Ticking and poor engine performance!

[Vertov]

Hello all, I recently got my BMW back from the shop after this winter caused some problems with my battery. Since I've gotten it back I had noticed a "flapping" noise coming from the passenger side of the engine driving at highway speeds. A couple days later i started to get a ticking noise from the center of my engine that speeds up with acceleration and a rough idle that fluctuates between 700-900rpm and eventually settles down to about 550rpm. Within days my acceleration has become sluggish and jerky and the ticking noise seems to have gotten faster without acceleration. I have gotten no error codes but this is definitely not a normal function for how my engine ran before. I have a 2006 325i and any feedback is appreciated!

[MarcoZandrini]

The first step in diagnosing a problem is to scan the engine computer (DME) for codes. The fluctuating idle sounds like a vacuum leak. The intake manifold needs to be smoke tested.