New Owner and a Ticking M3?

[G1n Mast3r]

Hello Bimmepost! After my hard work and dedication I was recently able to purchase, my dream car, a MY2015 F80 in Alpine White, and just let me say I'm thoroughly amazed by this car. My drive to work has become less of a drive and more of an experience.

However in my tireless search of both this forum as well as other I can't seem to find a person with the same issue that my poor car is having. Maybe it's just me or something but alas it's just bothering me. I've only had the car for about 3 weeks and then one morning while cleaning out the garage I noticed this noise coming from under the hood! I've also taken the car to the dealer and they don't seem to know what the issue is. So I am hoping that this wonderful community can help![u2b][

[/u2b]
Some things to note:

1. Car was cold and OFF (Been sitting over night)
2. I had not unlocked or touched the vehicle since the night before
3. I do Have a muffler Delete if that helps
4. Is this normal for these cars? Should I be as worried as I am?

If the video above doesn't work let me know. Thanks!

[MrMoo]

Sorry no help from me except that I have never heard such a sound from 1 year of ownership.

[TheFlyingMouse]

Not normal! Sounds like a bad bearing or something loose somewhere in the engine. I'd have BMW Assist truck it to a dealer for warranty repair.

Edit:

See you already took it to the dealer. Take it back and get them to fix it.

[G1n Mast3r]

Yeah I took it to the dealer and unfortunately they had no idea what the issue was and of course " couldn't replicate the issue". This only happens with the car being cold and NOT running. Happens only for a couple of minutes in total. then totally stops. Also when I turn the car on she runs and drives like a total dream. But yeah I have no idea and the dealer has no idea. Thankfully she will be going BACK to the dealer for about a week or so as I'll be out of town so she can sit and hopefully make this terrible noise for a BMW tech to figure out just what in the world is going on.

Also thanks for the reply's guys I really appreciate it.

[Xtabi]

You video is not working for me.

I did read a post recently regarding a ticking sound coming from the engine. I have it and many others in the thread did too.

I hear the sound upon unlocking the car for the first time in the morning. Is yours making the sound while the engine is running or at some other time? I'm sure your video has the details.

[G1n Mast3r]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

You video is not working for me.

I did read a post recently regarding a ticking sound coming from the engine. I have it and many others in the thread did too.

I hear the sound upon unlocking the car for the first time in the morning. Is yours making the sound while the engine is running or at some other time? I'm sure your video has the details.

Xtabi, PM sent with the video link itself.

[Zeroblade]

Wasn't there another thread of someone posting the same thing last few months? Can't find it but pretty sure there was one.

I have heard some engines tick in past sometime after shutdown but not cold or haven't paid enough attention to.

I'm no mechanic, just throwing out ideas and could be 100% wrong. Its late, just trying to help @_@ Congrats otherwise!

[G1n Mast3r]

Thanks Zeroblade for the input. Yeah this is super weird. It's odd that it only does it when the engine is cold or hasn't been started in 10+ hours. I searched through some old posts on here as well as just the internet in general but have yet to find any definitive answer to this particular question. I had no idea about some of the other things( rear brake shield among other things) but really I really appreciate your input regardless of how late it is. And thank you!

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by G1n Mast3r

Xtabi, PM sent with the video link itself.

Thanks I took a listen. It my be the same noise I hear. I'm not certain because yours sounds much louder. However I never opened my hood when I heard it. I'll have to check tomorrow.

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Zeroblade

Wasn't there another thread of someone posting the same thing last few months? Can't find it but pretty sure there was one.

I have heard some engines tick in past sometime after shutdown but not cold or haven't paid enough attention to.

I'm no mechanic, just throwing out ideas and could be 100% wrong. Its late, just trying to help @_@ Congrats otherwise!

This is the same thread I mentioned. One person said it is normal and a result of the 'computers' starting if I correctly recall.

I'm not saying they are wrong...but in my almost 20 years in IT I have never heard of such a thing.

With that being said we may be talking about different car sounds. That other thread did not contain audio.

Again I'll check mine tomorrow and report back.

If you guys don't hear from me light up my in box. Vacation mode is starting to set in!

[G1n Mast3r]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

This is the same thread I mentioned. One person said it is normal and a result of the 'computers' starting if I correctly recall.

I'm not saying they are wrong...but in my almost 20 years in IT I have never heard of such a thing.

With that being said we may be talking about different car sounds. That other thread did not contain audio.

Again I'll check mine tomorrow and report back.

If you guys don't hear from me light up my in box. Vacation mode is starting to set in!

Yeah I had read through that article but alas no one had sound clips so I couldn't compare. Oh well. And thanks for the help Xtabi, I'm just hoping that it's nothing too serious. I'll keep an eye out for a response from you. Enjoy that vacation man!

[dkhm3]

that is not a normal sound. was the car a lease return cpo ? did you pull the previous owner's service records at the dealer? if the prior owner brought the car in for the same issue-?

[AYTifosi]

I remember the valves in the VW/Audi 4 and 5 cylinder cars. I think it was the valve lifters or tappets or something. "They do that until warmed up" was the SA's comment on more than one occasion. That sound reminds me of this issue.

For you, it's not normal and not acceptable. I would play the video for them, ask for a loaner and leave the car. If they are perplexed, that's what the BMW NA Service rep is for.

[Blksnowflake]

That is not a normal sound at all. Mine has never made that sound. Show the video to the dealer. If it only does it when cold then arrange to leave it over night at the dealer and go there the next day and witness them starting it.
Good luck.

[Naz24]

Sounds like the valve lifters... Perhaps the oil is draining from them at cold temps and when it warms up, the oil gets back up there and lubes it up. They are hydraulic lifters.


Def take to dealer, insist on letting it sit overnight and having them start up in the morning

[04cobra]

I have only heard that sound when an engine is extremely low on oil. Take it back to the dealer and make them fix it. That is definitely NOT normal.

[MChat]

Possibly the wrong oil viscosity: too thick to properly "inflate" the lifters until it warms up?

[G1n Mast3r]

Thanks all who have put their input in. I really do appreciate it. Some other things to note as it was brought up.

I bought the car on CPO with 10K on the clock. (10,286 Miles i'm almost certain was the exact mileage). And unfortunately I did not pull the service records form the dealer, but I do believe they were included in the sale.
This has now occurred once more since this video was taken, the problem has resurfaced. I've documented both times that I've actually had the issue with video proof. And shown the dealer my video proof.
I have an arrangement with the dealer to bring it next week and basically have it sit for the next week. Despite it being Christmas. It's going to sit for a week at the dealer to see if it will replicate the issue.
The vehicle also went in for for it's 12K service at just over 11K which was about a a week or so ago.

[Naz24]

Originally Posted by G1n Mast3r

Thanks all who have put their input in. I really do appreciate it. Some other things to note as it was brought up.

I bought the car on CPO with 10K on the clock. (10,286 Miles i'm almost certain was the exact mileage). And unfortunately I did not pull the service records form the dealer, but I do believe they were included in the sale.
This has now occurred once more since this video was taken, the problem has resurfaced. I've documented both times that I've actually had the issue with video proof. And shown the dealer my video proof.
I have an arrangement with the dealer to bring it next week and basically have it sit for the next week. Despite it being Christmas. It's going to sit for a week at the dealer to see if it will replicate the issue.
The vehicle also went in for for it's 12K service at just over 11K which was about a a week or so ago.

Luckily youre under warranty. It is what it is, you'll just have to be firm with the dealership

As mentioned before, from multiple posters (including myself) it sounds like the lifters. BMW had a problem with these on their N52 engines as well

OP have you done a lot of short trips without allowing the engine to fully warm up>?

[mephiska]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

on unlocking the car for the first time in the morning. Is yours making the sound while the engine is running or at some other time? I'm sure your video has the details.

The sound you're hearing is most likely the high pressure fuel pump running to prime the fuel system before you start the engine. They started doing this after all the problems they had with the HPFP in the N54 engines back in 2009/2010.

I had a 2009 135i that went through the HPFP nightmare issues before they eventually did a recall to replace the pump. In one of their troubleshooting steps they did an ECU flash that programmed the car to run the fuel pump when you unlock the doors.

[04cobra]

Originally Posted by mephiska

The sound you're hearing is most likely the high pressure fuel pump running to prime the fuel system before you start the engine. They started doing this after all the problems they had with the HPFP in the N54 engines back in 2009/2010.

I had a 2009 135i that went through the HPFP nightmare issues before they eventually did a recall to replace the pump. In one of their troubleshooting steps they did an ECU flash that programmed the car to run the fuel pump when you unlock the doors.

Would that noise be that loud in the engine bay? Isn't the fuel pump in the back of the car with the fuel tank? My mustangs Fuel Pump was loud (aftermarket) but I didn't hear it in the engine bay.

[G1n Mast3r]

Originally Posted by Naz24

Luckily youre under warranty. It is what it is, you'll just have to be firm with the dealership

As mentioned before, from multiple posters (including myself) it sounds like the lifters. BMW had a problem with these on their N52 engines as well

OP have you done a lot of short trips without allowing the engine to fully warm up>?

Typically no, My drive to work is 10 miles albeit it's probably not enough or long enough for the engine to fully come up to optimal temps. That being said I baby the hell out of it on my way to work because of this. Never gotten on it even when jumping onto the freeway. Nice and easy.

I'll check on my way home today if the engine comes up to temp on the way.

Also, I'm a newbie when it comes to the S55 motor. I'm as much of a gear head as the next person on this forum, but correct me if I'm wrong but for this to be a lifter issue would the engine have to be on, or can those be actuated without the car being on? Or like was stated before could be a hydraulics issue?