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Clicking Noise from Engine and Best Oil?

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6.5K views 42 replies 11 participants last post by  68FB  
#1 ·
Hello,

So I just bought my nightly car a week ago today and I love the car. However there is a clicking sound that I hear.

Video Here
Clicking - YouTube

Is this normal? Do I need a oil change?


BTW. What is the best oil to use on our beast?


Ps. sorry for my english
 
#2 ·
Noise sounds like chain slap.

No comment on the oil lol
 
#4 ·
I took some serious mocking for this before but here I go again... that knocking is happening pretty slowly. About 5 times a second, maybe? So 300 rpm which is cam speed. It could be a REALLY noisy lifter but it sounds like a VANOS piston knocking hard against one of the stops to me (like the infamous cold start noise) which indicates a problem with the VANOS.
OP, can you check for trouble codes?
And can you get a mechanic's stethoscope (most parts stores) and listen around the engine with the metal probe to pinpoint the source of the noise?
And can you hang the camera from the hood and get a better sound clip while you quickly raise the rpm to say 3000 and back down?
 
#6 ·
It's not the tensioner. You can believe it now or come back later after you pay the mechanic.
 
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#11 ·
Ok, I'll bite. Just to get it over with and that is the end of discussion. Use what it says on your car. In your case...MY2000 use 10w-60.

Either Castrol TWS 10W-60 from the dealer or Liqui Molly 10W-60.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I should also point out that I had a oil change yesterday and ended up putting castal 5-40 synthetic in.
That got the noise to be a lot better.

I just bought the car a week ago. Maybe who ever put the oil in last didn't use the right kind.

BTW it only does that when I first turn it on. After when driving it is better0 :-\.

But there is still a noise after just not as bad.

Oil alone was $100 dollars,
It is worth ordering the 60 weight oil to keep on hand?
 
#15 ·
I should also point out that I had a oil change yesterday and ended up putting castal 5-40 synthetic in.
That got the noise to be a lot better.

I just bought the car a week ago. Maybe who ever put the oil in last didn't use the right kind.

But there is still a noise after just not as bad.

Oil alone was $100 dollars,
It is worth ordering the 60 weight oil to keep on hand?
There are plenty of threads on here about oil debates, and people tend to hate arguing about it (but secretly love it). Everyone who uses a different oil thinks they are right. What it comes down to, though, is that BMW recommends 10W-60 for all M cars and it is crazy to think that they didn't put a lot of engineering thought into that. Especially living in CA, you would be good using 10W-60 all year round.

I recommend switching and I recommend Liqui-Molly 10W-60 as a lot of people use it, with no problems, and it is FAR cheaper.
 
#19 ·
If there are no engine codes then it might be a tensioner, but not the one your mechanics are thinking of. You will not be wasting money most M5s should have the tensioner changed it saves the guides to some point. If the noise goes away or reduces significantly I would be willing to bet there will already be damage to the plastic guides and would suggest dropping the lower pan to look for bits of plastic that used to be the guides.
My feeling is that the knock will change but still be there and I suggest that the noise might be coming from the tensioner on the top of the motor between the two cams if it significantly remains. Both of these tensioners are driven by oil pressure so it is not surprising the noise changed when you changed to a different grade oil.
 
#20 ·
Sailor, for the chain tensioners, is that a chain off procedure? How do you explain the rhythm of the noise (4 to 5 times/sec)?
 
#21 ·
It is a chain off procedure.

The rhythm can just be random hitting.

Same when you have a broken chain guide.

When my plastic guide of the tensioner between the cams went,it was a noise in similar fashion.
And only randomly there every now and then.


Bottom line is,it is valve train related,so valve cover off and see what is in there.
 
#26 ·
I read your post while I was on my phone and I just cant figure out how to type on it dam touch screens I want my Blackberry back. Is your mechanic a S62 expert? If yes drive it. The sound clips are always more dramatic than reality. Honestly until you drop the lower pan and look for plastic I would not. These cars are sold to unsuspecting people all of the time because they have been diagnosed with significant problems. My gut feeling is that is what you have been sold. That said most of these problems can easily be resolved but you have major noise and no check engine light. Not good usually means a mechanical problem. Be safe and figure out what you have been sold because the S62 can easily become a boat anchor and because they are aluminum they make crappy boat anchors.
 
#29 ·
#30 ·
So I took my car into the dealer today and they were nice and gave me a loner so that way I don't have to drive the car until it gets fixed. They have been really nice about this.

I will let everyone know the updates so that way if it happens to someone else they will know. :)

Thank you everyone for your help!
 
#31 ·
One last little warning dealers have a tendency to have away more expensive way yo fix things. Before you sign on the line for a repair post what they are saying to you. Example would be the Vanos maintenance which has about a 95% success rate here and costs about 100-200. The dealer will only replace the whole vanos unit costing many thousands.
 
#32 ·
So just an update.
My car is in the shop in parts right now. Timing chain looks great. However the tensioner where loose. 2 of them are so far getting replaced. Also found a leak in the radiator so that is getting replaced. Everything else looks good including the vanos.

Anything else I should look at while its under?
 
#33 ·
I don't know what else needs to be removed, or how far apart your car is, but if they are deep enough to replace the tensioner pistons would it be a lot more labor to replace the plastic chain guides? If not I think it would be worth it.