[jh49tpro]

Recently, when idling my car has begun making a very fast metal on metal tick that sounds like its coming from the left part of the engine...has anyone experienced this? suggestions? I have searched the forums and it seems like it could be the lifters?

Also, its not guaranteed to make this noise everytime...depending on the day it comes and goes...it also happens whether its 20 degrees or 50 degrees outside so it doesn't seem like temp is a factor?

Any help would be great.

J

[Syndicategt]

Can you take a quick video of the sound? Wastegate rattle comes to mind, but that would be on the passenger side of the engine. How's your tranny holding up?

If it's the tick tick tick tick you are hearing.....that's 100% normal. You are heaing the injectors.

[badass335]

not always the case. i had the ticking and it turned out to be the altenator bearings for me and a couple of idler pulleys. This was on the driver side.

[rader1]

Originally Posted by Syndicategt

Can you take a quick video of the sound? Wastegate rattle comes to mind, but that would be on the passenger side of the engine. How's your tranny holding up?

If it's the tick tick tick tick you are hearing.....that's 100% normal. You are heaing the injectors.

If he means left side of the engine when standing in front of the car looking at the engine then i'd say you're on the money with the wastegates. When warmed up and setting still for an extended period of time my car will go into a "low idle" and the waste gates will rattle. It only lasts for a few seconds and then the rpms pick up and the rattle disappears.

[Beemw335]

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=640205
Idk if u have the same problem as I do, look at the 2nd video I posted in my thread, its really loud and annoying.

[bsmoked]

Yup I have this same issue. I investigated all around and it appears to be normal, despite how abnormal it may seem. I think its just best to avoid keeping the car at idle for too long...

[Beemw335]

It cant possibly be as bad as mine. Look in the thread I posted in the secomd video, I doubt you guys are hearing that..
Something must be loose on my car to be rattling that bad.

[Hellraiser]

Hello,

New to the forum but i am experiencing also a kind of ticking noise from my cars engine.
It is not the injectors, and not the rattle from wastegates.

I believe that the noise, kind of a metal ticking, increases as the oil is becoming more used.

And also as the OP refered, on my car the ticking noise doesn´t happen all the times!

I do the service on my car in a BMW dealer, and therefore i believe that they use the correct oil.

But i´ve been keen on trying another oil, but i don´t know what to use!

[Black Chili]

Same issue here as well. Most apparent in a fast food drive-thru while waiting in queue. The engine will drop to a very low idle, then CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP sound. Giving it even the very smallest amount of throttle will very slightly raise the idle speed and the sound goes away. If left to idle back down, the sound returns in a few seconds at most.

Does not happen all the time, fairly rare, though annoying and very apparent when it happens.

Not the injectors- they make a ticking sound; not the waste gates, famuliar with that rattle in a tin can sound. This sounds like a small hammer hitting the side of the block, or a timing chain slapping something; even slightly like a main bearing.

I know some engines use a timing chain tensioner which uses oil pressure to press a small "shoe" against the side of the chain to keep tension elevated. Not sure if the N54 does as well, or that's a factor.

[Hellraiser]

Originally Posted by Graphite Shark

Same issue here as well. Most apparent in a fast food drive-thru while waiting in queue. The engine will drop to a very low idle, then CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP sound. Giving it even the very smallest amount of throttle will very slightly raise the idle speed and the sound goes away. If left to idle back down, the sound returns in a few seconds at most.

Does not happen all the time, fairly rare, though annoying and very apparent when it happens.

Not the injectors- they make a ticking sound; not the waste gates, famuliar with that rattle in a tin can sound. This sounds like a small hammer hitting the side of the block, or a timing chain slapping something; even slightly like a main bearing.

I know some engines use a timing chain tensioner which uses oil pressure to press a small "shoe" against the side of the chain to keep tension elevated. Not sure if the N54 does as well, or that's a factor.

Yes, exactly that noise and in the same conditions,

Very good explanation!

[whoosh]

Could be timing chain rattle, as noted above. Does anyone know if there is a tensioner on the N54, and what the service life is for it?

[Tzu]

You guys sure its not the idler pullies? It's not so much a clap but more of a brush sound. Easy enoguh to pop off your accessory belt and check though.

[Hellraiser]

The noise is like a "cling cling cling cling" ! And then it stops, and then you hear it again, that "cling cling cling"
Could be the timing chain but, on mine i notice it more when the oil has some kilometres done!

[jokergerm]

Are you guys kidding ? That's the wastgates chattering

My car makes the same noise if you put your hand on the wastegate adjustment rod you can feel them rattle

[Hellraiser]

Nope, it´s a different thing!
I don´t mind the wastegate rattle, never gave it much of a thought, but this one scares me, because i star to think about lifters or valves or something like that! yaiks!!

[Black Chili]

Originally Posted by jokergerm

Are you guys kidding ? That's the wastgates chattering

My car makes the same noise if you put your hand on the wastegate adjustment rod you can feel them rattle

You're apparently not reading the thread. I've had my 2007 N54 for 95,000 miles. I think we all know what a ticking wastegate sounds like. I any event, i've adjusted the Proceed down to where the wastegate no longer rattles. At no time during the weekly -10% adjustments to that perameter did the clacking/clapping noise described above every change a tone whatsoever.

I does sound like a collapsed lifter- or maybe a cam follower not getting enough oil (or bad follower? or weak spring?).

[bsmoked]

Not sure if I'm allowed to post youtube videos here but I think this is the sound everyone's complaining about. Is this the same valve lifter issue that everyone is fussing over? This noise is obviously not the wastegate rattle!!!

[samchoi604]

Originally Posted by jokergerm

Are you guys kidding ? That's the wastgates chattering

My car makes the same noise if you put your hand on the wastegate adjustment rod you can feel them rattle

The wastegate rattle does NOT occur during idle. It only happens when you let go off the gas and the exhaust gas escapes the turbo via the wastegate.

[samchoi604]

Originally Posted by bsmoked

Not sure if I'm allowed to post youtube videos here but I think this is the sound everyone's complaining about. Is this the same valve lifter issue that everyone is fussing over? This noise is obviously not the wastegate rattle!!!

bsmoked, the valve lifter issue is only in the N52, not the N54. The sound you are hearing is the injectors firing which is normal.

[E36graduate]

bsmoked......my n54 seems to make that noise once in a while and quickly goes away....are you still hearing the noise?

[akotten]

Originally Posted by Graphite Shark

Same issue here as well. Most apparent in a fast food drive-thru while waiting in queue. The engine will drop to a very low idle, then CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP sound. Giving it even the very smallest amount of throttle will very slightly raise the idle speed and the sound goes away. If left to idle back down, the sound returns in a few seconds at most.

Does not happen all the time, fairly rare, though annoying and very apparent when it happens.

Not the injectors- they make a ticking sound; not the waste gates, famuliar with that rattle in a tin can sound. This sounds like a small hammer hitting the side of the block, or a timing chain slapping something; even slightly like a main bearing.

I know some engines use a timing chain tensioner which uses oil pressure to press a small "shoe" against the side of the chain to keep tension elevated. Not sure if the N54 does as well, or that's a factor.

Again, perfect description of my experience too. During cold start, and regular idle, I know what the loud injectors sound like. No big deal. The wastegates also have their own unique sound, of which I suppressed mostly with my Procede. This is different, and only happens randomly and low idle, such at drive-thrus.

[lagz]

Originally Posted by samchoi604

bsmoked, the valve lifter issue is only in the N52, not the N54. The sound you are hearing is the injectors firing which is normal.

FALS! I just had mine change.. N54 with bad lifter.. bmw change all lifter and rockers... 5000$ job. I have the same ticking now .. very fast tick on idle after startup. Seems to disapear if I push the engine to 2 ou 3k rev. Exacly the same noise in the bsmoked video... someone else?

What do you think about that : https://wiki.bentleypublishers.com/d...se+from+Engine