[bigshooter]

I've had a ruh ruh ruh noise for a while in my car. I assumed it was either the tires or some resonance from the replica wheels. This has gone on for about 2 years. I have had no vibration in the car and have not had the shutter I had before my front diff or tcase went about 35k miles ago. Before it was replaced, it would feel like little blips of lost power when accelerating. A hesitation or a stutter, which grew in frequency. Brought it in for an EGR valve and they replaced it under warranty. The invoice came to something like 10k worth of parts and labor, no charge to me. SO it never actually failed on me completely. Tech said he noticed rust, i assume on the flange, so they replaced it. I see surface rust all over the flange when I was under my car last night.

As of recently, the noise has grown louder and louder. It's a 2014 328d on Bilstein B14 Coilovers max'd in the front but not in the back. It sits flat, no rake. On 19" staggered wheels. 437M replicas if I remember right. Kerma Stage 2 engine and tranny tune by Abel. At about 135k miles now, bought CPO at 38k miles.

I pulled the exhaust and shields last night. The center support bearing looks to be in better condition than I expected. I have a new one already. It needs to be replaced, but it just doesn't look like it's in the condition I would expect it to be in to make the noise I'm hearing. I have had no vibration symptoms until the last time I was on the highway. Noise had gotten louder. Its a scrape scrape scrape and a ruh ruh ruh combined. Noise does not change with speed, meaning the ruh ruh doesn't get faster or slower. It gets louder with speed, particularly at 45mph. Sometimes, it takes about a quarter to a half mile to start making noise. Sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side. Originally I questioned the passenger front wheel bearing but they all feel tight.

I was expecting center support bearing but I don't think it's the source of the noise.

Here are some videos and audio of the noise. Very difficult to capture on audio for some reason. It's quite loud in the car but doesn't sound that way in the videos.
- It is raining in one video, apologies for the crackling noise. It that video, you can hear the noise best when I bring my phone towards the sunroof.
- The video driving on the highway, that is my dog panting in the backseat.
- The video of the driveshaft and center support bearing, the scraping noise is coming from my rear wheels. Not the rear diff. Not sure if its my rotors or wheel nearing. Both sides do it, driver side more so.

What are your thoughts on what this noise is? I can usually track things down easily but I'm stumped on this one. Don't want to just throw parts at it.

If it's my transfer case, I might try to see if the dealer if they will cover it again since they replaced it only 2 years old. Or I will just grab one from the junkyard and slap it in myself.

The front diff looks like a bitch to replace. Really hoping its not that.

Driveshaft
https://youtube.com/shorts/bNsvM6G6AaY?feature=share

Driving
https://youtube.com/shorts/BX51FBJqW9A?feature=share

https://youtube.com/shorts/nBihteXmmEY?feature=share

[Enabled]

Which giubo is currently installed in your car? The rubber one?

Do you have a different tire / wheel set to try?
I think it's a bit soon to focus on the transfer case

[bigshooter]

Originally Posted by Enabled

Which giubo is currently installed in your car? The rubber one?

Do you have a different tire / wheel set to try?
I think it's a bit soon to focus on the transfer case

It’s the rubber one. You can see it in one of the videos. I have a new one supposed to be arriving tonight. I was dead set on the grinding noise being the center support bearing. You can see that it’s shot in the video when I pull down on the shaft but it doesn’t look so bad as to be the noise maker.
I certainly questioned the tires but would think a tire related noise would change with the speed of the car. I do not notice a change in noise when doing figure 8s + no play grabbing the wheel. So don’t think it’s a bearing.

I have the stock run flats on the oem 17s. Noise was there still last winter when I had them on last. Tire change didn’t do it. I will swap them after I change the center support bearing and rear guibo. Front one looks brand new from t case the dealer put in. Low miles on it made me not want to think it’s the t case.

I’ve only been able to find about 3/4 posts or videos having this same noise or issue.

It’s up in the air right now with the exhaust partially removed.

[bigshooter]

Originally Posted by Enabled

Which giubo is currently installed in your car? The rubber one?

Do you have a different tire / wheel set to try?
I think it's a bit soon to focus on the transfer case

Just realized some of the videos are still set to private. Fixing that and adding a pic of the front diff fluid which looked pretty burnt.

Wondering if it might be the output bearing on the transfer case.

[bigshooter]

Originally Posted by Enabled

Which giubo is currently installed in your car? The rubber one?

Do you have a different tire / wheel set to try?
I think it's a bit soon to focus on the transfer case

And I do have inner tire wear on the front tires. Particularly passenger side. I just can’t imagine tire cupping would cause such a loud rotational noise

[bigshooter]

My tap slipped on one of the last hits setting the new bearing in this afternoon. I couldn't find something wide enough to use as a press so i just went around little by little carefully. Then it slipped off the edge of the bearing.


Interesting enough 3 of my tires are cupped. all worn on the inside

[n00bkiller944]

When I have seen cupping like that one tires they make loads of noise. Do you have your old set of wheels and tires to throw on just to see if the noise changes?

[Enabled]

I believe those tires will make a lot of noise

[bigshooter]

I’m getting tired of throwing parts at my car. I’ve done:

- brand new tires (same brand & model I’ve been running for the past 4 years)
- 4 wheel balance & alignment
- new center support bearing and rear guibo. Front guibo and t-case was done 20k miles ago.
- both front wheel bearings

I really thought it was my wheel bearings. I was very disappointed when the noise wasnt gone. I thought I fixed it initially but it takes about half mile of driving/getting up to about 40mph before it starts making noise.

So at this point, I’m almost positive the rollers on a pinion bearing in my front differential are the culprit. I can’t imagine an axle would create noise that I have. It’s gotten pretty bad, so I haven’t really been driving it.

Has anyone here ever removed the front diff without a lift? I know I’ll need an engine bar to lift the motor an inch or so. Curious how long it would take a weekend warrior on jackstands without air tools? I assume it’s gonna be a bitch. Will I need to drop the exhaust?

I’m at 138k miles now and have my bilstein b14s max lowering in the front. What’s odd is the noise kind of goes away with my 17” square wheel and tires on. Noise is horrendous with staggered 19” on.

If I pull the xDrive fuse, it won’t make a diff (no pun intended) right? Bc diff will still be spinning…?

[bigshooter]

So I took a couple more videos. It's very difficult to pick up the noise on my iPhone even with how loud it is. I used mp3cut.net which is a free parametric equalizer to remove some of the audio frequencies from the video, so it can be heard better.

There is a howl and choo choo choo choo train type of noise. I was able to find a video on the X3 forums that pointed at the front diff. It's probably going to take me a lot of time to pull the front diff on my back.

Below are some links to the audio files on google drive.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Ec...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lmD...ew?usp=sharing

[kdog_x]

You may want to inspect the front driveshaft. I couldn't really hear much from your audio clip, but mine made all kinds of noise when it was going out. I drove on it that way for a while because I couldn't figure out where it was coming from until it got really bad.

I know I drove without the front driveshaft for a while until I could get a replacement. Maybe disconnecting it might give you a way to test the front differential? Not sure, since it would continue to turn the internals with the front wheels I would imagine.

[bigshooter]

Originally Posted by kdog_x

You may want to inspect the front driveshaft. I couldn't really hear much from your audio clip, but mine made all kinds of noise when it was going out. I drove on it that way for a while because I couldn't figure out where it was coming from until it got really bad.

I know I drove without the front driveshaft for a while until I could get a replacement. Maybe disconnecting it might give you a way to test the front differential? Not sure, since it would continue to turn the internals with the front wheels I would imagine.

A few days ago, my neighbor and I finally discovered the noise was coming from my tranny. I have an opportunity to buy a 8hp50 which I might jump on today. Torque converter appears to be shot.