[JediQuan]

Hi guys, hoping someone here can chime in on a recent issue I started to notice.

My 19 M40i with 4000 miles recently starting making this subtle clicking noise when I am either pulling out of a parking spot or backing into my garage. This happens in both cases of turning the wheel left or right. It also sometimes happens when I'm pulling out of my garage in the morning. But it is mostly noticeable when in reverse.

This is all at very low speeds and even happens sometimes when my car is parked and I'm just simply turning the wheel into full lock in either direction.

It doesn't seem to effect the performance in any way and once I start pulling away and driving off there's no noise, not even when I make turns. Again, just really when I'm pulling out of parking spots. Just seeing if anyone has experiences this and if it's normal?

Thanks for any input guys! Hoping it's nothing serious.

[BMWGuySweden]

Have noticed the same clicking noise at low speeds recently. Don't think I had it before. Have 10000km

[808ron]

Mines like a single click doesn’t happen all the time.

[TX3M]

This happened to me on my 2014 X3 35i at around 40,000 miles. After keeping my car for a few days, the dealer said it's the "SZL Control Unit" and it needs to be replaced.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

My X3 was out of warranty, and they charged me $1300 (parts and labor) to replace it!!! After they replaced it, I was still hearing the noise and was able to replicate it for them, so I demanded a refund and they eventually gave it to me. I also got to keep the new SZL Unit. The clicking sound eventually went away on it's own?

[MechX3M40i]

Originally Posted by TX3M

This happened to me on my 2014 X3 35i at around 40,000 miles. After keeping my car for a few days, the dealer said it's the "SZL Control Unit" and it needs to be replaced.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+...e&ie=UTF-8

My X3 was out of warranty, and they charged me $1300 (parts and labor) to replace it!!! After they replaced it, I was still hearing the noise and was able to replicate it for them, so I demanded a refund and they eventually gave it to me. I also got to keep the new SZL Unit. The clicking sound eventually went away on it's own?

Sounds like it worked out well and you got yourself a good deal there!

JediQuan It's time to take a trip back to the dealership and have them check out your car. If it's anything similar to what happened to TX3M you definitely want to have the malfunctioning part replaced under warranty. Good luck!

[stelthy]

I have this too, the dealer replaced a strut mount and claimed they fixed it. but I still hear it from time to time. It is only audible when the car is warm. So with recent cold weather, it hasn't been audible to me...

[JediQuan]

Originally Posted by MechX3M40i

Sounds like it worked out well and you got yourself a good deal there!

JediQuan It's time to take a trip back to the dealership and have them check out your car. If it's anything similar to what happened to TX3M you definitely want to have the malfunctioning part replaced under warranty. Good luck!

Thanks for the input guys. I did a search and someone on the 2 forum says he just ran water through his wheels to clear off brake dust and it fixed the issue for a few weeks. I tried it last night and today it's gone for the most part. Heard one clicking sound very slightly this morning when pulling out of the garage, nothing else throughout the day. I don't know if weather has anything to do with it as is been fairly cold here (at least for us spoiled folks in CA). If it does come back or get worse, I'll probably ask them to look at it when I take my car in for service.

[MechX3M40i]

So the clicking noise was from the brakes and not from the steering column? It was not clear to me until now... :

[JediQuan]

Originally Posted by MechX3M40i

So the clicking noise was from the brakes and not from the steering column? It was not clear to me until now... :

No. Actually I don't know. I don't even know if watering the wheels down and getting some of the brake dust off has anything to do with it getting better or just a coincidence. I just ran across someone suggesting it (sounds silly I know) and it seemed to be better today, though still there slightly .It just seems this issue occurs with a lot of different models perhaps with different causes. Sometimes it seems to just go away for some, maybe it's normal? That's why I guess I'll see what happens from now until my first service.

The best way to describe it is with my windows rolled down, it sounds like I'm running over 2 or 3 tree branches when I'm backing up. Don't hear it as much with my windows rolled up

[BMWATL]

I have a 2019 X3 M40i, just rolled over 3300 miles. I also started noticing a clicking/grinding noise when turning at low speeds...particularly when turning at angles > 90 degrees. Especially noticeable in parking garages. My clicking/grinding noise was worse when turning right... left turns sounded more "click click click" than grind.

Took into the dealer today, they were able to duplicate the noise. Dealer checked the tightness of front suspension components - all good. Removed both front swivel bearings, cleaned and lubed mating surfaces, cleaned hub and lubed mating surface with rotors. Reassembled all and noise now gone.

Seems an odd thing to need so quickly and I'm dubious that this will be a permanent fix. I will report back if the noise starts to reoccur.

[JediQuan]

Originally Posted by BMWATL

I have a 2019 X3 M40i, just rolled over 3300 miles. I also started noticing a clicking/grinding noise when turning at low speeds...particularly when turning at angles > 90 degrees. Especially noticeable in parking garages. My clicking/grinding noise was worse when turning right... left turns sounded more "click click click" than grind.

Took into the dealer today, they were able to duplicate the noise. Dealer checked the tightness of front suspension components - all good. Removed both front swivel bearings, cleaned and lubed mating surfaces, cleaned hub and lubed mating surface with rotors. Reassembled all and noise now gone.

Seems an odd thing to need so quickly and I'm dubious that this will be a permanent fix. I will report back if the noise starts to reoccur.

I never updated this thread but I took it in a month ago and found out it was my tension struts. They ended up replacing them and all is good now. Hopefully it was just a defective part and the issue doesn't return.

[BMWATL]

Originally Posted by JediQuan

I never updated this thread but I took it in a month ago and found out it was my tension struts. They ended up replacing them and all is good now. Hopefully it was just a defective part and the issue doesn't return.

Thanks for the update, good info to have if the noise reappears!

[Pete17]

I don't know if this helps but I have a clicking / squeak sound when I am turning the steering wheel in both directions. Dealer could not find why so are replacing the steering column. Which they are doing on the 22nd of this month.

[Alias1431]

Originally Posted by JediQuan

I never updated this thread but I took it in a month ago and found out it was my tension struts.

Did they say how or explain what failed/was failing?

[JediQuan]

Originally Posted by Alias1431

Did they say how or explain what failed/was failing?

No, they didn't tell me what exactly was wrong with the struts. They did note in the invoice that they tried to loosen the struts then re-tightened them to specs but that made the noise worse, so they just replaced. Didn't seem like they figured out what was defective about them, or they didn't document that.

[skyblue2002]

I took my car in for the same problem yesterday. In addition to the clicking, I had also noticed a low “groaning” noise coming from the front while going straight ahead in slow traffic. Both the clicking and groaning were rotational, happening once each tire rotation. The clicking could be easily evoked by going in reverse with the steering either full left or full right. Dealer fixed saying it was the front wheel hub bearings. I think there’s an active recall right now for the 2020 X3s to replace the front swivel bearings...

[ASAP]

Was there ever any resolution to this? I am experiencing creaking when turning at low speeds all around... backing up, forward anywhere.

[michaelc5588]

I'm having this same issue on my 2023 M40i. Happens when the car is cold, often reversing out of parking spot and cutting the wheel hard. A loud cracking sound and a feeling like the brakes almost locked up, the first few times I thought i had hit a curb. I'm worried about the dealer not being able to replicate the noise as it is usually only on my very first drive in the morning, I can't replicate it throughout the day.

[jeff3820]

My 2020 does the same thing...

[rosemont83]

This happened on my 2020 m4 and the dealer changed the strut mount and it fixed it

[Manhattan]

My '23 X3 3.0 has this. It's either only on the driver side or more noticeable because of proximity. I'll report back.

[michaelc5588]

Originally Posted by Manhattan

My '23 X3 3.0 has this. It's either only on the driver side or more noticeable because of proximity. I'll report back.

same here, more common on driver side