[E81]

Originally Posted by insane79

hmmn, whats the production date of your car?

09/2006

[insane79]

Originally Posted by E81

09/2006

hmmn, i think the problem got rectified in the post 2008 models in europe? i remember reading it. Mine car is production is 16/12/2008, hope i don't develop this issue

[Kaarle22]

Originally Posted by insane79

are both your engines 2.5ltr straight six?

Thanks.

Hello! I have 2.0litre engine, it is N43B20A

Two days and i will know what is my car problem why it sounds a bit diesel, or am i paranoid

[peeej]

the ticking has started in my car...and i'm beginning to become more aware of it. -__-

[a31cefiro]

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7034/...ceqqqmmqzr.mp4

does this sound like the lifters?

[Kaarle22]

Hello, i had my car back from service, and finland bmw mechanics listened my engine and change the oils and they said it's normal sound from this kind of motor (n43b20a) and my ticking noice comes from the nozzles, not from the head casket or timing...

[stasha]

If it's loud and unusual compared to, say, your Chevy Nova, then it is WRONG -- I don't care if it's "normal" for that engine. We p[ay for these engines to sound smooth, until we modify them for racing.

[M-Auto]

Originally Posted by PhaseP

Just my 2 cents, the lifter noise happens in this condition:

- Car is started cold and runs low rpm and about one minute or so, and then shut down.

- After this happened you start the car, it gives ticking noise. Ticking noise goes away after car warms up and you drive around 3000 rpm.

So, if your routine with the car doesn't involve running the car short periods of time at low rpm when it was cold already, you won't experience this.

I have a 2006 325, I had this happening now and then. During warranty I was able to get dealer replace the lifters, but I was late to the header replacement game. BMW at that point was insisting on only changing the lifters. So I have been watching out at what conditions this was happening, and by this time I am pretty sure of it.

If you need to drive the car short time, say for instance you need to move your car from driveway to let your spouse's car out, and this is done when bimmer was already cold, and it took at least a minute to do this (car sat idle a bit), next time you start your car it will likely start ticking. (If you have already new version of the engine head, that seems to resolve this). And the noise goes away after you really drive the car, like really warming it and driving it at rpms like 3000 or over.

My speculation to what is happening, the hydraulic lifters both get filled with oil, but at the same time drain a little as they are in use, so that they adjust their height and do their job. When engine is cold, due to tolerances, at least one lifter drains a bit faster than it is being filled by the pressurized oil. So if you idle the car at least a minute when it was cold at start, it gives enough time for the lifter to drain by this time. Next time you start, as the time passed some more drained, it starts ticking, because it needs to be filled again and that is only happening when oil coming in is faster then oil draining, which happens when engine warm and oil pressure is high (high rpm). If you just shut down the engine when it was warm and not ticking already, the lifter contains enough oil and the oil stays in there until next time you start the engine. So cold starts at dealers usually don't show this problem (my experience). You need a cold start, idle run at least a minute or two, then shut down. Then wait somewhat and start the car and idle a bit more, then it starts to tick, and left idling it ticks louder.

My solution, if I know I am driving the car cold and a very short time, I stay in 1st gear only so that it runs high rpms, and try to not let it sit idling. And before shutting down run the engine 3000 rpm or so a few seconds. It works.

Another thing, this issue is being discusses for all these years, I am yet to see one engine damage complaint that is genuinely related to this ticking issue. My engine is running fine for instance without any problems, even though under the conditions I described it ticked.

+1 Exactly my experience and I totaly agree.

Mine is a Swedish 325i (N52B25 218hp) and I can "control" if it should tick or not like you describe. But next oilchange I'll try Mobile1 0w40 and see if I can get it ticking by force it with short cold idle.

[KG1639]

Originally Posted by a31cefiro

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7034/...ceqqqmmqzr.mp4

does this sound like the lifters?

My N52 sounds exactly like that

[insane79]

Originally Posted by M-Auto

+1 Exactly my experience and I totaly agree.

Mine is a Swedish 325i (N52B25 218hp) and I can "control" if it should tick or not like you describe. But next oilchange I'll try Mobile1 0w40 and see if I can get it ticking by force it with short cold idle.

which year is your 325i?

Thanks..

[a31cefiro]

Originally Posted by KG1639

My N52 sounds exactly like that

Are you thinking of bringing it in to get it checked out?

youtube video

[dotmit]

Mine was ticking for the last 6 months. Dealer said it was normal. A week later my car broke down and had to be towed.

Catalytic converter rep
Aced under warranty and now the ticking is gone! Go figure!?

[KG1639]

Originally Posted by a31cefiro

Are you thinking of bringing it in to get it checked out?

youtube video

No, mine isn't metallic ticking (lifters), but just the sound of direct injectors, which is completely normal, so don't worry about it, it's normal.

[M-Auto]

Originally Posted by insane79

which year is your 325i?

Thanks..

2006

[kumkum]

I too had this ticking problem in my engine and I was afraid if this ticking would be dangerous for me and my car. So I took it to garage for repair and garage owner found that car lifters were that is why it is sounding like this. Then I took a deep breathe of relief inside.

[insane79]

Originally Posted by kumkum

I too had this ticking problem in my engine and I was afraid if this ticking would be dangerous for me and my car. So I took it to garage for repair and garage owner found that car lifters were that is why it is sounding like this. Then I took a deep breathe of relief inside.

what was the problem with ur car? which 3 series u got?

[kumkum]

Originally Posted by insane79

what was the problem with ur car? which 3 series u got?

It was a ticking sound and garage owner told me that my Maruti Suzuki car lifters are touching to each other that is why this is sounding like that.

[insane79]

Originally Posted by kumkum

It was a ticking sound and garage owner told me that my Maruti Suzuki car lifters are touching to each other that is why this is sounding like that.

maruti suzuki? dude we are talking about bmws here not suzukis..

[dVeLoPe]

I have recently purchased a 2008 328i (10-2007 build date) and believe I have this issue. The car has CPO warranty until November of this year.
How can I get past the HVA lifters replacement process and have the whole cylinder head replaced on the car? If anyone can link me to the TSB that says if replacing lifters does not fix it to replace the entire head??

I am in the car for about 20k and it ony has 40,500 miles but I dont want to take it in have the HVA lifters replaced and then next month when its out of warranty the issue comes back requiring an out of pocket full cylinder head repacement upwards of 8k...

I would really appreciate any advice from people who have already dealt with this process. Maybe a link to post that someone confirms the issue did infact return after they completed the first step of replacing the lifters!

[heinrich]

Bad lifters means they have worn or are wearing through their coating, eating your cams. All-round not nice.

[DL]

Originally Posted by dVeLoPe

I have recently purchased a 2008 328i (10-2007 build date) and believe I have this issue. The car has CPO warranty until November of this year.
How can I get past the HVA lifters replacement process and have the whole cylinder head replaced on the car? If anyone can link me to the TSB that says if replacing lifters does not fix it to replace the entire head??

I am in the car for about 20k and it ony has 40,500 miles but I dont want to take it in have the HVA lifters replaced and then next month when its out of warranty the issue comes back requiring an out of pocket full cylinder head repacement upwards of 8k...

I would really appreciate any advice from people who have already dealt with this process. Maybe a link to post that someone confirms the issue did infact return after they completed the first step of replacing the lifters!

This link is a bit dated but is still relevant except for the bleeding procedure which is not longer done.

Best of luck.

http://blog.bavauto.com/926/bmw-n52-...-tappet-noise/

[dVeLoPe]

^^ thanks but i showed my dealer that and they wanted me to give them the TSB that states the entire head must be replaced as the ''real fix'' to this issue.