Cold Engine Sounds Like Diesel , Is this normal?

[hoodsstalker]

I just started financing a 95' 525i with 130k miles , the car is great minus a few problems.

when the engine is cold , the initial idle for the first fifteen minutes sounds like a diesel engine , its real throaty and deep. I'm concerned that there could be an issue with the bearings within the crankshaft or maybe something isnt lubricating , is the "diesel engine" tone normal for the car when its cold? would an oil change help? or is there a lubricant of some sort i can purchase to fix it?

The other issue is the A/M switch on the gear shifter , i dont know when its engaged or not. i press it upward to the A and the switch doesnt stay in place nor does the car make any sort of noise to confirm a change in the transmission. i tried pressing the switch to M , and nothing happened at first then five minutes later the transmission failed to engage properly. the engine was reving but the rear wheels werent producing any torque , so the car moved along slowly while reving like it was doing 30 mph. eventually the tiny console box that presents text said "Trans Program" then "Owners Manual" which ended up having nothing on the dialogue.

are these actual problems , or a product of "wear and tear?" am i not doing something correctly? it'd really appreciate a detailed response and also a thought on whether to keep the car or return it.

[High Compression II]

The engine definately should NOT sound like a diesel (unless it is a diesel, like mine....) when cold.

You could have Hydraulic follower/cam wear, caused by general neglect in the past, a good oil change may help out, difficult to say without actually seeing it!


Not sure if its the same on mine, but the switch on the gear centre console, is for the functions of the auto-box. E is for economy, S is for sport mode, and the star symbol is for ice/slippery conditions. The actual function engaged by the lever shows in the small dot-matrix display at the bottom of inst panel between revs and speedo. The actual gear selector position is also displayed, ie, E-D, for economy drive E-P for park etc etc.

(My display is great when cold, but gradually fades out as the car is driven any distance, A fault I havent had the time yet to tackle........)

Maybe Ive got your question totally wrong, but that is the only button I know associated with the auto-box apart from the gear selector......

I dont think you should be getting the trans-program message with any of these functions, and I would get that checked out ASAP as its possible damage could be caused if driven any distance with a faulty trans.

You say--'Ive just started financing this--'--Have you just bought it??--If so, Take it back and get them to do the work under warrantee if there is any!

[hoodsstalker]

the original owner before me , going by what i saw on the car fax report , was, yes very negligent of the car. he drove the car "into the ground" not doing any maintenance what so ever , any issue he had with the car , he took to his mechanic which was actaully a mercedes mechanic. he didnt see the mechanic just once, but a slew of times , so i'm figuring the mechanic did a half ass job on repairs to get the original owner to keep coming back for repairs to cash in on him. the car has over heated and the engine shortly there after was rebuilt from the top portion , not the block or undercarriage area. so i'm afraid that maybe the parts inside could be cracked or damaged from the overheating. i just started financing the car , its under my parents name , and i have a 30 day warranty on it , which they(the dealer) will cover for 50% of the repairs done to the car. the issue with the engine sounding like a diesel first caught the attention of my father then myself , and after harassing the dealer's mechanic (not bmw dealer) to check the car out , he ended saying that the car is fine and that its just from wear and tear. part of me wants to believe him , but the other thinks he might just be lying since it'll be too expensive to repair. you mentioned hyd fllwer/cam wear , if the problem presists , could the engine eventually suffer severe damage even break on me? and how can i check for myself to see if thats the issue?

also the a/m switch i mentioned doesnt display either mode on the dot matrix console , although i do see a faded E letter , but it wont light up. the a/m switch is located on the left hand side of the clutch on the little wood paneling , i'll take a picture next chance i get.

the transprogram light hasnt come back on now for quite some time so i'm hoping the trans is okay

aside from that any general maintenace tips? or comments?

[Zeuk in Oz]

part of me wants to believe him
I would take the car to an independent BMW specialist and find out what needs doing plus get an idea of cost. This should help you make an informed decision and allow you to bring pressure on the dealer to fix what needs fixing.
There is no point being an ostrich !

[632 Regal]

exactly, try to take it to someone that is familiar with this engine and knows the normal vs odd sounds it can produce. Your saying deisel which makes me think that maybe the timing was advanced a tooth during the top end repair...but you can never tell without a take apart looksee. Might be better if you figure out the damage and return the car before you hate it and your E34 gives you a sour taste in your mouth.


I would take the car to an independent BMW specialist and find out what needs doing plus get an idea of cost. This should help you make an informed decision and allow you to bring pressure on the dealer to fix what needs fixing.
There is no point being an ostrich !

[Paul in NZ]

i would take it back and leave it there!Have you got a right to do that???I dont think it sounds like a keeper.....