Article on the N52, thoughts?
- Thread starter ryushe
- Start date
Thanks for posting. 
I'd agree with most of that, they really are great. I'm on my 4th now, two in Z4s an E91 325i and currently an E90 330i.
But I'm not convinced replacing the oil pan gasket is "relatively easy" given that the cross-member has to be removed to get the oil pan off!
I'd agree with most of that, they really are great. I'm on my 4th now, two in Z4s an E91 325i and currently an E90 330i.
But I'm not convinced replacing the oil pan gasket is "relatively easy" given that the cross-member has to be removed to get the oil pan off!
Zulu4 said:
Tell us what you know about the lifter tick...
Zulu4 said:
I got rid of mine 7 months ago by parking up and sitting the car at 3000 rpm for 3-4 mins straight. That's what some self-certified expert on youtube said and it worked for me.
Maybe it didn't get mentioned because it doesn't seem to cause any damage and the simple cure is just to use the car!
All 4 of mine have suffered from it to some degree when they have sat for a while. The longer they have sat, the worse it was but a spritied drive after warming them up fixed all of them. Well until next time. :lol:
All 4 of mine have suffered from it to some degree when they have sat for a while. The longer they have sat, the worse it was but a spritied drive after warming them up fixed all of them. Well until next time. :lol:
Yes, changing oil and just using the car seems to avoid the lifter tick. My internet searches suggest that lifter tick complaints were more common in the US, where most of the N52 cars were sold with automatic transmissions that were programmed for running at lower RPM unless Sport mode was used all the time.
This agrees with my personal experience with an N52 3.0L automatic 128i convertible. I did a transmission fluid change on that car "by the book", with the requirement to idle up to transmission operating temp for topping off the fluid. During that extended warm idle, the tappets got quite noisy, but revving the engine quieted them all down, and the only recurrence was on cold start after sitting for several days.
I haven't had a problem with noisy lifters on my Zed with manual transmission, nor has my friend with same year Zed roadster.
This agrees with my personal experience with an N52 3.0L automatic 128i convertible. I did a transmission fluid change on that car "by the book", with the requirement to idle up to transmission operating temp for topping off the fluid. During that extended warm idle, the tappets got quite noisy, but revving the engine quieted them all down, and the only recurrence was on cold start after sitting for several days.
I haven't had a problem with noisy lifters on my Zed with manual transmission, nor has my friend with same year Zed roadster.
Mine is a manual. The car got little use in the year before I got it, and got little use from me int he first 4-6 weeks of ownership. I can;t recall whether the tick was there when I bought but it definitely was after 6 weeks.
It seems to be the case that the tick is definitely caused by lack of use, or perhaps lack of "spirited use". It seems like 3-5 mins idling at 3000 rpm is the short cut method of getting the engine to behave as though it gets proper, spirited use.
It seems to be the case that the tick is definitely caused by lack of use, or perhaps lack of "spirited use". It seems like 3-5 mins idling at 3000 rpm is the short cut method of getting the engine to behave as though it gets proper, spirited use.
enuff_zed said:Just imagine how much fun you could have had if you'd left your drive for those 3-5 minutes.oke:
I did leave my drive.... I went to a park and ride just out town so as not to piss off the neighbours!
I also note that parked up is UNDOUBTEDLY the best way of ensuring that you can run consistently high revs, safely, for a period of time... but yeah, with hindsight if I ever get the tick again I will try the "drive fairly fast and revvy round some country lanes" method
Thought you were near the Hog's Back? Doesn't have to be in top gear as long as the revs are up.Fred Smith said:enuff_zed said:Just imagine how much fun you could have had if you'd left your drive for those 3-5 minutes.
I did leave my drive.... I went to a park and ride just out town so as not to piss off the neighbours!
I also note that parked up is UNDOUBTEDLY the best way of ensuring that you can run consistently high revs, safely, for a period of time... but yeah, with hindsight if I ever get the tick again I will try the "drive fairly fast and revvy round some country lanes" method
Though, tbf it's a few years since I frequented that neighbourhood so maybe it's not the road it was?
enuff_zed said:
Sadly it's nothing like it was when I lived a couple of miles from it in Ash in the late 80s. It was great for my commute to and from Guildford.
But now from the A331 to the A3 it has a 60 average limit with cameras. No cameras coming out of Guildford but the Police quite often park a van near the Cafe.
But if you join the A3 once you get clear of Guildford it's NSL with no cameras all the way to the M25. :driving:
enuff_zed said:Thought you were near the Hog's Back? Doesn't have to be in top gear as long as the revs are up.
Though, tbf it's a few years since I frequented that neighbourhood so maybe it's not the road it was?
I am near the hogs back... with hindsight giving her a good blast is probably the best way... but 3 mins at 3k revs is fine too! (Might have done 5 mins just to be sure)
I always feel that an engine is better to be revved against a load, not in neutral. But maybe that’s just me.Fred Smith said:enuff_zed said:Thought you were near the Hog's Back? Doesn't have to be in top gear as long as the revs are up.
Though, tbf it's a few years since I frequented that neighbourhood so maybe it's not the road it was?
I am near the hogs back... with hindsight giving her a good blast is probably the best way... but 3 mins at 3k revs is fine too! (Might have done 5 mins just to be sure)
enuff_zed said:
I will bow to your superior knowledge in terms of whether there is any science / engineering behind that.
My guess would be that I imagine that the real benefit of a load is that it makes it harder to over-rev. I managed to hold my foot in place at a very steady 3000 rpm and did not over-rev.
One thing I know for a fact is if you rev cars hard in neutral at a second hand car dealers they can get very pissed off. Leaving with the car calms them back down.
enuff_zed said:Thought you were near the Hog's Back? Doesn't have to be in top gear as long as the revs are up.
Though, tbf it's a few years since I frequented that neighbourhood so maybe it's not the road it was?
I am trying to remember whether the tick was there when I bought it?
I was thinking about this. I bought my car in north London, and drove it for around 30-45 mins before hitting the M25, then did a few minutes on the A3, then 10 miles on smaller roads, then 20 miles blasting it down narrow country lanes, then 10 miles more on smaller roads back home. If the tick was there then I can safely say that in my experience 5 mins in a car park at 3000 rpm is a much better solution compared to a fairly long drive which included going from north to west London, then back to Guildford via country lanes that took me at least 15 miles south of Guildford.
Or did the tick only appear when I did very few miles in my first 6 weeks of ownership as myself and my local garage sorted out various niggles (oil leak, alignment, front fog lights and the leaking MOT fail-in-waiting of a nearside headlight)? In which case maybe a drive is all the car needs.
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