[umb2021]

New Owner of 530E LCI. The car is loud when idling even when the engine oil is at correct oil temperature. It's even louder than my 20 year old Passat with 1.8t engine both inside the car and outside. How is this possible for a premium car?

Furthermore revving the engine when idling shakes the car a lot. Never experienced this in any other 4 cylinder. Is this normal?

I have attached a video with the sound of the engine at idle. Does it sound normal? The has only 11.000km on the clock.

[SteveinArizona]

The video is not attached but mine does not behave that way. Mine idles with the electric motor so it is absolutely quiet at idle.

I don't rev the car at idle so I don't know about that. I do know that if I am in pure electric mode and the car needs to activate the ICE, I often don't realize it unless I am staring at the binnacle. The transition from electric motor to internal combustion engine is that smooth in my car (pre LCI).

[umb2021]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

The video is not attached but mine does not behave that way. Mine idles with the electric motor so it is absolutely quiet at idle.

I don't rev the car at idle so I don't know about that. I do know that if I am in pure electric mode and the car needs to activate the ICE, I often don't realize it unless I am staring at the binnacle. The transition from electric motor to internal combustion engine is that smooth in my car (pre LCI).

Hi Steve,

I was checking the idle when the car was in neutral and sport mode. It then idles the ICE.

The video should be linked in Vimeo. Try this link:

I wanted to know if the sound of my engine is the same as other people with the same engine.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by umb2021

Hi Steve,

I was checking the idle when the car was in neutral and sport mode. It then idles the ICE.

The video should be linked in Vimeo. Try this link:

I wanted to know if the sound of my engine is the same as other people with the same engine.

How many miles on the car? Are you still in your breakin stage?

Do you find the same thing happening when you drive. For example, when driving in sport mode, and stopped at a light, do you get the shaking? When you startup after the light changes, do you get the shaking then as you step on the accelerator?

If I remember, always a challenge, I will try it out and see if I get the same shaking when idling in sport mode.

[umb2021]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

How many miles on the car? Are you still in your breakin stage?

Do you find the same thing happening when you drive. For example, when driving in sport mode, and stopped at a light, do you get the shaking? When you startup after the light changes, do you get the shaking then as you step on the accelerator?

If I remember, always a challenge, I will try it out and see if I get the same shaking when idling in sport mode.

Thanks Steve.

The car has 8.000 miles or so. The break in period should be over. Oil was changed at 7500 miles by BMW.

No not when driving only at idle. I almost think this is normal.
The car should be at correct temperature for oil when revving in neutral.

My main concern is the loudness of the engine.

Are you able to record the sound of the motor when idling by opening the hood and post it like I did in the video I posted? This would be greatly appreciated. I just want to know whether I am going crazy because in my opinion I should not be able to hear the engine in a premium car inside the cabin.

[LogicalApex]

We chased down this hole earlier this year collectively. CnSky started a very detailed discussion on this front that's worth the read.

https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1797902

The engine mounts on the 530e are electronic (I don't know if this is unique to the E version or not) to make it less noticeable that the engine has kicked on. It appears that this is dampened less in N when you're revving the engine.

I wasn't able to reproduce the extent that it showed for him, but the thread is worth a read as it was well discussed. The conclusion was that this is normal.

[CnSky]

Hi UMB I got your mail but couldn't respond as you haven't posted enough or have direct mail turned off.

As Logical pointed out the mounts in the 530e are uniquely soft and the engine moves a lot in neutral if revved.

This shouldn't concern you. The only issue you could have is the vacuum that control the engine mounts stiffness if leaking this is easily checked at a garage by removing under cover and using a vacuum tester on the pipes that go to each mount. Vacuum should come in over 1500 rpm even when parked.

Now the video you posted is interesting as it's sound super loud almost like a diesel but this could be just the effect of recording so close to the engine on a phone which is picking up everything.

You say you can hear the engine in the cabin but the video is under the hood. Can you actually hear the engine in the cabin? Do you have a video in the cabin with hood closed so we can hear it? Have you asked BMW what they think as I assume car is still under warranty. Also note exhaust is louder when starting from cold as a flap is open. This then quietens down when engine heats up.

Opening the hood will always sound loud as the hood and insulation is designed to keep noise down.

I can not hear the engine at all in my cabin when in neutral and most of the sound when driving in sport is exhaust noise.

Could you maybe have M Sport sound pack (active sound design) on your LCI car, this pipes fake engine noise in and is an option to buy and activate in connected drive, maybe the garage has it activated??

I feel a slight shake almost un-noticeable when the engine kicks in during normal driving.

[umb2021]

Originally Posted by CnSky

Hi UMB I got your mail but couldn't respond as you haven't posted enough or have direct mail turned off.

As Logical pointed out the mounts in the 530e are uniquely soft and the engine moves a lot in neutral if revved.

This shouldn't concern you. The only issue you could have is the vacuum that control the engine mounts stiffness if leaking this is easily checked at a garage by removing under cover and using a vacuum tester on the pipes that go to each mount. Vacuum should come in over 1500 rpm even when parked.

Now the video you posted is interesting as it's sound super loud almost like a diesel but this could be just the effect of recording so close to the engine on a phone which is picking up everything.

You say you can hear the engine in the cabin but the video is under the hood. Can you actually hear the engine in the cabin? Do you have a video in the cabin with hood closed so we can hear it? Have you asked BMW what they think as I assume car is still under warranty. Also note exhaust is louder when starting from cold as a flap is open. This then quietens down when engine heats up.

Opening the hood will always sound loud as the hood and insulation is designed to keep noise down.

I can not hear the engine at all in my cabin when in neutral and most of the sound when driving in sport is exhaust noise.

Could you maybe have M Sport sound pack (active sound design) on your LCI car, this pipes fake engine noise in and is an option to buy and activate in connected drive, maybe the garage has it activated??

I feel a slight shake almost un-noticeable when the engine kicks in during normal driving.

First of all thanks for your reply.

Regarding the shaking:

The shaking makes sense with the information regarding the mounts. I was just baffled when I noticed it at first. Anyways it does not shake or rattles when driving as it is very a smooth.

Regarding the noise in the video:

Correct, it sounds like a diesel. Never experienced this in any other 4 cylinder that is this new even when recorded with the hood open.
Yes I can hear the engine at idle when parked in the car - no kidding - I was surprised with this as I can barely hear my engine in my Passat that is 20 years old from the cabin.

I do have a m sport and the sound option.

I always test when the engine (85-90 degrees Celsius) is at correct temperature.

I will make a new video from inside the cabin and post it as soon as I can.

Could you do me a favour and record with your phone the sound with the hood open and engine at correct temperature?

The main reason I am concerned with the engine noise is that someone I know had their car (also a new LCI with low mileage) checked and it needed a replacement of the cylinder heads because it was idling at 3 cylinders. I am concerned I have the same issue.

I have made an appointment at the dealer (3 weeks from
Now) so they can investigate the issue. I also have a problem with a warning with the automatic windshield vipers not functioning correctly, So I am going there anyways and might as well check both things.

Other than that, I love the car, but still concerned even though I have warranty for 2+ years.

[CnSky]

The sound option could that not be your issue? Can you switch it off? I believe not.

It's very existence is to pump engine noise into the cabin. You can have it coded out see video below think bimmercode can do it.

I do agree the engine sounds weird like a diesel but I think it's the pickup from the phone.

See a video below taken inside my engine by a go pro engine starts at approx 4 minutes as I climb a hill this is from cold and it sounds like a diesel also but isn't that loud in reality it's just the microphone. Sounds exactly like yours.

I definitely don't hear any of this in the cabin when driving but I don't have dynamic sound.

[taskrov]

I am new to BMW so I am not familiar with the engine internals, but this noise sounds like a faulty or plugged hydraulic valve lifter.

[umb2021]

Originally Posted by CnSky

The sound option could that not be your issue? Can you switch it off? I believe not.

It's very existence is to pump engine noise into the cabin. You can have it coded out see video below think bimmercode can do it.

I do agree the engine sounds weird like a diesel but I think it's the pickup from the phone.

See a video below taken inside my engine by a go pro engine starts at approx 4 minutes as I climb a hill this is from cold and it sounds like a diesel also but isn't that loud in reality it's just the microphone. Sounds exactly like yours.

I definitely don't hear any of this in the cabin when driving but I don't have dynamic sound.

I can't switch it off, but I tried reducing it. Didn't help.
Let's see if the mechanic thinks it's Ok.

[SteveinArizona]

BMW 4 pots have always sounded a little like a diesel.

[Sasquartch]

Modern BMW petrols are direct injection which tends to give a diesel-like sound due to the extremely high pressures involved. This isn't exclusively a BMW trait

My last car had the N20 engine which was very noisy at idle although it didn't affect operation.

My current B48 sounds pretty quiet although if you remove the acoustic cover from the top of the engine you can really hear the injectors

The reason why a 20-year old car often sounds quieter is because it wont use direct injection.

[umb2021]

Update:

The car shakes a lot when in neutral without revving the engine. Anyone experience this?

[SteveinArizona]

I have never encountered this but I have only put the car in neutral for car washes. Were you testing the car or else why were you in neutral?

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by umb2021

Update:

The car shakes a lot when in neutral without revving the engine. Anyone experience this?

This tree was been shaken out a fair bit on the forum with some deep diving by CnSky in one of his investigatory threads. Might be worth a read. I think his issue was down to one of the dampers failing. But don’t quote me on a thread from over a year ago. Read it and ask questions in it as needed.

https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1797902

Some shaking in neutral is normal though. I believe the engine mounts aren’t engaged in N so you’ll get a bit more shake then you would in other drive modes. But nothing violent. The 530e has electronic motor mounts to help make the ICE transition soft since it happens more often than normal.

[CnSky]

UMB do you have adaptive dampers?