Hello new to the forum. Just purchased a Z4 M and have about 900km on it and have noticed a rattle in the engine in all gears from 2900-3400 rpm. The dealer told me that that is normal and that it has to do with the variable valve timing. Is this true, has anyone experience this before.

Yep. That is normal. I had the same thing and I asked the tech guy at the dealer. I also saw other posts in other forums confirming this as well.
Ken

frucking wierd

I had always thought it was the penny in the empty body cavity trick that the assemby line does to new BMW owners!

I had always thought it was the penny in the empty body cavity trick that the assemby line does to new BMW owners!

Either that, or its a Friday afternoon car or Monday car.

Yep. That is normal. I had the same thing and I asked the tech guy at the dealer. I also saw other posts in other forums confirming this as well.
Ken


Does his happen in the E46M3?

My wife used to ask me about the rattle when she was in my E46 M3. I think it's the sound high performance exaust headers make. They're very, very thin. Doesn't BMW make them within a fluid bath to achieve this thinness? The sound you hear is the combustion leaving the short block assembly and bangin' around on it's way out.
Muscle cars from late sixties and early seventies were always ticking and pinging at idle, then rattling when engine had any considerable strain.