Smells like friction

philiphilip · 11-12-2012, 05:47 AM

I drove through a massive pothole about two months ago that smashed my front passenger tire and nearly did the same thing to the back. Ever since then I feel like when I turn right at some speed (maybe over 30mph or so) on the left front something is causing friction. I can feel it through the steeringwheel as well as hear it ( sounds kind of like "hng-hng-hng-hng). Strange thing is that it's not speed dependent in that it goes faster when i drive faster.

Any ideas on what it could be? I asked BMW to inspect the car last time I was at the dealer but either they didn't find anything or didn't look for anything...

Otruba_843 · 11-12-2012, 06:11 AM

Low power steering fluid? My friends car made a strange noise like that (not a BMW) but it sounding like something was rubbing every time he turned. Turned out to be low steering fluid.

kingofthedemo · 11-12-2012, 06:12 AM

Smells like teen spirit.

N8N · 11-12-2012, 11:28 AM

Trashed wheel bearing? can you jack up that wheel and see if you feel anything untoward when rotating the wheel by hand?

ken1137 · 11-12-2012, 11:51 AM

Could be anything from tie rod, wheel bearing, lower wishbone, tension rod, sway bar link, strut, and sway bar. Take it to a good INDY since the dealer visit was worthless, or jack the car up and look for yourself. I hit a pothole once (i could feel wheel vibration through the steering wheel) and the dealer said nothing was wrong, but my tie rod was frozen. I jacked the car up and found my sway bar shifted so I replaced the bushings and I was about to purchase new tie rods and install myself. The dealer said they wouldn't replace my tie rod due to my aftermarket coilovers. I contacted BMWNA and they were great about it, they were going to reimburse me for the tie rods (since I was under warranty), but I sold the car and made full disclosure to the new owner. BMWNA said they would cover the tie rods for the new owner and what do you know, the dealer had a new Service Director the following month. So, your dealer could be playing stupid to avoid replacing any damaged parts.

AndreyT · 11-12-2012, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philiphilip

Strange thing is that it's not speed dependent in that it goes faster when i drive faster.

That's a bit confusing. Let's make sure you are correctly understood: it is not speed dependent, right? E.g. when you drive faster, the sound does not become more frequent, right?

philiphilip · 11-14-2012, 07:57 AM

@AndreyT, yup the frequency remains the same regardless of speed but does get a bit more pronounced.

11-12-2012, 05:47 AM	#1
philiphilip New Member 4 Rep 27 Posts Drives: Graphite 2008 BMW 335i SP Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Springfield, VA iTrader: (0)	Smells like friction I drove through a massive pothole about two months ago that smashed my front passenger tire and nearly did the same thing to the back. Ever since then I feel like when I turn right at some speed (maybe over 30mph or so) on the left front something is causing friction. I can feel it through the steeringwheel as well as hear it ( sounds kind of like "hng-hng-hng-hng). Strange thing is that it's not speed dependent in that it goes faster when i drive faster. Any ideas on what it could be? I asked BMW to inspect the car last time I was at the dealer but either they didn't find anything or didn't look for anything...
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11-12-2012, 06:11 AM	#2
Otruba_843 Lieutenant Colonel 93 Rep 1,509 Posts Drives: 2009 E90 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Egg Harbor - Athens iTrader: (0)	Low power steering fluid? My friends car made a strange noise like that (not a BMW) but it sounding like something was rubbing every time he turned. Turned out to be low steering fluid. __________________ 2009 E90 328i Monaco Blue premium/idrive/convience/logic-7/cold weather/ xenons/ saddle brown interior
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11-12-2012, 06:12 AM	#3
kingofthedemo Major 223 Rep 1,100 Posts Drives: BMW E90 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (1)	Smells like teen spirit.
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11-12-2012, 11:28 AM	#4
N8N Lieutenant Colonel 168 Rep 1,843 Posts Drives: 2009 E92 335i 6MT Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Berwyn Heights, MD iTrader: (2)	Trashed wheel bearing? can you jack up that wheel and see if you feel anything untoward when rotating the wheel by hand?
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11-12-2012, 11:51 AM	#5
ken1137 Brigadier General 89 Rep 3,732 Posts Drives: BMW S1000XR Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Gilbert, AZ iTrader: (7) Garage List 2009 e90 335i [6.40]	Could be anything from tie rod, wheel bearing, lower wishbone, tension rod, sway bar link, strut, and sway bar. Take it to a good INDY since the dealer visit was worthless, or jack the car up and look for yourself. I hit a pothole once (i could feel wheel vibration through the steering wheel) and the dealer said nothing was wrong, but my tie rod was frozen. I jacked the car up and found my sway bar shifted so I replaced the bushings and I was about to purchase new tie rods and install myself. The dealer said they wouldn't replace my tie rod due to my aftermarket coilovers. I contacted BMWNA and they were great about it, they were going to reimburse me for the tie rods (since I was under warranty), but I sold the car and made full disclosure to the new owner. BMWNA said they would cover the tie rods for the new owner and what do you know, the dealer had a new Service Director the following month. So, your dealer could be playing stupid to avoid replacing any damaged parts. __________________ BMWCCA member
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11-14-2012, 07:57 AM	#7
philiphilip New Member 4 Rep 27 Posts Drives: Graphite 2008 BMW 335i SP Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Springfield, VA iTrader: (0)	@AndreyT, yup the frequency remains the same regardless of speed but does get a bit more pronounced.
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