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Thread: N52 Hydrolic Lifter Noise- Please Read If You Have New 3.0 Engine

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    146
    My Cars
    2000 323ci Convertible

    N52 Hydraulic Lifter Noise- Please Read If You Have New 3.0 Engine

    FYI- Many of you may already know however, some of you may not: if you own any of the newer BMW's with N52 engine, i.e. Z4 3.0si, X3-3.0, X5-3.0, etc. it's possible you have experienced the Hydraulic Lifter Noise /Knocking / Tapping, etc. If you have, you know who you are. The problem is frustrating because it often goes away before you get to the dealer and leaving the car often does no good to recreate the noise. Going forward, I *HIGHLY* recommend you document the problem with a video camera and post it online somewhere like YouTube. After 2 years and 4 different visits to the dealer to resolve the issue, I finally recorded the sound, posted it on YouTube and forwarded the link to the dealer. They in turn passed this on to BMWNA who *FINALLY* gave the go-ahead to perform the necessary fix. I've read where some people have had their entire head replaced with an updated version that addresses the issue however, there is a new procedure which entails replacing the lifters with updated versions and a *new* check-valve is placed in the head. [Apparently, a poorly designed check-valve was the original cause of the problem; allowing too much oil to drain from the head, starving the lifters at start up.] I'm going to the dealer tomorrow to pick up my car; crossing my fingers this is the last I hear of the problem. See link for video:

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKS7jdxuvMU[/ame]
    Last edited by VCOUI; 09-05-2009 at 01:59 AM.
    "Sometimes, it's all about the journey..." Current Bimmer: 2000 323ci Convertible

    Past Bimmers: 2006 Z4 3.0si, 1997 528i, 1995 M3, 1989 325ic, 1973 2002 tii, 1987 528e, 1982 528e

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    NYC/NJ
    Posts
    206
    My Cars
    '13 Z4
    I occasionaly get that on my 328. Besides being annoying, does it do any damage to the car?
    2008 BMW 328i Jet Black
    Sport Package
    6MT

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    KS
    Posts
    602
    My Cars
    01 MCoupe, 88M3, 99XJ
    It does no damage. Typically the bleed-down procedure took care of the problem for a while, but over time they would start getting noisy again. The new updated Bulletin states a production date (10/08 I think) and anything before that has the old style hydraulic lifters. It's a gray area between production dates, so there is also a casting number on the cylinder head that is used to determine if the old or new style lifters are installed. The procedure is to only replace the exhaust camshaft lifters, and no other "check valve" as stated above. I have not had any experience with this fix, but I will in a few weeks when the repair will be completed.

    Kyle
    88M3, 97 840Ci.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    4
    My Cars
    325i E36

    N52 Noisy Lifter

    Same issue with 2006 525i just one lifter and only sometimes.
    Tried the bleed down... temporary fix. First few years car had factory 20 000km oil changes, I have done 3 at 10 000k and oil black after 1000KM so I tried just changing after 2000km still noisy so...
    Put in 200ml Auto fluid in engine. Noise gone in 1 day. Came back 6 weeks later added another 200ML Noise gone. Waited another 2 weeks and changed oil. Lots of small crap held in suspension on oil being drained. Changed oil and no noise – need to wait and see if it comes back. I think ATK high in detergent and dispersant so it cleans and holds crap in suspension so it can be drained / flushed out.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Sunnyvale, CA
    Posts
    4
    My Cars
    2004 BMW 325i
    Thank you for this great post.

    I also went through a great extend effort with BMW dealers for a 2007 X5 3.0si. Number of trips to dealers or left it over night and they
    could not hear this noise. Finally got it verified when I was around a BMW dealer and drove it right in. I guessed we received the first
    revision of valve lifter solution and we could still hear the nosie once a while. And, BMW cancelled their additional two-year warranty for
    their warranty repair work that BMW dealership won't work on it unless I pay for it.

    We had a massive oil leak after this becuase the valve cover was not sealed right. And then a transmission leaked couple weeks
    after this repair. They said it was the trany plug seal leaked because we did not drive the SUV enoguh and nothing to do with
    valve lifter job. Any way, the car never drives the same as it was before, louder and rmp flucatures up and down some at idle.
    And, there are all kinds of marks of their work under the hood. , , , that I was wondering they took the engine out of the car to
    work on it (two times) while you assume it was a on the car job.

    My suggestion is - if you could live with it or it does not do you any harm, try not to touch it!

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