[DanMZe90]

Hi,

My E90 330D is approaching 176k and I believe it to be the original clutch and DMF as I see no evidence of it having being done prior to my ownership of it 6 years ago at 89k.

Over the last few weeks I have noticed a rather odd vibration that does not seem to be coming through the steering wheel and is getting progressively worse.

When I am on the dual carriageway part of my 20 mile journey to work, at certain sections the vibration will start. It seems to correct itself if I slow down (or stop) and start driving again. It seems to be coming from the rear though I can't be certain. It is like driving on a more subtle version of rumble strips and the inside of the car resonates with a sound that I can best describe as a rotor sound of being on the inside of a helicopter..or something like that!

The vibration has been present through what are two sets of rear tyres so I don't think it is tyre related.

I have been reading this lengthy thread:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=674537

and realise it could be an number of things e.g

- Control arms
- Bearings
- Tie rods
- Bad tires
- Wheel Balance
- Alignment
- Differential
- Center drive shaft bearing with Flex discs front and back
- DUAL MASS FLYWHEEL.
- Brake rotors and pads
- Brake rotor rubber guides with pad springs
- Engine mounts
- Transmission mounts
- Differential and Transmission fluids

(the above list doctored from that thread). I am wondering if the helicoptery sound is indicative of something in particular or is it best I just had it over to the indie? It got quite bad today where I had that impending feeling that it was about to 'do something' like break but it got me home...!

Where should I start other than taking it to the indie?

Thanks

Dan

[rasa bmw]

99% sure it will be a caliper,,when this happens pull over,,get a bottle of water and do a quick little aquirt on eack disc,,you will soon see which one at fault

[mantis]

you might have a faulty wheel bearing, ie not magnetic, will fuck with the abs system

[jayartibee]

I had this and it was an over-adjusted handbrake shoe

[therealdb1]

You could try jacking up the car and rotating each wheel by hand.
If there are any binding brakes you should be able to feel it.
Not sure what sort of handbrake shoes you have on your car but on one of my fleet, not BMW admittedly, the friction material was bonded to the metal shoe. At least it was from new! As the years rolled by and the metal rusted the friction material peeled away and was effectively applying the handbrake all of the time.
As I say simple thing to check for yourself by jacking up the car and if you feel intermittent resistance that you would need to replicate a chopper sound then further investigation is required.

[DanMZe90]

Thanks for the replies and sorry for the late response. After I posted I thought I was having a moment when I decided to check the new tyres and realised that one side was 40 psi down and the other one was down 20 odd psi too. I inflated them and had been kicking myself as my 40 mile round trip to work produced no vibrations...until last night.

On the way back home I was giving it a bit of welly and felt the familiar vibrations creep in. This time, when I got home I could smell burning and the rear passenger side wheel was really hot and smoking. My obvious thoughts, and as suggested here, are caliper or bearing. I have been hearing a droning (not the missus) for many months now, to the point it has become a 'normal' sound for me so could indicate the bearing. I will either drop it off at the indie or try and jack it up an rotate the wheel and see for myself.

I also wonder if, whatever this actually is, is the cause of what made me replace three of the ABS sensors in my previous thread here:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1511963

Could it be all linked?

Thanks

Dan

[rasa bmw]

if smoke was coming off then caliper it would be,,never heard of a wheel bearing smoking,,they would break up inside and collapse if they gone to far

[Dormermike]

Helicopter sound is almost always a stuck caliper