jeffbebe 1560 Report post Posted September 22, 2013 You can hear it pretty clearly in the video - especially from around 00:34 and seems to be coming from the left side of the engine at the front. It's only on cold start and stops abruptly when the secondary air pump stops blowing (at around 00:49)... Which is why I thought it was the SAP. I've tested the SAP and the one-way valve into it is b*ggered so some exhaust gases could be getting into the pump which will kill it, but it's not dead yet and - after disconnecting it - I've found it's not the source of the noise. Have recently had the double vanos seal procedure done but am reliably informed that this noise is not consistent with timing chain problems. Also, I should confirm that the A/C compressor is not to blame - it makes this noise on cold start when the A/C is off as well. Also, when you first ignite the car (only the first time) the ticking gets louder with the initial rev but then doesn't seem to be associated with revs after that. All very weird... Low oil pressure? Can't work out why it stops when the SAP cuts out... Any ideas what to test/look for? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeffbebe 1560 Report post Posted September 24, 2013 Bump.... Before I take it to Ray! Any ideas? Could it be a similar issue to duvey's S50?: http://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/45591-s50b30-e36-m3-tickingrattle-diagnosis/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites