[Ilyam5]

Originally Posted by atl_1M

Dealer called and said they checked a similarly equipped car with the same wheels/tires and the noise is consistent. Therefore they deemed the sound to be normal. They have the other car for me to drive/test.

Long story short, maybe I'm the crazy one who is surprised by how loud these tires are. And that's coming from a 1M, so I'm used to a stiff suspension and low profile tires. I guess it is what it is. I could ask for Pirellis, but there's a chance the sound is the same, and then I'd be left with tires that I'm not a fan of the sidewall for.

You can try the cheap route. Glue foam inside tire

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiret...jsp?techid=336

[atl_1M]

Turns out the dealer did replace the front 2 tires with new contis. The sound did ever so slightly improved over my original tires, maybe 20% better. I was able to test drive another car with the same wheels and tires back to back with my car. The difference in sound wasn't significant, so I didn't press further. I could've asked for pirellis, but my wife said the sound didn't bother her and wanted her car back. I'll likely swap for different tires when the time comes.

[bigjae1976]

I know someone with a similar issue. It makes a hollow sound like when you bounce one of those red dodgeballs off someone's head.

2020, 22" wheels with the Conti's. Lots of concrete roads in Houston so its a constant hollow grinding sound. If you just smack the tire with your hand it sounds hollow. Super weird.

I'm thinking this is a tire issue. That is not normal. If anything, a GT summer run flat tire should be rock hard when you hit it.

Looks like BMW makes a Pirelli tire in that size. I'm going to tell my friend to demand the dealer changes to the Pirelli's. The sound ain't focking normal...or at least not acceptable for a luxury SUV.

[bigjae1976]

Swapped on pirelli's and no change in the sound. Not a bad tire.

[atl_1M]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Swapped on pirelli's and no change in the sound. Not a bad tire.

Thanks for letting me know. I'm actually really glad I didn't switch to the pirelli's then b/c I much prefer the beefier sidewall of the Contis.

I'll just deal with the sound by turning the radio up

[Pro55]

I have the contis 22 premium contact 6 with air suspension and they are super quiet. I have never heard anything like your video sound. There is one stretch of road thats near me thats all concrete and it is very noisy but a slightly different noise. I will however swap for the michelin when its time due to excessive sidewall wear. Ive dropped the pressures down a bit which has helped. Good luck.

[bigjae1976]

It seems like a suspension type of issue? Weird...I'd go crazy if I had to hear that noise.

Wonder if those with less noise have the option for the noise reducing glass?

[Skilly]

is the freeway concrete or asphalt? The 22" contis that mine came with are pretty much the loudest set of tires i have personally experienced.

The drum beat kind of sounds like how concrete highways patterns sound.

[palmerman]

Picked up my '20 X5 40i MPerformance + Acoustic Glass on 22" Pirelli P-Zeros... and am having the same hollow grinding noise. This is my 6th BMW and Never had anything but a quite cabin with some wind noise. On day 2 of ownership I told the dealer... but then rain and the Virus Lockdown hit California. I'm 1k miles in and its driving me crazy. There is no way this is a normal sound. Going to take in to shop when this lockdown is over. There is now way an $85k BMW should sound like this. I'll let you know what I find out.

[bigjae1976]

My buddy is going to try and make BMW buy it back. I couldn't live with it!

[palmerman]

Good thought. I will keep in mind.

[MystroX5]

I don’t have this on my 20” M-Sport wheels at all. After listening to many of the videos, I believe you are experiencing a acoustic resonance between the concrete road surface, tire and the 22” rim. The 22”wheel itself is also amplifying it like a resonance chamber like a acoustic guitar body. Suspension components may also be getting in on the frequency concert that is going on.
I am a acoustical engineer and you wouldn’t believe some combinations that create the perfect storm of resonant frequencies between objects. I am sure many have found frequencies in their shower singing careers that boom when you hit just that note.
I would bet real money if you had foam injected in the tires like other luxury cars like the Audi S8, the droning would almost completely go away. Switching size of wheels would also make a huge difference. There is a “x factor” going on in these wheel,tire, road surface combo. It is fixable if we find the main source. The local tech probably has no idea how frequencies work together. I know BMW knows all about this and what it takes to reduce it.

[atl_1M]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

I don't have this on my 20" M-Sport wheels at all. After listening to many of the videos, I believe you are experiencing a acoustic resonance between the concrete road surface, tire and the 22" rim. The 22"wheel itself is also amplifying it like a resonance chamber like a acoustic guitar body. I am a acoustical engineer and you wouldn't believe some combinations that create the perfect storm of resonant frequencies between objects. I am sure many have found frequencies in their shower singing careers that boom when you hit just that note.
I would bet real money if you had foam injected in the tires like other luxury cars like the Audi S8, the droning would almost completely go away.

Do you know if that is something that can be added to our oem tires or would it require getting new tires altogether? Not sure if that option is even available for our 22" tires

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by atl_1M

Do you know if that is something that can be added to our oem tires or would it require getting new tires altogether? Not sure if that option is even available for our 22" tires

I am not sure how the foam works with the TPM??? I know Audi uses foam in their new S8 as many reviewers comment how much it reduced road noise through the tires. I would bet BMW might in the 7 series.

I noticed the guys with air suspension don’t report this with the 22” wheels. This could indicate the M-Sport suspension might be amplifying the tire noise and into the vehicle. Has anyone reported this road noise with the 21” wheels?? I think if you can eliminate these factors on this forum, you can pinpoint it for your dealer.


I can tell you I don’t get this drone with the 20” M-wheel and M suspension. So now does any one get this with the 21” wheel and M suspension??

[WhereItsAt]

We have the factory Bridgestones on our xDrive 40i with the 20" Sport wheels and air suspension. The car is super quiet. We do have the acoustic glass, but I doubt that would hide tire noise.

[bigjae1976]

It's something specific to the 22" wheels. 20" and 21" wheels don't have this issue.

[atl_1M]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

It's something specific to the 22" wheels. 20" and 21" wheels don't have this issue.

The loaner with 21" run flats had a similar type of sound but much more muted. Maybe 1/3 to 1/2 the sound from my 22".

[VTENGR]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

I am not sure how the foam works with the TPM??? I know Audi uses foam in their new S8 as many reviewers comment how much it reduced road noise through the tires. I would bet BMW might in the 7 series.

I noticed the guys with air suspension don’t report this with the 22” wheels. This could indicate the M-Sport suspension might be amplifying the tire noise and into the vehicle. Has anyone reported this road noise with the 21” wheels?? I think if you can eliminate these factors on this forum, you can pinpoint it for your dealer.


I can tell you I don’t get this drone with the 20” M-wheel and M suspension. So now does any one get this with the 21” wheel and M suspension??

I think the OP has 22" + Air. I tried with my 22" + M Suspension on the same highway and didn't have the same noise. All I could hear is the expansion joints in the concrete, but not the droning noise the OP was hearing.

[Pro55]

Exactly. So i dont think its just the tyres thats causing it. There must be a fault with the car.

[W2BMP]

Picked up mine today and notice the same hollow noise when driving.

How dk we fix this? It's defining normal. Never had this problem in any of my previous vehicles. I'd rather not have turn the volume up..

Thanks

[VTENGR]

Originally Posted by W2BMP

Picked up mine today and notice the same hollow noise when driving.

How dk we fix this? It's defining normal. Never had this problem in any of my previous vehicles. I'd rather not have turn the volume up..

Thanks

What tire and suspension do you have on your car? 22" with Air Suspension?

[nytrydr]

Originally Posted by VTENGR

What tire and suspension do you have on your car? 22" with Air Suspension?

I have 22'' with air. The day I picked up mine from dealership I drove it home and thought I was crazy. Very loud road noise. Now the issue is I swapped to 20'' winters before I could really ever experience again. Car has 4000kms on it now and maybe 20 of those kms are on the stock 22's. But I am certain once I swap back I'll have the same road noise issues everyone has described.