BMW 530D Problem

Kauto · 18-12-2008 9:07am #1

I posted the other day with a problem with my car. The car was making the sound of a flat tyre(Tyre is not flat) and a slight vibration in the steering wheel. The garage have changed the wheel bearings and the problem is still there. Any ideas on what wrong? Any help greatly appreciated.

Owen · 18-12-2008 9:22am

If you could describe the symptoms a little clearer it'll make it easier to diagnose. Is it a drone type noise that gets higher in pitch the faster you drive, or is it a cyclical thump every time the wheel goes around?

Kauto · 18-12-2008 9:33am

Sorry its a cyclical thump every time the wheel goes around. It gets a bit louder the faster u go. I should also say that i got a new wheel because the other one was slightly buckled. The noise is coming from the front left wheel.

Owen · 18-12-2008 9:36am

I had this issue on a customers MINI once, and it turned out to be - and forgive me here because this is where it doesn't get remotely technical - a big bolt in the centre of the wheel that connected the wheel hub to the car that had worked it's way loose.

peasant · 18-12-2008 9:42am

ned78 wrote: »

I had this issue on a customers MINI once, and it turned out to be - and forgive me here because this is where it doesn't get remotely technical - a big bolt in the centre of the wheel that connected the wheel hub to the car that had worked it's way loose.

...which the garage would have had to remove and re-fasten if they changed wheel bearings, so it couldn't be that in the OP's case

Avns1s · 18-12-2008 9:45am

I have to say that wheel bearings are the obvious suggestion but you have ruled it out.

Only other thing I can think of is that the brake caliper is sticking or something caught in by the brake disk but again that should have showed up when they changed the bearings.

There's no way that the wheel got a knock such that its now "not completely circular" any more and as a result is catching on some part of the brake assembly. Tnis might also account for the vibration in the steering. It would be obvious when you remove the wheel.

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 9:50am

Make sure the wheel isn't loose. I've seen it before where a wheel is not put back on the hub properly and it seems tight when the car is still on the lift but when you drop the car onto the ground and drive it, the wheel starts coming loose. Did you have this wheel off recently for a puncture repair or anything like that???

Also, did you have brake pads changed recently or has there been any recent work on the vehicle???

Kauto · 18-12-2008 9:55am

While its been in i have got new brake pads and discs and new tyres. The sound was there when i went in and its still there now. They have agreed not to charge me any more labour. They now reckon it could be the wheel bearing on the right side but the noise and vibration seems to me to be coming from the left hand side.

AlanD · 18-12-2008 10:03am

If when you press the brake pedal, you feel an unevenness, then it's the disks, but since they are all new, it's unlikely. The hub nut could be the problem, bearings are obviously fixed, so after that, have a look at the drive shaft on the gearbox end.

You'd figure it out up on a lift, so that's what you should do and you should do it sooner rather than later just in case your new parts get torn to bits.

alo1587 · 18-12-2008 10:04am

Brake caliper half seized on that side? Are the brakes 'dragging' any bit? When the new pads were fitted, they might not have pushed back the caliper piston enough so the pads are under pressure binding to the disc.This would cause vibration in the wheel for starters

peasant · 18-12-2008 10:06am

AlanD wrote: »

have a look at the drive shaft on the gearbox end.

I don't think there are any drive shafts on a BMW 530D front axle

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 10:06am

If you have low profile tyres on your alloys, it could be a damaged inner wheel wall. This is impossible or at least difficult to see from just looking at the wheel.

My advice to you is to swop around the wheels on the front, and while doing this, check the inner walls of each wheel for damage. If you change the wheels over from right to left and the problem noise migrates to the other side, then the problem is in the wheel or tyre. Alternatively if you change the wheels around and you still have the noise at the same side, you know the problem is in the wheel hub or the brake caliper.

Also while you have the wheels off, look at the inside of the wheel and check for any evidence of scoring or mechanical fowling with the brake caliper. The caliper could be moving around on worn sleeves/guides and coming into contact with the inner side of the road wheel...

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 10:07am

Sorry OP, forgot the most obvious, a warped brake disc???

AlanD · 18-12-2008 10:07am

peasant wrote: »

I don't think there are any drive shafts on a BMW 530D front axle

Of course, you're right. My bad. :rolleyes:

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 10:09am

Another possibility is that the hub is damaged/worn and the wheel bearing is not sitting properly on the hub because of this wear. This would usually only happen on a car with high mileage or a few years old though...

Kauto · 18-12-2008 10:15am

The car is a 04 and has 60,000 miles. Im ignorant when it comes to cars. Would the hub not have been replaced when i got a new wheel?

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 10:18am

Kauto wrote: »

The car is a 04 and has 60,000 miles. Im ignorant when it comes to cars. Would the hub not have been replaced when i got a new wheel?

No, the hub is where the road wheel bolts onto.

Try changing around the wheels and see if the problem moves with the wheel. Also, before you take off a wheel, jack up each wheel and check if there is any play in the bearing and hub assembly by rocking the wheel. If you feel that there is play, then you have a problem with the hub or the wheel bearing.

Check the basics first, like a damaged inner wheel rim.

Kauto · 18-12-2008 10:20am

They have tried changing around the wheels but the problem stays in the front left.

MercMad · 18-12-2008 10:21am

You buckled a wheel and then repaced it, did you replace the tyre ?

Swop the wheel for one of the others, preferably a rear wheel and see if the problem changes.

I would also re-check all the wheels again for damage

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 10:56am

Kauto wrote: »

They have tried changing around the wheels but the problem stays in the front left.

Just make sure they didn't swop a rear wheel on the left with the front wheel on the left... There is a chance that if your front left wheel is damaged, then your rear left wheel is also damaged.

Whatever it is, it isn't a major prob.

the merchant · 18-12-2008 11:24am

I know it's very obvious but make sure you've checked your tyre pressures. My 525d had this issue I sorted it out by inflating the fronts to 36psi (I think). The correct pressures are on a plate on the inside of the drivers door.

There was a guy on here with an M3 a few months back with the same issue and after my advice was sorted. No bearing, no suspension bushes, nada.

the merchant · 18-12-2008 11:26am

Darragh29 wrote: »

Just make sure they didn't swop a rear wheel on the left with the front wheel on the left... There is a chance that if your front left wheel is damaged, then your rear left wheel is also damaged.

Whatever it is, it isn't a major prob.

These tyres will almost certainly have a direction of rotation so don't swap left to right without removing the tyre and swapping that also.

Kauto · 18-12-2008 3:07pm

Got a call there to say they reckon its the bearing on the camshaft. Would this make sense?

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 3:25pm

Kauto wrote: »

Got a call there to say they reckon its the bearing on the camshaft. Would this make sense?

Only maybe if you are hearing this noise when the engine is running and the car is stationary/not moving but as I understood your issue, this noise was related to the speed of the car??? Are you sure they said camshaft OP???

Kauto · 18-12-2008 3:28pm

Yeah camshaft. It doesnt matter what speed you go the noise is still there.(Its not there when stationery). Is there any way it is the camshaft? It's doing my head at this stage.

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 3:41pm

Kauto wrote: »

Yeah camshaft. It doesnt matter what speed you go the noise is still there.(Its not there when stationery). Is there any way it is the camshaft? It's doing my head at this stage.

Well if the noise is not there when the engine is running but the car is stationary, then the problem is not your camshaft or bearings.

Your vehicle model has been known to suffer from a crankshaft pulley problem which causes a knocking noise. When I've seen this before, when the problem first appears, it is when the engine is idling, then it gets progressively worse and you hear it all the time.

This is caused by the rubber in the crankshaft pulley wearing and you get this knocking noise in the crankshaft pulley but I think this would be difficult to confuse with a noise coming from a front left wheel as the crankshaft pulley is at the front of the car.

I'm at a loss here OP, I can't reconcile your original complaint of a noise coming from the front left wheel with a worn camshaft bearing, or even the defect I've outlined above to be honest... The way your engine is orientated, I can't see how any noise that could be coming from the engine camshaft can be diagnosed as a left had wheel bearing problem...

Kauto · 18-12-2008 3:45pm

Thanks for your help i have no idea to be honest. I just want it fixed. As i said before the sound is like that of a flat tyre sound so as you say i dont know how its the camshaft

the merchant · 18-12-2008 3:52pm

Prop Shaft perhaps???

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 3:53pm

the merchant wrote: »

Prop Shaft perhaps???

I've seen this before on a 320 but the noise was the rubber flange down the middle of the car under the gearstick...

Darragh29 · 18-12-2008 3:55pm

If someone is gonna start taking out camshafts, get ready for a $$$$$$ of a bill, taking the timing chain off, and the rest of it... Just be careful OP, I can't for the life of me work out how a wheel bearing job turns into a camshaft bearing replacement job...

VanhireBoys · 18-12-2008 4:15pm

A cam will make a clattering noise which will vary with engine speed. Drive the car - put the car in neutral and stop the engine (as long as you have the room..) Noise still there - wheelbearings etc. Noise gone - engine.

One of the lads suggested to check the wheelbolts.. I had this happen me where I didnt do the nuts up properly ... what an idiot I felt....!

As said earlier I hope its not the cam:eek:

BMW 530D Problem

Comments