Weird clicking noise once I shut the engine off

[m5james]

Just spent 5 days on the road driving from Seattle to Hollywood to Vegas to Hollywood and back to Seattle, all without issue (minus my still nagging reduced power warning) while lowered on 22's, going through twisties and driving it harder than I've ever driven it before while leading or following hundreds of BMW's throughout our various meeting spots.

I've noticed now though that at night the engine fan is no longer coming on after I've shut the engine off, then coupled with this ticking noise that I can't seem to source, I'm worried. It sounds louder in the video than it is in person, but it's definitely there. A BMW tech buddy suggested it's an aux water pump for the turbos, I was assuming it was the aux fan motor or worst case scenario and injector is still running even after the engine has been turned off.

I've got a BMW laptop with Rheingold on it, but I've honestly no clue how to use it. I've got Carista on my phonr (code reading and coder) but I'm getting no codes either. Truck still has plenty of power, no issues or smells, etc.

[mirob]

Originally Posted by m5james

Just spent 5 days on the road driving from Seattle to Hollywood to Vegas to Hollywood and back to Seattle, all without issue (minus my still nagging reduced power warning) while lowered on 22's, going through twisties and driving it harder than I've ever driven it before while leading or following hundreds of BMW's throughout our various meeting spots.

I've noticed now though that at night the engine fan is no longer coming on after I've shut the engine off, then coupled with this ticking noise that I can't seem to source, I'm worried. It sounds louder in the video than it is in person, but it's definitely there. A BMW tech buddy suggested it's an aux water pump for the turbos, I was assuming it was the aux fan motor or worst case scenario and injector is still running even after the engine has been turned off.

I've got a BMW laptop with Rheingold on it, but I've honestly no clue how to use it. I've got Carista on my phonr (code reading and coder) but I'm getting no codes either. Truck still has plenty of power, no issues or smells, etc.

Just brainstorming here but you may be on to something with the auxiliary fan. If you've noticed that it's no longer running after driving the car hard (like it used to, mine does it after shutting it off on a hot day) it may be that somewhere the mechanism is slipping, thus making the noise.

This may not mean anything but I had a bad turbo coolant pump and it made no noise, techs just determined that it wasn't pumping coolant.
Again, may not mean anything in your case but that's the experience I had.

[frankenm]

Theres defiantly got to be a problem with the fan if it isn't running after shutting down, maybe try and just pull the fan out or unplug it and see if it still persists.

I'm assuming the fan runs when on?

I personally wouldn't drive it with it sounding like that since it could involve the cooling system ...

[m5james]

I've started the truck in my driveway, cycled the engine on and off, etc and it only makes the sound after driving. The fan still isn't coming on, so I'm going to assume the two are related. I've got my buddy who works at BMW of Seattle coming to see me on Sunday with his laptop, so we'll see what comes up via testing.

[m5james]

Bring on the grocery list. I didn't see how badly I'd moved until after he'd already cleared the codes.

[m5james]

I found the source of a weird ticking noise in my engine and the engine fan wasn't coming on...the water coolant pump for the turbos had broken into three pieces. Two hose clamps, two star bolts and $68 later...all is well.

Ignore the torn turbo to charge pipe hoses, that's a different project.

[JoeyBimX5din]

https://parts.bmwofsouthatlanta.com/...517629916.html

was this the failed part?

I am receiving the "high engine coolant temperature : drive moderately" warning in iDrive on restart, I have to get the codes pulled out this week, but I do have a solid feeling this may be what wrong. When the X is shut off, it will make noises like an aux pump is attempting to run, but it will cycle on and off, and sound kind of poor.

The issue is, there is another 'aux water pump' in the system, but its like 200$, so hopefully its the cheaper of the two. I do believe the more expensive aux water pump is the electric pump for the heat.

[m5james]

The little pump I replaced was on the LH front of the engine near the intercooler, it's for cooling the turbos only. There's an aux water pump for the engine itself on the RH side, under the expansion tank, which is what looks like the one you posted.

I was searching for the source of a leak, went a little overboard and removed the drivers inner fender before discovering it was a leaking expansion tank. Point being the pump be accessed from the engine bay once the expansion tank is removed...two bolts, two hoses and a fluid level sensor. You can see the pump clearly in the bottom left of the bottom picture, orange and red wires running to it.

You can test the pump, it's the same procedure as bleeding the cooling system after a coolant flush. Ignition on until the cluster is lit up, floor the gas pedal for at least 10 seconds and all the pumps should come on. The only other idea I can suggest is feeling the coolant lines, following them in and out, and if they're all still cold, you've maybe got a bad water pump itself.

[JoeyBimX5din]

I'm not overheating, so I don't think its the water pump. I believe the message is displaying because there is a BMW only code being set once I shut the engine down. So when I restart after the computers have gone to sleep, they see an active code, that is then inactive after 30ish seconds. Did the aux pump you replace have an electrical connector on it? There is two aux pumps, one for the turbo's, and one for when you cycle your heat on, I read that in the n63 workbook.

[m5james]

I keep forgetting you're an N63. Are you sure you're not overheating? My car doesn't have a coolant temp gauge, but I do monitor it via the JB4.

Yes, both pumps have electrical connectors to them, I haven't touched my belt driven water pump.

What are you using to read codes? I've used ones from autoparts stores, Bluetooth via Carista and/or JB4 to my laptop...sometimes I'll get completely different codes but I trust the laptop more using Rheingold/ISTA+.

[JoeyBimX5din]

Originally Posted by m5james

I keep forgetting you're an N63. Are you sure you're not overheating? My car doesn't have a coolant temp gauge, but I do monitor it via the JB4.

Yes, both pumps have electrical connectors to them, I haven't touched my belt driven water pump.

What are you using to read codes? I've used ones from autoparts stores, Bluetooth via Carista and/or JB4 to my laptop...sometimes I'll get completely different codes but I trust the laptop more using Rheingold/ISTA+.

Yes I am sure I am not overheating. If I were overheating, the warning would come on when I was driving, not say, a complete overnight cold soak. Plus when I shut the truck off it no longer sounds like a smooth coolant pump flow, I get some wierd groaning and grumbling noises, and the fans no longer come on, but they also work, because when driving they cycle.

Ok, the picture of the Aux water pump (that is not for the HVAC) doesn't seem to show any electrical connector. I do not if the M cars are different, they may be. I guess it would have to have a connector since it is coding, and runs when the vehicle is off. I know someone with Rheingold, I just have to get with them to get it hooked up. I should probably invest in BMW Technic at some point, since I plan on having this truck a bit.