Does this sound bad? F30 328i timing chain. New f30 owner

CARP3_DM · 03-31-2026, 10:06 AM

[ATTACH]undefined[/ATTACH]Hey all, I just got my first f30! It’s a 2015 328i m-sport with 180,860mi and I changed out the turbo inlet pipe last night because it was separated at the turbo. But I started down a YouTube rabbit hole and am now worried the timing chain in mine might be suspect. Like on webMD, self diagnosing always ends up with cancer, here I’m not sure if the motor is about to puke or it’s just loud direct injectors.

I’ve had a few BMW’s (e30/e46/e90/e92/e64) but this is my first one with the n20 so I’m not sure what they’re supposed to sound like and not supposed to sound like. My car has a 2/15 build date and some info I found says that is when they’re good and other info suggests that was the last of the “bad ones”.

So if anyone has experience with the n20 in the f30 328i and can listen to this video, please advise.

Thank you to any and all who can help with this! I’m in the Houston area also if anyone is local and/or knows where to go for this diagnosis, I’m happy to have a professional opinion as well.

CARP3_DM · 03-31-2026, 10:21 AM

Video won’t upload

CARP3_DM · 03-31-2026, 10:38 AM

https://youtube.com/shorts/40Ks_TZfZ...eG2ZIqXLFM2iJX

Got it on the YouTube

Billfitz · 03-31-2026, 02:24 PM

Sounds normal, so far as it goes. Timing chain noise is a high pitched whine that increases in intensity when you rev the engine. It's still a good idea to have the chain tensioner replaced, it was upgraded late 2016. It's not too expensive.

CARP3_DM · 03-31-2026, 03:42 PM

Thank you Billfitz! I’ll get that sorted out asap as I do want to keep this one for awhile. I’m going to investigate the difficulty/cost and see if it’s not too much for me to handle as compared to the cost of a local independent shop to do it.
I greatly appreciate your response and advice.

Billfitz · 03-31-2026, 10:08 PM

The tensioner is less than $100. Changing it is a bit of a PITA, as it's hard to get at. It might be worthwhile to have it done by a shop that's experienced with it.

03-31-2026, 10:06 AM	#1
CARP3_DM SIDEWAYS 0 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 07 335i e90 6MT Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 bmw 335i 392 [0.00] 2007 BMW 335i [0.00]	Does this sound bad? F30 328i timing chain. New f30 owner [ATTACH]undefined[/ATTACH]Hey all, I just got my first f30! It’s a 2015 328i m-sport with 180,860mi and I changed out the turbo inlet pipe last night because it was separated at the turbo. But I started down a YouTube rabbit hole and am now worried the timing chain in mine might be suspect. Like on webMD, self diagnosing always ends up with cancer, here I’m not sure if the motor is about to puke or it’s just loud direct injectors. I’ve had a few BMW’s (e30/e46/e90/e92/e64) but this is my first one with the n20 so I’m not sure what they’re supposed to sound like and not supposed to sound like. My car has a 2/15 build date and some info I found says that is when they’re good and other info suggests that was the last of the “bad ones”. So if anyone has experience with the n20 in the f30 328i and can listen to this video, please advise. Thank you to any and all who can help with this! I’m in the Houston area also if anyone is local and/or knows where to go for this diagnosis, I’m happy to have a professional opinion as well. Last edited by CARP3_DM; 03-31-2026 at 10:12 AM..
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03-31-2026, 10:21 AM	#2
CARP3_DM SIDEWAYS 0 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 07 335i e90 6MT Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 bmw 335i 392 [0.00] 2007 BMW 335i [0.00]	Video won’t upload Attached Images
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03-31-2026, 10:38 AM	#3
CARP3_DM SIDEWAYS 0 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 07 335i e90 6MT Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 bmw 335i 392 [0.00] 2007 BMW 335i [0.00]	https://youtube.com/shorts/40Ks_TZfZ...eG2ZIqXLFM2iJX Got it on the YouTube
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03-31-2026, 02:24 PM	#4
Billfitz General 9819 Rep 18,345 Posts Drives: '15 328iX GT Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	Sounds normal, so far as it goes. Timing chain noise is a high pitched whine that increases in intensity when you rev the engine. It's still a good idea to have the chain tensioner replaced, it was upgraded late 2016. It's not too expensive.
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03-31-2026, 03:42 PM	#5
CARP3_DM SIDEWAYS 0 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 07 335i e90 6MT Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: United States iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 bmw 335i 392 [0.00] 2007 BMW 335i [0.00]	Thank you Billfitz! I’ll get that sorted out asap as I do want to keep this one for awhile. I’m going to investigate the difficulty/cost and see if it’s not too much for me to handle as compared to the cost of a local independent shop to do it. I greatly appreciate your response and advice.
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03-31-2026, 10:08 PM	#6
Billfitz General 9819 Rep 18,345 Posts Drives: '15 328iX GT Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	The tensioner is less than $100. Changing it is a bit of a PITA, as it's hard to get at. It might be worthwhile to have it done by a shop that's experienced with it.
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