It cant be broken already?! (E39 M62tu Noises)

[keltik 15]

Will post up some video clips of the sounds later today. Until then, heres a little description. Car is running Castrol Edge synthetic oil and has 130,000kms on it.

On cold start only, i can hear a nasty clattery rattle which is louder towards the rear underside of the engine. Doesnt sound like VANOS noise to me and completely goes away once everything is warm. Its not the rhythmic tock of a rod knock or shitty lifter, its more like a sharp rattle that doesnt stay a fixed loudness. Sounds more like an exhaust leak over a rattly chain.

The 2nd noise i have is transmission related. If youve heard a Mitsi with a poked balance shaft bearing - it sounds exactly like that. A medium pitched bearing whine that only occurs under load as the trans shifts when cold. Is directly related to ATF fluid temp. Goes away soon as its warmed up and you can only hear it on a loaded up shift...so for 2 seconds at a time.

The trans one doesnt bother me so much but the engine one has just started in the last 2 days and is concerning. Cant hear it from inside the cabin, but i park in an underground compound so it gets seriously amplified with a window down.

Ideas welcome until the video evidence comes in.

[BreakMyWindow 1870]

1st noise sounds like an exhaust leak. If it were timing chain guide rail related you would hear the noise all the time.

[Allanw 1051]

Does the noise change with revs, as it deffo engine related? I wonder if the noise could be the secondary air pump, which is actually more towrads the front, but the noise may transfer that way (but the noise wouldn't change with revs - It's electric)?

Trans issue is a really easy fix. Manual conversion

Edited September 26, 2014 by Allanw

[keltik 15]

On a semi related note, got my euro plates remanufactured. Whaddaya know, Jap vehicles had a different boot lid. Well thats a pain in the ass.

Trans issue is a really easy fix. Manual conversion

Hah!

Yup definitely engine related. Changes with rpm and load.

[KwS 2376]

The M62s are the ones known to eat chain guides arent they?

[BM WORLD 1258]

yes , but normally around the 200-280,000km mark ,

but maybe someone has played with the speedo , or its had a replacement engine etc at some stage in its life.

or just lack or servicing which grinds the guides away etc

also the cats in the exhaust fail and rattle etc

[keltik 15]

I have every reason to believe the milage is genuine. Engine was nice n quiet after work today, only made it noise for about 2 mins. By the time i got into the workshop it was gone. I reckon its an exhaust leak.

Trans noise here;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-j4tuMeUws

[rusteee 52]

My 540 started off with a small high pitch trans noise esp when shifting gear, sounds much like your vid, which went away once warm. Got worse, turned out the torque converter was poked, sent a few bits through the trans and took that with it. It seems pretty common with these boxes. HellBM sorted it pretty quick =) If it is the torque converter, get it done now. As they say, stitch in time....

[JoKer 58]

shoulda stuck to subarus

[Dogballs 102]

1st noise:

a common issue with those motors (X5 also) is if the o-ring on the oil filter cap is not replaced or is a poor fitting after market one, they will leak air into the filter over night and it sounds terrible on the first start of the day.. the oil drains completely out. its a cheap and easy thing to eliminate anyway...

even if they are not leaking oil out, they can let air in... oil pressure holds a seal, but leaks under "vacuum"

I've seen many miss diagnosed timing chain expensive repairs, that was simply an o-ring....

good luck!

[Matth5 471]

Exhaust leak wouldn't disappear randomly, it would always make the noise?

Remember my old Falcon when a hole broke in the muffler, driving through a neighborhood at night probably woke everyone up...

[keltik 15]

I have a theory! No idea if its credible but its something to try...

What if the pickup tube from the trans filter had a damaged o-ring. My thinking is that the fluid is aerating when cold. That would explain why it sounds exactly like a power steer pump having a hard time and only makes noise at periods of high fluid demand (i.e shifting). When the pan gets hot, i guess either the fluid level rises and covers the leak or the dodgy o-ring expands and stops leaking. Possibly the filter gauze is quite caked up so the hotter less viscous fluid flows better through it.

Either way, could be worth dropping the pan and throwing some new fluids and a filter on there. Would be nice to see if there are any lumps of clutch swimming around in the pan.

Doesnt look like a hard job, and its probably the cheapest easiest fix to try. So have ordered some bits from BM Workshop and we'll see how it goes.

[jeffbebe 1559]

Does the noise change with revs, as it deffo engine related? I wonder if the noise could be the secondary air pump, which is actually more towrads the front, but the noise may transfer that way (but the noise wouldn't change with revs - It's electric)?

Easy check... Does the noise go away after 45-60 seconds after cold start every time. If so, try unplugging the SAP and see what happens. I hated the SAP noise on cold start so I removed it on my 540i. Didn't have cats anyways so didn't need the SAP (it's only function is to pre-warm the cats when cold for reduced emissions).

[keltik 15]

Engine noise hasnt been back in a few days so I'm pretty sure i bumped the exhaust getting into a driveway and that unseated one of the front joints, that has now sealed up again.

The trans noise got a bit worse so Its in the workshop today getting new fluids thrown at it.

For anyone interested, I didnt fancy buying the specific spendy fluid for the 5HP24 - so have put dexron III in it. Nah just kidding! I did all of the googling and just got pissed off with the answers. Then i remembered my dads car ('99 Jag XK8) also has a 5HP24 and he's running ELF MV in it and it drives great! So i've put a heap of that in and we'll see how it goes later tonight.

Of course the real test will be tomorrow morning when everything is cold. Fingers crossed.

[keltik 15]

Silence is golden, ATF is red. Trans noise is gone! HUZZAH! Old fluid looked a bit sad but not majorly depressed. Cant see any obvious signs of air leakage....but the old filter was a bit manky. TLDR: I MENDED IT.

Next job, valve cover gasket. Previous owner did one side and just gave me the bits to do the other. Slam some new plugs in while its apart ...... ? .....profit.

[westy 614]

Then wait for the next noise.

[hybrid 1039]

Welcome to e39 540 ownership