Mark: Hi, it's Mark. I'm here with Bernie Pawlik, Pawlik Automotive in Vancouver, BC Canada. Vancouver's best auto service experience, and we're talking cars. How you doing Bernie?
Bernie: Doing very well.
Mark: So today's guest, we have a 2015 BMW 428i. What was going on with this vehicle?
Bernie: Yeah, this is a 428i hard top convertible too, so it's an extra nice model. So this vehicle came to our shop with horrific noises coming from the engine. Just happened suddenly. It was kind of, you know, surprising too because the vehicle had been in for service a couple weeks before, we did an oil change. Did everything. But something in the engine let go. And it was making just horrific noises.
But it was like screeching, rattling, banging and you know, it was the kind of thing where we didn't run it for more than a few seconds just to get it into the shop and back out the door. And customer made up their mind. They wanted to fix the car, so we carefully drove it back in before it blew up. So it was that bad. Horrible noises.
Mark: And so where'd you begin the diagnosis?
Bernie: Obviously with noises like that we check the externals, like the belts, the accessories, make sure there's nothing like that. But it was pretty clear by the sound of it, there was something in the engine inside internally that had gone wrong. We did pull the engine oil filter out. This is a canister filter, so you can actually take the filter out and look at it. So we looked at it, you could see metal filings in there. So it's like, okay, this thing's done.
Timing chain failures happen on these vehicles, especially the timing chain guides will let go and cause all sorts of clattering and rattling. We figured that was probably the case you know, with this engine, that something like that had happened. And the best option cost wise was to get a good used engine, which is what we did.
Mark: So that seems kind of drastic. Like couldn't you just change the timing chain if that was the issue?
Bernie: Well, the interesting thing is at the end of the day, it wasn't the issue. I mean, we didn't completely disassemble the engine, but we had to change the oil pan from our existing engine to the used engine. The used engine was actually from an all wheel drive model. And this vehicle's a rear wheel drive model. So the oil [00:02:00] pan is different. We took the oil pan off. I expected to see a bunch of bits of plastic and all sorts of things in there, which we've seen on other BMW engine failures. None. It was actually fine.
So our theory of being the timing chain and guides was not correct. But it doesn't really matter because the oil pan was filled full of metal filings. We didn't disassemble the engine any further because the auto wrecker wanted it back, so we'll just send it back like it is. But clearly something inside the engine, major failure, maybe engine bearings or something along that line went.
Mark: All right, here's our 428i. Beautiful looking vehicle. Still in great shape. But not so healthy on the inside.
Bernie: Nope. Well it is now because it's been fixed.
Mark: So what's this?
Berie: So this is the engine oil pan removed. The oil's been drained out, but there's always some residual oil. And what you would see on a good healthy engine is that sort of, maybe darker brown colour.
Mark: This more like in here perhaps?
Bernie: Yeah, just like that. That's what you expect to see. But all that other shiny stuff, that's all metal.
Mark: It's gold.
Bernie: Yeah, it's gold. Yeah. It actually looks like you're panning for gold. But in this case it's not. It's gold panning outta your bank account.
Mark: It's cheap gold, but it's actually very expensive.
Bernie: Yeah, exactly. So there's something seriously that's gone wrong with this engine and, you know, interestingly, I think it failed kind of in a hurry. And who knows, you know what, sometimes this happens and you can't predict it even with good maintenance. But what I will say is the owner of this car was not the original owner, and BMW has these ridiculously long service intervals where some are like 24,000 kilometres between oil changes. Well, when you go that long, you can often be doing slow, subtle damage to an engine. And then at some point, you know, the chickens come home to roost, is that the right word?
Mark: Yep, absolutely. Do you remember the kilometerage?
Bernie: Well, it's actually low. It's only just over a hundred. Wow. So it's not, not high. Yeah, not high. So, you know, it's thing with a used car is you never know what you're buying and you know, it may have had really good maintenance and something just happened too. Sometimes you just never know.
Mark: Yeah. Bearing decides it's done and that's it.
Bernie: Yeah. I know someone who bought a new GMC truck recently, and you know, Duramax, they're the most bulletproof engines, you know, 500,000 kilometres still keep going. The thing had a thousand kilometres driving down the road all of a sudden the engine started knocking. It was done. So sometimes stuff happens. Fortunately that one was under warranty.
Mark: So how was the new engine or the used new engine to this vehicle, how did everything run after that?
Bernie: Yeah, it was great. Ran really well. And the actual auto wrecker, the supplier, we get these used engines from, they actually put new timing chains and guides in them. So they do that whole job to make sure it's all good because that is a failure item on BMW four cylinders, especially, specifically.
So it's good to make sure the timing chain is done, otherwise, you know, you might be putting in a used engine and something else will happen, and that's kinda the most common failure. Otherwise, they're generally pretty good. Not sure what happened with this one.
Mark: Not an inexpensive repair.
Bernie: No, it's not. Now, if you went with a new engine, it'd be way more money than what this one would be.
Mark: Almost up there with a new car?
Bernie: Yeah, probably. This car's still got a lot of value for the age. It's still worth a lot of money. So you know, some times the engine fails in a car. You go, okay, it's done. It's not worth the money. But this car absolutely.
Mark: If you're looking for service for your BMW in Vancouver, BC Canada, the people to see are at Pawlik Automotive. You can reach them online at pawlikautomotive.com. We have hundreds of videos there, repairs on all makes of models over the last 13 years. Even ChatGTP says we're the experts and ooh God, they can't be wrong. And of course you can book your appointment right there online at pawlikautomotive.com, or you can call them at (604) 327-7112 to book your appointment. You have to book ahead. They're always busy. Thanks so much for watching and listening. Thanks Bernie.
Bernie: Thank you, Mark. Thanks for watching and listening.
