Timming chain

When someone does a tune-up on the car and checks the timing, you can tell if there is slop beginning to develop in the chain as the timing will jump around a little bit. Timing chains will last a long time, but if you plan on holding on to the car, I would think about getting it changed in the next 10,000 miles.

The timing chain, and gears, should be good for a long time- depending on oil changes and how hard you have driven the car- it should last as long as the valves and rings in your engine and might not need to be replaced until it is time to rebuild the engine- your BMW probably has more pressing issues than that- check with a BMW specialist to get an expert opinion on what your car needs right away, if you plan on keeping it-