[MacAttack]

Sorry for the delay guys....haven't been paying attention where I left off. I took it to the dealer and, of course, the ticking practically stopped. There was a minor ticking sound when we got there and the mechanic stated that was normal. I haven't had any problems lately nor has the ticking sound gotten any worse so I'll hold for a while. I only have 500 miles thus far...maybe after the break in period it'll go away completely. Wishful thinking, I know but who am I to tell the head mechanic what's right and what's wrong. They should know. Good thing is that I wrote it all down in a journal...time, dates, names, etc...just in case.

[ski360]

Originally Posted by wp326

I bought a new 2006 330i at the end of jan. 07 with 13 miles. the production date was 06/2006. I have not yet passed the break-in period yet. Should i take it in to the dealer asking to replace the lifters and rockers and etc BEFORE i hear the noise?

They're not going to do anything for you until they hear it

[BK]

Originally Posted by wp326

I bought a new 2006 330i at the end of jan. 07 with 13 miles. the production date was 06/2006. I have not yet passed the break-in period yet. Should i take it in to the dealer asking to replace the lifters and rockers and etc BEFORE i hear the noise?

No.

[klinkerklu]

We have been waiting for lifter replacements for 2 weeks. Apparently there are none left in the US, and the factory was out of them as well.
I find that a little disturbing.
I can't help but wonder how many e90's are needing new lifters, you know?
I think the car can smell my fear, as it has been behaving itself quite nicely. Not a peep of clatter.
I just don't understand how the problem can be so sporadic.

[Placey]

From what i've heard on this issue, they dont know the reason why air is getting to the lifters, however when revved and driven hard for a bit, it will bleed out and be quiet, at least until the vehicle sits overnight and will probably happen again. BMW NA has been working at finding the cause of this issue, they do have quite a number of engineers and different engine setups trying to determine the exact cause of this. Unfortunately, until they can find the cause of this, the only thing they can do is replace the lifters at this time, and the problem has been reoccuring. They dont have a guaranteed fix to this problem, therefore there arent any bulletins/service actions/recalls out for this problem. For those of you who have had the lifters replaced, BMWNA knows that they have been replaced, and documentation has been made in order to even recieve the lifters from BMW for the repair.

[flicks28]

Well, add me to the list of having this clicking noise. Was ordering my lunch at the MCDonalds drive thru today. I hear this very loud ticking noise and it sounded like the car behind me. I pull up to the drive thru window to pay and the lady says "Um, I think your car has a problem." The noise of the ticking was incredibly loud with the echo off the building. Get in my car to go home from work, and the tick was still extremely loud and the ticking sped up as I gave the car some gas to pull out of the parking loud. Got home (about 26 miles) and the ticking had stopped. I already had a service appointment for a number of other problems scheduled for 3/7 so I will update any info I get.

However, I read all 10 pages of this post which has been interesting, especially with BMW admitting there is a problem. I worked for 3 years for a Tier 1 auto supplier (part owned by Toyota) then got permission to leave and worked for Toyota for 5 years. I cannot give you exact details because of confidentiality reasons, but Lexus changed some very important components to several of their vehicles and when these parts hit the field, there was a massive amount of people having problems. Turns out the new engineering style was defective and that Toyota would have to go back to the old way. Well, as some know, each car is designed about 4-5 years in advanced so the loss was more then $100 million. Lexus NEVER issued a recall because they wanted to protect the brand and it was not a safety issue. However, all Lexus dealers were told that if customers came in and complained, to immediately repair this part, no questions asked.

With the 3 series being named World Car of the Year and wanting to protect the extremely valuable brand, BMW is trying their hardest not to issue a recall. It would be very damaging to the brand especially as the "luxury" car market is becoming more competitive every year in the US.

I will let you know any details I get after service, but having worked in the industry for awhile, this problem is NOT normal. Nor will I be told that.

[klinkerklu]

^Sorry to hear. It's not a fun club..
Funny, drive-thru's tend to exacerbate the problem, since it boundes off the building. Same thing happened to me at Wendy's a few weeks ago. The person in the car with me was like, "isn't this a new car? Should we get out of the car?! WTF?!!" It was totally quiet up until we were sitting getting ready to order & I had to yell even louder into the speaker.
We are STILL waiting for new lifters. Not that it really matters, I don't think they will solve anything.

[flicks28]

Originally Posted by klinkerklu

^Sorry to hear. It's not a fun club..
Funny, drive-thru's tend to exacerbate the problem, since it boundes off the building. Same thing happened to me at Wendy's a few weeks ago. The person in the car with me was like, "isn't this a new car? Should we get out of the car?! WTF?!!" It was totally quiet up until we were sitting getting ready to order & I had to yell even louder into the speaker.
We are STILL waiting for new lifters. Not that it really matters, I don't think they will solve anything.

It appears you are on your 3rd week now for lifters?? Have you had a loaner for that period?? I went out and started my car to see if the ticking was there tonight, but nothing. The engine was still warm though.

Is there anyone who posted early in this thread that had the cams, lifters, etc replaced and has no reoccuring problem?

Thanks for posting the audio file. The same exact noise I heard today.

[flicks28]

Has anyone been able to determine the approx. build dates on the cars that are having problems?? I dont know what the date is on mine yet, but will find out. This is important for two reasons.

If the build dates are fairly close together (I'd say about 6-8 months since the first cars to have this problem in the field would probably take a few months and then it will not be seen as a bigger problem until a few months after that) it could be that the supplier to BMW was running parts slightly out of spec for an extened period of time. This could be that when the lifters, camshaft, etc was designed, the tolerances could have been too large. The problem could then be corrected by tighening the tolerances. Or, the parts were being run in production without the operator performing the correct 1st piece checks, or quality checks during the parts run period and a large batch of these hitting the field. I dont know if BMW uses a kanban production system, but this system is the best way to cut down on large production runs of out of spec parts.

Or, the larger and more serious problem, is that this is a design flaw and can only be corrected by modifying the engine or another important part. I would be curious if there is a modification to the engine size, shape, etc in the mid-year 2007's compared to model year 2006.

With my previous experience with Japanese auto companies, if we happened to receive a field claim (car that is out on the road that reports a problem) we would be able to determine the reason of that problem with 2 weeks, if not earlier. I would have to believe that BMW has a good idea what is wrong by now. We would have to always determine a way to correct the problem in the cars already sold, but then we would have to develop a solution to future cars to be built. The cars already on the road needing servicing were more or less patch jobs (quality patch jobs) but a different fix from what future vehicles would receive.

[msinfo_us]

Originally Posted by flicks28

Has anyone been able to determine the approx. build dates on the cars that are having problems?? I dont know what the date is on mine yet, but will find out. This is important for two reasons.

If the build dates are fairly close together (I'd say about 6-8 months since the first cars to have this problem in the field would probably take a few months and then it will not be seen as a bigger problem until a few months after that) it could be that the supplier to BMW was running parts slightly out of spec for an extened period of time. This could be that when the lifters, camshaft, etc was designed, the tolerances could have been too large. The problem could then be corrected by tighening the tolerances. Or, the parts were being run in production without the operator performing the correct 1st piece checks, or quality checks during the parts run period and a large batch of these hitting the field. I dont know if BMW uses a kanban production system, but this system is the best way to cut down on large production runs of out of spec parts.

Or, the larger and more serious problem, is that this is a design flaw and can only be corrected by modifying the engine or another important part. I would be curious if there is a modification to the engine size, shape, etc in the mid-year 2007's compared to model year 2006.

With my previous experience with Japanese auto companies, if we happened to receive a field claim (car that is out on the road that reports a problem) we would be able to determine the reason of that problem with 2 weeks, if not earlier. I would have to believe that BMW has a good idea what is wrong by now. We would have to always determine a way to correct the problem in the cars already sold, but then we would have to develop a solution to future cars to be built. The cars already on the road needing servicing were more or less patch jobs (quality patch jobs) but a different fix from what future vehicles would receive.

These are good questions. I don't think there are definite answers (BMW still researching the problem, working on a fix or just keeping the answers from public) but a quick summary so far: there are cases were cam, lifters and rockers were replaced and problem went way for good, there are cases as well were even when all parts were replaced noise came back, than again there is a theory that magnesium is very hard to work with and some engines have flaws, than there is a theory that there is a design flaw with oil pathways. One thing for certain if you hear lifters ticking and let them to continue problem gets worse. So, you got to get it fixed and until then use whatever method (spirited driving, engine braking and etc) to keep liters lubricated.

[klinkerklu]

Originally Posted by flicks28

It appears you are on your 3rd week now for lifters?? Have you had a loaner for that period?? I went out and started my car to see if the ticking was there tonight, but nothing. The engine was still warm though.

Is there anyone who posted early in this thread that had the cams, lifters, etc replaced and has no reoccuring problem?

Thanks for posting the audio file. The same exact noise I heard today.

On the second attempt to duplicate the problem, they were not able to troubleshoot and verify the lifter noise. When they brought the car around for me to pick it up, it was finally audible in their presence. I took the car home that night, knowing if I left it we wouldn't see it for at least a month otherwise. They discussed the case with the Regional tech the next day, who was finally the one to to say there is air getting in the system, yes, replace all the lifters. It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since the order was placed. I don't want them to start working on my engine until they at least have the parts and know what they are doing with them. I am hoping this lag will buy us more time until BMW comes up with a better fix (ie-permanent solution) to this problem.

[hav2flynow]

Here is the results of my earlier post regarding my ticking noise. As previously posted the Dealer called me on a Thursday and said a Rep was coming on Monday to inspect the problem and they did hear the ticking noise. I got the car back on Tuesday night., so they had it 5 days. I walked around the car in the dark it looked fine. They told me that the ticking i have is normal and My engine build did not have the lifter problem. My car was built around 4/2006. While it was there they also fixed the peeling driver inside door hand pull. A few days later i saw ripples in my front bumper. I checked it out further and they obviously hit and patched up my bumper.(Now i understand why they kept it for 5 days, with a quote normal engine sound and a bogus service rep. They needed time to fix my bumper.) I took it back in and they lied to me saying the bubbling was from me hitting something and the metal behind the bumper caused the bumper to bubble out...CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT BS!!! I took it to a body shop and they said it was a bad patch job and it bubbled. The dealer wont return my phone call.... Plus i found other scratches on my car that were not there before... I have been traveling and have not had time to pursue this further...but i will get a resolution if i have to go to court.

[klinkerklu]

We put the PO for the car in April 2006, it was built May 2006, and we picked up in Munich June 9th 2006.

The main trend which we have noticed since the problem started in December is that the noise crops up most when we do in-town driving.
For example, I can't say that I've ever noticed it when I start the car up in the morning and drive on the highway 25-30 minutes to work. Nor when I start it up and go somewhere in town for lunch. But 1 hour after lunch, when I start it up, I DO hear it. It lasts for sporadically thru the drive while I drive back to work. Then I start it up, drive back home, no problem. Go get groceries in town, no problem. Start it up, hear it, drive to another errand, the ticking may last the whole trip or it may peter out. Start it back up, and there it is again. Now at this point, if I sit in the car at idle, it usually goes away after 5 minutes or so. However, there have been times when I am waiting to pick someone up, and after idling for ~15minutes it comes up with a vengeance. While I am just sitting there. Hit the gas, and ticking accelerates. Then it disappears. Or continues ticking.
If I happen to drive to the gym (15 minutes, right in town) in the morning, again, don't hear it. After about 1.5 hrs in the gym, start it back up, & I DO hear it. Drive 10 minutes clattering away. Stop and get coffee. Start back up, Hear it. Let it idle 5 minutes, hit the throttle a few times, and it usually dissipates and I go on my merry way.
My husband works pretty close to home, and when he drives in the morning, he also won't hear it, but he will when he does the lunch thing, it crops up there too.
So to summarize, shutting the engine off after only ~15 minutes of driving usually brings out the beast next time you use the car, if it is started up within that same hour or two..

My conclusion is that our car is trying to tell us to stop running errands and drive 75+ mph.

[flicks28]

I'm so pissed off with this car. Heard the ticking briefly this morning, about 20 seconds and nothing since. I am going to revive this thread over on bimmerfest.com as well. This is really scary that a solution cannot be pinpointed and I want to hear if people with 07s are starting to have this problem. Of what I can tell so far is that the earliest production date I have seen is from March 06 and the latest is the person who had the noise on an 07. I think this is bad, its not a simple bad run of parts, but a more serious design issue.

The dealer I bought my car through was incredible on the Sales and delivery side, and I will be buying my next car from them, if their service dept is the same. I'll send a post out over the weekend on the other board. And I will post all info I get from my service dept.

I was suppose to get my windows tinted tomorrow with the Huper Optik. One of the few places in Raleigh that does it is the Lexus dealer. They had a good laugh when I called to cancel my appt and they asked why. Well, I'm not going to lie. I've also got the buring anti-freeze smell in my car, right turn signal not working, and a whining sound when I drive between 30-50 mphs, oh, and brakes that crunch. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[d3l0n]

whoa... i felt so alone on this. I thought i was the only one. I have a 7/05 build. I've been pulling over every now and then when i am not in a rush to check out the sound... and have been embarrassed as people who pass by may wonder wtf is wrong with that new bmw (2006 model still is new *2yr form prod date* IMO) I rev the engine.. slowly and aggressively, hoping to fix it. I mean its not so much of a loud sound... its just noticeable when i park sometimes and walk out with the engine on. When i am driving i don't really hear it whether i have music up or down.... when i visit my dealer in 2 weeks I will have them check that out, also I know i do need an oil change. Lets see what happens.. ... but i doubt that would do anything..

[hav2flynow]

Originally Posted by d3l0n

whoa... i felt so alone on this. I thought i was the only one. I have a 7/05 build. I've been pulling over every now and then when i am not in a rush to check out the sound... and have been embarrassed as people who pass by may wonder wtf is wrong with that new bmw (2006 model still is new *2yr form prod date* IMO) I rev the engine.. slowly and aggressively, hoping to fix it. I mean its not so much of a loud sound... its just noticeable when i park sometimes and walk out with the engine on. When i am driving i don't really hear it whether i have music up or down.... when i visit my dealer in 2 weeks I will have them check that out, also I know i do need an oil change. Lets see what happens.. ... but i doubt that would do anything..

I would def get yours checked out right away. Mine was built 4/06 and the problem was already addressed by the time it was built (according to the service dept), but you may have the bad lifters with your earlier build. Mine ticks only in the morning when cold, they say that is normal.

[STE92VE]

Originally Posted by hav2flynow

Mine was built 4/06 and the problem was already addressed by the time it was built (according to the service dept), but you may have the bad lifters with your earlier build. Mine ticks only in the morning when cold, they say that is normal.

Is this to be understood that this is not a problem with current production?

[hav2flynow]

Apparently(according to the service advisor) cold ticking is normal,,,mine does not tick after it's warmed up, however, I wanted to get it checked out. The problem started before my build and I was told my build does not have the problem. 4/06. From what im reading on here the ones with the lifter problems have had ticking after the engine warms up and its loud and seems to be on earlier builds. I would think the problem should be resolved on current production, but who knows... Why does mine tick while cold and thats normal? I have never had a car do that before.

[ironic]

i've experienced the tick too, not as loud as you guys have stated - but still caught me off guard.

[STE92VE]

Originally Posted by hav2flynow

Why does mine tick while cold and thats normal? I have never had a car do that before.

If it's a "normal" tick, I think it has to do with the oil being thick when cold and when it warms up and thins out, the ticking stops.

[klinkerklu]

Originally Posted by STE92VE

If it's a "normal" tick, I think it has to do with the oil being thick when cold and when it warms up and thins out, the ticking stops.

^Right, if you listen very carefully, upon cold start up you may hear suttle noises as things are warming up. If you take your car in to complain about this, they are going to tell you its normal and all cars do this.

However, the audio file posted WAY back somewhere in this thread clearly demonstrates the more pronounced ticking that is freaking out what appears to be quite a few of us.
Because our ~$40K+ BMWs that we are so devoted to SHOULD NOT sound like a diesel truck after driving them around town for 15-30 minutes.
This noise is VERY distinct from the normal faint tapping or ticking the car may make upon cold start up.

[ages944]

the audio file is located on page 3 of this thread.