[AddictedToBavarian]

Hey guys, temperatures dropped about 25 degrees around here aaannnnddd my ticking begins. I bought my car CPO 4/2011, lifters were changed 3 months before I bought it. In the summer there's absolutely no tick, as soon as cooler weather comes around it begins ticking. I just don't want to go back and get more stuff done, I have NO faith in dealerships. They've done the dumbest stuff to me.

Any of you guys just living with the problem?

[DESI4life10]

Known issue that a new engine head has to be changed to remove the ticking sound.

[keeedle]

Originally Posted by AddictedToBavarian

Hey guys, temperatures dropped about 25 degrees around here aaannnnddd my ticking begins. I bought my car CPO 4/2011, lifters were changed 3 months before I bought it. In the summer there's absolutely no tick, as soon as cooler weather comes around it begins ticking. I just don't want to go back and get more stuff done, I have NO faith in dealerships. They've done the dumbest stuff to me.

Any of you guys just living with the problem?

It's just too costly to fix since my car is out of warranty. The stealership quoted me around 2-3k just to change the lifters. There is no mechanical problems only the ticking is annoying. I choose to live with it.

[Delusive]

I get it everytime I don't let my car warm up, but easy way to get rid of it as a temporary fix is just drive it till your car is at operating temperature.

I haven't had it come back for awhile now, so I just learn to live with it.

[mapleridge]

Originally Posted by AddictedToBavarian

Hey guys, temperatures dropped about 25 degrees around here aaannnnddd my ticking begins. I bought my car CPO 4/2011, lifters were changed 3 months before I bought it. In the summer there's absolutely no tick, as soon as cooler weather comes around it begins ticking. I just don't want to go back and get more stuff done, I have NO faith in dealerships. They've done the dumbest stuff to me.

Any of you guys just living with the problem?

If you are still under warranty just go to a trusted dealer and tell them. Like Desi said they should replace your head if the lifters were done previously.

[Phil325i]

OP have you tried this?

2.pdf

[RyanBMW]

N52 engine is known to have a clicking noise when cold due to bad engineering. I have an 08 328i with only 55K miles and it does it, even when the engine is warm, sounds like a freaking Chevy. But I notice everything I change out the oil, it stops. I used to change my oil at 8K miles, and it seems like the older the oil, the louder the noise. So l have been changing my oil every 5K miles now. Next time pay attention after an oil change, you will see the ticking noise will be gone.

[1QuikWS6]

They don't replace the heads anymore for this problem - they do the lifters and followers only...

And your engine has to have been made before a certain date - they check by looking at serial #'s on the engine.

My car does it only when it's very cold, I took it in, and they would do nothing, as they stated my serial #'s show that I already have the most updated parts

[cdgatti]

My car did this when I first got it... cpo at 25K miles, I now have 55K and it doesn't do it anymore. It stopped when I started using lubro-moly oil additive. The stuff with the molybdenum additive, a tried and true friction reducer.

[1QuikWS6]

Originally Posted by cdgatti

My car did this when I first got it... cpo at 25K miles, I now have 55K and it doesn't do it anymore. It stopped when I started using lubro-moly oil additive. The stuff with the molybdenum additive, a tried and true friction reducer.

Didn't think it was a result of friction - though it was a result of cold weather, thick oil until warmup, yielding lack of proper oil flow to the hydraulic lifters combined with the internal design of the lifters?

Replacing the lifters & followers works most of the time, yet some state that the ticking eventually comes back

[cdgatti]

The idea behind the lubro-moly is that it builds a layer of slippery molybdenum on all internal parts, including the upper valve train. So even the upper parts of the engine have lubrication in those critical few seconds at cold starts before the oil reaches up there. I don't doubt there may be an issue with the size of some oil galleries that prevent good flow till the oil thins, all I know is that for me I was able to severely reduce the knock to what I would call normal for any car by using this oil additive.

[AddictedToBavarian]

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

They don't replace the heads anymore for this problem - they do the lifters and followers only...

And your engine has to have been made before a certain date - they check by looking at serial #'s on the engine.

My car does it only when it's very cold, I took it in, and they would do nothing, as they stated my serial #'s show that I already have the most updated parts

How do you know that they aren't replacing heads anymore? Have anything solid to back that up? Thanks.

[kamek]

Just deal with it. I've had this fixed under warranty multiple times and it always came back.

[1QuikWS6]

Originally Posted by AddictedToBavarian

How do you know that they aren't replacing heads anymore? Have anything solid to back that up? Thanks.

Yup, took my car to dealer to have them check if it was covered - asked them if I had to go thru the routine of 1st having the lifters replaced, then come back in again when that didn't work to have the head replaced - which is just plain stupid.

They stated that NO, the instructions don't call for replacement of the head anymore - just replace the lifters & followers in one visit and that's it...

Frankly, I really don't want service tech's tearing my engine apart to replace the head just to get rid of an annoying noise at only very cold temps anyway.

My car only did it once or twice upon initial startup when it was 16 deg out.

And it was not covered - the serial #'s on my engine showed it had the most updated parts available.

So just goes to show you that even with the updated parts you will get the ticking from time to time.

[Phil325i]

I assume you've tried this..?

Ticking noise cure.pdf

[WOT Bimmer]

Originally Posted by AddictedToBavarian

Hey guys, temperatures dropped about 25 degrees around here aaannnnddd my ticking begins. I bought my car CPO 4/2011, lifters were changed 3 months before I bought it. In the summer there's absolutely no tick, as soon as cooler weather comes around it begins ticking. I just don't want to go back and get more stuff done, I have NO faith in dealerships. They've done the dumbest stuff to me.

Any of you guys just living with the problem?

Yes I had this problem. It didn't tick every time, but when it did it was usually very loud.

I ran 10w-30 Castrol Full Synthetic in mine, and the dealer suggested trying 5w-30 to see if that would help the ticking. I was experiencing a lot of ticking about two months ago (probably the cold), so I went ahead and did an oil change with the 5w-30 and haven't had an issue since. I will occasionally hear a little bit right at start up, but it disappears within 2 seconds.

The tech at the dealer did tell me that the lifter tick you hear is not harming the vehicle in any way. Not sure about how accurate that is. Nevertheless, the ticking is enough to drive you nuts, damage or no damage.

[AddictedToBavarian]

Originally Posted by Phil325i

I assume you've tried this..?

Attachment 836293

Yea, I've seen that, never tried it myself.

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

Yup, took my car to dealer to have them check if it was covered - asked them if I had to go thru the routine of 1st having the lifters replaced, then come back in again when that didn't work to have the head replaced - which is just plain stupid.

They stated that NO, the instructions don't call for replacement of the head anymore - just replace the lifters & followers in one visit and that's it...

Frankly, I really don't want service tech's tearing my engine apart to replace the head just to get rid of an annoying noise at only very cold temps anyway.

My car only did it once or twice upon initial startup when it was 16 deg out.

And it was not covered - the serial #'s on my engine showed it had the most updated parts available.

So just goes to show you that even with the updated parts you will get the ticking from time to time.

Oh ok, yea I have it occasionally, not nearly enough to let someone tear apart my engine to fix! Lol. Thanks.

Originally Posted by kamek

Just deal with it. I've had this fixed under warranty multiple times and it always came back.

Oh yea, I don't care anymore either. This is actually an old thread someone revived. I'm over the ticking. It happens at times in the cold, but whatever.

[AlanAZ]

Originally Posted by kd8ksn

I ran 10w-30 Castrol Full Synthetic in mine, and the dealer suggested trying 5w-30 to see if that would help the ticking. I was experiencing a lot of ticking about two months ago (probably the cold), so I went ahead and did an oil change with the 5w-30 and haven't had an issue since. I will occasionally hear a little bit right at start up, but it disappears within 2 seconds.

If that's the case, then going to 0W30 Castrol (GC) would help further, especially in colder climates.

It's also worth noting that the oil BMW uses in Germany, and the oil the engine was designed with, is 0W30. Not the 5W30 that BMW uses in North America (due to the high sulfur gas we have here.)

[E90X]

Originally Posted by DESI4life10

Known issue that a new engine head has to be changed to remove the ticking sound.

+1

[AlanAZ]

Originally Posted by E90X

+1

So you've had the head replaced? Please tell us more.

[BradZditosky]

Thats odd, because i just took my car in and got the lifters and rockers replaced and they told me that if the ticking noise does come back to bring the car back to them and they will replace the head.

Originally Posted by 1QuikWS6

Yup, took my car to dealer to have them check if it was covered - asked them if I had to go thru the routine of 1st having the lifters replaced, then come back in again when that didn't work to have the head replaced - which is just plain stupid.

They stated that NO, the instructions don't call for replacement of the head anymore - just replace the lifters & followers in one visit and that's it...

Frankly, I really don't want service tech's tearing my engine apart to replace the head just to get rid of an annoying noise at only very cold temps anyway.

My car only did it once or twice upon initial startup when it was 16 deg out.

And it was not covered - the serial #'s on my engine showed it had the most updated parts available.

So just goes to show you that even with the updated parts you will get the ticking from time to time.

[bimmerquick43321]

same here, I think it's normal when cold, as a lot of other cars well, noticed gaz quality seems to have an impact, could just be in my head as well.