[SUHleen]

Hey guys,

I have had this car since September 2013. I got it with 28k miles and drove it back from Chicago. I am at 37k miles now. Love the car and it is a blast to drive. One of the most fun and well rounded cars I have driven for what it is. Anways, since day one, I have had a weird idle noise. It has been at the dealer multiple times and they have not been able to manipulate the sound (although it does it about 90% of the time). Anyways, fast forward to a couple months later, and now I have two other noises that are not sitting well with me.

I will explain all three noises as well as post videos for all three noises and then hope that someone can help or has dealt with the same noise.

1. The idle noise - This is most noticeable when say in a drive through, I can hear the noise bouncing off the wall. It is kind of a grinding/brushing noise but it does NOT go with the rpms. It happens every couple of seconds and it is always the same noise. It is coming from somewhere under the car by the middle of the engine bay. Pay attention in the video to the second marks 3, 7, 11, and 15 (looks like the noise is every 4 seconds)

VIDEO LINK

2. Idle tapping/ticking noise - This is one of the most recent sounds. I have heard it twice in the past couple weeks. Before this noise started, I had the spark plugs and injectors all replaced under warranty. They also did walnut blasting under warranty as well because of a ton of carbon buildup and trying to fix an issue. The issue is, after taking it in for service and a couple of small issues, they flashed the car with the newest software. I got the car back and as soon as I left the dealer, the car would hesitate between the first couple of shifts like it was losing power. It still does this to this day, but only when the car is cold and it will only do it once or twice. Then it will drive like normal. This issue only came about AFTER it went to the dealer for service. Since then, they have been trying to solve the issue and still have not, changing the plugs and injectors on the way because of a leaky injector they found. Anyways, to the noise... It sounds like the normal injector sound that people typically worry about, but multiplied by ten. It almost sounds metallic-y which is what is worrying me. To me, it sounds like it is something to do with the valve train/head. If I turn the car off and back on, it usually goes away. It does not always make this noise but in the past week or two, I have noticed my car do this twice.

VIDEO LINK

3. The, something is running after the car is powered off, noise - I have only noticed this once. It was after a 30 minute drive to a friends house. I shut the car off and noticed a loud noise coming from the engine bay. It sounded like some kind of electric motor or something that did not want to shut off. I even locked and unlocked the car a couple times to "completely" kill the power to see if that would do anything, but the noise continued for at least a few minutes and then I just went inside because it would not stop. It seemed like it was coming from the passenger side of the engine bay. I have heard my car make some noises when I lock and unlock the car (probably gas pump or water pump, something like that) but I have not heard something run for minutes on end after the car has been off and locked unlocked multiple times.

VIDEO LINK

Anyways, here are the videos. Hopefully someone can help with some of the issues. I'm not getting a good vibe with this car lately. Especially since they can not figure out what is causing my hesitation and now I'm getting other issues after things are being "fixed". Do I just bear through the hesitation or do I continue trying to get it fixed?

My car is a 2011 335is, completely stock, obviously it is an N54 and I have the DCT transmission. About 37k miles on the clock.

[BQTuning]

1) does this happen sometime after starting the car and then goes away after a period of time ?

2) this sound is normal as reported by other members. I get this ticking when car is idle also in intervals . If I slightly give it a rev it goes away. it something mechanical doing it's normal task http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...=ticking+noise

3) sounds like the DME fan running to cool things down

Misc things: when car is turned off after a period of time you will here the fuel pump shut down from the rear. When unlocking the car you will also here it.

Also the sound system amplifier has a fan in the trunk, and that fan will continue to be on even after shutting off and locking the car until things are cooled down.

[SUHleen]

Originally Posted by BuraQ

1) does this happen sometime after starting the car and then goes away after a period of time ?

From what I have noticed, if it is making the noise, it will make it during the whole session that the car is on. I have not paid enough attention to tell if it happens right when the car is started or if it happens sometime after

2) this sound is normal as reported by other members. I get this ticking when car is idle also in intervals . If I slightly give it a rev it goes away. it something mechanical doing it's normal task.

I have read mixed opinions on this... Because I constantly hear a ticking no matter what (most likely the injectors) but this was way more noise than the injectors cause. I slightly read something about air in the hydraulic lifters? I'll see if I can dig up the thread

3) sounds like the DME fan running to cool things down

This could be it, but it was not the fan at the front of the car, is there another? I did run the car somewhat hard before I shut if off but there was a good 5 minutes probably of normal driving after being hard on it.

Misc things: when car is turned off after a period of time you will here the fuel pump shut down from the rear. When unlocking the car you will also here it.

Also the sound system amplier has a fan in the trunk, and that fan will continue to be on even after shutting off and locking the car until things are cooled down.

Thanks for the tips BuraQ. Nice to hear these things from a fellow is'r also!

[AWD403]

Pretty normal sounds on the 3series. You also forgot when you open doors, interior fan by glove box, when car goes to sleep...etc. most of us have been there and some even terribly worried. You just learn to except it. love your car and it will love ya back.

[SUHleen]

Originally Posted by AWD403

Pretty normal sounds on the 3series. You also forgot when you open doors, interior fan by glove box, when car goes to sleep...etc. most of us have been there and some even terribly worried. You just learn to except it. love your car and it will love ya back.

The fan/humming noise is the first time it has happened in the 6 months I have had the car. And the fact that is kept going for so long is what worried me. I have been around a lot of e92's and I have never heard this sound before. It sounds awfully loud to be a fan.

The very first video, I have not seen anyone else with a similar sound.

The tapping/ticking noise is similar to this guys:

The whole video has a ticking noise (which is the constant low volume ticking) but there is another sound that stops at 5 seconds in the video. Is THAT normal as well? That is the noise I am experiencing that some people are thinking I'm confusing with the injector ticking

[SINGH_]

Originally Posted by SUHleen

The fan/humming noise is the first time it has happened in the 6 months I have had the car. And the fact that is kept going for so long is what worried me. I have been around a lot of e92's and I have never heard this sound before. It sounds awfully loud to be a fan.

The very first video, I have not seen anyone else with a similar sound.

The tapping/ticking noise is similar to this guys:

The whole video has a ticking noise (which is the constant low volume ticking) but there is another sound that stops at 5 seconds in the video. Is THAT normal as well? That is the noise I am experiencing that some people are thinking I'm confusing with the injector ticking

the constant low volume ticking is something i have. on cold days i get other taps and ticks until warm. i just ignore them

[Jklad]

Water pump also continues to run after the car is shut down, sound would come from the engine bay.

[cwarren]

noise #3 is not normal been around tons of n54 cars and this is odd for sure don't even have an answer for this one . only thing I can think of if a malfunction in the electric fan /motor if the car is hot enough it will run for awhile before turning off I would check and see if its turning properly when it kicks on .other than that I got nothing

[924er]

Originally Posted by E92 N54

the constant low volume ticking is something i have. on cold days i get other taps and ticks until warm. i just ignore them

I get this exact same noise on my N54. done lots of research and learned that its coming from something called the EVAP PURGE VALVE. when you blip the throttle it goes away. the noise happens when you idle after a long drive.

Does anyone have the same?

[924er]

does anyone experience those ticking sounds shown on that 1M video?

[fastaction]

typical wastegate noise?

[SUHleen]

Originally Posted by 924er

I get this exact same noise on my N54. done lots of research and learned that its coming from something called the EVAP PURGE VALVE. when you blip the throttle it goes away. the noise happens when you idle after a long drive.

Does anyone have the same?

I get the noise but mine was after just turning the car on. If I blip the throttle, it would go away until the RPM's steadied again and then it would come back...

Originally Posted by 924er

does anyone experience those ticking sounds shown on that 1M video?

I am, that is one of the reasons I posted the topic!

[924er]

yeah but urs doesnt sound like the 1M video.

[tmdals0213]

Originally Posted by SUHleen

I get the noise but mine was after just turning the car on. If I blip the throttle, it would go away until the RPM's steadied again and then it would come back...

i get noise #2 and i'm at only 11,4xx
and like buraq said it happens when i idle and goes away when i tap the gas. but still i dont like that noise


#1, 3 sounds really weird..

when did you feel the "hesitation"

sometimes my car hesitates to go when its at 3-4k and its sorta makes this "wung wung wung" noise as it sorta feels like im coasting at neutral and after it passes 4k the car starts to pull again.

[scottp999]

#3 happens at certain operating temps (wont happen on every drive). It is the electric motor that pumps water through the turbos to help cool them down after the car is shut off. Read the engine management pdf here: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38856

There is a whole heat management system in the ECU with a calculation model, and different maps. That pdf explains the basics and the part that happens after engine stop is for component protection of the turbos:

Component Protection
• After-running of electric coolant pump =
improved heat dissipation from engine switch off
point. Allows protection of turbochargers by
reduced oil “coking” during heat soak.

[SUHleen]

Originally Posted by 924er

yeah but urs doesnt sound like the 1M video.

Um, it sounds exactly like that video? It may just not seem like it to you because in the 1M video, the sound stops. On my video, it does not. My car normally sounds like the majority of the 1M video when idling. But the day I took my video (that I took because the car sounded weird), it had been making the noise found in the beginning few seconds of the 1M video. The 1M and 335is both have n54's.

Originally Posted by tmdals0213

i get noise #2 and i'm at only 11,4xx
and like buraq said it happens when i idle and goes away when i tap the gas. but still i dont like that noise


#1, 3 sounds really weird..

when did you feel the "hesitation"

sometimes my car hesitates to go when its at 3-4k and its sorta makes this "wung wung wung" noise as it sorta feels like im coasting at neutral and after it passes 4k the car starts to pull again.

I only get the slight hesitation when the car is cold. It will happen between shifts, not at a certain rpm, and it feels like the car is intermittently losing power for about 1 second, then picks back up to a normal acceleration rate. All while my foot is depressing the pedal the same amount of time...

Originally Posted by scottp999

#3 happens at certain operating temps (wont happen on every drive). It is the electric motor that pumps water through the turbos to help cool them down after the car is shut off. Read the engine management pdf here: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38856

There is a whole heat management system in the ECU with a calculation model, and different maps. That pdf explains the basics and the part that happens after engine stop is for component protection of the turbos:

Component Protection
• After-running of electric coolant pump =
improved heat dissipation from engine switch off
point. Allows protection of turbochargers by
reduced oil “coking” during heat soak.

That makes sense. I wonder what made it go off that day and not any other day that I drive the car hard. Thanks for the link!

[335i_sleeper]

The first noise I can't make out. I have been told by the master tech that the ticking is simply the injectors. nothing to be worried about. The humming noise is most likely the a blower motor or vacuum my car has done this from time to time.