Noise on cold start

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   When the engine is cold, properly cold that is after being left over night I get a bit of tapping for anything up to a couple of miles. It only occurs at around 1500-2000 rpm and reminds me a bit of tappet noise.

Most days it disappears quite quickly, after say 10-20 seconds but some days, if the first bit of my journey is done at 30 mph it can linger for a while.

It's comming from the top of the engine and is a tap not a knock.
The noise started a month of so ago. At the time my oil quality was deteriorating due to a knackered CCV so when I replaced the valve I also changed the oil. It's got Castrol edge 0w-40 in which meets the BMW LL04 spec.

At first I discounted it as tappets but now i'm wondering if i should invesitigate further...

Edited by Peter Fenwick

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Peter Fenwick Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484	Post Options Post Reply Quote Peter Fenwick Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Noise on cold start Posted: 05-April-2011 at 14:42
	When the engine is cold, properly cold that is after being left over night I get a bit of tapping for anything up to a couple of miles. It only occurs at around 1500-2000 rpm and reminds me a bit of tappet noise. Most days it disappears quite quickly, after say 10-20 seconds but some days, if the first bit of my journey is done at 30 mph it can linger for a while. It's comming from the top of the engine and is a tap not a knock. The noise started a month of so ago. At the time my oil quality was deteriorating due to a knackered CCV so when I replaced the valve I also changed the oil. It's got Castrol edge 0w-40 in which meets the BMW LL04 spec. At first I discounted it as tappets but now i'm wondering if i should invesitigate further... Edited by Peter Fenwick
	Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.

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Andrew Rolland Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Go away rain Joined: 19-August-2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 6579	Post Options Post Reply Quote Andrew Rolland Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05-April-2011 at 14:53
	There will be a plastic (I think) valve somewhere in the cylinder head that prevents oil from draining back to the sump. I've heard of this fail a couple of times. If the oil drains out over night it could leave the head and then tappets slightly short of oil on start up and for a short while afterwards. All the BMWs I've owned make a slight tappet noise on start up but as you say it dissapears very quickly once oil is fully flowing around the head and its components. The oil you have used sounds fine, what's the oil level like? The M54 engines like to drink a bit.
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Peter Fenwick Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484	Post Options Post Reply Quote Peter Fenwick Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05-April-2011 at 15:11
	My oil level is fine. I check it regularly! I've see if i can find out a bit more about this valve...
	Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.

Dergside Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Really Senior Member II Joined: 16-May-2004 Location: Mid West, Ireland Status: Offline Points: 4000	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dergside Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06-April-2011 at 22:05
	Any chance its as simple as a slightly (and intermittently) sticky hydraulic tappet?
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Peter Fenwick Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484	Post Options Post Reply Quote Peter Fenwick Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07-April-2011 at 12:57
	Kind of irrelevant now... http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=47696&am p;PN=1&TPN=1&get=last#438988 Edited by Peter Fenwick
	Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.