[flicks28]

Originally Posted by psychoactive

I have a question, when something like this happens and you take the car to the dealer do you have to pay like thousands of dollars or what? Or is this covered under my 4 years of free maintenance or warranty?

I am a brand brand new baby bimmer owner...

As with any new car, all problems are covered under warranty as long as you dont start making some modifications.

If you hear this sound (audio clip earlier in thread) take it in! I set up an appointment 2 weeks in advanced, got a loaner car, and the dealer asked me if they could keep it one more day to try and produce the noise, but they couldnt. Your service dept will probably say this is a normal sound. If they say this, tell them it is normal if the sound last for less then 30 seconds, but like the rest of us, it last 5+ minutes.

Has anyone noticed the ticking pick up frequency as time goes by? My last ticking sound was about 1 weeks ago.

I will take my car in every time I get this sound and build up a track record of having this looked at on my car, because when 50,001 mile comes and my engine fails, I will fight like crazy to have this covered by warranty, especially for $4300 which will probably be about $5500 when I get to 50K.

[gary328xi]

I took my car in today as per BMWNA request for their engineer to take one last look. Will update when i get the car back.

[Revlis]

Originally Posted by msinfo_us

OK. Finally I was able to attach one of the sound tracks with ticking noise. If you are wondering about ticking noise listen to it. For those of us who already know what it is it would be very intresting if you can compare it to yours and share your opinion here. Thanks.

PS Before you ask. The sound was taped with car warmed up but before I drove it. Also oil level is at max.

OK Dayum... That is loud, sounds like a little guy with a ball peen hammer trying to get out... Oh and the Audio Clip is on Page 3 Second Post!!!

[klinkerklu]

^Yeah, not shit it's disgusting.
This is what ours sounded like one night after coming home from dinner:

Ours is sitting in the shop right now while they fix ANOTHER e90 that's in for the same problem....

[BmwFinland]

I had same ticking noise problem (

) in my car and two weeks ago i bring my car to the dealer and they change cam shaft and lifters. My car is 2005 model and this problem has been since i had bought this car. They say that in any case it sounds abnormal. Hope that it solve problem. At this moment engine sounds like it should and no ticking...

Regards: M.L from Finland

[d3l0n]

Originally Posted by klinkerklu

^Yeah, not shit it's disgusting.
This is what ours sounded like one night after coming home from dinner:

Ours is sitting in the shop right now while they fix ANOTHER e90 that's in for the same problem....

ok that's the best example of this noise i have seen/heard. Now I seriously dont think i am having this issue. And it hasn't been that loud.... i did here somethign similar but lower. Haven't heard it for some time now.

[klinkerklu]

Originally Posted by BmwFinland

I had same ticking noise problem (

) in my car and two weeks ago i bring my car to the dealer and they change cam shaft and lifters. My car is 2005 model and this problem has been since i had bought this car. They say that in any case it sounds abnormal. Hope that it solve problem. At this moment engine sounds like it should and no ticking...

Regards: M.L from Finland

Cool...I think replacing the camshaft (not just lifters as many service departments seem to do) is the key. I am not exactly sure what goes wrong, I'd like to see the parts on ours once they take things out. No one seems to complain that the problem comes back then..

[BTW, Finland is pretty cool, that was one of our last stops last year when we did ED to pick up this car! We really liked the food at Zator, in Helsinki.]

[ages944]

No camshaft replacement on mine, and it's been over a year since my service. I however took the car in right away when I heard the noise. It might well be that if you can get the car in and repaired early, that you might not need a new cam. I don't think that all dealerships try to rip everyone off, but rather that they aren't as all-knowing about the cars as people seem to think they should be (which is sad, but I suspect it to be true). This becomes a bigger problem when the customer doesn't know much about cars either.

Basically, just sit down and talk logically with the service dept about the problem. Remember that many places would rather fix the issue once and have it over with rather than have to deal with an irate customer whose car has to keep getting brought in for service for the same repair.

[msinfo_us]

Originally Posted by ages944

No camshaft replacement on mine, and it's been over a year since my service. I however took the car in right away when I heard the noise. It might well be that if you can get the car in and repaired early, that you might not need a new cam. I don't think that all dealerships try to rip everyone off, but rather that they aren't as all-knowing about the cars as people seem to think they should be (which is sad, but I suspect it to be true). This becomes a bigger problem when the customer doesn't know much about cars either.

Basically, just sit down and talk logically with the service dept about the problem. Remember that many places would rather fix the issue once and have it over with rather than have to deal with an irate customer whose car has to keep getting brought in for service for the same repair.

Ages, glad to hear your car being tick free for a year (with the exception of one or two times during this year). I hope it stays tick free. I do agree that the key to your successful repair is because you brought your car in as soon as you could. I think you also got lucky that your dealer did the repair without what many ppl hear from their dealers: "nothing wrong", "drive it and see if it will go away", "we need it to tick consistently to troubleshoot" and etc. What can we do in these cases? You take your car and drive it with ticking noise and as a result ruin your cam, rocker and etc.

On another hand you have second option – DON’T LET IT TICK. Use engine braking, spirited driving, don't idle, avoid short trips and if you have to go for a short trip remember to push oil in by engine braking or whatever works for you. Now, is this a good and smart option? I don't know. Sure, you will be saving your lifters, cam and etc from further damage for longer time - question is for how long. How can one be sure this is not a time bomb that will go off once warranty is over? If you are not planning to keep your car than it might work for you. Also, another advantage you will have time to wait until BMW finish their research and find a permanent solution. So, after all this might not be such a bad option. (What surprise me the most is that this issue is on-going for a year and there is no consistent and permanent fix. Not even an official respond from BMW)

There is of course another way to look at this. BMW guaranteed quality and if there is a problem they will fix it. I am sure for many ppl here option above is not really an option at all. If it is broken BMW have to fix it, if they can’t fix it in a reasonable time they will have to replace the car – end of story (well in reality it is not all that simple but this is an option).

Well, you make your own decision. GL

PS Ages, I am not implying here that your car might still have a problem. I really hope it does not and you enjoy your car for a long time trouble free. I am speaking to the rest of ppl who’ve got ticking problem and hope this rant can help some of them.

[ages944]

msinfo, thanks for the kind words. Hopefully the repair remains one long term.

Just to clarify for everyone. My dealership at first tried to tell me that the ticking I was describing was normal (the cars do have a slight tick during normal idle), and after a couple of days at the shop and not having heard the noise I was talking about, they were all ready to send me on my merry way. Yes, it was rather frustrating. All I could do was ask them to keep trying (turn the car on first thing in the morning, etc). In my case I did get lucky in that they did finally hear it during that first service visit. Once they heard it, they were all over trying to isolate and resolve the problem. Therein lies my point. Once they themselves actually saw/heard the issue, they went right ahead and took the necessary steps to fix it. But, if the dealership can't replicate the problem, you'd have to agree that it's a bit retarded for them to just randomly start pulling the car's engines apart on the basis of the customer saying that they heard something. Remember that many car owners don't know the first thing about how their cars work. Not saying this is the case with anyone here (I don't know any of you), but I'm just saying it to try to understand the service dept's point of view. Remember that the cars are under warranty, so the dealership is going to get paid for whatever they need to replace. However, I don't think they get reimbursed if they open up the car only to find that nothing's wrong with it. Hence why they're reticent to open up the engine just because 'you said so'.

Hence, the best advice is just stuff everyone's been saying:
1. If you hear the noise (see the MP3 or the videos in this thread), do not wait to have the car taken in. This will reduce the risk of more extensive damage to the engine.
2. If possible, make a recording of the sound, or better yet a video like klinkerklu did
3. Bring the camera/video recorder with you to the dealership, and perhaps a couple of print-outs of some of the work orders that others have posted in this thread.

That way you should be able to show the service dept that the noise you're describing isn't the normal tick, but an abnormal one. They'll be able to "see and hear" the noise, even if your car isn't actively ticking when you bring it in.


... BTW, I agree with msinfo that the methods he described for avoiding the tick seem to work. However, I don't know if doing those things in moderation are all that bad for the engine. Let the engine warm up before you drive hard (I personally don't move the car out of park until the choke turns off), but occasionally it's good to 'stretch her legs' a bit. Maybe not between every single stoplight, but occasionally. Spirited driving need not necessarily mean redlining the engine constantly. Again, to each their own on how they want to drive the cars they've paid for, but for me, the last time I heard the tick I got a little upset upon hearing it. As such, after the engine warmed up, I gave her the boot a few times during the commute to work. Not reckless, but spirited. When I got to work (which is 11mi from my house), I noticed the tick was gone. Was it the best for the engine, I dunno. Do I think in my opinion that I harmed the engine? Nope. Did the tick go away? Yes. Would that method work again next time? I don't know. Would I try it again? Yep. Did I feel better afterwards? Absolutely

[msinfo_us]

Originally Posted by ages944

... BTW, I agree with msinfo that the methods he described for avoiding the tick seem to work. However, I don't know if doing those things in moderation are all that bad for the engine. Let the engine warm up before you drive hard (I personally don't move the car out of park until the choke turns off), but occasionally it's good to 'stretch her legs' a bit. Maybe not between every single stoplight, but occasionally. Spirited driving need not necessarily mean redlining the engine constantly. Again, to each their own on how they want to drive the cars they've paid for, but for me, the last time I heard the tick I got a little upset upon hearing it. As such, after the engine warmed up, I gave her the boot a few times during the commute to work. Not reckless, but spirited. When I got to work (which is 11mi from my house), I noticed the tick was gone. Was it the best for the engine, I dunno. Do I think in my opinion that I harmed the engine? Nope. Did the tick go away? Yes. Would that method work again next time? I don't know. Would I try it again? Yep. Did I feel better afterwards? Absolutely

I agree 100%. Ages, thank you for adding details -- this is exactly what I was trying to say. I think doing these things in moderation not only does not heart your engine but help to keep everything well lubricated, well sealed and help preventing spot wear (like we all know if you keep you RPM's under 3K forever engine will be very reluctant to go above which translates in lost HP)

To give you another example. My e91 has a severe ticking issue and I'll be returning it back to my dealer as soon as my new car is here. I don't want to make this problem worse than it already is. I want to give it back to dealer in as good condition as I can manage. My dealer did all he could to work with me and help and I want to do what is right. So, I don't let it tick. I am using methods Ages and I described above and it works every time. Does it still tick on cold start -- yes, but is it getting worse and happening much more often -- no (at least not at the rate it was degrading when I was not using these methods). I hope this helps. GL.

[timber71]

A question for everyone, who like me have had their camshaft and lifters replaced...

Have you noticed any significant decrease in fuel mileage since the repair?

The reason I ask is that I seem to be getting 10-20% less mileage on a tank of gas since the repair in January, but I don't know if that should just be attributed to the colder weather of our Canadian winter, or to a problem with the repair.

Your thoughts invited...

[gary328xi]

Originally Posted by gary328xi

Hey guys,
I got an attorney involved and was told i qualify to file under the lemon law which i did. I will keep you guys updated as the case progress. I did'nt want to do this but BMWNA was giving me the run around.

Guys,
Good news BMWNA has agreed to replace my car.

[STE92VE]

Originally Posted by gary328xi

Guys,
Good news BMWNA has agreed to replace my car.

Atta Boy! Glad things worked out for you.

[gary328xi]

Originally Posted by STE92VE

Atta Boy! Glad things worked out for you.

E90 335i on order.........

[klinkerklu]

Originally Posted by gary328xi

E90 335i on order.........

Congrats, Gary, that's fantastic! We just test drove a 335 yesterday with a friend that will be joining the BMW family and it was very, very nice....the convertibles are hot too.

After 2 weeks in the shop, we also picked up our non-ticking car. Here is the report:
"Test drove car and could not hear noise initially. Had to start car & let idle several times. Found that there is loud lifter noise. Remove valve cover, camshafts, and rocker arms. Found 6 collapsed lifters. The rest look ok at this time. Lifters replaced were in cyl’s 1, 2, & 3 on exhaust side. Put all back together, no more noise at this time. “

This was the third visit since December for this problem, first time they actually repaired anything. They assured us they looked everything over, and there wouldn’t be any long term damage. Hopefully that's true, & this is the end of this mess for us.

[gary328xi]

Originally Posted by klinkerklu

Congrats, Gary, that's fantastic! We just test drove a 335 yesterday with a friend that will be joining the BMW family and it was very, very nice....the convertibles are hot too.

After 2 weeks in the shop, we also picked up our non-ticking car. Here is the report:
"Test drove car and could not hear noise initially. Had to start car & let idle several times. Found that there is loud lifter noise. Remove valve cover, camshafts, and rocker arms. Found 6 collapsed lifters. The rest look ok at this time. Lifters replaced were in cyl’s 1, 2, & 3 on exhaust side. Put all back together, no more noise at this time. “

This was the third visit since December for this problem, first time they actually repaired anything. They assured us they looked everything over, and there wouldn’t be any long term damage. Hopefully that's true, & this is the end of this mess for us.

Good luck hopefully the repair hold up.

[klinkerklu]

Originally Posted by gary328xi

Good luck hopefully the repair hold up.

Yes, well if it doesn't, I believe CA lemon law is 30 days, which means they will have to work fast to take care of it, as I think total we are up to 2o days.
We'll see, I am just happy to have the car back and running smoothly again.

[ta]

Originally Posted by hav2flynow

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.

I am taking my 04/06 build in to the dealer this week for the same issue again (see my earlier posts). I am like you, I only have heard it in the mornings when it is cold. It is starting to warm up here in Phoenix so I may be screwed until next winter...

[E90Lurker]

Parts ordered & apt. booked.

[ecgtplayer]

I hear the sound randomly, so I made a apointment two weeks ago
I went to the dealers today
They were unfriendly and said they have to hear the noise to see whats wrong.. Is that the right way?
BMW of Eugene service sucks

[gary328xi]

Originally Posted by ecgtplayer

I hear the sound randomly, so I made a apointment two weeks ago
I went to the dealers today
They were unfriendly and said they have to hear the noise to see whats wrong.. Is that the right way?
BMW of Eugene service sucks

The next time you take a recording of the noise with you and demand respect if they try to be a..holes.