BMW noise..

Damiencm

Hi all

I drive an E90 316i, over the last couple of weeks I have noticed a grumbling/vibration noise at low revs. My ear tells me its from the front left of the car but I could be totally wrong.

This noise becomes very pronounced in heavy city traffic, especially when playing the clutch. However it can also be heard to a lesser extent when idling in neutral.

In recent days I have had a minor service completed in addition to a rear wheel bearing and new steering pump.

The frustrating thing is that it is most prevelant in heavy traffic and my mechanic doesn't hear the extent of the noise when the car is just sitting in his garage.

Doea anyone have any ideas..?

Four Phucs Ache

If it's in heavy traffic it could be your fan coming on and as the revs drop a tiny bit and your stationary it's making something resonate or its the actual fan your just hearing.Possible.

Check your coolant.

Damiencm

Four Phucs Ache wrote:

Check your coolant.

Four Phucs Ache wrote:

If it's in heavy traffic it could be your fan coming on and as the revs drop a tiny bit and your stationary it's making something resonate or its the actual fan your just hearing.Possible.

Fan and Coolant check out ok

ironclaw

The gear box bearings in BMW can be rattly. I presume its manual? When you switch off, do with once with the clutch out and another time with the clutch in. Mine (An E87) is night and day and it effects a number of boxes right up to the 1M and some of the M3s. The good news is that is not a problem, just a feature. The only fix is a clean sweep of the bearings, which you may as well do if you swap out the clutch but its not a mandatory fix.

Damiencm

Yes manual. I'll see if clutch in/out next time makes any difference

Edit. I actually spotted a small gearbox leak today, could be something to do ith it?

Damiencm

I'm thinking also perhaps it could be the clutch release bearing

MetzgerMeister

Sounds to be the clutch release bearing. I presume it goes away when you depress the clutch and is there when the car is idling in neutral with the clutch released? I had this on my 335. It wasn't a nice sound. The only cure is to replace this bearing by removing the gearbox.

ironclaw

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Sounds to be the clutch release bearing. I presume it goes away when you depress the clutch and is there when the car is idling in neutral with the clutch released? I had this on my 335. It wasn't a nice sound. The only cure is to replace this bearing by removing the gearbox.

This is the wording I couldn't find in relation to the above. And yes, it ain't a nice sound. However I will warn you OP, replacing it is not necessarily a fix. If you run through the various online forums, it can just be a feature of the car itself and return, albeit at a lower noise level, quite soon.

Hal1

I wonder if they fully bleed the power steering system. Any baffling, grumbling noise like that is usually associated with the power steering rack and or pump. Do you hear any noise when moving wheel from right to left with engine idling?

Damiencm

MetzgerMeister wrote:

Sounds to be the clutch release bearing. I presume it goes away when you depress the clutch and is there when the car is idling in neutral with the clutch released? I had this on my 335. It wasn't a nice sound. The only cure is to replace this bearing by removing the gearbox.

Yes when I depress and accelerate it seems to be almost fully gone ( i say almost as from the day I bought the car it never sounded to me to run completely smoothly) which sort of rolls into Ironclaws comment below.

It is at its worst when I am in heavy traffic, sometimes on an incine and am holding the clutch/accelerator while in 1st. As soon as gather any sort of momentum the noise is pretty much gone. I can hear it when idling in neutral but to a much lesser extent.

The car has wanted for nothing in the 2 plus years I have had it. A couple of mechanics have mentioned that bmw can be prone to undetermined noises..

I'm guessing that removing the gearbox to get at te bearing is going to be a labour intensive (and expensive) job?

ironclaw wrote:

This is the wording I couldn't find in relation to the above. And yes, it ain't a nice sound. However I will warn you OP, replacing it is not necessarily a fix. If you run through the various online forums, it can just be a feature of the car itself and return, albeit at a lower noise level, quite soon.

Hal1 wrote:

I wonder if they fully bleed the power steering system. Any baffling, grumbling noise like that is usually associated with the power steering rack and or pump. Do you hear any noise when moving wheel from right to left with engine idling?

I understand from my most recent mechanic that he fully bled the system after replacing the power steering pump a couple of weeks back.

Another suggestion I received was to try changing the plugs, not an expensive fix but added to the wheel bearing and pump already replaced the cost is starting to add up!

Damiencm

5th time trying to post....boards android app

Anyway, I have spoken to a few people and im going for a clutch replacement kit.

Has anyone an opinion on which is the better brand, Luk's or Sachs?

Sachs is retailing around the €190 mark while Luk have one one special at €155 (normally €190).

Any difference between the two?

ironclaw

I have a Luk kit. Unless you are driving hard (track use), you're not going to tell the difference between them.

Damiencm

Update:

Replaced the fly wheel and clutch... noise is still there

ironclaw

Damiencm wrote: »

Update:

Replaced the fly wheel and clutch... noise is still there

Probably the release bearing then. Its not part of a normal swap out as far as I know and even if you do swap it out, it may not fix it.

Damiencm

ironclaw wrote:

Probably the release bearing then. Its not part of a normal swap out as far as I know and even if you do swap it out, it may not fix it.

Unfortunately the release bearing was changed. The noise isnt BAD but just annoys me. Beginning to think that my fixation with it may be making it worse than it actually is!

Damiencm

The noise is back with a vengeance

Low idle/ gentle acceleration in traffic = loud grumbling vibration type noise.

Sitting in the carpark now in neutral with the engine running and it happens when I turn the steering wheel too.

Recap

Clutch replaced about 3 months ago
Flywheel replaced about 3 months ago
Steering pump replaced about 3 months ago (2nd hand)

Getting pissed off now.

Just noticed while I'm sitting here that while the car is idyling the grumbling noise cuts in every so often

Hal1

Have you had the exhaust system checked? All the way, from manifold back? Get a competent mechanic to check it out for you.

Damiencm

Hal1 wrote:

Have you had the exhaust system checked? All the way, from manifold back? Get a competent mechanic to check it out for you.

Hi Hal,

I haven't actually but will check it out

Four Phucs Ache

Have you looked at the engine when it is running, my exhaust manifold heat shield has one nut missing because it rusted off and it rattles from time to time.

Do all your pulley wheels look balanced or are any wobbling?