[Oilverland]

My 2016 35i has a pretty noticeable rumble or resonance noise, comes from the rear compartment, most noticeable between 55 and 65 mph, and not a direct function of mph or anything that rotates. Doesn't matter if I use the summer tires and wheels or winter tires and wheels.

The dealer fails to hear it but I couldn't get their jockey of a foreman to slow down. My local mechanic, a former BMW mechanic, drove it and says it's the beginning of a rear wheel bearing failure.

Note, the car has the Dynamic Performance Control rear diff. I bought it used so I can't know if the car came with this noise. It does seem to have gotten a bit louder in the approx 9k miles I have owned it, although it is possible I have just gotten more annoyed at the noise!

Anybody have experience with rear wheel bearing failure, and it's related noise? My experience with bearing failure is a grinding noise, but the BMW is otherwise the most sound insulated rig I have ever owned so it could mask or muffle some noises I suppose.

Thanks in advance,

=Tommy=

[doodlebro]

Do you hear the noise when you're turning sharply? That would point to a diff issue.

I would just pester the foreman politely about exactly what it takes to reproduce. I've gone back and forth with dealerships chasing noises before and you just have to be adamant that something is off.

[Oilverland]

Originally Posted by doodlebro

Do you hear the noise when you're turning sharply? That would point to a diff issue.

I would just pester the foreman politely about exactly what it takes to reproduce. I've gone back and forth with dealerships chasing noises before and you just have to be adamant that something is off.

I hear it just going down the road, turning or not. More speed specific.

I am good at pestering service reps, if not the foreman. Trouble is, I live 230 miles from the dealer in the winter, when the more direct route, the North Cascades Highway, is closed, but that's still 180 miles. The winter route options are fun, as it means one or two mountain passes, but they are slow, about 4.5 to 5 hours driving. So I can't get to the dealer a lot. Yet I am within 2500 miles of the warranty expiring, so there's a balancing act. But it's OK, it's a first world problem.

[DonC]

I had the same noise and ended up having both rear wheel bearings replaced. Right rear bearing was notchy. Like new now.

[pault949]

I have a pre-LCI F25 and I am hearing some noise from the rear as well except I can hear the noise from low speeds to high speeds (25 to over 75 mph). The noise gets louder as the speed increases and I am convinced it's not the tires because Helga got a new set of tires very recently and the sound didn't change. It also doesn't change if I am in a corner nor if I throw it in neutral while driving down the road. I have an appointment at the dealer and requested that a tech or the shop foreman take a ride with me to hear the noise. Let's hope we can get to the bottom of the issue before my CPO powertrain coverage expires in late May.

Good luck with your issue. Please keep us informed as to what you find out.

[Can Pharaoh]

I have another thread started about rear differential, the noise you're referring to here seems to be the same I'm having, I went to the dealer, they diagnosed it as rear differential failure and the whole rear differential to be changed, the car never had any modifications, I bought it used about 2 years ago, it still had the original tires on it, I got the historic from BMW as well when I bought it, no previous issues that related to differential, I went to a BMW specialist mechanic and he diagnosed as rear bearings, so far left bearing got changed and the noise is gown a lot less, we are going to change the right side and will see how it goes.

[pault949]

Originally Posted by Can Pharaoh

I have another thread started about rear differential, the noise you're referring to here seems to be the same I'm having, I went to the dealer, they diagnosed it as rear differential failure and the whole rear differential to be changed, the car never had any modifications, I bought it used about 2 years ago, it still had the original tires on it, I got the historic from BMW as well when I bought it, no previous issues that related to differential, I went to a BMW specialist mechanic and he diagnosed as rear bearings, so far left bearing got changed and the noise is gown a lot less, we are going to change the right side and will see how it goes.

I've been talking to you on the other thread you mention.

So glad to hear that you're problem is half solved!

[Oilverland]

Originally Posted by Can Pharaoh

I have another thread started about rear differential, the noise you're referring to here seems to be the same I'm having, I went to the dealer, they diagnosed it as rear differential failure and the whole rear differential to be changed, ...

In that thread you describe it as a "whining ( kind of rrrrrr) that increases with speeding." Mine is a rumble, most like wind buffeting you can get with one window open. One will only hear it between 55-65 mph or so, and it is a fixed frequency, not affected my the speed of anything that rotates. So I don't think these are the same symptoms.

Note that my car has the Dynamic Performance Control rear diff. Does yours have that or the stock diff?

BTW if you do have a differential failure, and it's not covered by a warrantee, I don't know about BMW diffs, but some can be rebuilt. You can also get a used one, sometimes with a warrantee. Try carparts.com for used parts. Or do the usual Web search. Right now I cant find "differential" on their site for my rig. Then you need a mechanic to install it. Mine will but he charges extra. I had good luck doing this for a Jeep transfer case, except the first one was damaged in shipping, but the vendor made good on it, sent another.

[Scout10]

There are also some visual signs usually.
Stand well behind and view rear of vehicle. Look at the vertical alignment of tires.
Is one more canted then the other?
Also by pulling and pushing "hard" on top of tire in and out. If you feel a spot of loosness
stop to stop, or free play of the brng. Its time

[pault949]

Originally Posted by pault949

I have a pre-LCI F25 and I am hearing some noise from the rear as well except I can hear the noise from low speeds to high speeds (25 to over 75 mph). The noise gets louder as the speed increases and I am convinced it's not the tires because Helga got a new set of tires very recently and the sound didn't change. It also doesn't change if I am in a corner nor if I throw it in neutral while driving down the road. I have an appointment at the dealer and requested that a tech or the shop foreman take a ride with me to hear the noise. Let's hope we can get to the bottom of the issue before my CPO powertrain coverage expires in late May.

Good luck with your issue. Please keep us informed as to what you find out.

Update: Took it into the dealer this morning and took a ride with the shop foreman. He immediately heard the noise and said that he was 90% sure that it was a wheel bearing. Then he decided to drive it and brought it up to about 40 mph and started to aggressively slalom. The tone would change on one turn of the slalom, but not on the other. At that point, he said he was 99% sure that it's a wheel bearing and that he would be 100% sure once it was on the lift.

Fortunately, it's still under CPO warranty and is covered. It's just going to cost me the $50 deductible.