New Car owner - HELP

[ywonder]

Hello I just bought a 2004 325 ci last
week the engine is making this little clicking noise
sales repr. told me it was normal, but I'm not ok with it,
so i was wondering if any ones does it ? is it really normal ?can you email at [email protected]
thanks

 

[TheBry]

Mine does too... at idle. When I increase the RPMs it goes away. My dealer said it was normal too... in fact, I heard it when I took delivery and wondered what the heck it was. It's not loud or anything, but definitely noticeable above the wonderful hum of the I-6.

 

[MrElussive]

What fuel are you two using?

 

[TheBry]

Premium (93 octane?) Shell.

 

[MrElussive]

Isn't there a known issue where the knocking comes from using 93 octane fuel? I think the solution is to use 91 octane over 93 octane or something like that. I'm sure the other members on the board will know what I'm talking about.

 

[Kirby]

Is it a soft clicking noise from the upper part of the engine? It's normal for the fuel injection system to make a quiet clicking noise. It's actually a "compliment" in that your engine runs so smoothly and quietly that you can hear the fuel injection train.

 

[olcrazy1]

I noticed at a cold start on cold weather the car makes soem strange noises, but seams to go away after about 30 seconds or so. Dealer told me it was normal, I have heard the saem noise on a few similar BMW's. In warmer weather it does not make the noise that I'm talking about.

 

[bmwrocks]

Isn't there a known issue where the knocking comes from using 93 octane fuel? I think the solution is to use 91 octane over 93 octane or something like that. I'm sure the other members on the board will know what I'm talking about.

I have been using 93 since I got my car in August last year. Never a peep of knocking.

It doesn't seem likely that 93 octane would knock and 91 wouldn't to me. But that's just me and I am no fuel expert. I always thought that knocking came with lower octane fuels, not higher?

 

[undien717]

That's true, bmwrocks. If you use higher octane, it decreases the chances of knocking and detonation (which is the extreme case). The octane reading tells you how much gas you can compress in your cylinder before it spontaneously ignites. The higher octane reading means you can compress more gas safely. I'm not sure about the compression ratios for older 3 series models, but the E46 definitely needs the high octane since it runs at such high compression ratios- 10.2:1 for 330s, 10.5:1 for 325, and 11.5:1 for the M3- makes me shiver just thinking about the M3.

 

[flashinthepan]

Is it a soft clicking noise from the upper part of the engine? It's normal for the fuel injection system to make a quiet clicking noise. It's actually a "compliment" in that your engine runs so smoothly and quietly that you can hear the fuel injection train.

Ditto....

My Toyota Tundra makes a very slight ticking, every single person said I was wacked out crazy and its wasnt anything...I even went to an exhaust shop, they too said "I dont hear anything but the fuel injectors". So now I hardly even listen so closely.

Doesnt sound like knocking IMO.
It is the slight click of the injectors, you can often hear slight injection clicking on real quiet Honda engines as well.

 

[deutsch100]

Hey Bry...how do you get 93 Octane in San Fransisco, CA??? Here in Los Angeles....the highest available form Shell, Chevron, Mobil, Texaco, Exxon is 91. Our 92 octante was pulled from us over 2 years ago!!!!!!

 

[TheBry]

Hey Bry...how do you get 93 Octane in San Fransisco, CA??? Here in Los Angeles....the highest available form Shell, Chevron, Mobil, Texaco, Exxon is 91. Our 92 octante was pulled from us over 2 years ago!!!!!!

I must be using 91 then. You'll notice in my original reply I put the octane rating in parenthesis with a question mark. I know I buy the highest available grade at Shell (Premium). If the highest available is 91 then that's what I'm using. I'm filling up again tomorrow, so I'll check for sure and will get back to ya ;-)

 

[codex57]

sorta off topic, but why do you use Shell? My g/f's from SF and I noticed that Shell is very popular there and they can charge like 20 cents more than say Chevron or 76. Particularly the Shell stations on Fell Street. Not all are 20 cents more obviously, but they're all a significant amount more. For example, the one in Davis is like 6 cents more than the Chevron across from it the last time I was there.

 

[ywonder]

Hello People thanks a lot for your answer they have a made me a lot more secureThanks again!

 

[TheBry]

Hey there deutsch100 and codex57,

I did fill up today, and the octane rating on Shell's premium gas is 91.

Basically I use Shell because there are stations near my house and near where I work. Makes it convenient to fill-up either before starting my commute or after finishing the work day (before starting my commute home). I guess I'm paying $2 more per tank for the convenience.