timing chain is fully damaged or broken, then your engine will not start at all. The broken components of the chain can damage other parts of the engine. So, if such problem occurs, immediately call a car mechanic and replace the chain.

Check engine light

The illumination of the check engine light signifies many problems related to the engine. Timing chain damage can be one of such problems. The detector detects any problems in the engine and shows a warning to the driver. If your timing engine is damaged, then the check engine light will become on for warning. It can a trouble code on the computer of your vehicle. A mechanic can know what the code signifies. Then a diagnosis has to be done against the problem.

Preventive measures

High quality engine oil should be used because good quality oil will lead to proper lubrication and proper running. It would increase the lifetime of timing engine. A good quality engine oil filter can also help the timing chain last longer and run for many miles before wears out. Lack of engine oil will also cause timing chain damage. Therefore, check the engine oil level in your engine at regular intervals. Put the engine oil in engine if there is lack of oil. I recommend you to change engine oil for every 5000 miles. Most of the automobile engineers give such recommendation. A scheduled inspection of engine is needed.

Conclusion

You might have got clear about the signs, symptoms of timing chain failure and the measures to be taken if we never want it to happen. You might have become confident on how to find out if there is timing chain failure to save the engine from catastrophic damage.

We at Gleenwood Foreign car located in Morrisville, Pennsylvania have been serving the customers around the region since 1977. We service and repair models like Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, MINI, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Volvo.