Help Please. Timing chain slipped..engine destroyed?
 

So, I have a little bit of..how do you say it? Ah yes, a problem...

I was driving on the highway the other day and then all of a sudden my display pops up with the words "STOP! ENGINE _____" pixle burnout, couldn't read the end. And then my oil light is blinking like crazy. I get out and the car is making an obvious...very bad noise from the engine. I get a tow back to the mechanic. He checks it out and calls me two days later and says..."I don't really know how to tell you this, but we are pretty sure that the timing chain slipped and it pretty much ruined the engine. You are going to need a used engine which is roughly 4-5,000 or get rid of the car. Or get a second opinion from the BMW dealer."

Now...WTF would you do? What can I do? I still owe $6,700 on the car.

2001 BMW X5 4.4i with 143,000 miles on it.

Is it even worth taking to a dealer?

I'm located in Salem, MA (right next to Boston, MA) if anyone knows anything.

Thanks for the help guys. You can be blunt and just tell me to enjoy the payments on my now imaginary car if that is what the reality is.

-Traveler

Ouch, sorry to hear that, big guy.

I think the biggest consideration you're going to have to make is how long you want to keep the car. If you were not planning on having the car for more than a couple of years I'd cut your losses and sell it. If you were planning on keeping it for, say, 5 years or more, I'd change the engine. Thing is, with a new, low mileage engine, your car would be good for at least another 100,000 miles.

That's what I'd base my decision on.

Good luck and keep us up to date!

Well, I would normally agree with you. However, I forgot to mention that I was planning on getting rid of it...THIS MONTH because it has been 'bucking' on me when the car slows down.

How would I even go about selling a car with a broken engine?

eBay
Craigslist
Here or other forums.

^Agree with above. I'd say find out the KBB or Edmunds estimated private seller value, deduct $4-5,000 for the cost of a replacement engine, deduct the estimated labor cost (probably about $1,500), and then deduct about $1,500 as a "pain in the ass" credit for the buyer. All in, I'd say you're looking to deduct a good $7-8,000 from whatever the estimated private seller value is.

how do you "slip" a timing chain?

timing chain guides break, causing the chain to break, but they dont slip.

Still, in the end sounds like you took a risk with a old used car and lost. Maybe find a engine and tranny out of a wreck? either way you'll be upside down here.

Sorry

A

OK, so they said: "I don't really know how to tell you this, but we are pretty sure that the timing chain slipped..." Pretty sure? I'd get a second opinion before I called it quits. 143K miles is not very high mileage on what this truck can do. Have it looked at by somebody who is "absolutely sure" before you decide - that's what I'd do. Good luck and sorry to hear the bad news on your ride!!

The guides break and there is no tension applied to the chain. A slack chain won't engage the lower timing sprocket which in turn doesn't rotate the valve train.

I just bought a x5 which did all that and bent all the valves for the previous owner.

If you are mechanically inclined enough to attempt the repair, I spent about $800 on engine parts to fix, and lots of spare time. lol

Good luck.

If you do decide to ditch it, try the dealer as well. I had a similar situation about a year ago. The cam shaft broke on my 2001 A4 doing catastrophic damage to the engine. Dealer quoted me $10,000 for a replacement. Since the car was barely worth that, I thought I was up a creek. They told me they would work with me if I bought something from them. Long story short, I got about $3,000 on a "trade in" of a car that was worthless to me. Also, I think KBB or NADA will give you a value of the car if it needs an engine/transmission/etc...