530i m-tech 2002

jetsetwilly2000 wrote: This tappety noise worries me - either they are just wrong/lying when they say it's normal, or it is normal.  You should be able to find out which by taking it somewhere else and asking them what they think - or by posting a .wav of the noise on here I guess.

I would agree with you. 

There was no need to mess about with the tappets if the engine mangement light came on.

I would get a second opinion on your car and certainly if you can make a mobile phone recording of your car engine sound and post it on here that would certainly help. I did that and someone on here got what was at fault.

The transmission warning light (your original reason for posting) will have come on as the engine was developing a fault and the transmission will have been upset at the input torque fluctuations from the engine missfiring from the dodgy coils.  I doubt very much that there is anything wrong with your transmission.

Andrew Rolland wrote: I'm wondering if it was a pinking noise?  A light ticking noise that could be casued by faulty ignition system may sound like a tappety noise.  New coils would go someway to help a pinking problem but wouldn't explain why you are still getting the noise. Were all 6 coil packs replaced? There is no way that tappets can be mistaken for a fault with coils.

So brought it back to the garage (and this went on for just under 3 months) and they plugged it in and it showed up that it was coil pack no 5 then from there I went back collected the car and one by one each time I picked it up it had to go back to get another coil pack done,so after all that the last time I brought it back they decided to reset the ecu and replace the tappets and said that noise was normal oh incidently they checked the oil leak and said that it was a loose nut in the sump,so they tightened it and it didnt leak oil while it was sitting in the forecourt.

I have noticed that while I have not been driving it does not constantly leak oil its just when the car is started or driven,im sure from the pressure the engine is under. So thats the whole palava!!!

Now the lad that came up and plugged it in for me said it sounded like a tappet needs to be replaced at the back??? But again he would have to go through the whole thing to find out,he seemed genuine enough as he did not charge for calling out to plug it in and he cleared the fault with the automatic transmission light that came on.

Anyhow I hope ye all dont think im just farting around on this forum,I am just trying to find out as many possabilities as to what the problem could be so that I am not ripped off where ever I end up bringing it to, to be sorted out.

I know what these garages are like when they think you do not have a clue what your talking about!! 

Im bilixed after all that

I'm wondering if it was a pinking noise?  A light ticking noise that could be casued by faulty ignition system may sound like a tappety noise.  New coils would go someway to help a pinking problem but wouldn't explain why you are still getting the noise.

Were all 6 coil packs replaced?

There is no way that tappets can be mistaken for a fault with coils.

Re. tappet noise.  Have you dipped the car for oil recently?

Being a 530i, these can be fond of a drop of oil.  I know you said that oil was changed along with the tappets but how much mileage has been completed since then?  A 530i can use a litre in a thousand miles.  A drop in oil level, and therefore oil pressure, may mean that there isn't enough oil circulating to the head and tappets.

With my recently departed 330Ci I could always tell by the sound of the engine if it needed dipping and a top up.