No coolant loss. Nothing leaks in the car, thankfully. The dealerships have been struggling with this problem for the last 3 years. Last year they replaced all the belts. It's been progressivelly getting worse. The noise doesn't sound louder but it stays on longer and then it happens when I back out in reverse. Again, this is only at the first start of the day and the first time I'm in reverse of the day. The rest of the day, the car operates smoothly. It's the damndest thing I've ever experienced. I'm leaning to a pump as the culprit also. One of the dealerships said it might be the air pump. Does this make sense? The biggest problem for me is that the noise doesn't stay on long enough to pinpoint the source. We're talking a matter of roughly 5 seconds. Btw, I sincerely appreciate the assistance.

• Grinding Noise at Cold Start-Ups - halmkim 2005-12-18 00:22:14 (870 views)
  • This happened with the Ex's 323. I replaced the tensioners - bimmer5michael 2006-03-04 07:55:11 (493 views)
  • From where does the sound originate? The engine, the transmission, rear end? - davidc 2005-12-18 16:31:51 (616 views)
    • Re: From where does the sound originate? The engine, the transmission, rear end? - halmkim 2005-12-18 17:17:40 (631 views)
      • My first guess would be the water pump. Any signs of coolant loss? - davidc 2005-12-19 00:33:38 (681 views)
        • Re: My first guess would be the water pump. Any signs of coolant loss? - halmkim 2005-12-19 08:22:00 (622 views)
          • could be the belt tensioner or idler...also, it could - chip h 2005-12-21 10:44:49 (609 views)
            • Re: could be the belt tensioner or idler...also, it could - carrollf 2006-03-02 04:40:45 (564 views)
              • Re: could be the belt tensioner or idler...also, it could - pselva 2006-06-13 10:19:15 (325 views)