BMW M47D20TU engine

The M47 engine is presented by BMW engineers as a turbocharged two-liter diesel engine. The power unit has four cylinders and was produced from 1998 to 2008. The production of this unit was handled by the department of the BMW plant in the city of Steyer. The main purpose for the release of the M47 motor was to replace the outdated M41. What is interesting, the diesel version was based on the gasoline engine with the index M43, in which significant modifications and innovations were made.

All-wheel drive BMW X3 models and rear-wheel drive BMW 320d models built sometime between September 2001 and December 2004 were equipped with the M47TU (“M47 Technical Upgrade”).

Engine displacement was increased to 1995cc and it retained the Common-Rail injector system that proved popular in the smaller M47R and larger M57 engines . These changes allowed BMW to increase torque and improve fuel consumption, especially at low rpm. However, these modifications added 50 kg to the total weight and emissions increased accordingly. In Russia, the new M47TU features were enough to raise the price of BMW 320d insurance to increase the amount for excise tax on the car.

Engine specifications M47D20TU

Advantages

This is a fairly reliable power unit according to the feedback of motorists and specialists at the vehicle service station. Wear resistance and mileage for the entire series of M47 engines is almost identical. Engineers laid down in this power unit the upper mileage bar in the area of 300 000 km of mileage. In practice, this resource could go far beyond 400,000+ km.

In each particular situation, it all depends on the care of the power plant, timely replacement of fuels, lubricants and consumables of the internal combustion engine. The problems that have been inherent in the M47 range come from the general concept of a four-cylinder engine. These units are prone to overheating, and BMW did not make every effort to solve this problem. On later versions of this unit, motorists have noticed a reduction in fuel consumption and an increase in torque as a direct result of optimized fuel delivery. BMW’s motorists have converted the energy of pinpoint fuel delivery to the cylinder, into the torque needed to do so.

Another plus is the perpendicular arrangement of the power unit in the underhood. It goes on to say that the cast-iron cylinder block is highly resistant to overloads and high temperatures of the ever-hot engine. The high-pressure fuel pump, which is controlled electronically, or, in other words – the Common Rail direct injection system, deserves special praise. In general, diesel modifications of this engine were reliable. On these powertrains, cars still drive and do not cause serious problems. But for the sake of truth it is worth paying attention to the fact that the modification was released in the second half of the nineties of the last century. Therefore, subject to old age and wear and tear, as for the first half of 2019.

Disadvantages

The M47D20TU received new disadvantages. Chief among them was a new swirl mechanism that was built into the intake manifold. It consisted of several throttle flaps that opened in each cycle. They were attached to the drive rod by two small screws. Over time, these screws could loosen due to vibration, etc. When this happens, they can hit the cylinder in question, causing significant damage to the piston, cylinder head and valves. If you’re unlucky, additional damage can be done to the turbocharger if a screw breaks through the exhaust valve into the manifold and then into the turbo.

These failures have occurred in such numbers that a number of specialized BMW magazines have published articles on the problem, including information on how to remove the swirl flaps. For those who wish to perform preventive maintenance on the M47D20TU engine, there are companies that supply and/or install plugs to completely remove these swirl flaps. BMW solved the problem by introducing larger diameter swirl flaps made of plastic in 2006.

Motorists have noticed the failure of the electronic control unit of the engine. And the reason is the disease of absolutely every BMW engine – it is high operating temperature and constant overheating. The issue should be solved by replacing the ECU and improving the entire cooling system.

The next problem is related to engine starting. Some power units came out of the factory with defective injectors. Because of which the air flow meter suffered and the fuel pump broke down. Therefore, if you are experiencing this problem, pay attention to the fuel system and injectors. Despite the fact that diesel engines have high torque from the very bottom, the M47 powertrain can stall. It is quite possible that poor quality diesel fuel or a change in the type of oil is having an effect. We recommend using the fuel and lubricants specified in the vehicle’s technical documentation.

Another problem is related to the engine stalling when the steering wheel is fully turned. The most common reason that causes this problem is low crankshaft speed. It is necessary to go to a service station for adjustment. The engine does not like long operation in maximum load mode. If you do not observe this rule, it is quite possible to have problems with the electronics. The flaps of the intake manifold can lock up, which will lead to their destruction or damage to the block head. In this case, the driver will have to have the internal combustion engine overhauled.

The next common cause is damper failure and turbocharger failure. The most common cause is missed oil changes and pulley wear. Possible causes are a delaminated damper pulley, which is responsible for the drive of the attachment or a dual-mass flywheel;

Technical Characteristics

Let’s talk about the technical specifications. The BMW M47 powertrain has a cylinder block that is made of cast iron, and the cylinder head is made of lightweight metal. There are a total of 4 valves per cylinder. The injector is located in the center. The turbocharger is powered by the exhaust gases and has a charge air cooler.

The power unit is equipped with a direct fuel injection system, which is controlled by a high-pressure fuel pump with electronic software. The injector housing is supported by two springs. An air flow meter regulates exhaust gas recirculation and is also controlled by software. The digital electronic engine management system is DDE3.0. It was later replaced by a higher performance version, DDE5.0. The turbine is capable of delivering a pressure of 1.6 bar.

As for the dry technical specifications. The exact engine displacement is 1995 cubic centimeters. The ignition order of the combustible mixture is 1-3 4-2. The cylinder diameter is 84 mm, and the piston strokes 90 mm. The engine is capable of producing 116 horsepower at 1750 rpm. The torque is around 280 Newtons per meter at 1750 rpm. The compression ratio for this engine is 18 units, and the powertrain weighs 111 kilograms.

Modifications

As for engine performance, the first version of this powertrain debuted in 1998 and had two modifications. The first, at 116 horsepower, and the second, more productive and technically improved, had 136 horsepower. This powertrain was specifically designed for BMW E46 series cars. Both engine variants were equipped with one tangential intake duct per cylinder, which allowed for increased performance in various weather conditions and the most aggressive operating temperatures .

The less productive 116 horsepower version we listed above was the M47D20U0. The power unit was equipped with a supercharger with a cooler and came off the assembly line until 2003. The happy owners of this power unit were the E46 318d sedan and station wagon. After modification, the M47D20 version of the engine was equipped with a more advanced supercharger and turbocharger, which had an intercooler in its design. This increased power by more than 25 horsepower and torque by 15 Newtons per meter.

Chip Tuning

To raise the power of BMW M47 is quite simple, it is enough to go to a tuning office and for 15 000-20 000 rubles to flash the control unit. This will give a good increase of about 30 hp.

Those who can’t get enough can buy a Garrett GT2260 turbo from the 530d, a large intercooler, injectors from the 535d, a 63mm pipe exhaust, plug EGR and customize the ECU. This will give you 250 hp.

This engine is installed on the following models:

BMW 3-Series (E46)

BMW 5-Series (E60)