# oil starvation damage to camshaft - opinions please



## ship4u (Oct 19, 2018)

I'm posting this for a friend who is seeking help to determine if the notorious timing chain or oil pump drive chain issue would have caused oil starvation to the camshaft journals thus destroying the N26 engine on his 2014 328i with 45,000 miles on it. What are your thoughts?

Here's his story:

Had my 2014 328xi (F30) serviced for an oil change by a national chain. The car had no major repair history, 45k miles on it. It worked fine when I dropped it off. When the car was returned to me, the engine stalled when throttle was pressed. Had it towed to dealer service center, they found metal shavings in oil, oil level was low by 2.5 quarts, intake cam was 180 degrees out of TDC and had seized in the bearing ledges, with scars and pits in the journals inside the head. Timing chain was loose. Oil pump screen was clear, no oil leaking or blown back.

Fault codes: 131401, 120408, 1C0102, 135808, 135B11.

The engine needs to be replaced. The techs at the dealer's service center think that the people who changed the oil must have started the car with no oil in it and then tried to cover up their mistake by filling it halfway. They won't submit the repair for coverage under warranty.

The folks who changed my oil inspected the engine and saw that some of the cam caps and journals had more wear/damage than others. They say this means the damage could not have been caused by oil starvation, because oil starvation would have caused uniform damage to all the cam caps and journals. They think the loose timing chain was the culprit, and they are denying any liability.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

*Lawyer up!*


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## ship4u (Oct 19, 2018)

doug huffman said:


> *lawyer up!*


lol!

Still in the evidence gathering stage, Mr. Holmes......


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## ship4u (Oct 19, 2018)

I asked him for a few more details and here is the reply:

I waited an hour and a half at the service center for them to complete the job. They gave me the keys and told me it had been driving "a little rough" when I brought it in. (Odd, I hadn't noticed any problems.) I started the engine, but it shut off when I pressed the accelerator. The engine sounded awful. I complained to the manager, who drove it around, revved it for a while, and said he thought it was a fuel problem and he couldn't help me. I had it towed to the repair shop.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

ship4u said:


> revved it for a while,


Finishing the job. "There, that ought'a hold him!" The waiver of liability will be of interest. I did not realize that Jiffy Boob drove their customers car's.


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## BMWtechN63 (Jul 10, 2017)

BMW can pull faults for when the first light occurrence happened based off a date and time stamp. Ask the dealer about this or have them submit info to BMW NA for evidence so if indeed that oil service place had your car during the time those codes posted, you have more leverage in court for them to pay for damages. Example, took car in on repair order at 45k miles and it left around that same miles and the fault was around that time as well, well that oil place definitly did something to it to cause oil starvation. I had a similar issue with an enterprise bmw rental where their oil service was covered under warranty but decided to bring it to jiffy lube. They ran the car with no oil and put oil back in but when i took everything apart, clearly see oil starvation because the cams welded together and the vanos bolt snapped in half slamming the valves into the piston heads. All we did was give information of date and time stamp and BMW denied the claim because it was obviously their fault. They had to sue jiffy lube. Yes dealers are expensive for a reason but there's reasons for that and here is a prime example. If bmw was to do that, that dealer would have to eat that engine because they knew they at fault. Mom and pops will fight you in court until a judge decides.


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## ship4u (Oct 19, 2018)

Thanks!! :thumbup:


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