OK just did my 1200 today....

when i got the car back it sounded different, i dunno if its just me and im going crazy just thinking something is wrong


does the engine normally make a little extra rattly noise btw 3000 and 3500 than anywhere else in the rev range???? is that like a new BAD thing, or did i just never hear it before???

Well my car, which looks exactly like yours :) does the same thing. I didn't notice it until the 1200 mile service either. Pretty weird but I've read that it's normal.

It is normal. The variable valve timing (double vanos) is activated between 3k and 4k rpm...that's what you are hearing. If you search on this subject ("noise at 3000 rpm" or somesuch thing), you'll find a bulletin from BMW stating that this is expected on our engines. I admit that it was more noticeable after the 1200 mile service on my car too -but have no idea why as I am told the oil used for the first 1200 miles is the same as the oil they put in afterwards (not thicker break-in oil which would have muffled any noises)...in any event, this is definitely normal.

Anyway - congrats...you can floor it now:D ...but read the breakin procedure in your manual in addition to your window sticker - it has more specifics about "gradually" increasing max RPMs between 1200 miles and 3100 miles - the window sticker implies that you are good to go to 8k rpm at 1200 miles...which isn't in agreement with the owner's manual :(

Maybe we should sticky one of these "its normal to have rattle at 3k in an MZ4" threads. I know I would have been worried If I hadn't seen one of these threads too.

There's a link to the BMW bulletin (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173044) from June, 2006 about this on Bimmerfest if you want to see the "official" word that it's normal engine sound.

bahhh ive pushed her pretty hard since day one never past say 6.5 but i have def had my foot to the floor

....ive read books and journals and articles about whether to break it in by the book or just let her go... as far as i see, a hard break in evenly sorts out the piston rings and all that good stuff inside better than if you did it softly

also a hard break in has been proven to create "faster" cars, by that i mean cars with dyno proven higher hp numbers

so im not upset ive pushed it a little bit, but now its time to see whats shes made of, just gotta wait for a warm day so i can run my friends evo mr, and my other friends elise muhahahaha

just got back from 1200 miles service.. engine runs smooth like butter...

definately feel the same....almost sounds different too maybe its just me, i feel they do something else that they dont tell us they do...

i feel it differently and hear it, but might just be bc in the back of my mind i expect something to be different, i dunno

I am getting close to 9K now and I have noticed that engine is getting quieter and I can barely notice the vanos anymore. Or perhaps my brain is trained to filter out that sound now. However, my exhaust is getting much deeper which is certainly very nice. I was looking at Supersprint Sport cans but now that the exhaust is sounding "perfect" I think I will hold off and see how things progress the next 10K miles.

even after 1400 miles i think its deeper than when i picked it up with < 10

this noise you are hearing does it worsen when you are just free revving versus driving. if so then you are are hearing the chain tensioner, and it's competely normal. when you perform the 1200 mile service the vehicle engine controller unlocks certain variable attributed to engine operation do keep you from damaging until the service. these include different adaptation values, vanos adaptations ( hense your noise and chain tensions.)