Engine Ticking (another one..)

[Amirsm3]

Originally Posted by stiles

Cool, good to know. The video is pretty spot on to how it sounds in person. I'll definitely update the thread after the shop has taken a peek.

That sounds more like a plastic-y tick than metal on metal rod bearing tick.

[stiles]

Originally Posted by Denk

I had an '11 and '12 e92 that made this same marble in a washing machine noise. I noticed both right after the break-in service and it only happened after the cars were warmed up. It's a cold case, never found out what caused it. Seems like a not too uncommon noise but I don't recall anyone discovering the root cause. I heard some guys report that it eventually went away. Good luck, share your progress.

Thanks man, I've read some similar threads where it just seems like a mystery. I'll definitely share my progress when I hear back from the shop.

[k3silk]

Keep us updated my first guess was heat shield also. Sucks about all the little problems cause this is a great car. To bad I love this car more then the GTR

[stiles]

Quick Update:

The shop called and said they can't pinpoint exactly where the ticking is coming from but they don't believe it to be inside the engine. They said it's most likely coming from the headers/exhaust. The next steps is either they do a teardown of the exhaust and try to get closer to the sound, or I drive it and try not to sweat it.

I'm on the fence about what I should do.

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by stiles

Quick Update:

The shop called and said they can't pinpoint exactly where the ticking is coming from but they don't believe it to be inside the engine. They said it's most likely coming from the headers/exhaust. The next steps is either they do a teardown of the exhaust and try to get closer to the sound, or I drive it and try not to sweat it.

I'm on the fence about what I should do.

Get an x-pipe and do away with the cats

Has anyone here with an x-pipe had this random ticking issue I wonder.

[IIAp3x]

Can you hear it while your driving along with the windows down? For example next to a freeway divider wall...

Just before my engine spun a bearing I could hear it while I was cruising across the bay bridge while I was next to the wall with the windows down... It initially started as a tapping that is similar to the noise on your car, but with one significant difference; the tapping sound was directly correlated with the RPM's between 2500-4500 under 50-70% throttle load... And it was loud enough to hear while driving...

[stiles]

Originally Posted by IIAp3x

Can you hear it while your driving along with the windows down? For example next to a freeway divider wall...

Just before my engine spun a bearing I could hear it while I was cruising across the bay bridge while I was next to the wall with the windows down... It initially started as a tapping that is similar to the noise on your car, but with one significant difference; the tapping sound was directly correlated with the RPM's between 2500-4500 under 50-70% throttle load... And it was loud enough to hear while driving...

Yeah I can hear it while I'm driving but I have to be by a wall. The ticking pretty much disappears after 2500RPM. They were pretty convinced that it wasn't coming from within the engine, but who knows..

Did your car get worse before it spun a bearing?

[stiles]

Originally Posted by thekurgan

Get an x-pipe and do away with the cats

Has anyone here with an x-pipe had this random ticking issue I wonder.

Lol I would if I didn't live in VA (damn emissions). I'm still suspicious of that diagnosis though :/

[IIAp3x]

Originally Posted by stiles

Yeah I can hear it while I'm driving but I have to be by a wall. The ticking pretty much disappears after 2500RPM. They were pretty convinced that it wasn't coming from within the engine, but who knows..

Did your car get worse before it spun a bearing?

Yes it got much worse over the course of about 9-12 miles from the time I noticed it, as I began to notice the tapping the night before on my way home from the office, but it was very subtle at that time... The next morning driving in to work it became louder and louder and turned in to a knocking sound by the time I got it to the BMW dealership...

I would think if you have been driving around with this noise you claim to hear for more than twenty miles- then your problem is not likely a rod bearing...

Once the bearing warps or the bolts stretch from the heat- the bearings loosen up between rod and the rod cap which makes a tapping sound for each cylinder fire... The rod and/or engine typically grenades very soon after this... I got about 12 miles out of my car after the tapping started until the rod broke...

[Amirsm3]

You're gonna be fine, bro. Don't bother tearing it down. Enjoy the car.

[stiles]

Originally Posted by IIAp3x

Yes it got much worse over the course of about 9-12 miles from the time I noticed it, as I began to notice the tapping the night before on my way home from the office, but it was very subtle at that time... The next morning driving in to work it became louder and louder and turned in to a knocking sound by the time I got it to the BMW dealership...

I would think if you have been driving around with this noise you claim to hear for more than twenty miles- then your problem is not likely a rod bearing...

Once the bearing warps or the bolts stretch from the heat- the bearings loosen up between rod and the rod cap which makes a tapping sound for each cylinder fire... The rod and/or engine typically grenades very soon after this... I got about 12 miles out of my car after the tapping started until the rod broke...

Thanks for the note man, this is very helpful. I've definitely traveled more than 20 miles. I think it may have been happening a few days before I noticed it, and the first time I heard it I thought it was just some shit expanding/contracting so I wrote it off as nothing. It wasn't until a few days later I noticed it was a bit more frequent that I started to get concerned. It hasn't changed much (if any) from when I first noticed it other than the frequency in which I'm hearing the ticks. I'd say I've probably driven 50 miles or so since it began.

[JRV]

I have this tapping but only when the wheels are spinning slow. Doesn't happen at idle and slowly rev or when cruising. Dealer and I both think there is a pebble or two stuck around passenger side wheel area. I also used to get that dreaded cowbell noise but that's gone. This probably doesn't help but figure I throw it out there

[stiles]

Originally Posted by JRV

I have this tapping but only when the wheels are spinning slow. Doesn't happen at idle and slowly rev or when cruising. Dealer and I both think there is a pebble or two stuck around passenger side wheel area. I also used to get that dreaded cowbell noise but that's gone. This probably doesn't help but figure I throw it out there

The shop I took it to mentioned they are hearing it on both sides, so my guess is that it's unlikely to be a pebble or debris. The shop also mentioned they had never heard this specific sound on an e92 M3, which means they're either lying to me, or this is pretty uncommon (they almost exclusively work on BMWs).

[stiles]

Originally Posted by Amirsm3

You're gonna be fine, bro. Don't bother tearing it down. Enjoy the car.

Thanks man, I just have a hard time letting something like this go when I'm told it's not a normal noise. I'm a worrier by nature, and hearing all the horror stories/reading similar threads with no resolution has turned me into a paranoid mess.

[bradleyland]

Originally Posted by IIAp3x

Can you hear it while your driving along with the windows down? For example next to a freeway divider wall...

Just before my engine spun a bearing I could hear it while I was cruising across the bay bridge while I was next to the wall with the windows down... It initially started as a tapping that is similar to the noise on your car, but with one significant difference; the tapping sound was directly correlated with the RPM's between 2500-4500 under 50-70% throttle load... And it was loud enough to hear while driving...

That's really the key right there. Rod knock tends to be constant. The ticking noise stiles' car is making is arrhythmic. It sounds like something metallic tapping or slipping for sure, but it doesn't sound like a rod knock to me. Rod knock has more... density to it. I'm not sure if density is the right word, but it sounds different.

I've said this 100 times in the thread you cross-posted to, but diagnosis by sound alone is incredibly difficult, and next to impossible through cell phone video. The problem is that A) as accurate as it may sound to you, we don't have the same frame of reference as you, because we haven't heard it in person, and B) human hearing doesn't have a great sense of depth perception, but we do have binaural hearing, which means we can sense the direction a noise is coming from. Ever watch someone try to figure out where a sound is coming from? They'll rotate and cock their head to try and pinpoint the source. That's impossible through a cell phone video, and the location of the source matters in diagnosing the problem.

The other challenge is that a metallic tick can be any number of things. A good troubleshooter works through a process of elimination. Unfortunately, this is pretty expensive, because you're essentially chasing a rabbit down a hole. Eliminate probable causes and narrow it down to a result. That's the name of the game. Given that your car is out of warranty, I wouldn't just let this slide, but I don't think it's rod knock.

I'd get the car up on a rack and see if you can get a better idea of where the noise is coming from while standing under the car.

Best of luck.

[stiles]

Originally Posted by bradleyland

That's really the key right there. Rod knock tends to be constant. The ticking noise stiles' car is making is arrhythmic. It sounds like something metallic tapping or slipping for sure, but it doesn't sound like a rod knock to me. Rod knock has more... density to it. I'm not sure if density is the right word, but it sounds different.

I've said this 100 times in the thread you cross-posted to, but diagnosis by sound alone is incredibly difficult, and next to impossible through cell phone video. The problem is that A) as accurate as it may sound to you, we don't have the same frame of reference as you, because we haven't heard it in person, and B) human hearing doesn't have a great sense of depth perception, but we do have binaural hearing, which means we can sense the direction a noise is coming from. Ever watch someone try to figure out where a sound is coming from? They'll rotate and cock their head to try and pinpoint the source. That's impossible through a cell phone video, and the location of the source matters in diagnosing the problem.

The other challenge is that a metallic tick can be any number of things. A good troubleshooter works through a process of elimination. Unfortunately, this is pretty expensive, because you're essentially chasing a rabbit down a hole. Eliminate probable causes and narrow it down to a result. That's the name of the game. Given that your car is out of warranty, I wouldn't just let this slide, but I don't think it's rod knock.

I'd get the car up on a rack and see if you can get a better idea of where the noise is coming from while standing under the car.

Best of luck.

Thanks bud, good idea. Yeah I understand about not knowing exactly what we're listening to through cell phone videos, but unfortunately it seems that in these scenarios mechanics can be little to no help in diagnosing an issue like this (and cost a lot in the process). Because I'm out of warranty, my only other instinct is to come here and talk to you guys. There's so many smart people on here that it would be silly of me not to try. I can only do so much, but I'd hope that with so many people having similar issues, we'd have a few tried and true explanations, but it seems we don't.

I just ordered a stethoscope so I'll get the car up this weekend and see if I can pinpoint exactly where the noise is coming from. Maybe that will help get some insight into the issue.

I'm hesitant to just 'accept' the noise and continue like nothing is going on. That's not really my style, I can't stand when things aren't right, so I'll keep investigating. I'll update the thread if I come across anything interesting.

[Amirsm3]

I'm gonna laugh if it's just the heat shield

I think being a worrier by nature is going to cost you a ton in time and/or money. I'm a worrier like you, but with a car like this, worrying is only going to lead to headaches. The intricacies and complexities of modern cars make sounds like this almost impossible to identify - and by the time you find / alleviate it, another sound will pop up.

Take a deep breath.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Amirsm3

I'm gonna laugh if it's just the heat shield

I think being a worrier by nature is going to cost you a ton in time and/or money. I'm a worrier like you, but with a car like this, worrying is only going to lead to headaches. The intricacies and complexities of modern cars make sounds like this almost impossible to identify - and by the time you find / alleviate it, another sound will pop up.

Take a deep breath.

Think breath will stop in case of BF !

[Mr. Liu]

I have the exact same sound as you, along with tens of other threads and people. So far nothing has happened, I highly doubt it is rod bearings. I have stopped giving a shit about it. Will let you know if my car explodes.

[Amirsm3]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Think breath will stop in case of BF !

BF?

[stiles]

Originally Posted by Amirsm3

BF?

I'm guessing bearing failure?

[stiles]

Originally Posted by Mr. Liu

I have the exact same sound as you, along with tens of other threads and people. So far nothing has happened, I highly doubt it is rod bearings. I have stopped giving a shit about it. Will let you know if my car explodes.

This made me lol, thank you.