Author Topic: 1991 318is M42, loud clicking (Read 13336 times)

josephb983 · « **on:** March 06, 2008, 06:27:37 PM »

Hi everyone. I just discovered this forum today, looking for an M42 club.

In mid July I purchased a BMW 318is for $1k, one owner, approx 200k miles. When I purchased the car it had 2 bad front wheel bearings, leaking rack and pinion, disfunctional parking brake, and a bad center support bearing. A few days ago I finally finished with fixing these known issues and changed the oil/filter using 5w30 Mobile 1 fully synthetic, and started driving the car as my daily driver.

Last night when I started my car up outside it was -5 degrees out, and had been sitting in the cold wind at an airport. When I started the car I heard a loud sound coming from the engine. This sound exactly followed the engine RPM. I stumbled on a video on the internet of a car making a similar sound, except the owner didn't rev the engine to show that the sound follows the engine RPM.

http://www.ecn.net.au/~udha/videos/engine-ticking.mov

On my car when I revved the engine the sound stayed the same volume, but the noise RPM increased exactly with the engine. You can notice in the first 5 seconds of the video above that that car also had the sound follow the engine RPM, when the engine raced for a moment on startup.

The sound is so distinct in the video above, I hope someone recognizes it conclusively. I'm going to try to shoot video of my car tonight when it gets cold, and see if it does it again.

Any ideas on what might be causing this sound? Is it bad to run it sounding like this?

Thanks,
Joseph

josephb983 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2008, 10:59:12 AM »

I've got video of the noise, though it is not as loud today since it is warmer. The other night it sounded more like the first video. Any thoughts?

swiss318is · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2008, 11:17:55 AM »

sounds like you need some new hydrolifters... when they are worn the engine sounds like a diesel. usually the noise disappears when the oil is warm or the outside temperatur increases. i did have the same noise, then i replaced the lifters and now the engine sounds like new..
BUT when it is too cold it can make almost the same noises, because the oil cant circulate properly through the hydros.

shutter · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2008, 11:40:17 AM »

I would guess lifters as well, definitely sounds like a diesel. I'd pull the VC and turn the engine over by hand to watch oil flowing through your lifters. I'd also check/replace your chain tensioner. It is also hydraulic, and mine started to give a whirling sound this Chicago winter when cold. I guess it could be severe chain slap? Mine was more of a whirl. Check your timing gears, mine need replacement at 78k. I also use lighter weight oil in the winter, it helps a lot with cold starts in the severe cold.

Luckily, I've put a total of a 100 miles tops on my car this winter, and that was mostly to my buddies heated garage to work on some stuff =) They salt like crazy here, and I train commute. For the most part, I have a healthy low mileage engine with great compression. It still hates the severe cold starts, and get's a bit loud 15F or colder. I think when I get my timing chain replaced, it will smooth out a bit and a new tensioner helped a ton with noise last time I started it ~10F. I haven't driven much on the new tensioner due to the scary look of my cam sprockets! Moving at the end of the month is setting me back financially on getting the parts I need to put it back into my comfort zone to hit the upper revs...

tjts1 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2008, 12:33:18 PM »

Remove valve cover, inspect timing chain, replace chain tensioner, drop lower oil pan and check for bolts.

CePa318IS · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2008, 12:57:06 PM »

Sounds exactly like the problem I had before the side of my block blew. I had light piston slap and it finally took its toll and blew a hole the size of my fist in the side of the block last weekend. I lost a piston and a rod and there was a lot of broken metal laying in the engine bay. If I were you I would watch this very carefully and I highly recommend not beating the car up while it is doing this.

txleadfoot · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2008, 01:30:17 PM »

Sounds to me like a bad timing chain tensioner.

josephb983 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2008, 07:47:48 PM »

Thanks for all the kind replies guys. I'm going to replace the timing chain tensioner, and report back.

Good idea tjts1, I might want to check for debris in the oil pan. If there is, it will probably be time for an engine swap.

swiss318is, how much did it run to replace the lifters?

318is93 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2008, 08:43:14 PM »

Around 17 bucks a pop. Try Pelicanparts.com

quinn11m20 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2008, 09:47:22 PM »

whoa! Mine sounded like that years ago . Fortunatly for me it was the Timing chain tensioner. Good Luck with that. Man! that could be the oil pump or the chain.

nomad · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2008, 02:14:52 AM »

My first guess was HLA's, but that sounds more like a knocking sound as opposed to the clicking of HLAs that are not pumping up. The rhytm sounds wrong for HLAs as well.

I'm going to go with the timing chain tensioner either froze in an extended position and the chain is dragging and knocking through the guides or it is something else. Find out exactly what part of the engine it is coming from. Take a long screwdriver and rest the metal tip on the engine block and head in different areas and the handle onto your ear and see if you can tell exactly where it is coming from. Timing case? front block? Rear valve cover? etc

nicknikolovski · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2008, 03:18:11 AM »

that to me sounds like a loose chain. just change the tensioner and see what happens. I would take off the valve cover, and top timing case (replace the gasket) and see if there is anything broken inside. Also check out your valvetrain.

D. Clay · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2008, 11:29:09 AM »

I've also used a long screwdriver method to locate engine noises. Still the timing chain tensioner eluded me.
The noise is in so many different places. It actually sounded the loudest in the middle of the valve cover.

josephb983 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2008, 10:33:12 PM »

Replacement of the tensioner did not effect the noise. What next?

How do I turn the engine over by hand, and what will I be watching for on the lifters?

Pictures with the valve cover off:
Timing Gears
Timing Chain
Engine without Valve Cover
Underside of Valve Cover

Does it look like my timing setup needs to be replaced?

josephb983 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2008, 10:47:23 PM »

Longer video of noise (shot before replacing tensioner).
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