3.0si Roadster - Ticking Noise from Engine

S

SpaceCoyote

Member
I've just noticed a ticking noise from the engine that I've not noticed before. I only noticed it when reversing onto the drive with the hood down and it is very clear when ticking over.

The oil level is okay, but I was wondering if it was something I should get looked at?

It's a '57 plate with 7,200 miles.

Any thoughts.
 
I've just checked it with the bonnet up and it is quite loud and has definately just started.

I'll try and upload a clip to YouTube

Link to video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykc_f-xmSo8
 
Hydraulic tappets at a guess without further info, I have had my head replaced under warranty which cost over 3K, it's a know issue mainly in the states but first my dealer had seen of it.

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10937&p=161535&hilit=+n52+engine+srhutch#p161535

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12673&p=190642&hilit=+n52+engine+srhutch#p190607

If you drive your car everyday not likely to happen but if like me you drive every other or let it stand for longer periods the oil drains out of the lifters and doesnt fill.

BMW will want to carry out a bleed procedure but I doubt it will cure the problem.
 
Just watched and listend to your youtube clip, it's the lifters and needs sorting whatever the dealer says.
 
Hmm, I was going to say that your video sounds almost identical to mine.

Better give the dealer a call tomorrow - and there's me thinking a BMW would give me trouble-free motoring :|

The thing is that it does get driven every day - a 22 mile commute that includes a couple of junctions of motorway driving. I'll try parking it level and checking the oil again - is there no way of doing it manually?
 
That ticking noise can also be attributed to a cracked exhaust manifold.

If you have a lazy tappet (or more likely hydraulic lifter), what can often help is a good old 'Italian Tuneup.' Basically make sure the oil is full. Warm the car up properly and give it a good ragging. You really need to build up the oil pressure and it often frees things up.

After changing the camshafts in my VX220 it sounded terrible (like yours except 2x louder and 2x more often)... A good italian tuneup sorted her out and purred like a kitten ever since!
 
EdButler said:
That ticking noise can also be attributed to a cracked exhaust manifold.

If you have a lazy tappet (or more likely hydraulic lifter), what can often help is a good old 'Italian Tuneup.' Basically make sure the oil is full. Warm the car up properly and give it a good ragging. You really need to build up the oil pressure and it often frees things up.

After changing the camshafts in my VX220 it sounded terrible (like yours except 2x louder and 2x more often)... A good italian tuneup sorted her out and purred like a kitten ever since!
Click to expand...

What you describe is what BMW call the bleed procedure although they do it with the car stationary. They probably tried it 5 times with mine in total. I seemed to have luck on my side because everytime I picked up from the dealers in recent times and drove home (less than a mile) when I got out to open the garage you could hear it, so straight back I went.

It's a known issue with this engine so would still put money on the lifters, push for a new complete head.

As I see it this problem will become more known about over time, at least if you have the modified head fitted and have the paper work to prove it come sale time one less thing to worry about.
 
Well I've done the italian tune up and sure enough the noise has gone so thanks for that. Sounded like a bag of spanners while I was getting it up to temperature :x

Checked the oil level too and it's at half, so I think I'll top it up a bit.

But a phone call to the dealer is definately happening tomorrow. Not sure if I should speak to the dealership I got it from (Sytner, Sheffield) or my local dealer (Stratstones).

Have to say that at the moment I'm not happy at all.
 
I have to say, mine did this when I first got it, for about 5 minutes. I think it's something to do with either taking the car too easy, or not using the car much.

The previous owner of my car hardly ever used it, and when he did, he was getting well over 30mpg, so was taking it too easy - these cars NEED ragging!

Since I've had it, and I actually show it more than 3000 revs now and again, it's been absolutely fine. So my advice would be to get out and actually use the car, as above with the 'Italian Tune-up', and I bet it will be fine.
 
If you dont use it every day it will return I would put money on it. Dealer wont want to know unless you can demonstrate the noise though.

Another problem is the type of driving you do from startup, if you dont have to stop or slow down shortly after setting off you probably wont hear that there is a problem, as it was only ever apparent after a short distance, when stopping or slowing down significantley.

I can onlsy suggest if it happens again dont ignore it and get dealer to replace the head which is the only fix.
 
After having given the Z4 a good polish and wax yesterday I drove to the garage to check tyre pressure and just as I arrived home I heard this odd ticking noise. Was a bit mystified by it so took it for a bit of a rake and it seemed to quieten down. Last night I went onto the website here and guess what, I read about this dreaded ticking noise and what it actually is. None too happy but then the car is a very late 06 3.0 Si Coupe with about 16k miles on it so it doesnt get driven that often and this is probably part of the problem. Here is my concern....the car's warranty is up at the end of November and my BMW Select agreement is up in March and whilst still undecided as to what I was going to do at the end of the agreement I had definately been considering buying the car and keeping it for a few more years. However, as this problem has raised it's head and unless BMW are prepared to fix the car (i.e a new head) I am not sure if I want it. Couple of issues here:

Should I buy the car if BMW refuse to do anything re this issue and the car then goes out of warranty.

If the car is on BMW Select do they really care about this issue as it is not really my car and they will either let me buy it or punt it on to someone else who doesn't know any better?

What are BMW likely to do will they replace the head or just give me the runaround?
 
srhutch said:
Dealer wont want to know unless you can demonstrate the noise though.
Click to expand...

I think this is the thing to bear in mind - you need to show them the problem happening.

Since my ticking went away (was fine this morning too), I've decided not to speak to the dealer until it comes back, then when it is evident, I'll take a drive there, very slowly, and hope it's still there when I arrive.
 
SpaceCoyote said:
srhutch said:
Dealer wont want to know unless you can demonstrate the noise though.
Click to expand...

I think this is the thing to bear in mind - you need to show them the problem happening.

Since my ticking went away (was fine this morning too), I've decided not to speak to the dealer until it comes back, then when it is evident, I'll take a drive there, very slowly, and hope it's still there when I arrive.
Click to expand...

At one point with mine I drove for 5 miles carefully ans the noise was still there, but I was really lucky in having the dealer only 1/2 mile away.

At the end of the day this problem will cause damage to your car whatever BMW say, and need to be resolved. I would however point out that it took nearly two years from the first time I heard it to getting the head changed, as it was only in more recent times that the problem got worse.

It's sometimes not apparent from starting the car that the noise is there, it seems that after a short drive that it comes to light. Also when I wnet to collect my car for the delar one day after they had performed a bleed procedure the service receptionist started the car up and we talked thorugh what they had done etc, after a couple of minutes I started to hear tick, tick, tick, I was over the moon, the dealer however was very dissapointed (his exact words), I took the car away (was a Friday night) and cleared it, but Saturday Morning same again so dealer had back and sorted although they had the car for nearly two weeks.
 
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