BMW X6 Timing Problems: Diagnosing Valve Train Issues

Hey there! I have some experience with BMWs and had a similar issue with my 2018 BMW X4 (also owned an X3 before). I faced almost identical symptoms, engine light, sluggish performance, and those annoying startup noises. My mechanic diagnosed it as a faulty crankshaft position sensor. The repair took about 2-3 hours, and I ended up paying around 340 Euro for parts and labor. Fixed all the issues you mentioned, the engine's running smooth now, power's back to normal, and fuel economy improved. Before jumping to conclusions though, could you share what diagnostic codes you're getting? Also, has there been any recent maintenance done on the car? Would help to know the mileage too. Feel free to ask more questions, happy to help fellow BMW owner out!

Thanks for sharing your experience! My X6 currently has 47031 KM on the clock, and everything was fine during the last service. I'm getting the P0016 code from my diagnostic tool, which points to that timing correlation issue you mentioned. Good to know about the crankshaft sensor, that's definitely less scary than what I was imagining. The symptoms match exactly what you described. I'll get it checked out by my mechanic. Did you notice if the noise got worse when the engine was cold in your case? Just trying to confirm if I'm dealing with the same thing before I book it in.

Hey again! Yes, in my case the noise was definitely more noticeable during cold starts, especially on chilly mornings. It would sort of calm down after the engine warmed up, but the sluggish performance stayed constant. And you know what? Your P0016 code is exactly what I got too! Just to add to my previous response, after the sensor replacement, it wasn't just the noise that went away, but the whole driving experience improved dramatically. The engine response became crisp again, and I stopped worrying every time I started the car. The interesting thing is, my X4 had similar mileage when this happened (around 45000 KM), which makes me even more convinced you're dealing with the same issue. The timing was actually pretty spot-on with what my mechanic said about when these sensors typically start acting up in our engines. Quick tip though, while you're getting it fixed, might be worth having them check the wiring harness connected to the sensor too. In my case, there was a bit of wear on the cables that they fixed while they were in there. Didn't cost much extra but probably saved me from future headaches. Keep us posted on what you find out! Pretty sure you'll be back to enjoying that smooth BMW performance in no time.

Thanks so much for all the detailed info! It's really reassuring to hear about your experience, especially since our cars had such similar mileage when the problem showed up. You've actually made my day a bit better, I was worried it might be something major with the timing chain, but this sounds way more manageable. I'll definitely ask about checking the wiring harness too, that's a great tip. I just booked it in with my mechanic for tomorrow morning. The cold start noise has been driving me crazy, so I'm looking forward to getting this sorted. He quoted me roughly the same price range you mentioned, which seems fair. I'll update this thread once it's fixed in case anyone else runs into the same issue. Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, it's exactly what I needed to hear!