The most common cause of VANOS noise involves excessive wear between the cam gear and VANOS shaft. Other threads say that sort of noise could be a loose timing chain tensioner, but again that seems too far forward. The E36 uses a timing chain to control the timing of the camshafts and the valve train. Reproduced from the BMW TIS. its an irritating wuuuuuuuuuhuuuuuuu sound but it goes away after about 7mins on idle. BMW SERIES 3 E46 alternator pulley tensioner noise i get a funny noise on the pulley alternator and tensioner areas of my e46 320i when i start it once it has cooled down. Previous posts indicate this is a very easy, and inexpensive job. Removing this slack on one side of the chain also causes the cam sprocket (3) to rotate and change camshaft timing on that bank. Check the oil level. ... but its a slight sound in the mornings only. Timing Chain Noise Bmw E30 318is M42b18 Oem Ina Timing Chain Tensioner E30 E36 Z3 With M42 M44 Engine The crankshaft chain tensioner is easily replaced. S50/S52 timing chain tensioner installation. Good advice to get it checked by a specialist if your worried about any noise. Do the tensioner , It does wear out over time . One of the most important components when it comes to regulating the timing of your engine is the timing chain. However, on the M42, the problem is usually a failing chain tensioner, a relatively easy fix. The pump is bolted to the engine block in the oil sump, and driven directly from the crankshaft by a single roller chain with a tensioner. It's a cylindrical shock absorber-looking thing. Since the E36 M3 the tensioner has been very reliable. I haven't seen much improvement performance wise, but the noise is reduced a bit and engine sounds a bit smoother than before, but that maybe just my butt sense. It's an INA brand pulley which for some reason it doesnt say in the ad, but it is the OEM supplier and is the same as the INA pulley I took off the car. Yup! A new trend of timing chain guide failure is occurring. Could VANOS or tensioner noises stop after a few startups, like mine did? The timing chain on an E36 is fastened to the camshaft with sprockets. Jump to Latest Follow ... an old pond - a noise - as a frog jumps in. If the tensioner is loose the belts may squeak or squeal, especially when the engine is first started. If the drive belt noise resembles a squeal or a squeak, it is possible that the belt tensioner is loose. Primary Tensioner Regular price $0.00 $95.00 Sale Select Model/Year Forked Piston (pre '96) Flat Piston - 96-99 E36 / E46 M3 On the S38B36, an oil-accumulator (diaphragm) is bolted onto the tensioner itself. When the timing chain guide (1) breaks, the chain drops down. E36 323i timing chain rattle Showing 1-19 of 19 messages. Meaning the timing chain does not fail on the model, but the plastic timing chain guide becomes brittle & breaks up filling the engine sump & oil pump strainer. I seem to remember putting one of these into an E30 M3 as a fix for a rattly timing chain and it worked. The most common symptom of a bad or failing drive belt tensioner is noise from the belts or tensioner. E36 M3 S50B30 Chain Tensioner Upgrade. i do not knwo how to test this part easily. It almost seemed as if the A/C tensioner damper is stuck in the extended position. the last link zibby posted is the shit. Cause: Defective bearing and/or pulley.. The air collector is extremely rigid and therefore emits less noise. Pulley bearing wear. Buy cheap Timing Chain Tensioner for your BMW E36 online on the site onlinecarparts.co.uk. I have a 1995 318i , automatic, 127,000 kms. The chain tensioner (2) attempts to take up the excess slack in the timing chain. In that case, the lifters may need replacement. Timing is an essential aspect of car motor operation. It is also possible for the tensioner pulley or bearing to wear out, in which case the vehicle will produce a grinding noise from the pulley. This Genuine BMW timing chain tensioner piston mounts at the bottom of the timing system. Squeaking or Grinding Noise. Most complaints of this fault are a scraping noise from the engine or red oil pressure warning light flashes on from time to time. For all early BMW Motorsport engines, BMW used the same tensioner. When the tensioner piston extends, the chain is pulled tight. The part(s) being used here are standard equipment on both the US S50 3.0L (all years) and Euro S52 3.2L (from 1/96 on) E36 M3 engines. The engine came in five size variants ranging from 3.5L to 4.8L, generating anywhere from 232hp to 370hp with the 4.8L features in the Alpina F5. Replace the timing chain tensioner on your S62 V8 engine today. Genuine BMW Timing Chain Tensioner - E90 E92 E93 M3 Periodic replacement of the tensioners will keep your engine smooth and quiet and prolong the life of the timing chain and guide rails. then, if the motor was new, the symptoms were right, and i was sure that the chain is not stretched, i'd just replace the tensioner. I changed lower chain tensioner and aluminum washer (#:11311405081, 07119963418 respectively) today. Replacement of the timing chain tensioner may fix this issue and alleviate the noise. I have a 1998 528i with 106K, BTW. 2. Tensioner pulley arrived in Syd the next day, right parts and good price - as always! So since i got my M3 its had this annoying noise at about 1800rpm when accelerating under load. This can initally lead to excess valve train noise and over timeit can damage the other timing components. The E36 is the third generation of the BMW 3 Series, and one of the entry-level offerings from the this Bavarian manufacturer. Here are step by step instructions for changing the timing chain tensioner on the E30 M3. The car also made a similar noise occasionally on cold start. sounds really rowdy. The camshaft chain tensioner needs the valve cover removed and possibly the vanos. Buy BMW Genuine Chain Tensioner Piston - Timing Chain E34 E36 E39 E46 E53 E60 E83 E8 525i 320i 323i 325i 325is 328i 525i 528i 530i 320i 323Ci 323i 325Ci 325i 325xi 328Ci 328i 330Ci 330i 330xi X5 3.0i 525i 530i X3 2.5i X3 3.0i Z4 2.5i Z4 3.0i Z3 2.5 Z3 2.5i Z3 2.8 Z3 3.0i: Timing Parts - Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases My original suspect was the A/C clutch, which you cannot purchase separately from the compressor. If your car still has the old style tensioner change it to the new style as well . I think its highly unlikey that the tensioner would cause the kind of noise you mention. The M50 was notorious for this lifter noise, and in severe cases BMW replaced the motor under warranty. I literally changed (1) power steering pump (2) water pump (3) and both the idler and tensioner pulleys with zero change in the rattle. 110194000, January 1994. These small chain guides are known to wear over time and can cause some chain noise (sometimes confused for vanos rattle) at low RPM It's always a good idea to change your upper chain guide rail (next to the chain tensioner) when removing the vanos as it makes it much easier to replace once the vanos is out of the way. BMW has updated the M42 four cylinder engine to optimize noise levels (acoustics) and to comply with emission regulations. I, too, have a chatter coming from the engine but it only occurs when I switch the A/C on and off. Appearance: With the engine off and the belt removed, manually rotate the pulley.If you notice noise, resistance or roughness, the problem is likely to be pulley bearing wear. While timing chains can last for a long time, they do eventually wear out. Rattle is NOT gone, so my next project is the vanos rebuild. This is a Genuine BMW chain tensioner kit with a two year warranty. The M62 is a naturally aspirated V8 engine used by BMW in various 5-series, 7-series, and X-series from 1995-2005. Timing chain , I was told should be replaced every 100k as they stretch , and the guides and rails should also be changed as well cos the plastic gets brittle and breaks . My noise also seemed to come farther back in the valve cover area rather than from the VANOS unit in front. Turned out to be the belt tensioner for the water pump/power steering/alternator. As noted by Nathan the chain tensioners don't usually fail. It's accessible from the outside of the engine on the exhaust side on the side front. So i was told that the ticking noise (sounds like tapet noise) coming from the motor (on idle) has something to do with the hydrolic lifters, is there any way of quieting it down? Excessive axial play can also develop over time, leading to camshaft lash and the telltale VANOS rattle. It wasn’t vanos, because it persisted after i rebuilt that. Problems and faults: BMW E36 3-Series convertible The automatic transmission may be slow to engage gears after sitting overnight because the fluid drains out of the torque converter. E36 323i timing chain rattle: Tony: ... -tensioner broken/worn - seems to be more related to the older rotary type+belt (this one is hydralic+chain) ... >Engine noise Definately sounds like metal-metal but not a forceful Comments: I was able to easily remove the serpentine belt on my 1997 e36, but got almost zero movement on the A/C belt tensioner when trying to release the tensioner using an 8mm allen wrench. E36 328i - Ticking Noise. E36 M3 (S50/S52) Timing Chain Tensioner. what i used to do, is to listen with a stethoscope, to make sure if the noise is from the chain and not something else. I am thinking the timing chain tensioner need replacing. This is especially the case when starting the engine first thing in the morning. These changes are incorporated on all M42 E36 vehicles produced from 1/94. Last few weeks there is a chain rattle noise occuring from engine area, when car idles from cold start. This is an Original BMW part. If you hear what sounds like marbles in a tin can coming from the engine bay of your BMW E36, it could mean that your mechanical timing chain tensioner is failing.Instead of replacing the tensioner with a stock unit, upgrade to the hydraulic one used in the S50, S52, and S54 of the E36 … Once car is revved up, the rattle goes away. Backstory. Could the increase in engine load be exposing the weakness in my timing chain tensioner? The oil pump is a "Duocentric" also known as an Eaton Rotary type of tandem design (similar to M70 oil pump). One of the most common symptoms of a failing belt tensioner is unusual noise coming from either the tensioner or the drive belts. Over time this piston seals can fail causing the timing chain to become slack. However, before they break, they usually loosen. That sounds a great deal like the noise I chased for months on my 318. 11311307053 - tensioner spring 07119963418 - 26x31mm seal ring 07119963355 - 22x27mm seal ring The 95 M3 tensioner uses a stiffer spring and can be used as a direct replacement/upgrade, without the need to rebuild the tensioner or force the S14 spring into the housing. It only happened when the oil temp was over 90c, and only when under load. Save Share. High-quality Timing Chain Tensioner for BMW E36 and other models. Document no. E36 M3 3.2 (S52) timing chain tensioner. 2. The internal components within the VANOS solenoid itself are also vulnerable to wear and tear. 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