[roxxor]

Hey all, this will be part question and part frustration venting since I had expected this issue to be resolved today, but of course, that's what I get for having high hopes.

Bought my 328i M-Sport w/ DHP new back at the end of December. In April at about 8000 miles(I know, I drive a lot) I started to notice a slight vibration coming from the front end whenever I would be between 45-65 mph. Started to become more noticeable, and having read about the steering vibration issues and such with the F30, I decided to ask the dealer about it next time I took it in.

May 2013, 10800 on the clock, took it to the dealer for a number of things, and explained what was happening with the tires. Without hesitating, my SA said "Oh from what you've said, it sounds like tire feathering", however he added it to the work order and had the tech rotate the front tires(since I have staggered setup). It was noted on the work order that it was "feathering", and with rotation it may improve as vehicle is driven. Of course, the suggested course of action was for me to get a set of new tires, however since the SA said it was safe to drive with the feathering(just would have the vibration), I chose to hold off on doing that. Mostly because since I had already spent around $480 to have one tire replaced right after I got the car, I wanted to make sure I got my money's worth out of the originals before swapping them out.

Of course over time, it started to get progressively worse, to the point where it was vibrating from 30 mph on up. Thinking maybe balancing was the issue, I took it to a shop in July and had them rotate and balance the tires. No improvement. Kept on driving, but went ahead and ordered the new tires to have them on hand for when the day came I was ready to get them put on.

Whelp, today was the day!! 21,894 mi, decided it was finally time to go ahead and have the tires swapped. Had the new ones mounted and balanced, went on my way, and what do you know? Hit 30 mph, and once again, there was my friend, Mr. Vibration.... Still ever present from 30 mph on up, albeit not quite as rough on the new tires but definitely noticeable.

Now I'm not the most knowledgeable person in the world when it comes to tires, BUT I find it hard to believe that if what BMW told me was true about the feathering being the cause, that the NEW TIRES would come "pre-feathered", and thus be vibrating the same.

So my debate is, since I'm still having the same issue with brand new tires, what could be the cause? It doesn't necessarily feel like a steering wheel vibration, as I feel it through the dead-pedal and can still feel it even with my hands off the wheel. Secondly, do I try first going back to the tire place and ask them to check why the new tires they put on are vibrating, or do I go and present the question to BMW of how new tires are vibrating exactly the same as the old ones(with the feathering) were?

Thanks for any input on this, just pretty sick of dealing with a constant vibration on a $48k car, and even more pissed that I still have the problem after spending several hundred on what I was told was the cause....

[Presario]

You may want to check if the wheels are bent. That's the next place I'd look. It could be a number of different things unfortunately. Rotors could be warped or a bolt might be a little loose. Def take it back to the dealer and tell them you had the tires replaced and it's still vibrating. Take advantage of that free BMW maintenance!