Reconditioned BMW 3 Series Gearbox

Série 3 2005–2019: the same 6-speed manual gearbox, but engine units that change everything with each generation

Between 2005 and 2019, the BMW Série 3 spanned two major generations (E90/E91/E92/E93, then F30/F31/F34) without ever dropping the 6-speed manual gearbox — it is the only transmission featured in this collection. What changes with each generation are the engine units paired with it, and therefore the exact gearbox reference you need to order. An N47D20 and a B47D20 are both 2.0d units, but they do not share the same gearbox: mixing up the two families is the most common identification mistake.

2.0d: three engine families, three distinct gearboxes

This is the most widely represented engine in the catalogue, with ten references available. It covers three clearly distinct engine codes: M47D20, N47D20 and B47D20. The M47 was fitted to the earliest E90 diesel models, the N47 took over on subsequent generations before being replaced by the B47 on the later F30 models. The N47 is well known for its timing chain issues on the gearbox side, which frequently led to combined engine-and-gearbox removals: checking the condition of the timing chain before refitting remains advisable. The 316d/318d variant shares the same B47 engine code but has its own dedicated references in the catalogue.

3.0 petrol and 3.0d: engine codes to check before placing any order

On the 3.0 petrol side, four engine codes coexist — M54B30, N52B30, N53B30, N54B30 — spread across the 3.0 and 3.0i variants depending on the year and market. The M54B30 and N52B30 appear in both sub-variants: the engine code stamped on the block remains the only reliable way to confirm the correct gearbox reference. For the 3.0d, the codes M57D30 (306D2) and M57N2 (306D3) correspond to two successive versions of the 6-cylinder diesel, with gearboxes that are not interchangeable. For the 2.0i and 2.0 petrol, the codes N43B20, N20B20, B48B20 and, for the 2.0, N46B20 complete the range. Two purchasing options are available depending on the reference: standard exchange or a full rebuild to 0 km of your own unit.