Could just be the oil pressure sensor.
You say it ran rough was this just no go in it as in limp mode.

 

Chain guides restricting pick up, balance shaft bearings or pressure regulator on an n43

 

Thanks mate for quick reply. This may sound silly but is there a way to isolate what exactly is the issue? Would a garage be able to diagnose that without replacing all things related, and charging me unnecessarily?

I read about the balance shaft bearings/chain guides on here causing someone people issues is this an expensive job and parts?

 

What is the mileage on it?

 

its 105k miles only thing i ever changed on it other than maintenance items : NOX sensor, o2 sensors, thermostat. I changed oil <1 year or less than 8k miles. I do a lot of short journeys in this car which maybe isn't great help.

I had it since it done 70k miles (2017)

 

On that mileage knowing what n43 is like I would be looking to do timing chain and most likely balance shaft delete.
It’s highly likely the chain guides are starting to break up and leaving debris in sump.

 

Thats what i am thinking Johnny. I take it the timing chain guides is a common culprit, is this a VERY expensive job?

I also read people replacing the oil pressure control valve and oil pressure sensor (not sure these different sensors) and having resolved the issue. Is there a way i can tell its the sensors NOT guides?

 

Yes very much so on a lot of Bmw 4 cylinder engines.
Not sure what a garage would charge but parts can be had quite reasonably priced, did the Mrs e91 few months back and cost was in low hundreds. I did however have the engine out as it also needed a clutch, if engine stays in subframe needs to come off to remove sump.

 

I am thinking the same. I rang a few garages and some mentioned they would start with the "Oil pressure Control Valve/Oil pressure sensor" is this a money grabbing tactic as i am sure just looking at the guides be a good indication this is the cause right? and not need replacing all sensors associated with this error? (sorry for asking so much questions wedding anxiety lol). I have noticed once i cleared all errors the oil pressure red warning doesn;t ping straight away telling to stop. Is this normal i would of thought if its serious it notify straight away??

 

The pressure regulator can cause issues but they do get changed a lot thinking it’s the cause when it isn’t always the case. Same with the sensor.
It’s far more likely to be chain related or balance shaft bearing shells in my opinion.

 

Thanks Johnny for the reply. I guess i am looking at expensive it both are at fault correct? (or more likely 1 one those need replacing rather than 2?)

 

If it was me I would be doing the chain and while sump is off throwing balance shafts away. Keep the ally housing that pump bolts to but fit blanking plug in the oil gallery in block, it’s threaded m10 if I recall correctly

 

I take it replacing the timing chain guides and balance shafts be 3-4hrs job? or more for a garage? I dont think i can do that myself as i simiply only have little knowledge other than service items.

 

Probably more than that as subframe needs dropping to get sump off.

 

Would I be right to say it be both items or likely 1 of those issues (guides or shafts)? I got a quote if worse case to do the timing chain guides I am looking at 6hrs is that a bit ott??

 

To be honest the work involved with doing both requires sump off so makes sense doing both at same time.

 

Quick update... booked car in. Also noticed erratic idling/misfire and acceleration stuttering. Sparks and coils where replaced when full service 1k miles ago.

The fuel mix errors above and idling shake and misfire could be caused by faulty injector(s) which isn't good news. I wonder if the fuel injectors can cause issues and throw low oil pressure issues? Or they are completely seperate issues.

 

michael read my adventure : Cold start problems on a BMW 116i 2011

now for all these problems the main cause in N43, i assume you have that engine , i cant see what car you own, is injectors.they create a lot of problems.they are not separated issues but oil pressure light is not from injectors

you definitely need new injectors for 2 reasons. first these injectors are problematic parts and fail.and they fail more often if you do short commute like i do.i have the same problem, that doesn't mean that if we did longer commutes will solve the injectors problem but it will slow it down a bit.injectors on N43 are a bad part and needs replacing.and my advice to you is to check them every 2 years with a good mechanic to see their condition.if 1 of them is peeing fuel then you should replace them all.this is the right procedure.i know price for replacing then is way too high,2000 euros but that is the case with this engine.either you compromise that you have a problemaic engine and spend money on it or you go for a new car-engine.end of story.

for short commute ,my advice is to drive longer the first time you ignite the engine during the day ,so that oil will reach the pressure and protect the engine and when you drive ,don't change shifts according the bc.go higher pm. but not too high, this engine doesn't like going red, trust me.maybe its the only bmw that doesn't like that.

the N43 engine is bad desinged and causes a lot of problems to fuel supply chain and oil system.

fault injectors caused me a big fuel dilution. having a fuel dilution for a long time before you actually notice it ,oil smells fuel, is basically an engine without a protective film, like water running between your shaft and valves.that can cause damage to all these systems that johhny described.

now i have the same error for a long time.what johhny said is true.here is the right procedure for this error because there isn't a sure significant diagnosis that a part is failing out for sure as you already guessed.

so listen what you should do unfortunately by replacing parts.

first you replace oil sensor and valve oil

if engine light pops up again then subframe needs dropping to get sump off . there you check for:

first pieces for chain guides, you check the chain plastic guides and the size of the chain.if everything is ok,

then you go for :

fuel pump
shaft bearings
crank

if shaft bearings have lost colour even a bit then replace them. now here is the trap.normally in these situations if everything is ok with chain guides and you go deeper, you find shafts ok and you say ,lets leave them there because the cost for replacing with new original is way too much if done to the dealership.personally i have them mine replaced at the dealership next week. bcs. warranty .
now if you dont replace them and engine error pops up again then you will pay more again for labour work to drop for one more time the sump off.and my advice to you is ,to replace them anyway bcs. N43 is a stupid engine and gets a lot of problems that can cause engine damage.a lot of N43 damaged engines reach the dealerships all over europe bcs of not well serviced chain guides and shafts.so be extremely careful with this engine.

i will replace both fuel pump and shafts for about 1700 euros at the dealership next week.10 days waiting for the fuel pump to come from germany. now if i have visited my mechanic outside the dealership ,he will sure charge them for a little bit less money ,somewhere between 1400-1500 euros because he would prefer original parts too as he said. but labour costs less. unfortunately he is on vacation and i need the car to go my vacation too ,thats the first reason i choose the dealership.but i am glad to tell you the truth, bcs. even i trust my mechanic, i am not so sure about warranty if something wrong comes up after the service. mechanics of non dealership feel weird when you mention warranty to them.the other main reason i choose my dealership is bcs . mechanics of the dealership i go, are good mechanics, i trust them.

so to sum up.

replace these 2 buddies ,sensor and valve, it costs here 255 euros, i replaced them last year and measured them again this year ,its the first thing that they do in dealership by replacing the sensor with another and they put an instrument inside the oil filter. if you replace them and error light again then you go for sump off.
now because i have the same miles almost with you ,i would drop the sump off anyway bcs, as i already said N 43 is a tricky engine.just to check. bcs. if these 2 are not the problem and its the shafts and are in a very bad shape ,almost bronze colour then your engine is in danger and you might cause a permanent damage.bronze damaged shafts don't give a sign, you have to checked them once at least and since you reach to that point replace them anyway.many mechanics claim that since you take them out then its better to replace them. its better to pay for some 800 euros to replace them than buy a new engine which will cost 4 times that amount.now you will take that decision. you will pay about 200 euros for get the sump dropped and about 100 euros more for that seal when putting it back in place later.
there your mechanics will see what they will find in the oil pan.if there are pieces of guides or metals from shafts.if everything with guides is ok then my advice is to change the fuel pump and the shafts.1700 euros for both and labour included and the cost for dropping the sump off. i don't know the price in England and pounds.

hope i helped you enough.cheers!

 

Hey mike thanks so much for spending time to write the above its been such a help. I am stuck i had BMWs all my life (mind you this is my first Petrol).

My Car is a 320i, N43, 2010.

I got this error 30C1 before, my mechanic said but it NEVER brought up the red symbol of "oil pressure low". Like you i have rang various garages and they ALL want to jump to the most expensive part and drop subframe/look in sump/change chain guides. I read on here IF i am lucky it could be a dodgy sensor like you it only came up when i braked sharp on motorway and it pinged up and ran rough. As your advice i dont have money to change everything at once nor do i think the car be worth the labour/parts to change every possible thing.

My plan is to let the garage diagnose the issue

1. The oil pressure low -If they cannot be sure what the EXACT part issue is, i will replace oil pressure sensor and Engine Oil Pressure Control Solenoid (i think this is what they call it??), maybe ask them to check oil filter see if thats ok.
Then check by taking on 10miles drive and see how it goes.

2. If above has not resolved issue then guides/shafts.

3. I will try putting in injector cleaner as a last minute cure see if it works or not. (probably will not)

4. Get some refurbished injectors and then trade it in to a new car.

I just cannot find any info how to test the sensors the error codes do not go into that detail for me.

 

trade it in to a new car.

Is the correct answer.

Don't spend another bean on this thing - you are chasing your tail with an N43. You'll spend a grand having the chain and balance shafts done, then it'll be an injector, then the NoX sensor, then the oil pump sprocket will shear off, then the diff will start whining, then, then, then.

It's still running and driving. Get rid of it now. Seriously.

 

If it was me I would be doing the chain and while sump is off throwing balance shafts away. Keep the ally housing that pump bolts to but fit blanking plug in the oil gallery in block, it’s threaded m10 if I recall correctly

Are you saying to delete them completely?

 

Yes remove them and throw away

 

Hey mike thanks so much for spending time to write the above its been such a help. I am stuck i had BMWs all my life (mind you this is my first Petrol).

My Car is a 320i, N43, 2010.

I got this error 30C1 before, my mechanic said but it NEVER brought up the red symbol of "oil pressure low". Like you i have rang various garages and they ALL want to jump to the most expensive part and drop subframe/look in sump/change chain guides. I read on here IF i am lucky it could be a dodgy sensor like you it only came up when i braked sharp on motorway and it pinged up and ran rough. As your advice i dont have money to change everything at once nor do i think the car be worth the labour/parts to change every possible thing.

My plan is to let the garage diagnose the issue

1. The oil pressure low -If they cannot be sure what the EXACT part issue is, i will replace oil pressure sensor and Engine Oil Pressure Control Solenoid (i think this is what they call it??), maybe ask them to check oil filter see if thats ok.
Then check by taking on 10miles drive and see how it goes.

2. If above has not resolved issue then guides/shafts.

3. I will try putting in injector cleaner as a last minute cure see if it works or not. (probably will not)

4. Get some refurbished injectors and then trade it in to a new car.

I just cannot find any info how to test the sensors the error codes do not go into that detail for me.

we have the same engine , same year production!
let me tell you something.when red light oil pressure is on YOU MUSTN'T move the car. now i did risked to move the car bcs i was 100 miles away from home and bcs i had the knowledge that if the red light goes away and its not permanent on, then you can move the car.but even then you risk everything.its probably the most dangerous light this and the engine red light.meaning its something serious.and we are lucky bcs. in diesels the engine would have already been damaged.
now if you replace the sensors then do a highway trip for more than 60 miles and try to run full rpm so that the engine reaches 100 and more temp.why am i telling you this? my red light was on when i travelled for 100 miles and then stopped at a red light.this is the only time when the light popped. and not in all the red lights ,3-8 times.when i drove around suburbs ,not in too much traffic, it NEVER popped.its a very difficult problem to diagnose, its like the devil itself.

there isn't a safe, a sure method to measure these 2 buddies, sensor and oil valve.they might be good they might be bad.but its the first thing and cost less so thats why they replace it first.but if you have a more serious problem down there then moving the car after the replacement of the 2 buddies then you take a risk.
i am not so sure that my real problem last year was these 2 buddies.maybe the problem started last year and the 2 buddies were ok.you never know what mechanics are thinking.if you have no noise from engine inside ,chain noise, then its probably not the chain.but you can never be sure.i didn't know all these last year.but even if i knew i would do the same.because this is the right procedure and i said what the hell, if the car wants to break, then i will accept it.fix it and sell it.having a car like this ,even if it is a bmw its a pain in the ass.assistant help carried me 4 times in 1 year for all these problems.i had a fiat for 200.000 km and it carried me once bcs of fuel pump.
or do what a friend of mine did. he put it on adds and when someone wanted to buy it ,he told him ,its having a problems with the metals, shafts, i will make you a bargain for 1000 euros to replace them.the guy accepted it,he never replaced metals ,engine broke.he never told my friend a word.

i decided to keep the car and spend my money, i love the way it goes, i cant find the same joy in new cars.i have tested new cars from same category and cant find anything that good.but thats me. unless my engine cost more for taxes that will come up from new environmental rules, its discussed in European salons, and then i will go for electric.i would have gone bcs i love the way they move but autonomy here in Greece sucks big time.not sufficient number of electric stations supply all over country and electricity costs a lot nowadays too.

 

THis is my problem. Do i throw money or cut my losses. Even if i replace the sensors under warranty i don't feel comfortable taking on long drive to find out does it work. I guess mechanic can test oil pressure using a gauge and then it show if it has worked or not??? the timing chain guides/shafts/oil pump seem expensive job. So if the sensor replacement does not work maybe i just sell as spare / repair thing.

 

Yes. THats my thinking. Its sometimes best to cut your loss. I list it as spares and repairs and someone can fix themselves. I do have a warranty it maybe a shot to replace the sensors (probably work or not). Either way i am not going to risk going on a LONG journey to test it so my thinking is to sell As-is. I wish there was a novice way (sound/error etc) to show if its the timing chain guides/shafts but seems not :-(

 

I meant i will tell the issue and give no guarantee it will solve the issue. I am quite confident the light wont come on after replacement (i tried bring it on but only local drives not more than 25 mins). All i can say is it came on went off never saw it again. Ask them to sign a paper hey sold as seen with issues discussed.

 

Part exchange it and say nothing.

 

This maybe my best option. OR i can be honest and just put on ebay or auto trader as known faults and buy at your own risk, issue may come up or not.

 

You could list as spares or repairs at least then buyer is aware.
Part ex to a dealer I would have no issue saying nothing but a private sale I couldn’t palm it off and say nothing

 

unless the buyer reads this forum!!

 

PX it.

It will then be put through an auction and you will be a very long way down the food chain.