[scottiekay73]

Hi Everyone:

we had some pretty bad rain in the north east this past week and im not sure that this is the cause of an issue that kicked up.

I hear a rubbing / grinding noise coming from the engine bay area from at speeds of 20 mph or less. At high speeds I dont hear it but I do feel some vibrations coming from the front (wheels are balanced) To be honest is sounds like an old bed that someone is having sex on. Sorry but this is all I can think of when I hear the noise.

My thoughts are a bad wheel bearing or ball joint somewhere in the front, but I dont know if anyone has seen a thread on this or might know what this is. I have an appointment Friday this week but thought I would ask you all for any thoughts. i have no lights on the dash.

Any insights are appreciated.

[swainbmw]

Could be the front diff may have taken on water. There’s another post about driving through rain, causing a grinding noise in the front. The recommendation was drain and refill fluids should correct may take a few miles for it to stop after the fluid change

[bellabimmer]

Please record a video and send here so perhaps you will get better opinion by all of us.

[scottiekay73]

Originally Posted by bellabimmer

Please record a video and send here so perhaps you will get better opinion by all of us.

after 7 days of the grinding... it has gone away. it 100% sounded rotational. I am in for an oil change service on the 29th to have it looked at but as of now this seems to have resolved itself.

I was supposed to go to the dealer last friday for a quick look and the noise had gone away, so I didnt think it was worth the time to go.

[Mwhitney20]

I have this same issue from what it seems. Happens at low speeds with continuous light pressure on the gas pedal, once I take my foot off the gas it goes away sounds almost like a “hiss hiss” noise maybe a slight rattle can’t really tell if it is rotional. Like I said it only seems to make this ugly noise when pressing the gas with steady pressure once I let off it stops. I hear it with the windows down driving through my neighborhood 25mph and under.

[Alan l.]

you can try spraying alittle belt lube on the belts to see if it helps. Sometimes after driving in heavy rain they can develop a squeak.

If that doesn't help i would bring it in asap. I had a weird sound up front that sounded like a air leak sporadically and it turned out there was an issue with the pulley that eventually seized and had to get the car towed to the dealer. needed new belt, pulley and water pump.

[Mwhitney20]

Update. They couldn’t find anything wrong , said it sounded normal, doubt they visually checked anything. I expected this response anyway.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Originally Posted by Mwhitney20

Update. They couldn’t find anything wrong , said it sounded normal, doubt they visually checked anything. I expected this response anyway.

Those are the worst type of diagnostics/results. You know your vehicle, you know the squeaks, rattles, noises...you take to the dealer and they find nothing or cant replicate. What can be done? Nothing, until something fails...

[kolosy]

i'm pretty sure most of the time you come in with a rattle issue, they just park it and give it back at the end of the day as "fixed"

i'd imagine it works with a decent portion of the population, just not the ///M guys.

[Mwhitney20]

That for sure is what they do, no doubt. I really would like to know what is actually going on it’s definitely not normal and It has never made this noise up until now.

[Alan l.]

I had the same problem when I brought my car in the first time. Could not hear the noise etc etc…. Then a month later it failed and had to get the car towed to the dealer.

[Mwhitney20]

Probably beating a dead horse at this point. I captured a video the other day of this unknown noise that I can’t seem to figure out what component is making it. To recap this noise never presented itself before since ownership up until about a month ago. It kinda sounds like a rattle/hiss sound motivated by depressing the gas pedal and stops as soon as I come off the gas.

Now with all the external environmental noise that the iPhone picks up you have to listen closely (I will try to get a better video). I have steady consistent pressure in the gas, at about the 4sec. mark I let off the gas noise stops until I hit the gas again and nose continues. It is definitely influenced by the accelerator.

X5M rattle/hiss noise

[Mwhitney20]

I am trying to upload a better video of this unknown noise.