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BMW 5 Series: N63 4.4L V8 timing chain, injectors & battery drain ('Customer Care Package') (550i F10)

N63 4.4L V8 timing chain, injectors & battery drain ('Customer Care Package') (550i F10) is a common engine fault on the BMW 5 Series on the 2010–2016 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $2,500 to $9,000 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
N63
Years
2010–2016
Fuel
petrol
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

Also worth seeing

A single common-rail diesel fuel injector photographed against a plain background.Example of the part — not this vehicle

A common-rail diesel injector. Contamination damages the nozzle at the tip.

Panoha · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What goes wrong

Early N63 550is were covered by BMW's 'N63 Customer Care Package', which inspected and in some cases replaced high-failure items: stretched timing chains and worn tensioners/guides, failing fuel injectors, and batteries drained by the engine's high electrical load. Timing-chain stretch is the dangerous one - if a tensioner fails the chain can jump and cause catastrophic damage. Injector failure causes misfires and rough running; heavy battery drain causes electrical gremlins and no-starts. The CCP goodwill has long expired on NZ/AU cars, so these are now owner-funded.

What you would notice

  • Timing rattle / correlation codes (chain stretch)
  • Misfire, rough idle, hard starting (injectors)
  • Flat battery, electrical faults, intermittent no-start

How to check it

Where to look. Timing chains and injectors on the 4.4L V8; battery in the boot

  1. Ask whether the N63 Customer Care Package work was ever carried out and get documentation.

  2. Scan for timing-correlation and misfire codes.

  3. Listen for timing rattle on cold start and check battery/charging health.

  4. Missing CCP history on a high-km 550i means budgeting for major work.

Parts involved: 12V battery, Timing chain, Fuel injector.

What it costs to put right

$2,500 to $9,000 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

  • “Was the N63 Customer Care Package work done, and is it documented?”
  • “Any timing rattle, misfires or battery/no-start issues?”

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 the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

  • 7post.com – 'ALL OWNERS of N63 ENGINES MUST READ' thread (CCP)
  • Go-Parts – BMW N63 4.4L V8 Buyer's Guide
  • bmwinsights.com – Common BMW N63 Engine Problems

BMW 5 Series buyer questions

Is n63 4.4l v8 timing chain, injectors & battery drain ('customer care package') (550i f10) serious on a BMW 5 Series?

We rate it major and common on the BMW 5 Series. Early N63 550is were covered by BMW's 'N63 Customer Care Package', which inspected and in some cases replaced high-failure items: stretched timing chains and worn tensioners/guides, failing fuel injectors, and batteries drained by the engine's high electrical load. Timing-chain stretch is the dangerous one - if a tensioner fails the chain can jump and cause catastrophic damage. Injector failure causes misfires and rough running; heavy battery drain causes electrical gremlins and no-starts. The CCP goodwill has long expired on NZ/AU cars, so these are now owner-funded.

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

$2,500 to $9,000 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 2010–2016 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?

Ask whether the N63 Customer Care Package work was ever carried out and get documentation. Scan for timing-correlation and misfire codes. Listen for timing rattle on cold start and check battery/charging health. Missing CCP history on a high-km 550i means budgeting for major work. Look here: Timing chains and injectors on the 4.4L V8; battery in the boot