Engine is about to break...watch video

I recently started hearing some squeeking sounds coming from my motor, more when it's cold, I think. Sounds like bearings going bad, and comes from the general vacility of the alternator, again, I think.

If you have 30 seconds, take a quick look at the video I shot...its not great, but you can pick out the intermittant bearing grinding sound separate from the motor noise. Especially in the first 15-20 seconds, which is all you really need to watch.

Any help is appreciated.

Thank you!

does the noise increase when you give it gas? sounds like the water pump blade broke or a bad pulley or tensioner. Removing the belt and running the engine for a few seconds will determine this.

sounds like your DISA is flopping inside the intake
also could be Vanos.

Classic marbles in a tin can produced by your lovely mobil 1.

Im thinking a bad pulley or It could be youre fanblade.

this thread is all over the place.
OP, use a long screw driver to listen to various parts of the engine.

Originally Posted by GoingNuts

Classic marbles in a tin can produced by your lovely mobil 1.

how can you tell he is using mobil 1?

sounds like a pulley/bearing noise, i had a noise like that on a 2000 328i and it was a loose harmonic balancer. Easy way to check is take the belt off and run it, see if it still makes the noise if not then its one of your pulleys.

Some info:
- car has 65,552 miles on it
- changed belts very recently, @ 62,010, but didn't hear it after I did that work
- last oil change was with BMW Syn 5w-30 and new Mann filter, 3,220 miles ago, @ 62,332

JasonBimmer: put handle to my ear and touch blade to various housings, correct? Seen it, never actually did it myself.

I had the same problem... It was comig from main pulley, it was released. you have to remove your fan take off belts and check pulleys (shake). If pulleys are tight then problem is in your water pump...

Originally Posted by jasonbimmer

how can you tell he is using mobil 1?

Because he's got marbles.

If i'm going to do all that again, at 65k, should I just replace the water pump with a Warner anyway? Wadda you think, guys?

If the pylleys are original,they should be changed by now.
Unplug thr disa in order to diagnose the problem better. If when you unplug the disa noise goes away then it was disa causing the rattle

Sent from my X10a using Bimmer App

I agree that it could be various pulleys making noise.

I've heard of the infamous DISA valve but haven't messed with it. It's kinda hard to do that, to get to, right? Difficult positioning in top rear of motor if I remember correctly.

I'll check the pulleys, but I figure I may as well change the water pump to a Warner if I do, it'll be sitting right in front of me unobstructed.

Originally Posted by Blocked Out

If the pylleys are original,they should be changed by now.
Unplug thr disa in order to diagnose the problem better. If when you unplug the disa noise goes away then it was disa causing the rattle

Sent from my X10a using Bimmer App

Not really a "rattle" but more like a "eeee-ee-eeeee-ee-eeee"...lol

I just played the video again, now on my PC and it sounds more like a pulley then anything else.

Your car has 3 pulleys:
- one is called idler (its the most common and usually the first to go ) $30 from any online vendor
-Second one is called tensioner pulley (it puts tension n the main belt) $25 buys it. Its recommended to replace them at the same time
-last one is AC tensioner pulley (these pulleys dont usually go until 100k +) if you wish, you can replace it at the same time.

Also, DISA is not any difficult to do at all. If you are able to open your hood then you can replace your DISA , its that simple. First , you need to do some diagnosis.

Follow the video below to diagnose DISA noises, NOT my video



Follow the video below to replace your DISA if its actually bad.

Thank you to everyone! I have some detective (and mechanic) work to do!

Nobody has answered my other question though...should I replace the water pump at 65k? Or is that premature (save the jokes!)?

Wow, talk about timing! The same problem happened to my car the other day. I have an '06 325ci with approx 72,xxx miles. The noise came from the same area in your video. The speed of the noise increased along with the engine rev. The sound came from somewhere around the oil filter, powersteering reservoir, and intake manifold. Couldn't figure it out what it was. It eventually went away and haven't had the noise since.