In Park, Nuetral and Drive, havent tried Reverse, even in idle can be heard.

 

dam i just heard a ticking noise today too, i just realized it, cause it sounded funny not like how it use to be so it doesn't sound normal, i'm going to go to the dealer this coming week too.

 

SIGMA,

I don't see where anyone answered your question on when the ticking happens. I have a CPO 2004 545i with 46k miles. Every first start of the day for about 20 minutes of driving I have a tapping noise from what sounds like the front right ( passenger side) engine area.

At first I thought it was a lifter tap or even slight piston slap. Now I believe it may be a component such as the A/C compressor. What I find interesting about your question is that on start at idle there is no ticking, it happens when I rev the engine and hold at about 2K rpm or when acelerating light to moderate. I can actually feather foot the gas pedal and avoid to some extent the ticking noise.

So what is your insight here?

 

Hi

The ticking youre hearing could come from the blower/heater system. At the front of your car you can see the plastic lamels that allow the air to enter. These lamels open and shut all depending on the engine and air tempreture to ensure the engine either heats up fast when cold or cools down better when hot/driving. This opening and shutting makes a quite loud ticking and is normal. Could this be the case ?

 

I get a ticking sound when I turn my car on and the engine is cold. Once it warms up though, the ticking is gone.

 

Hi

Your E60 is packed with electrical equipment checking litteraly thousands of things both when you just open/shut the doors and when you hit the ignition.
The sounds are normal. All sorts of things pressured up. Gas tanks ventilation, pumps, pressure guages etc etc.
Don't think you should worry - your e60 is electrically set up to inform you if something really is wrong.

 

It's a lease, so I don't worry. Once I turn this car back in, it's someone else's problem.

 

Did not know this happens, but the ticking increases and decreases wtih RPM, think it is a component in the serpentine belt loop or in the engine , just that I am starting to think that it is not the engine.

 

alex, i think its the belt. it happened to me too and i got it replaced by the dealer.

 

the timing belt?

I was told we have a chain instead of a belt