Possibly another rod bearing failure? 2009 M3 (Video/Sound)

[Dr. Anthony]

****EDIT*****
false alarm

[DLSJ5]

Once it quiets down, from underneath, it does sound like it could be rod bearings.

[aussiem3]

Originally Posted by Dr. Anthony

I believe my rod bearings are done. Here is a little background.

The car was parked from about Sept 2013 until June 2014. I went to start it and it was a bit louder than usual. I figured it sat for so long the lifters may have dried up. Let it idle for another 20-30 seconds and the noise didn't go away.

I then shut the car off. The next day (Today) I went to start the car again to see if I can hear the noise. I took my phone and recorded what I thought was the road bearing noise.

What do you guys think?
2009 E90 M3 with 78,000 KM (48,000 miles)


I suppose the first thing I should do is take an oil sample and have it examined..

I thought that was normal. I hear that every day and put it down to normal operation. I have 43k km on my car whih an '07. If I am not mistaken that the operation of the fuel injectors. When I changed my spark plugs and started the car for the first time it was louder than that.

There is a similar Youtube video if you like search amnd reference.

Your engine is operating normally, at least in my opinion.

[DLSJ5]

Originally Posted by aussiem3

I thought that was normal. I hear that every day and put it down to normal operation. I have 43k km on my car whih an '07. If I am not mistaken that the operation of the fuel injectors. When I changed my spark plugs and started the car for the first time it was louder than that.

There is a similar Youtube video if you like search amnd reference.

Your engine is operating normally, at least in my opinion.

You can clearly hear the fuel injectors and some valve train noise from the top, that is normal, but that ticking noise underneath could be rod bearings.

But it's hard to tell for sure from a vid, not unlike the S54, the S65 does make some noises. OP, I would shoot another vid from underneath or near the wheel well, once the car is warm rev it a little and see if the ticking gets louder or increases in cadence along with the revs.

[V1.47fan]

Uh Oooh! I'm afraid DLSJ5 is right.

[SenorFunkyPants]

My car makes exactly the same noises and has done for a couple of years....if the ticking was in fact noise caused by contact within the rod bearings it would be unlikely that they would last another 100 miles given the energy put into them at 8200 rpm.
If the noise becomes inaudible with rising rpms then its probably not the rod bearings.

[BrewRifle]

It sounds too rhythmic to be rod bearings and sounds very much like my car. All the ones I've heard that have been rod bearing failures have been erratic sounding.

[///M Power-Belgium]

With my head phone on i can hear the "too loud ticking noise" !
Your ticking noise is about 60-70% louder than mine !
My personal conclusion is.....
Engine sounds not healty to me !
When this was my car i would take no risks at all ,and first thing i would do was taking it to my BMW-Dealer !
Don't drive it anymore ,so no risk for a blown engine and again take it ASAP to your BMW-Dealer !
Last word....>Prevention is better than.....End of the game !
Hope that i'm wrong,and wish you good luck man !

[Wendall]

Originally Posted by BrewRifle

It sounds too rhythmic to be rod bearings and sounds very much like my car. All the ones I've heard that have been rod bearing failures have been erratic sounding.

Agree. The ticking is too rhythmic to sound like a rod bearing. It actually sounds normal to me.

[Dr. Anthony]

To me, it sounds "normal" up until around the 1:15 mark.
Once the car warms up and idles down a bit you can hear the ticking noise I'm trying to diagnose.

I might just do an oil change and see if that does anything.. but the noise coming from the bottom end like that concerns me.

[BMRLVR]

I don't think that the noise you hear in the video sounds like rod bearings. Since the car was parked for the extended period it could indeed be valve train noise. Drive your car for a bit and see if the noise calms down a bit and then update us and try and take another video, but, take the next video outside. Recording in a garage creates too much of an echo and makes noises to hard to pinpoint.

[MFL]

You're going to have to blip it up to 1500 RPM's and let it fall down for us to really tell any more.

[DLSJ5]

Originally Posted by Dr. Anthony

To me, it sounds "normal" up until around the 1:15 mark.
Once the car warms up and idles down a bit you can hear the ticking noise I'm trying to diagnose.

I might just do an oil change and see if that does anything.. but the noise coming from the bottom end like that concerns me.

Agreed 100%, the only time I hear anything that COULD be abnormal is later in the video when you film from underneath the car, the initial start of the car, or the valve train / injector noise when you film up top is normal.

That ticking noise underneath the car is very similar to what I had a few weeks before I threw a rod a few years ago, as well as a few other cars I've listened too, which would up being a bearing issue, some make no noise at all. However, in all cases the dealer said it was normal, "they all sound like that," is what the usual response is, but the noise isn't always exactly the same, the vid as it stands is not enough to give a definitive answer. I would try what SFP, MFL and I suggested, rev the car a bit and see if the noise increases with rpm and gets louder, mine did.

[Dr. Anthony]

Unfortunately, I have the front end ripped apart so I can't really move it out of the garage.

I'll snap another video with the RPM changes as well shortly and post it within the next 30 minutes. I really appreciate everyone's help in diagnosing this sound.

[Dr. Anthony]

Here is an updated video.. I'll be honest... to me, it sounds like its quietening down as time goes on..

I've added comments on the video itself while it plays. Hopefully they're visible on the forum.

[s85e90]

Honestly once the idle/cold start settled it sounds like a typical M motor: sewing maching noisy with the added s65 sounds of header gasket leaks.

[DLSJ5]

Originally Posted by Dr. Anthony

Here is an updated video.. I'll be honest... to me, it sounds like its quietening down as time goes on..

I've added comments on the video itself while it plays. Hopefully they're visible on the forum.

Agreed, sounds normal to me in that vid.

[Dr. Anthony]

Thank you guys
It does sound more of an exhaust leak to me.. I've never seen issues with exhaust leaks on these cars. Looks like I'll have to look into possibly redoing the header gaskets..

[s85e90]

Originally Posted by Dr. Anthony

Thank you guys
It does sound more of an exhaust leak to me.. I've never seen issues with exhaust leaks on these cars. Looks like I'll have to look into possibly redoing the header gaskets..

No I was kidding they all sound like that. When cold even worse, they all sound like a small block with a header leak. It's fine and supposed to sound like that.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by DLSJ5

Agreed, sounds normal to me in that vid.

+ 1 In this video it sounds normal !

[Dr. Anthony]

Originally Posted by s85e90

No I was kidding they all sound like that. When cold even worse, they all sound like a small block with a header leak. It's fine and supposed to sound like that.

haha! Well it does sound louder than my 08 E92 m3 is.. so I figured you may have been right.


I'll do an oil analysis anyway.. for 25 bucks.. its nice to have a reference point for my next oil change.

[DLSJ5]

Originally Posted by s85e90

No I was kidding they all sound like that. When cold even worse, they all sound like a small block with a header leak. It's fine and supposed to sound like that.

True, the S54 sounds like it has a constant exhaust leak as wel.