Suspension/Steering Noise when turning right

[ShortE36]

OK so I've been reading for a good week now on various boards and forums but haven't had anything conclusive. The worst is when you find someone who has your problem and doesn't post a solution! Let me say that I sincerely promise to post a solution to this when I find it.

Problem: When turning right at speeds more than 5mph, typically in 90 degree turns but no less than say 30 degree (like on and off ramps), I get this noise that I can feel in the floor pan and throughout the car really, including the steering wheel. It sounds like the exhaust is rubbing up against the driveshaft. I've also experienced it where after I come out of a right turn, come to a light, I can still hear something rubbing up against something else, even while standing still. Also, if I come out of a right turn while hearing the noise, then floor it while coming out of the turn, I get this loud 'tinny' noise almost like the exhaust is touching another metal part or it's being separated somehow and making a bit more noise than normal. That noise when flooring it will be present for about 30 seconds then go away, even while I still have my foot the floor. Also when I am cruising on the highway and go over bumps, I hear a bit of a double 'clunk'. Almost like the exhaust or some component is loose and bouncing along with the car.

This doesn't affect the steering of the car. I still continue to steer properly although the sound is a bit intimidating and at first I think it was a mental thing where I thought it really was affecting the steering but it wasn't.

Background: I've owned 3 BMWs, a 2000 528i which is in my garage at the moment, a 97 318is which was my first bimmer and most recently (May '08) a '98 318Ti. It's got 156K miles, 5 speed and is bone dry under the hood. Underneath I see a bit of oil near the oil pan/gasket but nothing excessive - just your typical original gasket absorbing oil. I do most repairs myself and have a decent amount of your typical tools. No compressor or impact gun however - I'm working on that!

What I've done so far: I've drove the car up onto ramps and got underneath to see if anything seemed 'loose.' I was sure it was the exhaust but while pushing the header/collector bit left and right, it barely moved. If I push the exhaust nearer to the resonator/after-cat, then I feel some movement and can see it swinging about a good inch in each direction. I'm not sure if this is normal or not. Also I've popped the hood and revved the engine to see if it's possibly the mounts and watched for excessive movement of the engine but it looks normal. I had a 97 318is and it moved no more than that one did.

What I've read so far: I've read that this could potentially be the flex disc/guibo and/or center support bearing. I've also read it could be the cross member support (not the sway bar) being bent and the exhaust brushing up against it. I've also read that the exhaust hanger could be rusted loose and allowing for too much travel and possibly rubbing up against the driveshaft.

My takes on:

Flex Disc/Guibo & Center Support Bearing - Although I've never done this repair, I saw some pics of some torn up ones and I don't recall seeing anything damage like that when I was under there but I wasn't specifically looking for it.

Cross Member Support - Although to my eye, this seemed straight I could be wrong. I'm tending to lean this way as most of my thoughts are with the exhaust rubbing up against something.

Exhaust Hanger - This is probably the most likely scenario considering there was a bit of play in the exhaust from the midsection all the way to the muffler. I'm still not sure if that's normal or not. But from when I was under there, the driveshaft really isn't all that close to the exhaust so I don't see it doing that but I could be wrong.

Other facts: I have 2 other problems that may or may not contribute to solving this one but here they are:

1. When taking off slowly from my driveway whether I go forward or reverse, I hear a bit of driveline noise for about 2 seconds and it goes away. It seems to be more pronounced in reverse. I do feel it in the floor and the car overall.

2. 1st gear seems to slip out quite often. More often than my other cars have. It's pretty random but when I put it in first whether it be to take off from a parking spot or at a light, it will pop out every so often. I once drove a Ford Focus like this and it turned out to be that the shift lever wasn't bent enough and they had to vice-it and bend it a bit more. Who knows? I've tried to be conscious of making sure I depress the clutch all the way down and engage the gear fully but still seems to happen every so often. I also never downshift into 1st unless I'm completely stopped.

So I don't know if those last two items are in any way related but I'd sure like to get closer to solving the noise and vibration issue. It sounds terrible and you can feel it in the floor pan heavily. Any help or insight would be appreicated.

THANK YOU! :confused:

[minicoop900]

wow, youve done your homework.

i know that on my dads 740 the previous owner had the cats gutted and that exhaust has a two wall system, but you can hear this sound whenever the cars running, more when you accelerate.

sounds like metal slapping metal.
not sure if this helps, but figured id throw that in for you to know.

oh, and best way to test for this noise we found, was to take a plastic hammer and tap the exhaust while engine was off and listen for noise.

[ShortE36]

Thanks man - any help is appreciated.

Update: I was doing some more troubleshooting today and that noise when I hit the gas and take off, seems like it's coming from the driver side behind the clutch/brake area. I can obviously hear it and feel it in the floor underneath.

[Mallard]

look at the prop bearing again , it may be this

also look at the wishbones for the knocking noise of hitting the gas and letting off.

its so hard to tell you what it could be without seeing it fella :?

[ShortE36]

By prop bearing - do you mean the center support bearing?

[Mallard]

http://static.bmwfans.info/images/epc/MzQ2NF9w.png (http://bmwfans.info/original/E36/com/318ti-M42/ECE/R/M/1995/05/mg-26/ill-26_0105/)

number 12

[ShortE36]

OK got it - thank you for taking the time to pull up that schematic as well.

[Mallard]

your welcome mate :)

www.bmwfans.info

[ShortE36]

Actually - what should I be looking for if it is bad? I've read that if it's got any amount of play in it where my hand is able to move it - then it's probably bad. Is that safe to say?

[Mallard]

definatley :) if you can rock the prop then its finnished..

have a look also at you gearbox mounts, as this will allow for some unwanted flex :)

[ShortE36]

OK great. I'll check it again tonight. Thanks.

[aceyx]

Also check the heat shields; there is one for the cat and another for the muffler.

For a while I thought a loose shield was a bad throwout bearing, guibo, and a whole mess of other crap. The sounds it made and when it made them just didn't make sense.

[ShortE36]

I got under the car today and looked specifically at the flex disc/guibo and it looked pretty good. One part of the rubber where 1 bolt was looked like it was starting to crack but nothing major. Not like what I've seen where the cords are shredding. I couldn't get to the center bearing because I'd basically have to drop the exhaust and the heat shield. I did grab a hold of the driveshaft and tried to rock it back and forth but it was solid. What I did notice was I could move the transmission by hand from side to side if I held the driveshaft just after the vibration absorber (#2 in the pic) & guibo.

One of the transmission mounts looks like the top was sliding off of the bottom. I had about 1/4" of play in each direction. Is this normal? I also noticed that where that vibration abosorber is, it looks like it could have made contact with the sound deadning/isulation under the car and was starting to peel it away.

Again - any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Right now I'm just looking for feedback as to if I'm supposed to be able to move the transmission near the mounts, by hand with about 1/4" of play in each direction.

[ShortE36]

Thanks for the suggestion. I checked out the heat shields and they're pretty secure. Not hanging loose or bent or anything. But thanks tho. I did have that problem on my old '97 318is as it had rusted out from around the bolts and was hanging on the exhaust and driveshaft.

[minicoop900]

looks like its time for tranny mounts, but i doubt thats your noise, that would just make it feel like its shifting a little harder

[ShortE36]

Just ordered the tranny mounts from BimmerSpecialist.com and should get them in sometime next week. I just ordered the OEM ones. I figured they lasted this long - why not? I don't plan on doing any track time or anything so it's not an issue for me. So I will certainly get under my car as soon as I get them so I will fill you guys in if that fixed the issue or not.

[ShortE36]

Just wanted to post an update, sort of, on the topic. I haven't yet gotten around to installing the new mounts but will probably next weekend. I did get new tires. General Ultimax HP - love them! Anyway - the noise seems less intrusive now with the new tires on or at least it seems to not be as intense as it was. It's still there - there's no doubt. Now I can almost pin point it to more on the right side. And my right tranny mount seem to be the one that was failed. Not sure if there's any correlation there but we'll see once I get them replaced. So sorry for the long delay - not that any of you are anxiously awaiting an answer on MY problem. :)

[elchicano]

I may be far off from what the other guys have said but i too had something like this. For me it turned out to be my fronts stuts were worn and had to be replaced. This stoped the noise and also stopped the CEL light that had been turning on. I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to check the struts see if they need replacing.

[ShortE36]

That's an interesting theory as well because whenever I go over a significant bump or join in the road, I hear an extra thud other than the suspension/tire noise. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks man.

[elchicano]

Yea it took me a while to figure it out to because for some reason one of my struts was dead and not the other. So after i replaced both of them it was good to go. I would also check the springs, there's a member here who said that the end of the springs may break. Probably a chunk of a spring broke causing this noise to continue.

[ShortE36]

Just got back from about a 20 mile roundtrip journey in some really heavy rained and some washed out roads. I've got brand new tires on the car which I can't express how much I love but I actually started hearing the sound as I went through a few puddles but only moving the steering wheel minimally, maybe a degree or two. Hmmmm...

[ShortE36]

So another problem has surfaced that may or may not be related. I've got tranny issues as I'm not even sure if the thing has fluid in it but it pops out of 1st gear every so often so for the most part, I take off in 2nd. Now I'm finding that after a minute or so of driving, the ASC light comes on. I'm not pushing it hard or anything but obviously something is screwed up somewhere.

[BimmerBum]

Considered a wheel bearing?

[ShortE36]

The noise isn't speed sensitive at all. It's only apparent when turning right. Whether under acceleration or just cruising or coasting in neutral. It's like my tire is rubbing but it's more mechanical than that. It sounds like my diff is going but it's perfect when i'm cruising along the highway or going straight or making a left turn. The car handles great. It's just hard to troubleshoot. Maybe'll ill put a clip of it up on youtube and post it here.

[BimmerBum]

The noise isn't speed sensitive at all. It's only apparent when turning right. Whether under acceleration or just cruising or coasting in neutral. It's like my tire is rubbing but it's more mechanical than that. It sounds like my diff is going but it's perfect when i'm cruising along the highway or going straight or making a left turn. The car handles great. It's just hard to troubleshoot. Maybe'll ill put a clip of it up on youtube and post it here.

Sounds like a left side wheel bearing to me... When you load up the left side making right turns your failing wheel bearing is making noise.

If it makes the noise whether the driveline is engaged or not then that is a good indication that the problem is not in the driveline.

[ShortE36]

The noise just reverberates through the entire cabin. You feel it in the floor, steering wheel (not a wobble), seat, etc. It's very prominent and i'm sure if you were standing on the corner as I went around you may be able to hear it as well. You just feel it everywhere. Feels like my steering rack or something is just going to drop out. However I don't feel like I'm losing control or anything.

[BimmerBum]

The noise just reverberates through the entire cabin. You feel it in the floor, steering wheel (not a wobble), seat, etc. It's very prominent and i'm sure if you were standing on the corner as I went around you may be able to hear it as well. You just feel it everywhere. Feels like my steering rack or something is just going to drop out. However I don't feel like I'm losing control or anything.


Sounds just like a wheel bearing to me...

[mohaughn]

If I had to guess your driver side motor mount is shot. I recently had a motor mount break on me and I would have the same "pushing" out of gear problem. When I looked at the transmission mounts it would look like the transmission was twisting away from the mounts.

If the motor mounts are shot the transmission will be able to move around on the transmission mounts. It also causes the gear shifter to ride up against the transmission tunnel, so it doesn't fully engage in gear... If it is the motor mount you will not be able to get the transmission mounts to fit right until the motor mount is fixed.

The other thing to look at for funny noises only when turning is your wheel bearings.

[ShortE36]

Thanks for your time and input BimmerBum. I've got some failed tranny mounts so going to try to get that in first. One last thing - wouldn't the wheel bearing make a noise at all speeds and irregarless of what direction or am I experiencing the beginning of it failing?

[ShortE36]

when i start the car in the morning, there is this clank that I hear almost everytime. Just feels like something is loose when turning it over. Thought it could also be the tranny mounts. The right side tranny mount that has an hour glass shape, looks like the top half is going to slide off the bottom half.

[BimmerBum]

- wouldn't the wheel bearing make a noise at all speeds and irregarless of what direction or am I experiencing the beginning of it failing?

If you let a bad one go for a while it will not matter what direction you are going... you will hear it going straight down the road eventually. When the start to go you will experience pretty much what you have described.

Tranny mounts are hour-glass shaped... new.

[tiFreak]

might be a transmission sychronizer, I know other people have had the same problem, I'm not sure how they fixed it

[ShortE36]

Took it to a parking lot this weekend and cranked the wheel all the way to the left. Drove in a few circles and no noise. Cranked it all the way to the right, did the circle routine @ approx. 2-5mph and its as loud and present as ever. Does that help anyone?

[rholbrook]

When it's cold my ti does the same thing. I found some literature awhile back and apparently there is some exhaust insulation or something that gets loose and rubs on the driveshaft, accentuated in turns. After 5 minutes it goes away. The sound comes from underneath the shifter? It hasn't been a bog anough annoyance or problem to fix it yet. Good luck.

"I finally got this fixed, and the problem/solution was
quite a surprise to me. I tried everything that was
recommended and was coming to the conclusion that this
was NOT a wheel bearing although the noise did get
louder during breaking and while turning left. Since
the noise would be gone by the time I got to my
mechanic because the car warmed up, I dropped it off
at the shop before they closed Wednesday evening. I
told him to leave it outside and drive it cold in the
morning for 5 minutes. I was told the tunnel
insulation at the driveshaft was rubbing. He couldn't
explain why it was making the noise only when the
driveline was cold, but the car isn't doing it now! He
charged me $60 bucks to fix it. Well worth it to me
since it was really pissing me off. Hope this helps."

[mohaughn]

Took it to a parking lot this weekend and cranked the wheel all the way to the left. Drove in a few circles and no noise. Cranked it all the way to the right, did the circle routine @ approx. 2-5mph and its as loud and present as ever. Does that help anyone?

That is the classic test for wheel bearings... Sounds like one of them is shot.

I'm not really sure what you mean when you say that it looks like the top of the transmission mount is coming off the bottom, but a failed motor mount will allow the entire drive line to twist and the transmission will move around on its mounts. If you have a failed transmission mount, it is safe to assume that the motor mounts are also pretty worn.

[ShortE36]

OK so one more fly in the ointment. And this may just be a compounded problem but I checked the power steering fluid tonight while the vehicle was cold (parked for more than 5 hours). I read the dipstick to mean it was over-filled. There's the first notch closest to the bottom of the dipstick, which is what I think it should be at when it's cold, then there's the second notch where I think it should be when it's hot. The fluid is above the second notch, upwards towards the cap. Is this over-filled?

[drrty byl]

^ I wouldn't worry about the PS reservoir being slightly overfilled unless you're hearing noises or having other steering problems.

I second the motor mount diagnosis based on your description. I had the same symptoms at one point, and after replacing both front bearings they didn't go away. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the right motor mount had snapped in half near the top. The grinding sound was from the two pieces of rubber/metal sliding on one another.

[ShortE36]

Noticed this as well:

When slowing down to go around a turn, then downshifting as I get around it, the noise/vibration frequency increases with the engine speed as the RPMs jump up a bit. This is usually from 3rd to 2nd but notice that it's not vehicle speed specific but definitely engine speed specific.

Also noticed that when driving uphill if I accelerate, then suddenly take my foot off the gas, I get the noise when going in a straight line. Also, when going downhill, I don't have to do much to get a tiny bit/beginning of the noise/vibration to kick in. This was all while driving in some heavy rain. Heavy enough to get some water on the belts and cause a tad bit of slipping.

Not sure if the rain has anything to do with whatever has failed but I'm now starting to think this may be a failed driver side engine mount. I've totally gone off the possibility of this being a bearing because of the increase in frequency with engine speed.

Can someone help me with this one? What could it be that would be causing this vibration in the entire car & floor that when downshifting, would increase in frequency with the engine speed?

[///MptyPockets]

I have the EXACT same problem. Started happening about a month ago and has seemed to progress. It seems as though I used to have to turn right pretty hard for it to happen -- now the slightest turn to the right makes that vibrating/rubbing noise.. I have no idea what it could be and it's driving me nuts!!

If it's any help at all.. I had my ball joints replaced about a month and half ago. It seemed to start happening right after that.. could that be related? Anyone have any ideas?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in adavance,

Derrick

[ShortE36]

Thanks for replying Derrick. I can't necessarily say that the ball joint replacement may have had anything to do with it as I haven't even been able to solve the puzzle yet. I am however leaning towards a broken engine mount. I just haven't had the time to get to it or even troubleshoot that. I'm not quite sure how to troubleshoot it but a simple test someone mentioned didn't really provide any conclusive evidence. The test was to pop the hood, rev the engine and look to see for any excessive movement but didn't appear out of the ordinary relative to my other BMW engines in the past. Someone had also mentioned a broken strut may be the cause but as far as handling goes, even when I get that noise, the handling is still fine. Will 1 broken strut cause an noticeable difference in day to day driving/handling?

[BimmerBum]

I have the EXACT same problem. Started happening about a month ago and has seemed to progress. It seems as though I used to have to turn right pretty hard for it to happen -- now the slightest turn to the right makes that vibrating/rubbing noise.. I have no idea what it could be and it's driving me nuts!!

If it's any help at all.. I had my ball joints replaced about a month and half ago. It seemed to start happening right after that.. could that be related? Anyone have any ideas?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in adavance,

Derrick


My vote is very strong for wheel bearing... even though that is not met with much acceptance.

[///MptyPockets]

Thanks for replying Derrick. I can't necessarily say that the ball joint replacement may have had anything to do with it as I haven't even been able to solve the puzzle yet. I am however leaning towards a broken engine mount. I just haven't had the time to get to it or even troubleshoot that. I'm not quite sure how to troubleshoot it but a simple test someone mentioned didn't really provide any conclusive evidence. The test was to pop the hood, rev the engine and look to see for any excessive movement but didn't appear out of the ordinary relative to my other BMW engines in the past. Someone had also mentioned a broken strut may be the cause but as far as handling goes, even when I get that noise, the handling is still fine. Will 1 broken strut cause an noticeable difference in day to day driving/handling?
It's funny that you mention a broken strut because I was kind of thinking that.. It surely makes sense with the "thud" after hitting a speed bump. I know you mentioned that too. Same thing here. I just checked up the car on both side turned the wheel both ways and can't really determine anything visually out of the ordinary.

I'm also half leaning towards a wheel bearing because when I listen very carefully on a straight road there seems to be a little noise on the passenger side -- but would a wheel bearing really make that "rubbing/vibrating" noise?? And if it was a wheel bearing wouldn't it do it all the time and NOT just turning right? I would definitely rule out the power steering pump that you mentioned too because if it was that, it would do it no matter which way you turned.

I have one other symptom that I didn't see you mention -- my car sometimes pulls to the left when driving straight.. not all the time. Just sometimes.


Quick recap of my symptoms...

1.) excessive rubbing when turning right and ONLY right. Increases when accelerating around a corner and the faster I go the less I have to turn the wheel to hear the sound...

2.) an empty "thud" when hitting a speed bump or any large bump

3.) pulling to left when driving straight at times / a.k.a bad handleing..

Does this sound like a bad passenger side strut? Is there some way I can easily or quickly test this to be sure before I drop a few hundred on struts?

Thanks for your feedback!

Derrick

[BimmerBum]

I'm also half leaning towards a wheel bearing because when I listen very carefully on a straight road there seems to be a little noise on the passenger side -- but would a wheel bearing really make that "rubbing/vibrating" noise??

Yes.

And if it was a wheel bearing wouldn't it do it all the time and NOT just turning right?

No.


Quick recap of my symptoms...

1.) excessive rubbing when turning right and ONLY right. Increases when accelerating around a corner and the faster I go the less I have to turn the wheel to hear the sound...

Wheel bearing.

2.) an empty "thud" when hitting a speed bump or any large bump

Could be wheel bearing.

3.) pulling to left when driving straight at times / a.k.a bad handleing..

Wheel bearing.



I have had bad struts and bad wheel bearings. The symptoms being described here would cause me to order and replace the wheel bearing with every expectation the problem would be solved.

[ShortE36]

Looks like I've got a totally broken passenger side motor mount. If I'm looking at the picture correctly, It looks like the motor has completely moved off of the mount and the rubber is sheared/ripped. Let me know your thoughts. I also included a pic of the engine bay so you can see that the engine appears to have shifted a bit to the driver side. You can notice the air intake bellow looks compressed.

[BMW_318TI]

Same problem here when truning right I hear clunk noise.

Already replaced:
Front wheel bearings.
Meye control arms.
Meyle control arms for steering.

I think it's shockabsorber bearing?

[fastforward]

My Ti has the exact symptoms, I have just recently replaced the shocks,struts,strut and shock mounts,springs, lower control arms and control arm bushings. All this did help but did not elimnate the problem. I have also noted that the noise is not as noticeable if there is a passenger in the car which kind leads me to think that fact there is less lean/body roll to the left that the wheel bearing may be the problem. I too have checked all the mounts,exhaust and found no real issues. Keep us posted. I have a wheel bearing on order if this rectifies my problem I post it up as cured.

[///MptyPockets]

My Ti has the exact symptoms, I have just recently replaced the shocks,struts,strut and shock mounts,springs, lower control arms and control arm bushings. All this did help but did not elimnate the problem. I have also noted that the noise is not as noticeable if there is a passenger in the car which kind leads me to think that fact there is less lean/body roll to the left that the wheel bearing may be the problem. I too have checked all the mounts,exhaust and found no real issues. Keep us posted. I have a wheel bearing on order if this rectifies my problem I post it up as cured.

I noticed the exact same thing last weekend. When I have a passenger in the car it isn't half as bad. I noticed it because it typically happens at every freakin corner I take when someone isn't in the car, but I was trying to have my passenger feel what was happening and it wouldn't do it! Sure enough though as soon as they get out it happens.. Still thinking a wheel bearing, aye? I haven't ordered one yet -- let me know if replacing yours takes care of the issue. It sounds like we have the same thing going on.

/D

[BMW_318TI]

I have the same problem:

Already replaced:
Wheel bearings.
Control arms with new bushings.
Complete control arms for steering.
Motor mounts.

I am desperate now:-(

[ShortE36]

Just put through an order on AutoPartsWarehouse.com for a set of Sachs Engine Mounts @ $44/ea. Also put in an order for some maintenance/tuneup items too. Dedicating next weekend to getting this fixed once and for all. Will replace the motor mounts and tranny mounts of course.

[cooljess76]

Ball joints and tie rods guys. Take the front wheels off and shake the hell outta the hub. Watch the lower ball joint and see if it moves.

[ShortE36]

Considering how many people on this thread alone have done that and still had the same prob - i'm reluctant to say that it is that. But... you never know. I mean I have clear evidence that my motor mount is ripped and severed completely so I can't deny that fact. And the vibration I'm feeling, I feel under my feet in the floor pan but not in the steering wheel or even in my seat. Doesn't affect the way the car handles in any way shape or form. Just an additional loud virbration when turning right.

[cooljess76]

In your case it's without a doubt the motor mounts causing the vibration. Might want to consider tranny mounts and diff mount as well since they've probably been stressed from the failed motor mount. I didn't read through the whole thread, but I was just throwing ball joints and tie rods out there for the other guys. LCABs aren't a bad idea either but I seen that they already replaced those.

[BMW_318TI]

My problem was fxcking sway bar link.

[ShortE36]

So I finally got the car up on jack stands and turns out I have 2 ripped and severed engine mounts. Having trouble right now trying to line it up again to lower it down on the new mounts. Can't figure it out. Motor has basically shifted over to the left about an inch and obviously need to shift it back but with using a hydraulic floor jack, it doesn't let me 'slide' the jack over to line it up....

[ShortE36]

After how many months of troubleshooting and finding the time to get to this, it was the motor mounts. Originally I thought it was just 1 but turned out both were ripped. Basically the top stud is attached to a metal plate in the mount itself. That part on both mounts were ripped and the motor was just basically resting on the mounts. So got the new mounts installed (what a b$%@#) and noise is gone. Shifter is MUCH smoother and not popping out of first gear anymore. Going around turns is no problem and i'm lighting up the ASC light on the dash like no tomorrow. Man I love this car now....

I didn't however replace the transmission mounts. A guy at the local body shop just around the corner actually let me use his lift and equipment free of charge. Just bought his crew lunch. I could have replaced the tranny mounts but the lift I was using had a jack on it as well and it was right under the transmission mounts. Begger's can't be choosers so I didn't push my luck and ask to use another lift. I cut my losses there and don't regret it. Shifter is silky smooth.

I also had recently drained and filled the gearbox fluid with Royal Purple Synchromax and the differential with Max Gear 75w-140. Shifter has gradually gotten smoother & smoother since I've filled it with RP. I know it was supposed to take 75w-90 but they didn't have it at the store when I went so just used the 140. No noticeable difference but before replacing the motor mounts, I was getting better MPG. Gearbox only had about 1/2 quart of fluid and it was BLACK! It stained my garage floor. Almost like it had carbon in it. Differential fluid looked pretty good. It had a golden motor oil color to it. Didn't look too bad at all but swapped in the RP and I notice it's alot quieter on the highway now.

Thread comes to an end and I promised I'd post a resolution and I did. I hope this helps anyone out there and of course, if you have any questions, PM me. I want to thank everyone who posted as it all helped me in troubleshooting my problem. This is a great forum.

[mohaughn]

You can easily change your transmission mounts by yourself with the car just up on jack stands...

Put the car up on jack stands on driver/passenger side.

Then use your jack and put it under the flat machined part of the transmission, it is about 1 foot or so in front of the mounts. Jack up the transmission slightly. Don't lift the car any, but take the weight of the transmission off of the mounts. Use another jackstand to support the transmission just in case the jack lets go.

You then loosen up the bolts on the mounts, I also completely remove the H support bar. I think it is easier to remove the top nuts on the transmission mounts, leave the bottom on there, then with the entire brace removed, remove the bottom nuts for the mounts.

Throw the old mounts away, re-assemble with your new mounts. Shouldn't take any longer than 30-45 minutes working on your back.

[fastforward]

Did the motor mounts on mine finally, problem solved as well.

[BMW_Hatchback]

I have been having the same issues for months! The most vibration I get, I can tell is coming from the motor because of how violent it is. It happens when I turn right 90 degrees at low speeds (like a sharp turn at 5-10 mph). When this happens, and I hit the gas, it doesn't really respond at all. I can floor the peddle during a right turn, and it won't accellerate any faster until I finish the turn, all it does is make the the motor's throttle sounds REALLY REALLY deep, and of course the motor vibrates violently, all the way through the cabin (I can feel it in the seat). Tomorrow I will investigate, and I will be jacking the car up alot this upcoming week because of spring break.

Other issues:

1. My exhaust heat shield is shot, and it rattles endlessly during idle, and horribly when turning right..

2.The catback is rubbing against the Diff, and I replaced the hangers few hundres miles ago, but still rubbing. So that leads me to believe that its the motor mounts as well.

3. When I downshift, I have to VERY slowly let off the clutch or else the car jumps pretty bad.

4. Shifting to 3rd gear is pretty notchy, but only 3rd gear.

[BMW_Hatchback]

bump

[tiFreak]

2.The catback is rubbing against the Diff, and I replaced the hangers few hundres miles ago, but still rubbing. So that leads me to believe that its the motor mounts as well.

maybe you just need to notch it? some aftermarket catbacks require that

[BMW_Hatchback]

it did come notched. And when I first put it in, it didn't rub.

[BMW_Hatchback]

Alright, I'm going to order some bushings with the new UUC discount, anyone get that email as well?