Beemer engine noise

cantdecide

I have a problem with my new car. It’s a 95 316i saloon with 207k done. Preserving it is paramount now but there’s a ‘tappet’ type noise in the head that comes and goes.

Basically the car runs fine and silent but there’s a tapping noise cycle-it gets louder and louder and louder over the course of about 20 seconds. Then the noise just suddenly stops and there isn’t a peep out of it for about 10 seconds and it quietly starts tapping again. The car continues to run fine throughout. My mechanic says it’s a “lifter” and that “it isn’t worth fixing- just drive it until it gets loud as hell and it breaks. It would be easier to get another engine later”.

TBH, I won’t have the cash to replace the car until probably next year. it’s a very clean, respectable example with nice alloys in a good colour that’s always been well minded and it’s a good all round recession car. Should I get a second opinion? It’s just really embarrassing driving a car that sounds like it’s about to die. Plus, it's an old car- finding another good engine, fitting it and having to deal with the inevitable teething problems is a whole lot of bother I could do without.

Owen

Definitely get a second opinion. I'll recommend an indy mechanic if you want.

DublinDilbert

Sounds like it could be a hydraulic lifter or an oil pressure problem. Has your mechanic checked the oil pressure?

If it is the lifters they aren't meant to be too bad to replace, once you've the correct tool to compress the valve down as your removing the rocker arm, to get at the lifter.

Stevie Dakota

Most older 4 pot BMW's end up sounding very tappety, and most are not worth the cost of repair. It's a horrible sound, very unbecoming.

Muckie

A friend of mine drives a 318 95 BMW nice car, engine was sounding
"tappy" 300,000 miles on it. Great engines!

He couldn't afford any work on the engine but wanted to keep it running.

Got an engine treatment and slightly thicker oil, brought down the noise
a good bit actually.

analfabets

Muckie wrote: »

A friend of mine drives a 318 95 BMW nice car, engine was sounding
"tappy" 300,000 miles on it. Great engines!

He couldn't afford any work on the engine but wanted to keep it running.

Got an engine treatment and slightly thicker oil, brought down the noise
a good bit actually.

I remember seeing valve lifter treatment as well. In Halfords i think. Just gets added to engine oil. Worth trying.

Thickening the oil is the worst thing you can do to a tappy engine, if the lifters are hydrualic run it on diesel engine oil of the correct viscosity spec for 2000 / 3000 miles, works wonders

biko

Tapping is a common issue on old BMWs.
See if you can get a second opinion. Some suggestions in earlier threads.

Stevie Dakota

biko wrote: »

Tapping is a common issue on old BMWs.

Not sure it affects 6 cylinder engines? I've only ever experienced it on 4 cylinder BMW's.

bmw535d

do the 4 pots have vanos?

biko

I have it somewhat on my own 6 pot.
Some more info here

bmw535d wrote: »

do the 4 pots have vanos?

Info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VANOS

CaraFawn

I don't know if that's your problem but the belt tensionner can be noisy too, especially if it has never been changed and the car has 200k miles.
You could use a long key a push it downward to see it the noise goes away when you do that. Cheap enough to replace.
The noise on this can come and go.

Identifying where noises are coming from the engine can be difficult sometimes without the proper tool and a good hear, worth a try to get it checked.




Unrelated to the tensionner, also make sure you have enough oil...

Matt Simis

Are you using Semi or Fully Synth Oil? BMW now recommend Fully Synth across the board, but some diehards (including some mechanics) still stick to Semi. Generally you will find Fully Synth to be quieter sounding.

cantdecide

CaraFawn wrote: »

...Unrelated to the tensionner, also make sure you have enough oil...

Cheers

Forgot to say. Serviced last Thursday (and I've checked the oil since).

CaraFawn

Oki as suggested by dublindilbert with regards to oil pressure, I am thnking maybe the oil separator valve, worth having a look, it is behind the engine, the small round black part with a pipe going into the manifold on the top.

Although I am not 100% sure though if the valve holds any kind of pressure, it probably is somehow.