E92 M3 - Metallic clunk / grind on cold start (With 3 Videos + Image of Noise)

[MelbourneM3]

Solved! at least for my car.

Guys, I have spent a lot of time on other forums looking for answers on this situation, and since I have not come to find a solution on any of them I'm posting what solved the issue for me.

A bit about my car, its a 2008 E92 M3 6spd, 70k miles and the noise was exactly as the one on the video from the black M3, probably louder than that. What I did, I took it to an independent BMW shop to check software, turns out there was an update very recent on a 2015 file, I chose to upgrade and since then I have not had the issue, at all. I travel quite often out of town and the car sits in the garage sometimes even for more than a month, I don't recall listening to the noise again.

Now, a couple of interesting things I noticed about the software, the brake pedal is very stiff when cold starting the car, so whoever came up with the idea of pumping the brakes they were onto something! Also, when starting the car, the revs don't go as high and then jump back down as they used to, they stay lower, I don't recall anymore the exact number, so, also that person that was tweaking the RPMs for cold start was onto something since BMW has somehow addressed both of them.

Finally, I had old software, sorry, didn't care for which was the old one, but the 2015 software update did give more noticeable HP, that is also true from what I've seen in other forums regarding a bump in HP.

Hope this helps, I signed up since wanted to have at least a known case that has been solved out there... please share to other forums as you may see fit and hopefully this helps someone else as well.

[douglee25]

Interesting.

What version is the software they uploaded?

[drifttek]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tRAXQDHfBU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zv7K20OUGM

I have a 2009 bmw m3 with 26,000 miles. DCT. So I had these sounds on startup I'd say once in every 6 starts. Usually it's when the car has been sitting for about 8 hrs.

I took the car to BMW of mountain view and they took a look at it and said that the sound was coming from the engine and that they wanted to open it from the bottom at a charge of about $3500. They think it is a rod bearing or other bearing.

Im going to ask if they can update the software tomorrow.

[saxodreng]

Totally harmless

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpos...7&postcount=20

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by drifttek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tRAXQDHfBU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zv7K20OUGM

I have a 2009 bmw m3 with 26,000 miles. DCT. So I had these sounds on startup I'd say once in every 6 starts. Usually it's when the car has been sitting for about 8 hrs.

I took the car to BMW of mountain view and they took a look at it and said that the sound was coming from the engine and that they wanted to open it from the bottom at a charge of about $3500. They think it is a rod bearing or other bearing.

Im going to ask if they can update the software tomorrow.

I heard your videos...Don't do it !
Your noise is also the cold start (rattle) clunk noise and "NOT" your bearings !
The only true fix that I saw in the last 2 years for the cold start clunk (rattle) noise was a "PUMA" case ..
And it was the Vanos gears . ( About 40-50% of the S65's have this noise , mostly not DD)
Vanos gears were replaced in this case and the noise was gone.
Check this out..and show this paper at your BMW/Dealer .

[drifttek]

Update,

I listened with two shop foremen.
He said that they didn't want to tear into it unless they knew more.
They could spend more time listening to where its coming form with a stethoscope.

Basically they don't know the problem.
I took the car back and I'm not doing anything about it for now.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Seems like my paper (above) of the PUMA case is invisible on here....

[Bavarian Beast]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Seems like my paper (above) of the PUMA case is invisible on here....

Nope, I am following you.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Beast

Nope, I am following you.

Really ?
And can you tell me why you following me ?

[Bavarian Beast]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Really ?
And can you tell me why you following me ?

Either your rugged good looks or BMW knowledge. I haven't decided which yet.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Beast

Either your rugged good looks or BMW knowledge. I haven't decided which yet.

Roger that..

[boxyBimmerDriver]

Originally Posted by lsmkr01

That clank sound is the valve opening to allow the secondary air pump flow through the exhaust during cold start.

I just had my secondary air pump replaced and I now get the loud single clank sound only on cold start:

. I suppose there is nothing that I should be concerned about? Or is it really vanos gear related? Other than this clank, the car drives perfectly fine. I haven't tried the "brake procedure" yet but will on the next start.

[carenthuziast]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

I heard your videos...Don't do it !
Your noise is also the cold start (rattle) clunk noise and "NOT" your bearings !
The only true fix that I saw in the last 2 years for the cold start clunk (rattle) noise was a "PUMA" case ..
And it was the Vanos gears . ( About 40-50% of the S65's have this noise , mostly not DD)
Vanos gears were replaced in this case and the noise was gone.
Check this out..and show this paper at your BMW/Dealer .

Why did customer advise to not test drive car after vanos gear replacement?

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by carenthuziast

Why did customer advise to not test drive car after vanos gear replacement?

I heard from him that his BMW/Dealer previously damaged his car ...

EDIT : My car was damaged twice at my BMW/Dealer..

[Doc Oc]

Just to throw this out there, my car had a terrible rattle on cold starts for a year before the engine failed. After dissecting the old engine it appeared to be a vanos failure. This cold start rattle may be an indicator of bad things to come. It was for me at least.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Doc Oc

Just to throw this out there, my car had a terrible rattle on cold starts for a year before the engine failed. After dissecting the old engine it appeared to be a vanos failure. This cold start rattle may be an indicator of bad things to come. It was for me at least.

My car has the noise already 4 years and Mike said to me he heard the cold start clunk noise all over the world on Skype while he tuned S65s via remote cable tuning.
Strange fact is ...S65 daily drivers don't have the clunk noise , same thing here with my S65 when I drive my car daily.

[Munichm3]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

My car has the noise already 4 years and Mike said to me he heard the cold start clunk noise all over the world on Skype while he tuned S65s via remote cable tuning.
Strange fact is ...S65 daily drivers don't have the clunk noise , same thing here with my S65 when I drive my car daily.

Mine only makes a noise when it sits for a while. If I drive it daily, it doesn't make the noise at all. Engine still running strong.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Munichm3

Mine only makes a noise when it sits for a while. If I drive it daily, it doesn't make the noise at all. Engine still running strong.

Yep ! That's what I said above .Same situation here , and the cold start clunk noise comes from the Vanos gears .

Saw only one person who fixed the noise by replacing the Vanos gears under BMW warranty and it was a PUMA case .

And no one understood why the noise was fixed ...Because his old Vanos gears were replaced by exactly the same new vanos gears ..

[Doc Oc]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

My car has the noise already 4 years and Mike said to me he heard the cold start clunk noise all over the world on Skype while he tuned S65s via remote cable tuning.
Strange fact is ...S65 daily drivers don't have the clunk noise , same thing here with my S65 when I drive my car daily.

We may be talking about two different noises here. There is a single clunk that many have which happens a couple seconds after it fires up. The mechanic who did my engine swap says that's the alternator clutch. My car had and still has that noise. I think it's pretty common. However, my engine also had a loud rattle which started as soon as the engine caught and lasted about 2 seconds or so. It would actually run through the "clunk" most times. Initially I thought it was a bad tensioner because it sounded like a chain being dragged across metal. But after replacing those it still persisted. It was very loud and I haven't heard many other cars that had it.
When my engine failed the noise it made sounded like a much louder version of that same rattle that just never went away.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Doc Oc

We may be talking about two different noises here. There is a single clunk that many have which happens a couple seconds after it fires up. The mechanic who did my engine swap says that's the alternator clutch. My car had and still has that noise. I think it's pretty common. However, my engine also had a loud rattle which started as soon as the engine caught and lasted about 2 seconds or so. It would actually run through the "clunk" most times. Initially I thought it was a bad tensioner because it sounded like a chain being dragged across metal. But after replacing those it still persisted. It was very loud and I haven't heard many other cars that had it.
When my engine failed the noise it made sounded like a much louder version of that same rattle that just never went away.

Doc yes , I agree with your comment .
But actually I can hear like you said 2 different kind of noises on my S65.

1- The loud single clunk noise .
2- The rattle clunk noise (sometimes 3-4-5 shorter rattle noises in 2 sec.)

I'm sure the base-cause of the noise from nr 1 + 2 are the same and I think it's *the amount* of the force that is behind it...

Video # 1 shows you the loud single clunk noise .
Video # 2 shows you the rattle clunk noise => video from #16 page 1 in this thread => http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=996069
And like I said above I have both => #1 + # 2

I'm 100% sure if I replaced the Vanos gears the noise would be gone , but deep pockets are required !
I know also this noise can't be healthy for our S65's , on the other hand I know a lot people over the world and they have this noise for 5-6 years ...

Note : Videos are examples and not my car .

[FormulaMMM]

6 years, 2 x E90's, 80,000 miles covered, dozens of metallic grind noises (almost always after sitting for a period), no mechanical issues.

[jasonrp15]

6 years over 100k miles and random cold clunks