Engine ticking after autocross

[HokieZHP]

Hey guys, I just ran an autocross track and when I was done my engine was ticking. Its loud though, not like lifter tick. Sounds like its coming from the back/middle of the engine. I took a video of it. It gets faster when I rev up. Any ideas??

I'll try to post the video in a second.


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[M0nk3y]

It's a lifter tick. Nothing else.

[HokieZHP]

Yeah it's only right after I finish. I idle for a minute or so and it goes away. Anything to be concerned about? Anything I need to do?


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[Hornung418]

Just add a half quart of oil before you run and use a mighty vac to remove it when you finish.

Sent from Branson, MO.

[HokieZHP]

Any consequences of not doing that and just keeping my oil as is now? I added a tiny bit just now.


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[Hornung418]

Just lifter tick. It's completely normal.

Sent from Branson, MO.

[HokieZHP]

Ok thanks. Yeah there's an autocross track set up in one of the school parking lots and the organizer said I could run it. First time I've done it and I'm hooked! I ran 1:03 as a best time. First time was a 1:11. 5 runs later I dropped it to 1:03. I feel like I'm going to have to keep doing it! I wanna get below 1 minute haha


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[M0nk3y]

You can add more oil, that will eliminate some of the problem. When I had my 325xi it ticked like none other.

My S54 ticks sometimes as well. The powersteering also whines for 2-3 seconds after a hard turning course. It's all just doing it's job

[JupiterBMW]

You ever get the video online? I'd be interested to hear it as I had some tick the other day as well. I wasn't autocrossing or anything, but even just some spirited driving combined with Florida summer heat, it wouldn't surprise me.

[HokieZHP]

I'm actually came back to runit. Best time is 1:00.2. I just took a vid of me running the course with my iPhone ghetto rigged to my windshield with band aids :shift (from kit in my trunk) cause I had no tape. I'll post vids when I get home. I'm already hooked on autocross!


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[HokieZHP]

Here's the engine video that I took of the engine ticking...

http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq109/maxx919/2003%20ZHP/?action=view&current=a1250d63.mp4

And here's the crappy ghetto rigged iphone video I took of me running the track haha. First time I had ever done an Autocross course. I talked to the organizer who was out there earlier after the event re-configuring the track and he said I could come out and run it a couple times tonight. I may enter tomorrow just for the hell of it to see how I do...

I ran a 1:04.6 here on Conti DWS'. The clinking is my keys btw.

http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq109/maxx919/2003%20ZHP/?action=view&current=a1250d63.mp4#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s438.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq109%2Fmaxx919%2F 2003%2520ZHP%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3D1da466 f1.mp4

[Mike V]

If you heard how an E36 M3 ticks like crazy after an autocross run or two, you wouldn't be too worried about your minor ticking. :) It even takes nearly 10 minutes of driving on the highway until it finally goes away. It freaked me out the first time too.

Hornung, are you in Branson on vacation? I live just 2 hours north of there.

[az3579]

Definitely normal. You could fill a little bit more oil, as Kyle said, but the problem is never going to go completely away. The ticking will always happen after lots of directional changes, such as what happens at auto-x. Mine does it every single time. I'm not worried about it. There aren't really any BMWs that I've seen that it doesn't happen to, granted the car gets pushed hard enough.

Let the car run for a few minutes after. You'll notice the ticking will eventually cease and normal sounds will resume.

[M0nk3y]

Here's the engine video that I took of the engine ticking...

http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq109/maxx919/2003%20ZHP/?action=view&current=a1250d63.mp4

And here's the crappy ghetto rigged iphone video I took of me running the track haha. First time I had ever done an Autocross course. I talked to the organizer who was out there earlier after the event re-configuring the track and he said I could come out and run it a couple times tonight. I may enter tomorrow just for the hell of it to see how I do...

I ran a 1:04.6 here on Conti DWS'. The clinking is my keys btw.

http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq109/maxx919/2003%20ZHP/?action=view&current=a1250d63.mp4#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2F s438.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fqq109%2Fmaxx919%2F 2003%2520ZHP%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3D1da466 f1.mp4

Interesting course....and at night?

I'd go to a SCCA event. That course set-up was completely off. ALOT of mis-marked cones.

[HokieZHP]

Interesting course....and at night?

I'd go to a SCCA event. That course set-up was completely off. ALOT of mis-marked cones.

That was a SCCA event. And It was at night because I saw the course and the guy said I could drive it a few times for fun. I've never done AutoX before so I didn't know whether the cones were good or not.

[SoarinZHP]

Perhaps a dry sump oil system would alleviate future lifter ticking as a result of extreme driving?

[nike001]

heh, mine did this my first time too!

I was scared shitless, but then it went away after a few minutes and never came back after my other runs so I let it slide. Glad to see it's normal though

[Johnmadd]

Is it back to normal Chris? I would have been like wtf too.

[HokieZHP]

Yeah it went back to normal after a couple minutes.

[Johnmadd]

Gtk.

[mLuMaN83]

I would have been tripping. I freak out over any noise in my car lol.

Glad to hear it's normal!

[HokieZHP]

Yeah I was a little worried but it went away so I figured it wasn't bad.

[Johnmadd]

I trust the track guys, they have experience.

[M0nk3y]

Perhaps a dry sump oil system would alleviate future lifter ticking as a result of extreme driving?

S54s have a semi-dry sump and I get ticks from time to time.


Yeah it went back to normal after a couple minutes.

You can also rev to 2.5k and hold it there in GRID to help get rid of the noise...but doesn't matter. It's just a noise that makes non-BMW owners come up to you and ask if your car is okay ;)

[HokieZHP]

You can also rev to 2.5k and hold it there in GRID to help get rid of the noise...but doesn't matter. It's just a noise that makes non-BMW owners come up to you and ask if your car is okay ;)

GRID?

[M0nk3y]

GRID?

During an event, all cars during a heat are stationed in an area where you park the car and wait for next run, it's call Grid.

I always get the car in grid, idle it for a couple minutes and turn it off (because usually it's around 10-15 minutes before next run). I spray my tires to cool them down and check pressures. I start my car back up a couple minutes before hand going back out to maintain operating oil temp (200*F for me)

[HokieZHP]

Oh gotcha. Well I found out that on the re-configured course, I ran 4 seconds behind the one who won the class I would have run in. The best I did was a 59.8 and the winner did a 55.6 I believe.

[M0nk3y]

Oh gotcha. Well I found out that on the re-configured course, I ran 4 seconds behind the one who won the class I would have run in. The best I did was a 59.8 and the winner did a 55.6 I believe.

You'll get faster...give it time.

Took me 3 years to finally beat the guy that has been teaching me all along, and it was by 0.305 seconds on a 59 second course...

Only reason I won was because it was a HP friendlier course. He was running an E36 M.

[HokieZHP]

Yeah I mean I was happy with that considering it was my first time. I'm thinking of getting into AutoX though. Just gotta get another set of wheels/tires.

[M0nk3y]

Yeah I mean I was happy with that considering it was my first time. I'm thinking of getting into AutoX though. Just gotta get another set of wheels/tires.

Learn with what you have. If you get better tires it will mask your errors.

As well, loop the car next time out...seriously. You don't know the limit until you break it.

[HokieZHP]

Not better tires, just different ones. So I don't destroy my DD tires.

What do you mean loop the car?

[M0nk3y]

Not better tires, just different ones. So I don't destroy my DD tires.

What do you mean loop the car?

What are you running on? I doubt youll see any wear from it. Run proper pressure and youre ok

Im running RS3s, which are a 140 treadwear and ill be able to get around 24 events plus a couple HPDEs. Aka 2-3 years

When i say loop the car...spin it, loose control

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[HokieZHP]

I'm running DWS'

I have looped my car. I did on one corner. I ran the course with my traction control all the way off. I'd say that I know the limits of my car pretty well, especially after all the driving I do on the rural roads here.

[M0nk3y]

If you say so.

You dont need new tires. I ran my E46 for 10 events (a year) before i considered tires.

Knowing the limits is one thing...now applying it to a course consistently is another.

Ideally, you should be hitting the same time everytime. If you keep on dropping time (more than a second to half a second id say) than your not use to your car. Once you get to the point of running times and cant shave anymore and you know the car is holding you up, then you change.

There are plenty people here, in my region that are blown 'i need tires...these suck...etc' im not saying your one of them...but learning your car takes time, it wont be instant.

Im still learning my current car after a full year of running it.

Just my suggestions. Spend the money when you need it, not when you think you need it

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[az3579]

Not better tires, just different ones. So I don't destroy my DD tires.

What do you mean loop the car?


If you say so.

You dont need new tires. I ran my E46 for 10 events (a year) before i considered tires.

Knowing the limits is one thing...now applying it to a course consistently is another.

Ideally, you should be hitting the same time everytime. If you keep on dropping time (more than a second to half a second id say) than your not use to your car. Once you get to the point of running times and cant shave anymore and you know the car is holding you up, then you change.

There are plenty people here, in my region that are blown 'i need tires...these suck...etc' im not saying your one of them...but learning your car takes time, it wont be instant.

Im still learning my current car after a full year of running it.

Just my suggestions. Spend the money when you need it, not when you think you need it

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This, in its entirety. You don't need new tires for this. Auto-x is pretty light on tires as long as you're not at an auto-x every single weekend. Typically, you'll last a couple of seasons before needing new tires at a minimum (couple of years), and that's assuming you daily drive your tires as well.

It certainly does take a long time to get accustomed to your car. I agree wholly; I'm still learning 3 years since starting.

[HokieZHP]

Well my DWS's I bought in December and they are almost shot. Which is the reason for me wanting new tires. These tires have worn so fast, even on the front. I bought the fronts in August and they are almost gone too. So tires don't last me a couple years haha

[M0nk3y]

Well my DWS's I bought in December and they are almost shot. Which is the reason for me wanting new tires. These tires have worn so fast, even on the front. I bought the fronts in August and they are almost gone too. So tires don't last me a couple years haha

That doesnt sound right ..how many miles on the tires?

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[az3579]

You really shouldn't be getting such bad tire wear. I go through about 32-33k miles a year and that includes 3-4 track days on the tires. I also have DWS'. Currently have 4 track days on them, about 26k miles, and they will definitely go another 10-15k if I drive conservatively.

Dunno what YOU've been doing... :shifty




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[Ryans323i]

He's a road-rager, I've seen it. :shifty lol.