That kind of sounds like a slight blow on an exhaust gasket to me
What’s it like when you rev the car in neutral?

 

I'd agree, exhaust gasket or (happened to me) exhaust manifold stud loose/missing ....

Mind, it's also a similar sound to a blowing injector ...

Have you looked under the bonnet whilst someone else revs it a little? See if you can see an oil mist or 'smoke' ...

 

Thanks so much for the quick replies!

@Stevejrich - When I rev the car in neutral there is no sound going up the revs, but on the way down you can hear the noise (the noise is a faster version of what it sounds like when under load, I guess because the revs are coming down quicker).

@Greasy - Looked under the hood last night and got my partner to rev it a fair few times, no mist or smoke that I could see.

I've taken the car back down to BMW this morning and the technicians did a great job of identifying and showing me exactly where the noise is coming from. It's the part here highlighted in red:

When a small amount of pressure is applied to it via hand (to stop it vibrating) the noise disappears, which you can see in this video here:

Dropbox - Error - Simplify your life

www.dropbox.com

I believe this is part of the turbo actuator(?), which was previously changed to try and resolve this issue.

The technicians are sending a video of this, along with mine from outside the car while driving, up the chain within BMW to see if this is something they will work on further ... or ... if it's a characteristic of the car and presumably expect me to put up with it ...

I'll keep this thread updated should anyone else have the same problem.

Cheers again guys!

 

That’s an exhaust clamp pre cat/opf

Hopefully they’ll get it fixed this time 🤞🏻

 

That noise and how it's happening is NOT inherent to any car!! It's a poorly made or poorly fitted clamp. Either the clamp is too large or the pipe it clamps too is a tad too small. Nothing in it, mind, I'd DIY it if necessary and use some exhaust gasket material to widen the pipe, or change the clamp (if it's removable) for a slightly smaller one!

 

Sorry guys, my attempt to circle the correct part was a little vague, it's actually this part causing the issue (which I'm sure they said was part of the turbo actuator) which is a fair distance up above that clamp (hard to see in the picture):

As soon as you put some pressure on that metal link the noise stops.

Still waiting to hear back from BMW!

 

OK, so my post still stands .. it's either a badly made part which doesn't fit correctly, a worn part, it's been fitted wrongly or may have simply come loose!

Same result, I'd remove 'stuff' around it to see how it looks at each end it and inspect the connections at either end to see what's what, depending on that would determine what to do. It may not be that part 'exactly' but could be whatever it connects to that's loose. I'd guess it's pretty simple, if time-consuming, now you've narrowed it down.

 

Hello!
I have the exact clicking noise. When you drive it sport mode it goes away. When you drive it in comfort or eco pro mode you can hear it and it is very annoying. I went to my BMW dealer, they checked the car and they said to me that every 118i and 218i has this sound. They had another 118i F40 and had the exact sound. If you came up with a solution, please share it!
Thank you!

 

Hey guys. I got the same issue, annoying clicking noise at low revs. Anyone got an update on it?

 

Hey all,

I eventually got BMW to replace the whole turbo unit under warranty. As soon as that work was done the noise disappeared and the car has sounded perfect since (done about 2,000 miles since).

I suggest showing your dealer this thread and pushing for the same treatment to get a resolution.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the feedback Ben. Glad you got that fixed and will definitely get back to dealer with it. Unfortunately it sounds much more serious than I hoped, but luckily mine is also under warranty. Cheers!

 

So pleased you managed to get it sorted in the end 👍🏻