She is starting to show her age

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by white_335i

Joe, I have siemens in my X and e46 and no complains.

The knock, could that be a wheel bearing?

Thank you, I know the boys over on E46Fanatics swear by the Siemens/VDO. At under $150, I will probably give that one a try.

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

I lived with a knock for over a year that sounds like this. I even took it in a couple times. By the 3rd time, they took more time to replicate and find the noise. It was a loose tie rod.

I have turned the steering wheel lock to lock at a standstill and I do not hear any knocks. I am almost positive it is in the suspension/steering though. I just had another alignment done earlier this week to bring the rear camber from the factory -1.9 degrees to -1 degrees (-1.9 degree factory recommendation is still too much camber for my tires to wear properly IMHO) and the tech didn't mention anything but I will go out there and check again.

Originally Posted by oldskewel

Inner or outer end? In my experience the inners are much tougher to isolate, but do happen.

I am wondering about the ball joints and sway bar links that pop at certain positions? I just can't isolate the noise other than being on the right side.

I replaced these arms back in April and the noise started a few weeks later. I did recheck all the torque on those bolts and I did preload the suspension before tightening.

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by Overboost

I replaced these arms back in April and the noise started a few weeks later. I did recheck all the torque on those bolts and I did preload the suspension before tightening.

Mine started after some front suspension work. It would not happen at a standstill. Nor did it happen at roadway speeds. It was only parking lot speeds and maneuvers fwd/backwards that it would present. I don't recall whether it was inner or outer, sorry.

[Overboost]

Well always go back to the problem when it started. I got back under there again to check the tie rod end nuts and they were tight. So I grabbed all the wrenches again for all the arm work I did and started going back through all the bolts I had removed to install the new arms. On the shorter arm (in the image above)on the front right I had at least 50-75 ft/lbs on it but when I really gave it some muscle, it began to turn. I mean it was tight but I was able to get 1/2 turn on the nut with as much pull I could get with a wrench and limited workspace (car on ground). I took it out for a spin for 20 minutes and no noise no matter what I did. I had been out running errands an hour previously and heard it several times and went through the same motions as before with no knocks. It may take a couple of days before I can say I solved it but I am encouraged.

This is where I might say FAIL on my part.

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by Overboost

It may take a couple of days before I can say I solved it but I am encouraged.

This is where I might say FAIL on my part.

Naw mang- You DIY'ed and (I bet) found your problem on your own. That's a win not many of us get every day!

Well done!

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

Naw mang- You DIY'ed and (I bet) found your problem on your own. That's a win not many of us get every day!

Well done!

I hope that drama is fixed. I really have OCD when it comes to my cars especially when that one is my DD when I am in town but primarily mama's. I am always traveling so I need that old girl to take care of her while I'm out of town.

I went ahead and ordered the Siemens/VDO MAF sensor so I will report back the grams/second flow once I receive it. I am under the assumption that the g/s flow would be less if I had an intake leak and the current reading of 6.5 seems high so for $143, it is my starting point.

Still a little freaked out on the trans failsafe and abs/dsc failure. I had a trans failsafe a couple years ago for no apparent reason that never came back so just hoping there was a errant CAN bus collision or something like that and nothing to worry about. I have put about 50 miles on her since yesterday and not a single error.

[oldskewel]

Originally Posted by Overboost

...Still a little freaked out on the trans failsafe ...

In my (not much) experience, and from reading a lot on here, it seems that "trans failsafe prog" usually means there was some perhaps transient fluctuation in system voltage that sent the AT into safe mode. So it has nothing to do with the AT, and more likely something that could cause a voltage fluctuation.

Of course it could be that your AT's about to blow up, but statistically ...

[mtthmpsn]

Not an expert by any means but had recent issues related to the OPs:

1. Had the low speed knock and after some suspension part replacements it turned out to be that sway bar link - can’t confirm if it was just loose or needed the replacement but definitely was the fix. Hopefully you’ve found the cure as well.

2. After hours of ccv, pully, and alternator replacements last week, I got the trans fail safe error on my first start until i realized i hadn’t plugged in my MAF connection. Not saying it’s the connection but hopefully related to the MAF and you fix two birds with one stone.

[Overboost]

The "not quite tight enough" bolt on the lower tension strut arm on the right side was indeed my problem with the knocking. A week later after tightening them up as much as I could solved the problem, no knocks.

MAF arrived today but I have to leave for Watkins Glen in the morning so I will put that off until I return Sunday.

The ABS/DSC Trans Failsafe has not come back so fingers crossed.

[Russianblue]

FYI, I've gotten various knocks and clicks in the front end before after taking off the stiffening plate and re-using the single use bolts.

Both times, it started several weeks after taking off the plate. I guess the plate or bolts 'settled in' or something. In both cases, just tightening up the stiffening plate bolts cured the problem.

[itsbrokeagain]

Originally Posted by Overboost

I replaced these arms back in April and the noise started a few weeks later. I did recheck all the torque on those bolts and I did preload the suspension before tightening.

Mine had the same pop after I did the front control arms. Turns out my preloaded torque readings were garbage. On the alignment rack they were so loose I could have wiggled it with a wrench and it would have come undone right there. Apparently the driving and bouncing and stuff loosened it up.

That was the one time I went against my usual routine of using my 3/8" long rachet and giving it a good turn to tighten it up. Once I did that, the noise was gone.
Ive also replaced everything in the front end of mine. Ball joints, shocks/top hats, and powerflex thrust arm bushings.

As far as the codes for too rich/lean, my MAF was NOT the culprit. The CCV setup had numerous cracks in it so I deleted that all in favor for an aluminum M56 valve cover setup. Since then I've had zero codes, truck starts up and runs just fine in the cold, and my oil consumption actually went down.

Have a look down there and see what you find. At 196k, if it hasnt been changed at least once, it definitely needs to go now and get deleted or all the parts replaced. Could solve a good portion of your misfire issues.