N52 engine with ticking? Read here
06-15-2009, 10:11 AM
#51
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DaLLaS, TX
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2007 530i
ok i did compare the ticking sounds from other youtube videos and diamond is right, mine doesnt sound no where close to those, so does that mean im ok? .......for now?
06-15-2009, 03:58 PM
#52
Senior Members
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 06' 530 Alpine/Auburn/Dark walnut, Sport, Premium, Sirius, 35% Tint
Upcomming mods: M166's/Exclaim UHP's, Mtech
Originally Posted by Sunny 530i' post='912200' date='Jun 15 2009, 02:11 PM
ok i did compare the ticking sounds from other youtube videos and diamond is right, mine doesnt sound no where close to those, so does that mean im ok? .......for now?
Should I go back to the dealer and insist that they change the head, even though no ticking can be heard anymore? My warranty will expire in October, and I plan to keep this car long term.... 
06-15-2009, 05:40 PM
#53
Senior Members
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: East Coast Boogie
Posts: 332
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 550i 2009 Mod. with tints all around. Got Splitter and Spoiler coming. May do an exhaust.
Need more info on this?
Has there been any briefs written in Motor Trend type journals? Any BMW Updates? Other literatutre?
Dan
Has there been any briefs written in Motor Trend type journals? Any BMW Updates? Other literatutre?
Dan
06-15-2009, 06:05 PM
#54
Contributors
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DaLLaS, TX
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2007 530i
Originally Posted by bimmerluuvr' post='912501' date='Jun 15 2009, 06:58 PM
I have a couple of questions for you about this since I had this problem also: I have an 06' with about 15k on it. In Dec. 08 I noticed this ticking and took the car in almost right away. They performed this "bleed process" (WITHOUT ever having told me anything about this service bulletin), and the car has been quiet since then. SO the obvious question for me to ask is...(A) If the newly designed head is the proper and SAFE way to address this (especially considering the potential damage that you describe that could result long term), then isn't the bleed proceedure just a temporary fix to get the unknowing customer to go away? and ( Should I go back to the dealer and insist that they change the head, even though no ticking can be heard anymore? My warranty will expire in October, and I plan to keep this car long term....
Should I go back to the dealer and insist that they change the head, even though no ticking can be heard anymore? My warranty will expire in October, and I plan to keep this car long term.... i got a feeling that they are gonna tell you "since" we cant recreate or reproduce the "ticking", we cant go any further since the engine to seem to be performing in "normal" state.. they are goning to do there best to tell you that the problem is long gone.....but you and i both know thats a bunch of crap..
11-05-2009, 08:08 AM
#55
Members
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Diamond' post='873036' date='May 8 2009, 09:11 PM
So there has been a service bulletin out for about a year or so on the n52 engines with lifters that cause excessive "ticking" They sound like lifters that are not getting enough oil in an old car and is worse in the cold since the oil is more sluggish and has a hard tim reaching the lifters. The design of the head itself does not allow for oil to reach the lifters properly and hence the lifters do not work properly and cause a very loud and obnoxiosu ticking sound. On the e90 board someone posted pictures of their camshaft and rocker arms and valves after 20k miles with this problem due to the faulty lifters.
Bmw has been claiming this causes no damage to the engine but rather is an inconvenience. There is a service bulletin that calls for the lifters to be bled-which is a procedure where they keep the engine at 3k rpms with no load for 3 mintues and repeat this 5 times. If this does not work TWICE to cur your problem then they are replacing the ENTIRE cylinder head with cams, valves, springs and EVERYTHING that goes in a cylinder head with an updated re-designed head that allows proper oil flow to the lifters.
Now I did not know this until recently when I was randomly searching and came across this problem that sounded familiar and was this ticking sound my engine was making. I had not thought much of it before this. Took it to the dealer, they did the bleed procedure and when I got home my engine went crazy and had to have it towed in. Ended up misfiring in a few cylinders due to collapsed lifters.
They swapped my cylinder head for the new redesigned head from germany that comes in one big cylinder head piece with all the parts connected so they basically bolt on the new head and change the head gasket. My car had 40k miles on it so it is pretty much like getting the majority of your engine replaced brand new. The cylinder head contains most finicky parts of engine and if you have the old one then you are putting your engine at risk.
Bmw would not redesign an entire head and do this procedure if it simply was because of an annoying sound that did not cause any engine problems.
The repair bill was 8k billed to bmw under warranty.
Bottom line is do some searching and if there is any trace of a ticking noise (search youtube for examples of n52 ticking) then get in and have your cylinder head replaced if you plan to keep the car.
The new head also performs better and I got my car back today with it and noticed the difference. The new head flows oil better as well as air due to the new re-design of the intake tubing. This is basically a free mod and I am curious how much HP this essentially adds. Not that it is worth doing for the hp but it is worth doing to prevent long term damage of your drive train and block which will surely happen if oil is not reaching the lifters and the valves are not being lfited properly or fed with oil properly.
Big screw up by bmw on this since every car uses this engine
They also replaced my rotors and pads on all front and rear and the total bill today was near 12k with parts and labor of the cylinder head, oil change timse 2 (after they change the cylinder head they need to change oil twice ), brakes, rotors, and 2 engine mounts I had broken. 12,000 bucks under warranty and bmw is doing on average at my dealer 5 per week. BIG loss by bmw
Bmw has been claiming this causes no damage to the engine but rather is an inconvenience. There is a service bulletin that calls for the lifters to be bled-which is a procedure where they keep the engine at 3k rpms with no load for 3 mintues and repeat this 5 times. If this does not work TWICE to cur your problem then they are replacing the ENTIRE cylinder head with cams, valves, springs and EVERYTHING that goes in a cylinder head with an updated re-designed head that allows proper oil flow to the lifters.
Now I did not know this until recently when I was randomly searching and came across this problem that sounded familiar and was this ticking sound my engine was making. I had not thought much of it before this. Took it to the dealer, they did the bleed procedure and when I got home my engine went crazy and had to have it towed in. Ended up misfiring in a few cylinders due to collapsed lifters.
They swapped my cylinder head for the new redesigned head from germany that comes in one big cylinder head piece with all the parts connected so they basically bolt on the new head and change the head gasket. My car had 40k miles on it so it is pretty much like getting the majority of your engine replaced brand new. The cylinder head contains most finicky parts of engine and if you have the old one then you are putting your engine at risk.
Bmw would not redesign an entire head and do this procedure if it simply was because of an annoying sound that did not cause any engine problems.
The repair bill was 8k billed to bmw under warranty.
Bottom line is do some searching and if there is any trace of a ticking noise (search youtube for examples of n52 ticking) then get in and have your cylinder head replaced if you plan to keep the car.
The new head also performs better and I got my car back today with it and noticed the difference. The new head flows oil better as well as air due to the new re-design of the intake tubing. This is basically a free mod and I am curious how much HP this essentially adds. Not that it is worth doing for the hp but it is worth doing to prevent long term damage of your drive train and block which will surely happen if oil is not reaching the lifters and the valves are not being lfited properly or fed with oil properly.
Big screw up by bmw on this since every car uses this engine
They also replaced my rotors and pads on all front and rear and the total bill today was near 12k with parts and labor of the cylinder head, oil change timse 2 (after they change the cylinder head they need to change oil twice ), brakes, rotors, and 2 engine mounts I had broken. 12,000 bucks under warranty and bmw is doing on average at my dealer 5 per week. BIG loss by bmw
Now, the tech did tell me that if the replacement of the exhaust side lifters does not resolve the issue, head replacement comes next. The tech was adamant that the cams, etc. on my car did not show any signs of excessive wear. We shall see....
11-05-2009, 08:15 AM
#56
Members
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here's the bulletin:
September 2009
This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B11 09 07 dated January 2009.
SUBJECT
Intermittent Hydraulic Valve Adjuster (HVA) Noise
MODEL
All E82, E83, E88, E85, E86, E60, E61, E70, E90, E91, E92 and E93 vehicles with N51, N52 or N52K engines produced approximately up to November 31st 2008; refer to cylinder head casting identification attachment.
SITUATION
An occasional ticking or rattling noise from the camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA) may occur during cold engine starts, due to frequent short-distance driving, or the noise may occur for an extended period of time even though the engine is at operating temperature.
Improved parts were phased into production beginning on 10/1/2008 and fully implemented on November 31st 2008.
CORRECTION
Do not perform the bleeding procedure that was previously provided in SI B11 09 07 which has now been deleted.
All vehicles produced between 10/1/2008 and 11/31/2008 must have each vehicle's cylinder head casting number identified before hydraulic valve lifters (HVA) replacement, due to staggered implementation. Refer to the attachment for the casting number location. Vehicles produced after 11/31/2008 have already been fitted with improved parts. Vehicles produced prior to 10/1/2008 will require the new parts.
Improved Casting Numbers
N51 (B30)
7588277.01
N52 (B30)
7588273.01
N52K (B30)
7588271.01
A cylinder head casting number that does not match will require replacement of the 12 exhaust camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA) as per Repair Instruction RA 11 33 050, Removing and installing/replacing all rocker arms. Only the exhaust camshaft and rocker arms have to be removed in order to replace the hydraulic valve lifters. Do not remove or replace any intake camshaft valve train components.
PARTS INFORMATION
Part Number
Description
Quantity
11 33 7 605 330
Hydraulic Valve Lifter (HVA)
12
Refer to EPC for additional gaskets, seals and bolts, as required by the Repair Instructions.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
Covered under the terms of the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty, or the Certified Pre-Owned program.
Please refer to the latest KSD for the applicable Main or Associated labor allowance for the specific model.
Defect Code:
11 33 93 39 00
Labor Operation:
Labor Allowance:
Description:
00 58 248
Refer to KSD
Replace exhaust camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA)
*Main Work
or
00 58 827
Refer to KSD
Replace exhaust camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA)
+ Associated Work
Note: The following explanations will spell out the correct use of the work times.
Main Work:
Use this labor operation number when the only repair performed is the listed warranty repair.
OR
+Associated Work:
Use this labor operation number when other repairs or services are performed along with the listed warranty repair.
Under no circumstances should both labor operation numbers be claimed. Attempts to claim both times will result in an unnecessary delay in claim processing and payment.
September 2009
This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B11 09 07 dated January 2009.
SUBJECT
Intermittent Hydraulic Valve Adjuster (HVA) Noise
MODEL
All E82, E83, E88, E85, E86, E60, E61, E70, E90, E91, E92 and E93 vehicles with N51, N52 or N52K engines produced approximately up to November 31st 2008; refer to cylinder head casting identification attachment.
SITUATION
An occasional ticking or rattling noise from the camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA) may occur during cold engine starts, due to frequent short-distance driving, or the noise may occur for an extended period of time even though the engine is at operating temperature.
Improved parts were phased into production beginning on 10/1/2008 and fully implemented on November 31st 2008.
CORRECTION
Do not perform the bleeding procedure that was previously provided in SI B11 09 07 which has now been deleted.
All vehicles produced between 10/1/2008 and 11/31/2008 must have each vehicle's cylinder head casting number identified before hydraulic valve lifters (HVA) replacement, due to staggered implementation. Refer to the attachment for the casting number location. Vehicles produced after 11/31/2008 have already been fitted with improved parts. Vehicles produced prior to 10/1/2008 will require the new parts.
Improved Casting Numbers
N51 (B30)
7588277.01
N52 (B30)
7588273.01
N52K (B30)
7588271.01
A cylinder head casting number that does not match will require replacement of the 12 exhaust camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA) as per Repair Instruction RA 11 33 050, Removing and installing/replacing all rocker arms. Only the exhaust camshaft and rocker arms have to be removed in order to replace the hydraulic valve lifters. Do not remove or replace any intake camshaft valve train components.
PARTS INFORMATION
Part Number
Description
Quantity
11 33 7 605 330
Hydraulic Valve Lifter (HVA)
12
Refer to EPC for additional gaskets, seals and bolts, as required by the Repair Instructions.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
Covered under the terms of the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty, or the Certified Pre-Owned program.
Please refer to the latest KSD for the applicable Main or Associated labor allowance for the specific model.
Defect Code:
11 33 93 39 00
Labor Operation:
Labor Allowance:
Description:
00 58 248
Refer to KSD
Replace exhaust camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA)
*Main Work
or
00 58 827
Refer to KSD
Replace exhaust camshaft hydraulic valve lifters (HVA)
+ Associated Work
Note: The following explanations will spell out the correct use of the work times.
Main Work:
Use this labor operation number when the only repair performed is the listed warranty repair.
OR
+Associated Work:
Use this labor operation number when other repairs or services are performed along with the listed warranty repair.
Under no circumstances should both labor operation numbers be claimed. Attempts to claim both times will result in an unnecessary delay in claim processing and payment.
11-05-2009, 09:43 AM
#58
Contributors
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NYC, Rego Park, Queens
Posts: 5,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My Ride: 2004 E60 530i, 2012 E70 X5 35i
Model Year: 2004
Originally Posted by BlaSTiWi' post='1048011' date='Nov 5 2009, 12:22 PM
lunamollie, for reference do you happen to have the new SB number for what you've posted above ... tkx!
11-05-2009, 09:52 AM
#59
Contributors
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 2,718
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
My Ride: 2006 525XI, Jet black on Dakota beige. Premium and winter packages. I consider myself a purist and intend to keep my car absolutely stock and shiny.
2008 328I Convertible, Sapphire black on beige interior. Premium package, NAV, iPod adapter.
Retired: 2002 325I, Titanium silver on black leather. Premium package. Absolutely stock and proud of it.
Originally Posted by DTD' post='911783' date='Jun 14 2009, 11:32 PM
Diamond Is this Problem going to rear its ugly head this winter with the 2006 N52 motors? How can we as owners that say have 30k to 60k miles on our motors convince out dealers to swap out the HEADS before the any damage could be done to the Cams and alike? I am thinking I have the CPO, but that does not mean my motor will be good after 100,000 miles? How can we convince the DEALER to swap out a new better ported Motor? I would rather convince them now before the UGLY HEAD appears during the cold winter months. Are you sure this is all the N52 Motors? 
..
..
..
..
11-05-2009, 10:27 AM
#60
Contributors
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 335
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
112,000 miles on my '07 530. I recall hearing some ticking a time or two probably around 40k miles but nothing since. My car knows it better not mess up or else it won't get to go along on my fun trips through the upper Midwest 