Ticking noise while accelerating/load?

[tlow98]

UPDATE.

LIQUIMOLY CERATEC worked for me, as well. I’m sort of in shock, but I’ll take what I can get. I’ve put a few hundred miles on the car since dumping just one bottle in. Technically, I should have out about 1.5 bottles in. It worked basically immediately and hasn’t come back. I’ll update here over time.

My sound was just like the above YouTube link.

Nothing to lose but $27, and get your sanity back? No brainer.

I too used to be embarrassed when my wife pulled away. No longer!

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by phipark

This is what my car sounded like before I dumped in a bottle of LiquMoly Ceratec. Now it's gone so far. Seems to be a bottle of magic

Can’t thank you enough for posting this. I, too, live tick free now.

So, so, worth it.

I’d buy you a beer IRL.

[BeachsideF30]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Can’t thank you enough for posting this. I, too, live tick free now.

So, so, worth it.

I’d buy you a beer IRL.

It’s just crazy the oil additive works in reducing the noise. I wonder what the internal issue really is and why it’s only under load and not free standing. I have an oil change on Tuesday I’ll add in a bottle after I get it back

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by BeachsideF30

It’s just crazy the oil additive works in reducing the noise. I wonder what the internal issue really is and why it’s only under load and not free standing. I have an oil change on Tuesday I’ll add in a bottle after I get it back

This is not the first time I’ve solved an issue with this car with a non scientific approach. Dunno what think, but super happy it works!

[BeachsideF30]

Originally Posted by tlow98

This is not the first time I’ve solved an issue with this car with a non scientific approach. Dunno what think, but super happy it works!

Aside from the notorious load ticking going away could you tell if the motor itself quieted down?

[Casual228i]

Seems to be a fairly common problem. Not sure how much this might help in getting to the bottom of this:

Went to my local BMW 'specialist' to get the pinion bearing seal replaced; when I got it back there were clear symptoms that the bearing preload was way too high (gear whirring and steering vibration).

Took my car back in so they could resolve the issue. When I went to collect it this time, they notified me that the ring gear in the rear diff also needed to be replaced as it seemed like that took some damage due to the high preload.

Noticed the ticking for the first time on my way home from the garage, it is correlated with speed so the faster I go the more frequent the ticks are. Usually audible between 20-40mph and similarly, can only be heard with windows down and going past walls. On top of this, I still seem to be noticing that the car is decelerating quicker than it was before the seal was replaced, like its not able to coast as smoothly as before.

Any chance that the ticking is related to the rear differential? Is this noticeable deceleration related to the ticking by any chance or could that be a separate problem?

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by Casual228i

Seems to be a fairly common problem. Not sure how much this might help in getting to the bottom of this:

Went to my local BMW 'specialist' to get the pinion bearing seal replaced; when I got it back there were clear symptoms that the bearing preload was way too high (gear whirring and steering vibration).

Took my car back in so they could resolve the issue. When I went to collect it this time, they notified me that the ring gear in the rear diff also needed to be replaced as it seemed like that took some damage due to the high preload.

Noticed the ticking for the first time on my way home from the garage, it is correlated with speed so the faster I go the more frequent the ticks are. Usually audible between 20-40mph and similarly, can only be heard with windows down and going past walls. On top of this, I still seem to be noticing that the car is decelerating quicker than it was before the seal was replaced, like its not able to coast as smoothly as before.

Any chance that the ticking is related to the rear differential? Is this noticeable deceleration related to the ticking by any chance or could that be a separate problem?

Yours seems to be directly related to the diff. Does it change directly with speed? If so, diff related.

The ticking noise of the people in this thread have is rather erratic sounding. Not related to the diff. It’s engine related.

With all of that being said. Sry to hear about the diff!

[Bomzara]

Originally Posted by BeachsideF30

Aside from the notorious load ticking going away could you tell if the motor itself quieted down?

Definitely quieted down, but not drastically I'd say! Something like 1/3 quieter...

[BeachsideF30]

Originally Posted by Bomzara

Definitely quieted down, but not drastically I'd say! Something like 1/3 quieter...

Still going good so far? I just had the oil done yesterday going to add a bottle of cera etc this weekend

[tlow98]

Fwiw I other than the removal of the tick I didn’t notice any other noise changes.

[Bomzara]

Yep, works excellent so far! Also I wouldn't say it removes the ticking completely. It rather makes it 10 times quieter so it's not noticeable anymore, but when you listen to it standing near the right front wheel you can still hear some ticking... Though it's almost inaudible among the other engine sounds and you probably won't hear it unless you had it before and know how it sounded
So I'd say the main problem - annoying ticking - is finally solved.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by Bomzara

Yep, works excellent so far! Also I wouldn't say it removes the ticking completely. It rather makes it 10 times quieter so it's not noticeable anymore, but when you listen to it standing near the right front wheel you can still hear some ticking... Though it's almost inaudible among the other engine sounds and you probably won't hear it unless you had it before and know how it sounded
So I'd say the main problem - annoying ticking - is finally solved.

Love it. Also, 1 can is technically not enough according to the directions, so a little more may help.

You hear it while standing near the car when it’s just idling in neutral? I don’t think ours ever did that.

[Bomzara]

Originally Posted by tlow98

You hear it while standing near the car when it’s just idling in neutral? I don’t think ours ever did that.

Haha I know I know, been fighting this exact ticking noise for 2+ years ...

I only hear it under load in D (not N/P) between 1500-2500 RPN when my friend is behind the wheel and I'm standing near the front right wheel. Only when the engine is fully warmed up. But again, after adding CeraTec it's like 90% quieter and thus not audible anymore from driver's seat. But being outside near the front right wheel, I still can (barely) hear it when drivertrain gets some load. So, technically, the cause of the ticking is still present but is effectively masked by the addition of an anti-friction additive

[BeachsideF30]

I just popped my bottle of ceratec in this morning. I’ll see how it’s sounding after a few hundred miles. I can tell that the engine is maybe a hint quieter at idle so far

[EnzoCali]

Waiting for ceratec to arrive today. Will pop that in once I have it and we'll see how it helps.

I did notice that the small fix to the wastegate rod did make a lot of difference so perhaps that with ceratec combined will do the trick.
the wastegate fix with retaining washer is definitely a big impact and I don't hear that dramatic ticking noise like I did before. it's probably a combination of multiple factors, hence why it's so difficult to diagnose and eradicate entirely.

[Casual228i]

Originally Posted by tlow98

Yours seems to be directly related to the diff. Does it change directly with speed? If so, diff related.

The ticking noise of the people in this thread have is rather erratic sounding. Not related to the diff. It’s engine related.

With all of that being said. Sry to hear about the diff!

Yup, you were spot on - it was the diff again! The day before taking it back in to the garage I developed an oil leak from the diff so that confirmed it. They replaced the seal again and made sure everything was aligned according to spec.

All seems to be fine now, although the steering is still not 100% vibration free above 70mph (very minor regular vibrations can be felt at that speed). Unsure if this is still directly diff related or to do with wheel balance misalignment as a result of my temporarily bad diff. Will probably ask BMW to take a look at it when I have my oil change in a few months as I don't want to take it back to the same garage for a 4th time in the span of 3 weeks - clearly they don't seem to be as competent as they claim to be!

[neverdone]

Update, did an oil change and added ceratec. Noise is gone. I was for sure skeptical, this is crazy.

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by neverdone

Update, did an oil change and added ceratec. Noise is gone. I was for sure skeptical, this is crazy.

Right? So was I. This should be added to a service bulletin

[BeachsideF30]

I haven’t heard it either since fresh oil and cera tec, then again it is my wife’s daily so I haven’t had much seat time since. With what little I have driven it all seems good. Prob have a few hundred miles on it now

[tlow98]

Originally Posted by BeachsideF30

I haven’t heard it either since fresh oil and cera tec, then again it is my wife’s daily so I haven’t had much seat time since. With what little I have driven it all seems good. Prob have a few hundred miles on it now

Yeah, I have a thousand miles on it now thanks to a big wknd trip. Still all good.

[BeachsideF30]

Just an update it’s been 3 weeks since I added the ceratec, I had some decent seat time in the x5 this weekend and can say I didn’t hear the notorious ticking once. Maybe this stuff actually worked

[Eurogreek]

Where do you buy createc? Do you just add it into the oil? I tired of the dealer telling me it’s normal noise.

Thanks