Please watch my video & please help me with suddenly noisey v8 engine

[bimerguycw]

Thanks in advance for all the advice. I havew read many, many threads after doing a search and found many good possibilities for my m60 engine being noisey suddenly and wanted to provide a sample of the symptoms with a video of the actual engine sound. The video is on youtube.com and here is the link...It's has the sound and where the video was taken during that sound heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m54s5SmC25k

The problem is I have lost power and idles rough always in the past day now and I have no fault codes per the CEL or FCX and the engine ticking, chattering is worrying me and I don't want to drive it at all since the engine noise it proportional to engine speed but no power in and gear(It's an Auto).

Here's the background of the 95 530i that I've had approx. 1 year. When I purchased it it had a rebuilt engine installed with less than 100 miles on it and ran good but I did not run it hard for 1500 miles to let the engine run-in. Over the past year, it has had intermittent rough idle and the CEL ON with the O2 Sensor code on Pass-side which I checked and okay but replaced anyway since the code re-appeared after reset. The O2 code continued to show on the CEL and I switched the (2) O2 sensors and the CEL continued to show the pass-side O2 sensor, so figured it was some kinda vacuum leak on that side of the engine. In the meantime, I've replaced the plugs(both Bosch platinum+4 and NGK's), coil packs, ICV and ECU and reset the electrical system by the batt terminal shorting method and been getting along with the intermittant rough idle at times ove the year but now it's too severe to continue driving and nothing is improving it yet. At different times of the year, in NC, it has exhibited a power loss problem(where the car revs but not much power to the wheels) but never this severe and never with the engine noise like this.

During the plug replacements I have noticed the 2 rear plugs, closet to the firewall, wet with oil each time(about 4 times I've checked checked them). Early on I would clean the plugs and re-install and it ran smoother so I thought I would research the problem and repair when time permitted(by replacing the valve cover gaskets).

[markus]

sounds like a sticking valve or lifter.

[bimerguycw]

When I noticed this power loss and noisey engine I drove it for about 10 more miles to get where I was going and parked the car, then when I came back out to the car a hour later I noticed a puddle of oil under the car(about 1/4 quart) and this concerned me even more. I checked the oil level and within 1/2 quart of full mark and not oil level or press light when started so I drove it anothe 10 miles home and parked it since.

Does this indicate the sticking valve(s) problem?

[markus]

have u put oil in it? that ticking WILL be caused by low oil. Any car should tick that loud when its first started and should go away within a few seconds of being started. You need to fix this oil leak first and then go onto bigger and better things. 1/4 of a quart is a lot of oil to lose in a short period of time. Perhaps your PCV plate is also plugged and need of replacing. If this is clogged it will push oil past perfectly good seals. from what I have read from others is that re-sealing the tops of these M60s can work wonders and the parts arent hideously expensive either. I plan on doing this in the spring since my idle is kinda lumpy when cold and I do get some funky dash lights once in a while. Luckily my buddy is a BMW tech and he has done a lot of these M60 intake manifold, valley pan gaskets so ill prtobly buy him a case of beer just to do it for me.

[bimerguycw]

I am seriously considering the PCV plate as I know the rebuild did not include that repair and it is a known problem for many idle/CEL problems. Any suggestions on what else to replace while having all that intake protion dis-assembled(does your BMW Tech have a suggested list). In preperation, I checked on the PCV plate and found the dealer had it for $42 w/ club discount and I may do it anyway to eliminate that as a problem for any future symptoms. Any parts listing would be helpful though or is there a kit?

Thanks for all the info. and if you think of anything else or maybe your BMW tech may check-out the video and comment.

You're lucky to have a BMW buddy...taht's where this firum is so useful.

[bimerguycw]

If the PCV is clogged or a sticky/stuck valve wouldn't I see smoke sometimes?

[BillionPa]

.... you ever yank the oil pan to check out your oil pump?

[bimerguycw]

Do you think the bolts could be loose since then as some of the other threads suggest about a noise like this?

Would a oil press light indicate this problem?

[632 Regal]

my oppinion without reading too deep into the replies:

pull the lower oil pan and check the oil pump bolts and adjust the tensioner. then evaluate what oil you ar using. Mobil 1 0w-40 is the way to go especially if catastrophic things like this happen.

you dont have banjo bolts but the pump will unloosen it self.

that being said

personally it sounds like a miss, could be caused by many things but probably oil in the hole. check it again man, oil in the hole can waste your DME.

[markus]

how do u feel about castrol syntec 5w-40/50 for these cars?

[bimerguycw]

And are you saying the oil pump bolts loosen-up regularly and cause low power and of course the cranking. The oil is and has been Mobil full synth 0-40W after the initial 20-50W for engine break-in.

Anyway to chck the DME before a replacement/repair? Do you suggest any place to exchange/repair the DME?

Thanks

[bimerguycw]

gaskets are only 1 yr old? Is there a gasket sealant to be used to really seal-off the valve cover to head? It seems to be a re-occurring problem with these cars or is it all in the quality of the valve cover installation.
I have noticed oil in the PCV/Intake flat area and think it's from top timing cover gasket.

Any comments on these items? Maybe I should do a complete top gasket re-install(timing covers, valve covers and PCV plate and assoc. gasket around the PCV plate) with the proper gasket sealer?

[BillionPa]

do the top gasket reinstall, and also do the intake manifold and throttle to intake gaskets.

[bimerguycw]

Since the top end(PCV plate and up) will be dis-assembled, what else should I include...injectors gaskets or what.

Since the seals/gaskets relatively inexpensive and this is alot of labor to do why not include all gaskets, etc. under that area but what?

Thanks

[Chris'91'525i]

Have you thought about doing a compression or leak-down test to rule out mechanical problems like a bad lifter or valve ?
The audio on the video is not the greatest, sounds like a valve train problem and a major exhuast leak to me.
What ever it is, it sounds like it could be a serious problem.
I hopes it's something easy to fix. Good luck on it !!

[aston_jag_tech]

The noise sounded like a blown exhuast manifold gasket, but as I read more you mentioned oil...so I threw that out the window.

It sounds like everytime the piston is up top it is really noisy...hmmm

I dont know the v8s too well. Dual cam?? with vanos??

[BillionPa]

dual cam per cylinder bank, no vanos.

[bimerguycw]

When I bought the car a year ago I did a compression test and all 8 cyl were within spec and within 3-4 psi of each other. This was when the engine was recently rebuilt by the prev. owner.

[632 Regal]

After having better sound hooked up today my oppinion is: SHUT IT OFF!

NO OIL PRESSURE

It can also be a broken rocker arm and the lifter flew out giving NO OIL PRESSURE (I dont know if this is even possible). Either way it's not a good thing.

Where is the oil leaking from?

Man thats a sick heart pounding sound... FIRST THING I would start by taping an oil pressure guage on it to see where that is at and then go from there. There is too much noise going on to really guess accuratley. The engine sounds real bad man.

[markus]

my E30 would sound like that when it needed a valve adjustment lol. i sure dont miss that.

[632 Regal]

unfortunately the M60 dont need adjustments.
my E30 would sound like that when it needed a valve adjustment lol. i sure dont miss that.

[NU-CATS]

Did you ever find out what the noise was on your V-8

[bimerguycw]

Listen to the head and oil pan with a probe type stethoscope and all 8 cylinders sound the same in terms of camshaft rotation and tapping.

[bimerguycw]

Wouldn't I have a low oil press lite below a certain pressure?

[bimerguycw]

After getting time to perform the compression and vacuum testing here's the results and I appreciate your addition advice on locating actual problem for repairs:

Vacuum:

At idle 650 rpm = 8.5 inHG steady
At 1000 rpm = 10 inHG and steady
I held the RPM's at several levels and the vacuum increased with rpm's and held steady in each case with no fluctuations at each rpm.

Compression:
1 cyl failed...
Tested each cyl 2 times to verify repeatability and values after 4-5 strokes.

7 cylinders = 175-180 psi
1 cylinder = 88 psi (Cylinders on pass side at front of head where noise the loudest.

Any and all advice appreciated now that we have some real numbers to work with, right?

Can we determine if this 1 year old bottom rebuild is okay and it's in the top-end only or what?

Thanks.

[Chris'91'525i]

Compression:
1 cyl failed...
Tested each cyl 2 times to verify repeatability and values after 4-5 strokes.
7 cylinders = 175-180 psi
1 cylinder = 88 psi (Cylinders on pass side at front of head where noise the loudest.
Any and all advice appreciated now that we have some real numbers to work with, right?
Can we determine if this 1 year old bottom rebuild is okay and it's in the top-end only or what?
Thanks.

I would pull the valve cover off on the #1 cylinder side, since it sounded like a valve train problem in your video.
I really doubt any bottom end problems.
I'd Check the rocker arms, damaged cam(s), broken valve springs, bent or sticking valve(s), or bad valve guide. Hopefully it can be repaired and the Cyl. head is not toasted.

Were those wet spark plugs you pulled before on the same side as #1 Cyl. ? , or are they in one of the Cyl's. that had good compression ?

When I did a compression test on my 124K mile, M50 motor they were all at 215 psi. if that means anything, i don't know.

A leak down test would probably be a better test on your motor for a better diagnosis.
I would pull that valve cover off anyway just to check for obvious damage.

[bimerguycw]

Does the comp test with oil in cyl determine if btm or top end problem...I've read about that test but not sure how much oil to put into bad cyl to re-test.

I guess I should pull the valve cover also since I can continue comp tests even then.

I'll report back, thanks for the input.

[bimerguycw]

the compression number look like the other 7 cylinders. I understand this means the cylinder is the leak...either piston ring or cyl wall...crap!

I wonder what caused this 1 cyl to go bad if the btm-end was rebuilt about 1 year ago?

Any ideas out there and how much repair I'm looking at? Can I have the head pulled and ring replaced on this 1 cyl from the top if thats all that was failing or should I suspect more problems and do more repairs to avoid another similar problem?

[bimerguycw]

Did a compression and found 1 cyl low.