Hi all.
As above really,
I've done searches and came up with loads of results, but nothing matching these symptoms exactly.
I've a late 2002 330d M Sport 184 Bhp.
Mapped a few years ago, and drives fine (I've not had it all that long).
Its high mileage at 222k, which again doesn't worry me at all.
My problem, is only really noticable in 4th and 5th - It vibrates heavily when accelerating from low revs, from say 1000 to 1500rpm, then seems to disappear.
There's absolutely NO vibration on the gearstick, and as the driver, i can hear the noise but not feel anything, however rear seat passengers definiately notice this - Most rear seat passengers have commented on this.
I'm learning to live with it myself, but seem curious as to what i can be?
The Donut seems fine, both look and feeling for play (Giving it a hard time underneath)
I've renewed the Gear and Diff oils with BMW oils, which made no difference.
There's no clunking in first / reverse suggesting the donut to be fine also, however when going over bumps, there seems to be a clunk / knock from the rear of the car, sounding like the Nearside rear, though could be wrong - Are these likely related?
Anyone had anything similar?
Any advice would be appreciated, be nice to get the car back to its former glory, which i'm sure i will with some time and a little patience.
jack the car up at the rear and check shocks to see if they are still good. also as said check the subframe mounts and also check the floor where it mounts to.
Right, in which case i was right on that one - This part is fine then.
Its soaking out so won't be checking the diff mounts now, but basically, i can grab things and man handle them a bit - If there's excessive play, there's a problem - Allbeit not necessarily this problem, a problem none the less?
Subframe mounts, i take it these are bushes as such, are they visible with all the exhaust heat shields and stuff in place?
My main concern is taking them off and them never going back on right and rattling - I'm wondering if they've ever been off at all anyway, usually cars in the past have them taken off and never replaced again - Its done 222k so surely they'd have had to be off before, or are these cars really that good that its all possibly original?
most likely the original mounts as you generally dont changes them unless there is a problem.
As for the subframe- get the rear wheels off the ground by the jacking points, not the diff, with the rear wheels hanging, inspect where the subframe bolts to the floor of the car, get a pry bar in at each end and see if there is any movement in the bushes or indeed the frame and floor- early E46's and M3's had a habit of ripping the floor pan out where the frame bolts onto- doubt it on yours though
Let's try and isolate the vibration, how do you feel it? Through the steering wheel? Or through the seat/whole car shaking? Main culprit for clunking at the rear is the diff bushes, normally the very rear one. Quick test is in 1st with hand brake on bring the clutch on and off sharply, see if it clunks if so it's the diff bush(es) gone. Need to get mine done, got the new bush sat here on my desk, has been for about 2 months lol
Only the rear seat passengers notice it, it gives panel rattles in the rear too, as mentioned 4th and 5th at low revs.
I've tried the clutch thing, will try again later, but pretty sure there's no out of the ordinary noises, diff area would make sense, obviously because its rear of the car.
No steering judder, or shake - No gearstick vibration, all feels good up front, maybe a tad more vibratey than normal, but only a very marginal difference, where as the rear of the car seems to vibrate noticably more, as mentioned before, several people have commented on it..
Also, the clunking I hear is seperate (I think) and is more a 'knock' over bumps, ie a drop link kinda noise on conventional fwd cars, i'm not sure much about the rear setup on these, but seems suspension, unless of course it is related and a subframe bush / mount or similar is to blame, which hopefully we can narrow down to / cancel out various things.
Could be as simple as rear wheels needing balancing, or exhaust rubbers worn leading to excessive shaking of the rear part of the exhaust system. Doesn't sound that serious if you don't notice it up front.
Rear wheels have recently been balanced, along with the fronts.
Full 4 wheel alignment done at the same time, around 2 weeks ago.
None of this made any difference at all.
Exhaust rubbers could be a good shout, not really sure how i can check those, i know the exhaust system doesn't move around much when i try though
strut top might be the cause of the vibration as well? if its not working properly it will not be dampening during driving. hence vibration? just a long shot?
you spring is officially a shock absorber ( yes I now in this country we call struts shock absorbers but in reality they are not) and your strut is a damper.
replace the top mount as that could cause the vibration if the shock is touching the body because its broken through the top mount
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