Looking for help

[duplicities]

Possibly buying a car soon (as in this week,) had the guy send me some videos and I can't tell if it is just a loud engine tick or wastegate rattle. Can anyone help me out?

[atr_hugo]

What is the car (year and model) - a 128i should be quiet as a church mouse, but the 135i with the N54 engine can sound a bit like a diesel under the hood at idle. IIRC, the N54 ran through model year 2010 and was replaced with the N55 in model year 2011 through 2013. Not sure if I could distinguish between a normal N54 idle noise and wastegate rattle from the audio captured in a video - maybe someone else can. Would you be willing to post the videos?

The 128i uses the N52 (N51?) six in all model years - the 1er never got the 4 cylinder for the 28 series (which sounded like a cheap diesel at idle ; -).

[NorthernDancer]

Get a pre purchase inspection done at a good BMW garage; videos don't cut it. You could be in for very expensive repairs otherwise.

[desertman123]

Are 128i N52s done with the hydraulic lifter tick? I know the problem was fixed in 2008 models of the engine but there was some overlap.

But yeah N54/N55 use direct injection which is notorious for making ticking noises.

Also might be an exhaust leak?

[Esteban]

I owned an N54 135i and now a N55 135i and in my opinion neither engine is quiet. Both sound a little diesel-ish to me.

Also agree that a PPI is a must.

[Gray_Panther]

Originally Posted by Esteban

I owned an N54 135i and now a N55 135i and in my opinion neither engine is quiet. Both sound a little diesel-ish to me.

Also agree that a PPI is a must.

I still have it in my MY2012 N51. Happens sometimes but not all the time.

[Matticus91]

Seconding the group here, get a PPI done by a BMW dealer or authorized tech.

[duplicities]

Sorry I haven't replied to this thread, didn't end up buying. Whole car sounded like garbage and the turbos were definitely due, out of warranty, and the guy was trying to dump it before he leaves the country. Recipe for disaster imo.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by duplicities

Sorry I haven't replied to this thread, didn't end up buying. Whole car sounded like garbage and the turbos were definitely due, out of warranty, and the guy was trying to dump it before he leaves the country. Recipe for disaster imo.

Sounds like you just saved yourself a major headache. Smart move. Something better will come along.

[Gray_Panther]

There is a thread here in the cosmetics subforum where you can buy white halogen bulbs and then using bmwapp code the voltage to be higher so they can shine brighter and be noticeably brighter during daytime.

[atr_hugo]

Originally Posted by duplicities

Whole car sounded like garbage and the turbos were definitely due, out of warranty, and the guy was trying to dump it before he leaves the country. Recipe for disaster imo.

You made the smart move, remember that BMW stands for 'Break My Wallet' and it appears that car would have accomplished that. ; -)

FWIW, I recently replaced an '08 that had been totalled with a 2013 135i - but I ended up getting a Certified Pre-Owned. You may already be aware of the site but here's a link just in case:

http://cpo.bmwusa.com/used-inventory/index.htm