Oil not getting to the head cams lifters etc.

[Kalevera]

That's hydraulic lifter or vanos unit noise. The M50 is DOHC, so it doesn't have rockers. The lifters and or oil pump will wear over time, which means the lifters don't pressure up as quickly on cold starts, especially with environmentally colder oil.

best, whit

[rob101]

mine is a non-vanos, yeah i can't say that it seems to happen at a certain time, its just f*****d. may also get valvetrain rattle at rpm over 3000 in fact i am sure thats what the unusual noise is. so I figure i have a c**tish oil pressure problem, will have to get a gauge me thinks. and just recently my exhaust f*****d up, POS e34 m50 , i am starting to hate this car.

[RobPatt]

.......POS e34 m50 , i am starting to hate this car......

Well at least she looks good, is a 5 speed and has nice wheels....all that's gotta count for something....

[Kalevera]

Rob, I didn't mean for that response to be directed at your query, rather towards the post made by "NovceGuru".

I don't know how many miles are on your car, but it's 13 years old. Any 13 year old car is going to have some issues to address, and, dare I say, they're quite limited problems when compared to most of the junk on the roads these days. For example, the exhaust. Unlike on my toyota (going back a few years here), if you replace the system with the new OEM parts, it'll last another 13 years. Aforementioned toyota received a factory new catback system with a lifetime warranty from the dealer sometime around '95, then consistently went in for replacement every few years until it threw a rod in June 2001.

I was quite pissed off when Fritz left me stranded on the highway last year, especially after having spent 5 gees in parts and untold hours of my time on the car. But I reconciled.

best, whit