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Old 05-21-2008, 05:03 AM   #1
ShortE36
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Red face Suspension/Steering Noise when turning right

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!
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Old 05-21-2008, 05:21 AM   #2
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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.
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:12 PM   #3
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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.
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:20 PM   #4
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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
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:31 PM   #5
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By prop bearing - do you mean the center support bearing?
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:37 PM   #6
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number 12
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:39 PM   #7
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OK got it - thank you for taking the time to pull up that schematic as well.
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:43 PM   #8
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your welcome mate

www.bmwfans.info
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:47 PM   #9
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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?
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:51 PM   #10
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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
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Old 05-21-2008, 08:52 PM   #11
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OK great. I'll check it again tonight. Thanks.
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Old 05-22-2008, 02:23 AM   #12
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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.
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Old 05-22-2008, 02:30 AM   #13
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Unhappy OK so...

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.
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Old 05-22-2008, 03:10 AM   #14
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Thumbs up Thanks aceyx

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.
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Old 05-23-2008, 06:21 AM   #15
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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
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^being rebuilt^

until then:
daily car:
96' Blue DASC'd ti with koni coilovers
slowly progressing...
weekend car:
85 1/2' 944 Porsche
no a/c, p/s, gutted cat, loud as hell exhaust, loud as hell sound system
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