Wooshing sound coming from wheels/tires?

[webster]

So I have my first question/worry issue for the car. It is in regards to a "wooshing" sound I hear inside the cabin when the car is in 2nd gear, typically between speeds of 15-20 mph. I hear it during both acceleration and deceleration at the same speed. Describing the sound is kinda tricky, but it sounds like a repeating, intermittent whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo that speeds up in intervals under acceleration and vice versa during deceleration. I'm wondering if it's the tires? Pads/rotors? It sounds like it's coming from the front wheels. The car is shod with Michelin Pilot Sports, at least 75% tread life left on them, so not sure if they're the culprit.

It could also be totally normal and something I'm simply not accustomed to, having never owned a car with such an aggressive tire/suspension setup. I plan on having the car taken in soon anyway for Inspection I but am wondering if this is something I should address with the mechanic. Thanks guys.

[danewilson77]

I am gonna say it's either Wheel bearing or......do you "feel" any vibration or is it just the whooooosh?

[webster]

i don't feel any vibration, it's solely auditory.

[llll1l1ll]

Could be a bent rim or an out-of-round tire. Mine (apparently according to the PO) has a bent rim on the right front, but the noise is on both front wheels. I think, at this point, it's just the tire. I'm running Goodyear Eagle F1 All Seasons. I'll know for sure tomorrow when the new tires are on.

A good way to tell if it's a bearing (at least in my experience with my E30) is to take a turn. If the sound is on the right side, and you turn right, the noise will increase. It will get quieter when you turn left. Also, bad bearings cause tons of vibration and are noisy at just about all speeds, but harmonics will make them louder/quieter at certain speeds.

[billschusteriv]

Wooshing sound? Was going to say check your lugs.

Maybe consider getting an alignment (BMW usually charges reasonable rates here - $99)? Or having the wheels/tires checked/balanced?

[06ZhP]

Whooshing = shocks IMO.


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[DirtyPillows]

Could be a bent rim or an out-of-round tire. Mine (apparently according to the PO) has a bent rim on the right front, but the noise is on both front wheels. I think, at this point, it's just the tire. I'm running Goodyear Eagle F1 All Seasons. I'll know for sure tomorrow when the new tires are on.

A good way to tell if it's a bearing (at least in my experience with my E30) is to take a turn. If the sound is on the right side, and you turn right, the noise will increase. It will get quieter when you turn left. Also, bad bearings cause tons of vibration and are noisy at just about all speeds, but harmonics will make them louder/quieter at certain speeds.

Really I thought the opposite. Because I currently have a bad wheel bearing on right and when I make a right turn it gets quieter versus when I make left it gets louder with added vibration. I thought this was because when I make right turn the load of the car is no longer on the right tire and when I make left the load is on the bad wheel bearing????

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

[llll1l1ll]

Yeah I think I had it reversed. Not enough coffee today.

But you get the idea, right?

[webster]

just took a quick drive focusing exclusively on this issue. it's almost more of a rough humming sound than a whoosh, if that makes sense. it happens from about 8-20 mph regardless of gear selection. i can definitely feel some mild vibration along the left front wheel well. gonna take the car in soon. not too worried, doesn't seem major, it's more annoying than anything.

[Mtnman]

A major question for you is does the noise change when you apply the brakes? If it does, then it is going to be brake/rotor/pad/caliper related. If it does not, it most likely is not brake related. If it changes the noise or pitch, could easily be a slightly sticking caliper that rubs the rotor in one spot.

An easy one is to look at the dust shield behind the rotors. make sure it is not slightly bent and rubbing the rotor. (i had this happen on one of my cars...just bend it back into place) Also, if something is rubbing, you should be able to look for obvious signs of recent rubbing. when looking at metal parts, look for something that looks shiny, like it just got polished (cause it kinda did)

[webster]

noise is present from 8-20mph regardless of brake application. on the drive home today i will focus on whether cornering has any discernible effect on the noise

[kayger12]

Check your tires for uneven wear.

Had the same problem on my 325-- got new tires and the sound went away.

My ZHP now makes the same sound-- my front tires are feathered on the inside of the contact patch from the bad CABs that I replaced a few months back.

[webster]

^ that's what i'm thinking, might lead to replacing the CABs earlier than planned...

i'm going to take the car in tomorrow morning to a highly recommended indy shop. will have the oil changed and brake fluid replaced, will have them inspect this issue as well.

one week of ownership and it's already headed for the shop. must be a BMW :facepalm :thumbsup

[kayger12]

I feel your pain, Web-- it sucks to be putting money in early on, but I would rather fix my ZHP every week than drive something less enjoyable. As others have said before me-- It's the Ultimate Driving Machine, not the Ultimate Reliability Machine.

Car puts a smile on my face every damn time I get in it.

You'll cry a little when you get the bill for the CABs, but you won't be able to wipe the smile off of your face when you hit the first corner...

[webster]

realistically, what should i expect the total bill to be for CABs? Meyle HD's for example...

[kayger12]

realistically, what should i expect the total bill to be for CABs? Meyle HD's for example...

Somebody can probably answer better than I. Probably 1.5 or 2 hours book plus the CABs... Maybe $300?

If you were in Jersey it would cost you about 6 beers...

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

[danewilson77]

Somebody can probably answer better than I. Probably 1.5 or 2 hours book plus the CABs... Maybe $300?

If you were in Jersey it would cost you about 6 beers...

Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

I think your close. Parts are $50 to $80 depending....and labor is gonna be easy shop charge 2 hours at least.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[Washburn]

Hmmmm... seems I have a very similar issue:
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1652-suspension-experts...need-some-ideas.

Getting new tires an alignment soon- hopefully it will cure it...OEM tires are all but worn out 100% at 25k miles ...hopefully not CAB/bearing trouble...

[llll1l1ll]

I don't think the shop will charge more than two hours labor for the job. They go by a book - not by how long it actually takes them. So, in theory, they could be over- or under-charging you. I actually bought the bushings already pressed in so they just need to be put on the control arm. I do not have enough strength to do this, so I took it to the shop.

It's pretty much undo bushing bracket from frame rail (that is the piece, right?), loosen and detach bracket for leveling hardware, remove old bushing, push the new one on, reattach leveling hardware, reattach bracket.

[kayger12]

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1901-E46-BMW-Control-Arm-Bushing-DIY

[webster]

just got a call from the shop - mostly good news, some bad, but overall nothing too major. here's what he told me:

he said the noise is due to the tread wear on the pilot sport tires. he claimed that as they wear down they cause noise. said he had the same experience with the PS's on his own car. he said the bearings and CABs look to be in good shape and did not recommend replacing them. alignment is fine. all he recommended was getting new tires. not so bad there.

on the flip side, he said the motor/transmission mounts have mostly collapsed, he said it wasn't to the point of absolutely needing replacement but it would be something to consider in the near future. he also recommended replacing the cabin/air/fuel filters as well as all are original to the car and are pretty dirty.

the P+L for the mounts and filters comes to $1000 almost exactly. i probably won't tackle the mounts for a few months but will probably go ahead and do the filters.

other than that, they did a thorough examination and all other major areas of inspection came back fine. brake fluid is flushed, oil is changed, just got a fresh wash and they will even come pick me up from work and give me a ride back to the shop to pick it up.

[llll1l1ll]

I came in here to post that my similar noise is gone after getting new tires. But I'm glad you figured it out.

[billschusteriv]

just got a call from the shop - mostly good news, some bad, but overall nothing too major. here's what he told me:

he said the noise is due to the tread wear on the pilot sport tires. he claimed that as they wear down they cause noise. said he had the same experience with the PS's on his own car. he said the bearings and CABs look to be in good shape and did not recommend replacing them. alignment is fine. all he recommended was getting new tires. not so bad there.

on the flip side, he said the motor/transmission mounts have mostly collapsed, he said it wasn't to the point of absolutely needing replacement but it would be something to consider in the near future. he also recommended replacing the cabin/air/fuel filters as well as all are original to the car and are pretty dirty.

the P+L for the mounts and filters comes to $1000 almost exactly. i probably won't tackle the mounts for a few months but will probably go ahead and do the filters.

other than that, they did a thorough examination and all other major areas of inspection came back fine. brake fluid is flushed, oil is changed, just got a fresh wash and they will even come pick me up from work and give me a ride back to the shop to pick it up.

Glad to hear the noise is 'just tires'.

The P&L on those mounts and filters seems a little high to me. With BMW OE parts, I guess that could put you in the ballpark.

Anyone change out motor and transmission mounts?

I think this can be done by lifting the car and jacking the motor/trans and removing/replacing one mount at a time:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=738043

Here's the DIY for an e36/e46 using an engine hoist:
www.vorshlag.com/documents/install/motormount_install.pdf

Air filters should be changed out at suggested intervals, generally check/replace at 15k (Inspection I) and replace at 30k (Inspection II). Cabin air filter suggested intervals are the same/similar, depending on whether or not you use the system in recirculate mode.

I hope your indy shop didn't tell you the fuel filter was "dirty" - you can't inspect the condition of the filter. A suggested interval for changing out these filters is 60k (which is every other Inspection II). I think I saw somewhere that you have 51k+ on the clock. You can always change it... wouldn't hurt.

[webster]

lol no you're right, i asked him if it was dirty and he said exactly that, he couldn't tell without taking it apart but it is recommended for the mileage.

here are the breakdowns for the quote he gave me, all BMW OEM parts, including P+L:

motor mounts - $441
tranny mounts - $141
air filter - $78
cabin filter - $120
fuel filter - $246

seem reasonable?

[llll1l1ll]

On my E30 (keyword here is E30), motor mounts took about an hour with beer. Just jacked up the motor a little, slipped in the new mount and put the motor back down. Then tightened everything, of course.