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View Full Version : High RPM rattle, help me diagnose!



///M3UT
01-16-2006, 10:17 PM
OK, 95 M3....hearing a rattle.
Let me be more specific:
I only hear it when excelerating uphill in gears 3 and above. It sounds like marlbes in a can, its sort of a metallic sound, also maybe like plastic chains rubbing against each other. The sound is almost exactly like the sound the car makes when its about to die if u let the clutch out too fast.

Ive looked into the VANOS problems, but i dont feel that this is the cause, becasue i ONLY hear it when accelerating hard uphill in higher gear (RPM is way above 1500, and i hear it all the way from about 1.5k to 3.5k, so i dont feel that im lugging the engine). When driving and accelerating on a flat surface or downhill the engine sounds fine.

I have had it inspected twice, all filters are new, new serpentine belt and tensioner, and brand new flex disk. No one has mentioned anything about a bad VANOS or timing chain/tensioner.

Here are the conclusions i have come to so far:
1. its not the lifters - only hear it at high RPM
2. Not the oil pump - no oil pressure light (although oil level is min)
3. Not the chain tensioner - no rattle with RPM drop, runs fine at low RPM
4. Not the Vanos - cannot be heard at idle
This is what ive concluded, but if im wrong or misinterpreting something please let me know what it is and why.

Now, i have been running the car for the past week or so on midgrade gas (below the recommended octance level). could this be the cause? Maybe the knock sensors are compensating for most of the knock and leaving me with this rattle when the car is under strain? (long shot yea...)

Like i said before the oil level was very low tonite when i checked it, but the car was doing this before when the oil was right between the two notches.

well, let me know what u guys think, thanks fellas!:help

deilenberger
01-16-2006, 11:31 PM
OK, 95 M3....hearing a rattle.

Now, i have been running the car for the past week or so on midgrade gas (below the recommended octance level). could this be the cause? Maybe the knock sensors are compensating for most of the knock and leaving me with this rattle when the car is under strain? (long shot yea...)

Why are you running it on midgrade gas?

What you describe sounds like knocking. Lots of winter fuel has oxygenates added to it that lower the octane below what it is listed on at the pump.

Try filling it with premium. One of those - if you can't afford the gas..

methodryder
01-17-2006, 03:27 AM
Maybe like the rattling of a shot catalytic converter? Or cat cover?

xeler8
01-17-2006, 08:12 AM
I think running on midgrade could definitely be part of the problem...

Jason

///M3UT
01-17-2006, 09:11 AM
yea im putting premium in it asap, i dont know what i was thinking putting midgrade gas in my car....major brain fart i guess. Isnt this what the knock sensors are for though?

billapex
01-17-2006, 10:13 AM
My first thought was octane, before you even mentioned you had midgrade in the tank. Just to eliminate the midgrade fuel as the potential problem, yeah, go fill it up with premium.
The most likely time you'll see pinging from too-low octane is when the engine's under heavy load, such as......lugging up a hill. Ta-da! Hopefully, it's just that simple.