OK, last update.
I got the car back yesterday. Have to say that as nice as the 330xi was, I was still very happy to get back into my E90.
Anyway, though it's still too early to be sure, I am happy that I haven't heard the ticking since I got the car back. Here's the full rundown on what the dealer found on my car.
- Both hydraulic lifters on the exhaust side of cylinder #1 were out of spec. As such, they replaced all 24 hydralulic lifters in the engine. Following are the part #'s for the parts replaced. You can find all of the parts on RealOEM. That will give a very good mental picture of the work done.
(24x) Hydraulic Valve Lifters (push-rods): 11-33-7-548-690
(1x) Set of Aluminium Screws: 11-12-0-392-548
(15x) Torx Bolt: 11-12-7-535-024
(1x) Valve Cover Gasket: 11-12-7-536-785
Bear in mind that this was the work done per the diagnosis for my particular situation, and that it may not apply to everyone with a ticking noise.
In either case, the dealership (Bill Jacobs - Naperville) was great to deal with through the whole process. They took all the appropriate steps to identify the problem (once they actually heard the noise that is), called me every night to give me updates, answered all my questions thoroughly, and kept the entire experience devoid of BS.
