[jetblack_e90]

Hi, new member but longtime reader here. First off I just want to say that this forum has an incredible amount of valuable information. This is actually the first issue I've had that I cannot seem to pinpoint on here. I have an intermittent metallic ticking sound on idle coming from a 2009 n54 335i. This happens when the engine is warm (~210 oil temp), sometimes after a drive, or sometimes shortly after restarting (I believe in this video the oil temp was somewhere around 190F, so it is not related to a cold start.

Please see this video that I recorded recently.

There is ~60,000 miles on the engine and I have taken very good care of it since I bought it at 34K with oil changes in between dealer scheduled intervals. In the video it sounds like some metal parts are dry and scraping together, which doesn't sound good, but then the sound goes away after a couple minutes at idle. It also does not do it all the time, only occasionally. Any ideas? Otherwise the car is great, I really do enjoy it and I hope to have it for a long time. I'm trying to figure out if this is something I need to have addressed while the car is still under CPO. The oil level is full and the car uses very little oil.

Thank you in advance

[fdawg4l]

Sounds like turbo waste gate rattle.

[///Mposter]

Someone said in another thread to pour water on your belts and see if the sound goes away. That would eliminate that scenario.

[jetblack_e90]

I thought it was wastegate rattle but it does not happen on decel and only at idle, also it goes away when I apply throttle

just to be clear the sound is only at the first couple seconds of this video (by the time I got out of the car, popped the hood and started recording it went away after a few seconds)

also I don't think it is the belts since it sounds metallic

could it be an EVAP valve or could there be some problem with oil starvation at the lifters that occurs more often with the n52?

[WedgePerformance]

My car does that once in awhile also. Take the engine cover off it gets worse. Injectors make a lot of noise.

[924er]

that is totally normal my friend. a lot of N54s make that sound for some reason. yes it sounds scary but i even had my car checked at this dealership and they said its good. if you search around these forums enough you'll fine exactly what it is. it has something to do with fuel evap valve or something of that sort

[David1]

Mine makes this noise also once in a while and only after a hard long drive. It is not the injectors. when it does it, I can hear it travel down the downpipes. My theory is for some reason one of the wastgates is slaming closed then open, then closed making the noise. If I get in my car in the garage and just turn on the ignition I can hear a similar noise, but just one loud tic and another one in sucession as the wastgates move. My 07 did it and so does my 09. Of course when I go to look at the actuator arm when I hear it it stops every time. I think our cars just like to mess with us with noises.

[924er]

interesting find. i would hear it on top of the valve cover, no where near the waste gates.

also i noticed once i got an oil change it went away but since then i didn't let my car idle too long so i won't hear this sound lol

[MK335i]

That is definitely not wastegate rattle. Wastegate rattle is a lot faster clicking kind of like a card on bicycle spokes but not constant. Mine makes that noise as well and I have been told its normal...don't agree but I'm not spending any more money or time trying to figure it out.

[David1]

We know its not rattle.

[serotoninsteve]

I suppose it's hydraulic valvelifter ticking. Mine does it too.

Blip slighly on throttle and it goes away as oil pressure goes up.
A bit thicker oil could perhaps help.

[jetblack_e90]

thanks for the replies. It's good to know it's not just me who has heard this ticking. after some additional searching I found this old thread with many videos of similar ticks and a general consensus that even though it sounds abnormal it is probably normal and related to some kind of evap valve. although I'm still wondering how to tell the difference between the evap valve and the lifters noise that is common on the n52, I'll look up some videos later today on the lifters and see if the sound is significantly different
thanks again

Need Help Asap! Loud ticking noise at idle all of a sudden [Video] http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=469323

[APTF]

Our injectors are very noisy

[David1]

That is not injector noise.

[924er]

Ok my car had the SAME exact sound. I was told by the forum that this is normal on all n54 cars. Well I took my car in anyways and it turned out to actually be a problem with a stuck turbo solenoid or something like that??

What do you guys think and can someone explain to me what that is?

Idk if they were just replacing something just to get paid, it was glendale BMW after all and they are Armenian so idk lol

[924er]

Sorry for the sideway pic but here it is again, #4

[924er]

Originally Posted by jetblack_e90

Hi, new member but longtime reader here. First off I just want to say that this forum has an incredible amount of valuable information. This is actually the first issue I've had that I cannot seem to pinpoint on here. I have an intermittent metallic ticking sound on idle coming from a 2009 n54 335i. This happens when the engine is warm (~210 oil temp), sometimes after a drive, or sometimes shortly after restarting (I believe in this video the oil temp was somewhere around 190F, so it is not related to a cold start.

Please see this video that I recorded recently.

There is ~60,000 miles on the engine and I have taken very good care of it since I bought it at 34K with oil changes in between dealer scheduled intervals. In the video it sounds like some metal parts are dry and scraping together, which doesn't sound good, but then the sound goes away after a couple minutes at idle. It also does not do it all the time, only occasionally. Any ideas? Otherwise the car is great, I really do enjoy it and I hope to have it for a long time. I'm trying to figure out if this is something I need to have addressed while the car is still under CPO. The oil level is full and the car uses very little oil.

Thank you in advance

U should get this check out, read my post above.

[Tim603]

I just heard this noise on my car for the first time last night....

[924er]

Originally Posted by Tim603

I just heard this noise on my car for the first time last night....

Get it checked out. I had the same noise, I would get it when my car was warmed up esp when sitting at a drive thru.

Dealer said it was the turbo solenoid getting stuck even tho I wasn't getting low boost codes or anything

[jetblack_e90]

Originally Posted by 924er

Get it checked out. I had the same noise, I would get it when my car was warmed up esp when sitting at a drive thru.

Dealer said it was the turbo solenoid getting stuck even tho I wasn't getting low boost codes or anything

thanks I'm getting it checked out in a couple weeks, will let you know what comes of it

[abw335i]

Sorry for bringing this thread back to life, but has anyone figured out what this was? I started hearing this exact same noise on my car about 2 years ago, and just started hearing it more often.

Usually hear it after a long drive, but can't pinpoint exactly when...

[ferocity02]

Mine had the same sound. It was one of the boost solenoids.

Next time the sound comes back, take a screwdriver (or equivalent) and give each solenoid a solid smack and see if the tapping stops. I did this and the tapping stopped instantly.