Car Trouble? High frequency ticking noise from engine bay at high RPM

Echo M3 · 10-28-2009, 11:27 PM

Hi folks,

I was hoping I could get some advice or suggestions about my car. I recently purchased a '10 M3 sedan, and I've been having some strange sounds emanating from the engine bay.

When I have been driving for about 15-20 minutes, and I get the RPM up over 3500 rpm, I hear a ticking sound coming from the engine bay on the driver's side - the closest thing I could compare it to is the start-up of a "mo-ped". It seems to get louder up to 5000 rpm and then disappear (can't go over 5500 since I am still breaking in the car). It also only occurs in gears 3- 5 (tried but could never reproduce it in 1st and 2nd gears). Is this anything potentially alarming, or is this a normal M3 sound that I am just getting paranoid about? I only first noticed it 2-3 days ago, but it's quite possible it was there before - I just never noticed it before.

Cheers, and thanks so much for the advice.

Singletrack · 10-29-2009, 10:31 PM

The stock exhaust has a staccato/chugging sound in the mid RPMs, but I would not describe it as ticking at all. Are you sure you didn't "duplicate" the sound near a wall, overpass, or something else that would reflect sound? You will get reflections off the walls and hear distinct valvetrain noise - this is normal.

If it is really bothering you, you could ask to take a demo for a ride to make sure you aren't going crazy.

Lemans_Blue_M · 10-29-2009, 10:33 PM

Uh oh...

M3 vert · 07-24-2010, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pman10

Hi folks,

I was hoping I could get some advice or suggestions about my car. I recently purchased a '10 M3 sedan, and I've been having some strange sounds emanating from the engine bay.

When I have been driving for about 15-20 minutes, and I get the RPM up over 3500 rpm, I hear a ticking sound coming from the engine bay on the driver's side - the closest thing I could compare it to is the start-up of a "mo-ped". It seems to get louder up to 5000 rpm and then disappear (can't go over 5500 since I am still breaking in the car). It also only occurs in gears 3- 5 (tried but could never reproduce it in 1st and 2nd gears). Is this anything potentially alarming, or is this a normal M3 sound that I am just getting paranoid about? I only first noticed it 2-3 days ago, but it's quite possible it was there before - I just never noticed it before.

Cheers, and thanks so much for the advice.

Did you ever fix that noise?

Echo M3 · 08-19-2010, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3 vert

Did you ever fix that noise?

Hey,

I actually had the dealer take a look, he said they compared it to a few other m3s and they all had the same sound. So it is normal

elm3 · 08-19-2010, 03:52 PM

The ticking the OP heard might have been the actual injectors....

10-28-2009, 11:27 PM	#1
Echo M3 Major Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NY Posts: 1,413 iTrader: (0)	Car Trouble? High frequency ticking noise from engine bay at high RPM Hi folks, I was hoping I could get some advice or suggestions about my car. I recently purchased a '10 M3 sedan, and I've been having some strange sounds emanating from the engine bay. When I have been driving for about 15-20 minutes, and I get the RPM up over 3500 rpm, I hear a ticking sound coming from the engine bay on the driver's side - the closest thing I could compare it to is the start-up of a "mo-ped". It seems to get louder up to 5000 rpm and then disappear (can't go over 5500 since I am still breaking in the car). It also only occurs in gears 3- 5 (tried but could never reproduce it in 1st and 2nd gears). Is this anything potentially alarming, or is this a normal M3 sound that I am just getting paranoid about? I only first noticed it 2-3 days ago, but it's quite possible it was there before - I just never noticed it before. Cheers, and thanks so much for the advice.
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10-29-2009, 10:33 PM	#3
Lemans_Blue_M Automotive Industry Insider Drives: Lemans Blue M3 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,948 iTrader: (0)	Uh oh... __________________ The best is yet to come...

08-19-2010, 03:52 PM	#6
elm3 M3 Lover Drives: 2009 e92 M3 Interlagos Blue Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canton, GA. Posts: 1,714 iTrader: (1) Garage List 2009 E92 M3 [5.00] 2002 Nissan Xterra ... [0.50] 2004 Yamaha R1 [0.00]	The ticking the OP heard might have been the actual injectors.... __________________ '09 E92 ///M3 Interlagos Blue, 6MT, Silver Novillo Leather, CF Trim, Premium Package, Technology Package, Cold Weather Package, Premium Sound, 19" Wheels, Moonroof-Toy//'02 Nissan Xterra- Daily Driver/ '04 Yamaha R1- Toy/'06Yamaha Raptor 350- Toy

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10-29-2009, 10:31 PM	#2
Singletrack 4th down; 4th quarter? Renegade. Drives: 09 SSII E92 M3; 12 AW X5d Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,800 iTrader: (3)	The stock exhaust has a staccato/chugging sound in the mid RPMs, but I would not describe it as ticking at all. Are you sure you didn't "duplicate" the sound near a wall, overpass, or something else that would reflect sound? You will get reflections off the walls and hear distinct valvetrain noise - this is normal. If it is really bothering you, you could ask to take a demo for a ride to make sure you aren't going crazy.