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

[Race_Doc11]

So far I'm letting go I defiantly had it for more than 3 years but this thing will scare any future buyer. I don't want to have to trade it in for nothing.

Originally Posted by s85e90

Why? There's nothing broken, it's just a nasty sound on startup. Most Ms have it. What's BMW going to do for you?

I'm sorry OP but I feel that this was just throwing money away. We all appreciate your dedication to trying to source the noise, but I would leave it as is.


Again as stated before it's no different than starting a car after changing the oil and it's dry for a second. It makes a clunk. IMO it's either a dry top end or the starter retracting w/ a big clunk... Nothing to worry about though.

[Race_Doc11]

Old software. Last update was in 2011

Originally Posted by anom3

out of curiosity, those that are getting this noise...

anyone have their car updated to the latest software?

my DME is @ 240E, but my other modules are most probably running old firmware versions.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by anom3

yep :/

i have just posted a message on motor-talk.de, their bmw forum seams quite active.

also, i have just disconnected my battery in the car. gonna leave it with no power for the night (18+ hours) and see if the noise happens on a very charged battery. just want to eliminate power as a possiblity, although belgium m3 says he uses a battery tender and still has the noise :/

anyone know what the biggest bmw forums in germany / german are?

First...Yes i'm using my CTEK battery tender often,actualy it was for the last 6 days charging my battery , and it was on monday that i started the car again.
But i used the brake procedure and there was no clunk noise and that after 6 days !
Now my CTEK is back on and will start the car tomorrow and will not use the brake procedure and i'm already now fore 100 % sure when not using the brake procedure that i will hear the clunk noise !
Using battery tender or not.... when not using the brake procedure i have the clunk noise !
It works not for your car because you have 6 MT ,but for racedoc11 and me it works because we have DCT !
And yes like i said and M3PO too, it's the "VANOS GEARS" !!!
About changing your oil ,don't do it man and save this money for your VANOS GEARS !
And feel realy sorry for you man , all these efforts and money....Damn !
BTW...Personal i'm keeping it for the moment with the brake procedure it's the solution for me,but we will see.....

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by racedoc11

Old software. Last update was in 2011

Was on 230E and had the clunk noise ,after i had the BPM Tune and was updated to 240E and changed nothing,and so i had the same clunk noise !
Only thing that changed the quieter volume of the clunk was that my BMW/Dealer changed(last year) the oil to Edge ! But it was still there !
It's nothing else(like i said above) than the "VANOS GEARS" !

[anom3]

i have read 3-4 reports now that 0w40 solved the issue.

i know this 0w40 thing is a contested issue. just made 2 calls, picking up 0w40 in about an hour and switching over in 2-3 hours.

if it doesnt solve it, will switch back to 10w60.

as always, will report how it goes.

[anom3]

At the mechanics now. 0w40 going in ahortly. Commmmon let this be the fix!

[anom3]

welp, a sump full of 0w40 in the car now.

car running fine, did not notice any differences. fairly hot here today, temp hovered right around 100c (210f). same as usual.

gonna wait 10 hours, start it up. and overnight and start it up again.

will report how it goes.

[anom3]

first cold start on 0w40.

car sat from 2:30pm to 12:00am (9.5 hours).

fired it up, no noise what so ever.

have had it not make the noise once in a while, but never twice in a row not make the noise, so we'll see tomorrow morning when i get up.

*fingers crossed*

btw, noticed the car vibrates quite a bit less when idling on the 0w40.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by anom3

first cold start on 0w40.

car sat from 2:30pm to 12:00am (9.5 hours).

fired it up, no noise what so ever.

have had it not make the noise once in a while, but never twice in a row not make the noise, so we'll see tomorrow morning when i get up.

*fingers crossed*

btw, noticed the car vibrates quite a bit less when idling on the 0w40.

Personal i don't believe in the OW40 for the fix ,is it the Mobil 1 with the gold cap ?
Anyway let's hope ...but i'm still thinking it's the "Vanos Gears" !
BTW...i had a BMW 325i and this car had nothing else than Mobil 1 OW40 ,it had 320,000 km on the clock ! And is still running....

[anom3]

yep thats the one. gold cap.

i know the 0w40 story is contested. but if it does fix it, at the very minimum we will know its within the oil system (not starter, alternator, break, ac, etc related).

personally, if it does fix it, i will probably stick with 0w40 and get oil analysis done regularly.

will post tomorrow morning on how it goes.

---

regarding the gold cap / european formula:

a) they don't sell mobil 1 european formula in poland (europe as well?).

b) i checked online, the gold cap one is the exact same spec as the us sold "european formula", including bmw ll-01.

click "Tech details" on the following pages:

EU sold gold cap (its called New Life): http://www.mobil.co.uk/uk-english-lc...life-0w40.aspx
US sold european formula: http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...l_1_0W-40.aspx

so the specifications as well as the "approved for" / "approved by" are the same between these 2.

---

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Personal i don't believe in the OW40 for the fix ,is it the Mobil 1 with the gold cap ?
Anyway let's hope ...but i'm still thinking it's the "Vanos Gears" !
BTW...i had a BMW 325i and this car had nothing else than Mobil 1 OW40 ,it had 320,000 km on the clock ! And is still running....

[Race_Doc11]

Good news so far lets hope this will fix it.

Originally Posted by anom3

yep thats the one. gold cap.

i know the 0w40 story is contested. but if it does fix it, at the very minimum we will know its within the oil system (not starter, alternator, break, ac, etc related).

personally, if it does fix it, i will probably stick with 0w40 and get oil analysis done regularly.

will post tomorrow morning on how it goes.

[anom3]

2nd cold start after changing to 0w40.

car has been sitting for 11 hours..

no noise, perfect start.

thats 2 cold starts in a row, i never had it not make the noise twice in a row before.

[FormulaMMM]

What the... Please keep updating.

[s85e90]

Interesting, but you're willing to change from the 10 60 to a non approved oil due to a small noise only on startup?

[anom3]

i am.

Originally Posted by s85e90

Interesting, but you're willing to change from the 10 60 to a non approved oil due to a small noise only on startup?

[psu.m3]

Originally Posted by anom3

2nd cold start after changing to 0w40.

car has been sitting for 11 hours..

no noise, perfect start.

thats 2 cold starts in a row, i never had it not make the noise twice in a row before.

Good to hear some positive result

I'm using 0w40, car warms up faster and runs much cooler than TWS during
normal driving conditions(street use).
As long as people don't track with 0w40, there shouldn't be any problems.

[anom3]

i dont track at all. granny drive most of the time.

so far no issues with 0w40.

its gonna sit for the next 16 hours as we are going to the city for dinner tonight ( parking issues ). so we'll see how it starts tomorrow morning.

Originally Posted by psu.m3

Good to hear some positive result

I'm using 0w40, car warms up faster and runs much cooler than TWS during
normal driving conditions(street use).
As long as people don't track with 0w40, there shouldn't be any problems.

[anom3]

fired up the car after it sat for 16 hours this morning...

noise was there. maybe a bit quieter but it was still there.

fuck :/

0w40 is not the solution.

[psu.m3]

Originally Posted by anom3

fired up the car after it sat for 16 hours this morning...

noise was there. maybe a bit quieter but it was still there.

fuck :/

I thought repairing the check valves, and tensioners was going to solve the issue in your case...

Whats the mileage on your car?

[anom3]

68k KM.

Originally Posted by psu.m3

I thought repairing the check valves, and tensioners was going to solve the issue in your case...

Whats the mileage on your car?

[psu.m3]

After I reading this i thought this noise issue was easy fix, but i'm really confused now...

[anom3]

yep, changed those. that was the first thing i did btw.

i have actually mailed mose (the poster of that post).

he said the noise i am describing / video taped is NOT the noise he was talking about in that post.

Originally Posted by psu.m3

After I reading this i thought this noise issue was easy fix, but i'm really confused now...