[JonEQuest]

I think I may have a bad bearing. These two audio files were recorded on my phone laying on the ground directly under the oil pan while the car was on jack stands.

1st file: This was the car idling. I hear a metallic sound or some sort.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v9b...ew?usp=sharing


2nd file: This is with me revving it up after addling for a few seconds. I went up to about 3,000rpm. Then revved it to about 1,500 or so toward the end.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Prh...ew?usp=sharing

[Boland01]

No. When our old E36 threw the rod bearings you could here them from a block away. Sounds like the normal BMW ticking to me.

[JonEQuest]

Originally Posted by Boland01

No. When our old E36 threw the rod bearings you could here them from a block away. Sounds like the normal BMW ticking to me.

Really? They sound like this? I hear sort of a chirp in there too. It is more pronounced under the car than on top. Above the car at idle you can't it hear it much, but when you rev the motor something significant seems to be there.

[Faredo]

sounds like loud injectors to me. Mine could be heard outside of the car or in the cabin. dealer replaced them under warranty and they are much quieter.
Are you using the acoustic cover over your valve cover?

[JonEQuest]

Originally Posted by Faredo

sounds like loud injectors to me. Mine could be heard outside of the car or in the cabin. dealer replaced them under warranty and they are much quieter.
Are you using the acoustic cover over your valve cover?

Yes, it is also louder under the car near the engine. That is where the phone was recording the sound from.

[9krpmrx8]

Sounds normal to me. Very common issue for people to think there is a problem. Welcome to direct injection.

If you want to know if you have a rod bearing issue, spend $28.00 and send an oil sample to black-stone laboratories

[JonEQuest]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

Sounds normal to me. Very common issue for people to think there is a problem. Welcome to direct injection.

I don't know if the sound isn't coming across well in the recording but it is loud and like nails on a chalkboard. If I were at a BMW dealer and the car was a CPO with 5,000 miles and sounds like this I would still walk away. My neighbor has a 2016 328i and he has no loud chirping/clanking engine sound. I know about the injector sound. It gets twice as loud when the sound cover is off and sounds like a loud sewing machine. This is different than that.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vd...Q5xGI7cKopZm9P

Now I am second guessing myself. Maybe I will get lucky. I would LOVE for it to be an injector.

[9krpmrx8]

It sounds completely normal. About once a week someone posts up a similar video freaking out. But like I said, test the oil. Or do a compression test, etc.

[9krpmrx8]

This is mine, 98,000 miles and counting, zero issues running to 22+psi.

[JonEQuest]

I am going crazy. It actually sounds a bit better now. I was trying to unplug injectors one at a time to see if there was a dramatic change and didn't see a big change for any particular injector but I did get a loud whistling sound when I unplugged injector #3. The car also ran really rough even after making sure all were plugged back in. I plugged all back in. Turned off the key, then started the car back up and it ran fine again. BUT I did notice a bunch of oily liquid in injector #3's electrical connector. I brayed it out with brake cleaner then dried out the hole, then plugged the injector back in. I don't know if the noise is less or I just want it to be better but it does sound a little better. I am knowledgeable about electronics and I normally would not think oil would be conductive enough to cause problems but maybe that was it? From my drivers seat it is a noisy engine but does not seem to have as much of the death rattle as before. I guess I need to put it back together and drive it to see it under load. P.S. I do get frequent injector #3 misfire errors. I wish I could pull injectors to look but I have heard that the O-rings need to be replaced anytime you pull them.

[JonEQuest]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

It sounds completely normal. About once a week someone posts up a similar video freaking out. But like I said, test the oil. Or do a compression test, etc.

I am on my 4th oil change since buying the car. I did 3 changes in 6 weeks. The first was just cheap synthetic oil to flush, then one with Marvel Mystery oil for one oil change, then 2 bottles of Rislone on another oil change to clean the engine since I thought I had a bad lifter. After replacing all 24 lifters I put fresh Mobil 1 Euro oil in it with new spark plugs. I know the oil is OK now and would probably not have enough traces of old bearing left if I tested it. Also, I thought a compression test would still show good even if you have a bad bearing?

[IllSic_Design]

BMW engines, and the N54 especially are REALLY noisy engines. Like said, do an oil analysis to check for failing bearings.

[9krpmrx8]

A compression test would not show a bad bearing. And never use Marvel again, it's mostly solvent in mineral oil, it's very bad for your engine. No additives are needed, ever.

[JonEQuest]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

A compression test would not show a bad bearing. And never use Marvel again, it's mostly solvent in mineral oil, it's very bad for you engine.

MM oil was just for flushing and cleaning. I am not driving the car yet since it is a project and has no tags yet.

[9krpmrx8]

Yeah it's still bad though, it is not proper engine oil and the solvents will dilute the oil, it's just useless. Good synthetic oil is all you need.

[JonEQuest]

Originally Posted by 9krpmrx8

Yeah it's still bad though, it is not proper engine oil and the solvents will dilute the oil, it's just useless. Good synthetic oil is all you need.

I was cleaning the engine. I have just Mobil 1 Euro synthetic in it now.