Skip to content
KickTyres
CriticalCommonEngine

BMW 5 Series: B47 Timing Chain Tensioner Slack & Cold Rattle

B47 Timing Chain Tensioner Slack & Cold Rattle is a common engine fault on the BMW 5 Series on the 2016 onward cars, and we rate it critical. Putting it right costs $1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 58 documented faults on the BMW 5 Series.

Vehicle
BMW 5 Series
Engine
B47
Years
2016 onward
Fuel
diesel
System
Engine

This page covers the BMW 5 Series as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All BMW 5 Series faults58 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

The front of a dual overhead camshaft engine with the timing cover removed, exposing the timing chain and sprockets.Example of the part — not this vehicle

The front of a twin-cam engine with the timing cover off — chain, sprockets and guides.

Logansenf · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

The B47 2.0-litre diesel engine fitted to the G30 520d uses a hydraulic timing chain tensioner that loses oil pressure rapidly after shutdown. On cold starts the tensioner cannot immediately take up slack, causing a metallic chain rattle lasting 2-10 seconds from the front of the engine. If left unaddressed, cam timing shifts accumulate and trigger P0016 crankshaft-to-camshaft correlation faults. In severe cases the chain can jump a tooth, causing valve-to-piston contact and catastrophic internal engine damage. Extended oil change intervals and use of non-approved oil grades significantly accelerate tensioner wear.

What you would notice

  • Metallic chain rattle from front of engine on cold start lasting 2-10 seconds
  • P0016 crankshaft/camshaft timing correlation fault code
  • P0017, P0018 or P0019 cam correlation codes
  • Check Engine light illuminated
  • Rough running immediately after cold start

How to check it

Where to look. Front of engine, timing chain tensioner behind timing cover

Cold-start the engine from fully cold and listen at the front timing cover for chain rattle. Scan for P0016, P0017, P0018 or P0019 fault codes even if cleared. Verify full documented oil service history including oil grade used - Longlife 04 or approved equivalent required. Any gap in service records elevates risk significantly.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

What it costs to put right

$1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

  • “Has the timing chain tensioner or chain itself ever been replaced?”
  • “Does the engine rattle on first start when cold?”
  • “Can you show full service history with oil grades and intervals?”
  • “Have any engine fault codes appeared, particularly P0016?”

Now check the BMW 5 Series you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.

BMW 5 Series buyer questions

Is b47 timing chain tensioner slack & cold rattle serious on a BMW 5 Series?

We rate it critical and common on the BMW 5 Series. The B47 2.0-litre diesel engine fitted to the G30 520d uses a hydraulic timing chain tensioner that loses oil pressure rapidly after shutdown. On cold starts the tensioner cannot immediately take up slack, causing a metallic chain rattle lasting 2-10 seconds from the front of the engine. If left unaddressed, cam timing shifts accumulate and trigger P0016 crankshaft-to-camshaft correlation faults. In severe cases the chain can jump a tooth, causing valve-to-piston contact and catastrophic internal engine damage. Extended oil change intervals and use of non-approved oil grades significantly accelerate tensioner wear.

How much does it cost to fix on a BMW 5 Series?

$1,800 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which BMW 5 Series years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2016 onward BMW 5 Series. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Cold-start the engine from fully cold and listen at the front timing cover for chain rattle. Scan for P0016, P0017, P0018 or P0019 fault codes even if cleared. Verify full documented oil service history including oil grade used - Longlife 04 or approved equivalent required. Any gap in service records elevates risk significantly. Look here: Front of engine, timing chain tensioner behind timing cover