Ticking Noise from Steering Column

[BlackCabrio]

I've noticed a ticking noise from the steering column on my '92 320 cab. Varies with engine speed. I was trying to source another noise - actually from the stereo amp, it turned out - when I put my ear close to the steering wheel boss. I'd heard the noise before, and wondered if it was a cam/valve ticking noise.

Wonder if its the power steering pump?

Anyone else ever had this?

I'm expecting y'all to be out there with ears to the steering wheel boss, right after you read this

[Geeman]

Your exhaust manifold is leaking by the sounds of it.

You can hear the noise coming up through the steering column if this happens. Two ways round it. Stick some blue-tack in the hollow end of the column when you take the steering wheel centre off and forget about it, or tighten up the manifold studs (when the car is cold) and that should solve it.

Hope this helps...

Giles.

[BlackCabrio]

Fantastic! Thanks a lot for this. I'll try the blutac trick - does the centre boss just lever off? Or does the BMW badge in the centre hide some retaining screw? I guess its in the Haynes manual, I'll have a look later today.

Then when I get time I'll take it back to the BMW specialist (Autobahn, Hexham, Northumberland) which recently replaced 6 studs on the manifold - don't know how long they'd been gradually popping off, but certainly before I got the car a year ago. They told me its a common problem, the manifold warps and snaps the studs. I guess the studs just need tightening up a little, but as I haven't got a torque wrench I'll not risk snapping anything!

Bob

[TOURINGDADDY]

SNAP

[ivqii]

Bob

You have PM

[Geeman]

Depends on what wheel you have. If it's the standard 4 spoke plastic one, the badge lifts out (with a screwdriver), but the rest of the wheels will allow the centre to lift out as a whole...

Giles.

[Jhonno]

yeah - bluetac over the end of the column does the trick

[Toby_Unna]

Your exhaust manifold is leaking by the sounds of it.

You can hear the noise coming up through the steering column if this happens. Two ways round it. Stick some blue-tack in the hollow end of the column when you take the steering wheel centre off and forget about it, or tighten up the manifold studs (when the car is cold) and that should solve it.

Hope this helps...

Giles.

if it's the exhaust gasket the noise will get louder when the engine is under load, and will also get progressively worse over time and end up damaging the manifold or head mating surfaces if not sorted.

it is possible that the manifold's loose and that tightening the nuts might help, but not likely. once there's a small leak the gasket material will quickly get erroded away by extremely hot exhaust gas, it's not like an inlet leak where there's just cold air leaking. the gasket is thick so you won't close up a gap by squashing it!

and yeah you'll snap the studs or round off the nuts.

to be honest though it sounds like you have the quiet ticking you get from the top end of the engine inside most old bmws!

[BlackCabrio]

Thanks, thats a good point.

As I've had the exhaust manifold gasket and several studs replaced, plus the manifold allegedly machined flat again (they warp as I mentioned in the first post), I hope that it isn't a leak from the manifold. As you say, this would probably get rapidly worse, etc., etc. Although it is surprising how long a car will run with a manifold leak, it just makes it more difficult to repair the longer you leave it.

So let's hope its just a transfer of the top-end ticking to the steering column. I hadn't realised how much a steering column might transfer/amplify noise, but think didgeridoos (reveals hippy tendencies ) and its obvious.

So I'm off to find the blutac, and also put an ear to the engine by opening the bonnet and see what I can pick up from there.

[dazleeds]

as above
or have you upset the misses maybe???? check for bomb