Odd Noise and No Warranty Repair with Go-Flats

Coercion Shaman · 11-18-2019, 09:07 AM

Sorry to start a new thread, but not finding anything without riding a thread that only partially addresses my issue. Apologies for the length, as well. I also posted in another other forum.

Back history, this car was purchased 18 months ago as a CPO. It was a factory employee car in South Carolina (name on the original sticker, etc.). It had 15K on the odometer. I have put around 20K miles on the car myself. 2018 440i xDrive Gran Coupe.

On a recent trip, I began to hear a rythmic 'thumping' that seemed to be coming from the passenger front. It almost sounded like a very slightly cupped tire. It was faint, but present. On the next stop I examined the tires and nothing seemed out of place. I was on the factory Cinturato P7 A/S with around 33K miles on them and still a lot of tread. At destination I checked the tires again. There was an odd wear about an inch in from the outside on the passenger front tire. It was almost like a high spot on the tire and it was pulling rubber back over the tread grooves in a thin line. It was a weekend and no tire shops open so I made the trip home approximately 550 miles.

Seeing that the rubber draw was getting worse in that tread area evenly around the tire, I decided it was a bad tire and replaced them all. I wanted to get rid of the run-flats anyway. Took it to the shop and put on Goodyear Exhilarate. There was an immediate issue with vibration in the seat, floorboard and steering, so the tire went back the next day to a different tech. He balanced the tires again and moved the fronts to the rear saying that they were bent. It was much better, but still noticeable and I could feel it in the seat and very slightly in the wheel now. I could also still hear the 'thumping' sound.

I had the wheels straightened by the same vendor that does the local BMW dealer. They have done work on another car for me as well. He does a road force balance when he is done and noted that the tires were in tight spec now but he had a difficult time getting them there. The vibration in the seat was gone. That made the front more noticeable. I could still hear the thump.

I had my BMW shop RFB the front tires and check the suspension thinking they may find something in the suspension since the thump was there before I put on new tires. They didn't find anything that looked to be problematic. The alignment checked good as well. They won't do any in depth work under warranty to search for an issue, though, because the car has tires that aren't approved now.

So, I either have to purchase new tires and try to sell what I have (with less than 500 miles on them), or I can trade these back in at Goodyear and get another tire that Goodyear sells. I only have 3 days left to do that after all this other. The only approved tires by BMW for this car is a run-flat, and the only Goodyear is the EfficientGrip ROF. I can find zero reviews for this tire. That will cost me about $200 more, but they are summer tires. Granted it is generally good temperatures here in Georgia, but I don't know that I want a summer tire when I sometimes travel north and it does get down to freezing on occasion here.

So after all that, my questions are this:

Does anyone have any similar experience with the noise I am hearing? It is constant rythmic noise that I start hearing around 25MPH and gets very slightly louder as speed increases but doesn't seem to change rate in repetition with speed that I can tell. CV joint? Wheel bearing? Axle?

Would you feel comfortable with summer ROF all year round? Or get another all-season ROF? Anyone had the Goodyear Efficient Grip? I wasn't upset with the tires that came on the car. I actually was originally hoping for less noise and better ride quality on my next tires. I only have much better handling with the Exhilarate because it is high performance and stiff. That was a decision I made when I bought them. Now I remember that I wanted less noise and a better ride. The wet handling is phenomenal with this new tire, by the way.

Anyone had BMW do work on the car without run-flats being installed? The tires didn't cause this. It was there prior. I also understand BMW's argument of not doing warranty work when I changed the car configuration.

Any thoughts are appreciated. I chose to put on go-flats. I'm not asking for sympathy for what may be an $800 mistake on tires. I'm looking for the best resolution moving forward.

I will also note that I have a good relationship with my local dealer. The service writers and techs have more than once told me I didn't need something done on an out of warranty vehicle. I have never felt that I was being oversold and until now have never given me trouble over getting something done with warranties.

UPDATE: My wife just called and said she notices a pedal vibration when accelerating. I had mentioned that I thought so earlier this morning. If she noticed, it's there.

Billfitz · 11-18-2019, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coercion Shaman

It is constant rythmic noise that I start hearing around 25MPH and gets very slightly louder as speed increases but doesn't seem to change rate in repetition with speed that I can tell. CV joint? Wheel bearing? Axle?

All of those, and tire or wheel problems, would change in rate along with speed.

Coercion Shaman · 11-18-2019, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billfitz

All of those, and tire or wheel problems, would change in rate along with speed.

I agree. That is why I am more than confused. Shop won't dig any deeper with these tires on the car, though.

IK6SPEED · 11-18-2019, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coercion Shaman

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billfitz

All of those, and tire or wheel problems, would change in rate along with speed.

I agree. That is why I am more than confused. Shop won't dig any deeper with these tires on the car, though.

Sounds like a wheel bearing.

Coercion Shaman · 11-18-2019, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Sounds like a wheel bearing.

That is my gut fear. The only other I ever had go out I could tell from weaving the car in the lane. This one I'm not sure. What confuses me... would a wheel bearing not change 'rhythm' speed with an increase in tire speed?

They won't diagnose to that (or anything) until I have BMW approved tires on, unfortunately. I am going to just have to bite the bullet and buy new all seasons and move on, I guess.

Billfitz · 11-18-2019, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coercion Shaman

They won't diagnose to that (or anything) until I have BMW approved tires on, unfortunately.

That's bogus. Even if the car had BMW Star tires they wouldn't do anything with them, they'd refer you to the tire manufacturer. Since the problem happened with your previous tires and your current tires they can be ruled out as the cause.
People run non-BMW star tires all the time, with no issues at all. Ask about it in the tires section.

Coercion Shaman · 11-18-2019, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billfitz

That's bogus. Even if the car had BMW Star tires they wouldn't do anything with them, they'd refer you to the tire manufacturer. Since the problem happened with your previous tires and your current tires they can be ruled out as the cause.
People run non-BMW star tires all the time, with no issues at all. Ask about it in the tires section.

True. I meant they won't trouble shoot the wheel bearing or anything on the suspension until I have tires that are approved.

But I also agree with the non star tires not causing an issue.

Billfitz · 11-18-2019, 01:29 PM

I guess you bought from the wrong dealer. Either he's a complete moron or he thinks you are. There is no requirement that you must use a BMW star tire, any more than does any other car company say that you must use a tire approved by them. The only instance where you might be required to use a BMW star tire is when it's a lease, and then only when you turn it in at lease end.

Coercion Shaman · 11-20-2019, 07:03 AM

The Goodyear shop is putting a set on today with softer rubber to see if it changes anything. They say that the Exhilarate is such a new tire to them that it may benefit them to know as well for future reference.

And the dealer did clarify that they aren't arguing warranty, they are simply not going to spend hours chasing a noise/vibration when they aren't 'approved' tires. I somewhat understand. They did note that I identified it in the event there is a future issue.

Coercion Shaman · 11-21-2019, 07:52 AM

Goodyear put on two sets of tires yesterday. Neither corrected the sound. It actually seems to be intermittent again. When it is present, the 'thump' sound doesn't change regardless of speed. There is no way it is the tires as I have had the exact same sound across 4 tread designs. They also don't feel like the rims are bent at this point, and there is no way I had four tires all out of round the same way. Rotating the wheels front to back didn't change anything, either. I left with the Goodyear Assurance Weatherready tires on to try. All other vibrations are gone. When I hear the noise, I can feel the exact rhythm very slightly in the wheel. They are not a performance tire. I have to admit, I forgot what it was like to ride on a tire that isn't stiff. We wanted to see if that made a difference.

Anyway, this morning it was relatively cold out. I didn't hear the noise until after I got on the highway and drove a bit. Could be the wheel bearing (or something) not affected until it heats up a bit? It was there off and (mostly) on after that, particularly over about 30 miles an hour.

Time to have a discussion with the BMW service folks, I guess.

11-18-2019, 09:07 AM	#1
Coercion Shaman Private First Class 48 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 2019 Audi A5 Prestige S/B Join Date: May 2018 Location: Georgia iTrader: (0)	Odd Noise and No Warranty Repair with Go-Flats Sorry to start a new thread, but not finding anything without riding a thread that only partially addresses my issue. Apologies for the length, as well. I also posted in another other forum. Back history, this car was purchased 18 months ago as a CPO. It was a factory employee car in South Carolina (name on the original sticker, etc.). It had 15K on the odometer. I have put around 20K miles on the car myself. 2018 440i xDrive Gran Coupe. On a recent trip, I began to hear a rythmic 'thumping' that seemed to be coming from the passenger front. It almost sounded like a very slightly cupped tire. It was faint, but present. On the next stop I examined the tires and nothing seemed out of place. I was on the factory Cinturato P7 A/S with around 33K miles on them and still a lot of tread. At destination I checked the tires again. There was an odd wear about an inch in from the outside on the passenger front tire. It was almost like a high spot on the tire and it was pulling rubber back over the tread grooves in a thin line. It was a weekend and no tire shops open so I made the trip home approximately 550 miles. Seeing that the rubber draw was getting worse in that tread area evenly around the tire, I decided it was a bad tire and replaced them all. I wanted to get rid of the run-flats anyway. Took it to the shop and put on Goodyear Exhilarate. There was an immediate issue with vibration in the seat, floorboard and steering, so the tire went back the next day to a different tech. He balanced the tires again and moved the fronts to the rear saying that they were bent. It was much better, but still noticeable and I could feel it in the seat and very slightly in the wheel now. I could also still hear the 'thumping' sound. I had the wheels straightened by the same vendor that does the local BMW dealer. They have done work on another car for me as well. He does a road force balance when he is done and noted that the tires were in tight spec now but he had a difficult time getting them there. The vibration in the seat was gone. That made the front more noticeable. I could still hear the thump. I had my BMW shop RFB the front tires and check the suspension thinking they may find something in the suspension since the thump was there before I put on new tires. They didn't find anything that looked to be problematic. The alignment checked good as well. They won't do any in depth work under warranty to search for an issue, though, because the car has tires that aren't approved now. So, I either have to purchase new tires and try to sell what I have (with less than 500 miles on them), or I can trade these back in at Goodyear and get another tire that Goodyear sells. I only have 3 days left to do that after all this other. The only approved tires by BMW for this car is a run-flat, and the only Goodyear is the EfficientGrip ROF. I can find zero reviews for this tire. That will cost me about $200 more, but they are summer tires. Granted it is generally good temperatures here in Georgia, but I don't know that I want a summer tire when I sometimes travel north and it does get down to freezing on occasion here. So after all that, my questions are this: Does anyone have any similar experience with the noise I am hearing? It is constant rythmic noise that I start hearing around 25MPH and gets very slightly louder as speed increases but doesn't seem to change rate in repetition with speed that I can tell. CV joint? Wheel bearing? Axle? Would you feel comfortable with summer ROF all year round? Or get another all-season ROF? Anyone had the Goodyear Efficient Grip? I wasn't upset with the tires that came on the car. I actually was originally hoping for less noise and better ride quality on my next tires. I only have much better handling with the Exhilarate because it is high performance and stiff. That was a decision I made when I bought them. Now I remember that I wanted less noise and a better ride. The wet handling is phenomenal with this new tire, by the way. Anyone had BMW do work on the car without run-flats being installed? The tires didn't cause this. It was there prior. I also understand BMW's argument of not doing warranty work when I changed the car configuration. Any thoughts are appreciated. I chose to put on go-flats. I'm not asking for sympathy for what may be an $800 mistake on tires. I'm looking for the best resolution moving forward. I will also note that I have a good relationship with my local dealer. The service writers and techs have more than once told me I didn't need something done on an out of warranty vehicle. I have never felt that I was being oversold and until now have never given me trouble over getting something done with warranties. UPDATE: My wife just called and said she notices a pedal vibration when accelerating. I had mentioned that I thought so earlier this morning. If she noticed, it's there. __________________ Also own: 2012 Z4 35is M Sport Adaptive (Atacama Yellow) Last edited by Coercion Shaman; 11-18-2019 at 11:42 AM..
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11-18-2019, 01:29 PM	#8
Billfitz Lieutenant General 8221 Rep 16,054 Posts Drives: '15 328iX GT Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	I guess you bought from the wrong dealer. Either he's a complete moron or he thinks you are. There is no requirement that you must use a BMW star tire, any more than does any other car company say that you must use a tire approved by them. The only instance where you might be required to use a BMW star tire is when it's a lease, and then only when you turn it in at lease end.
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11-20-2019, 07:03 AM	#9
Coercion Shaman Private First Class 48 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 2019 Audi A5 Prestige S/B Join Date: May 2018 Location: Georgia iTrader: (0)	The Goodyear shop is putting a set on today with softer rubber to see if it changes anything. They say that the Exhilarate is such a new tire to them that it may benefit them to know as well for future reference. And the dealer did clarify that they aren't arguing warranty, they are simply not going to spend hours chasing a noise/vibration when they aren't 'approved' tires. I somewhat understand. They did note that I identified it in the event there is a future issue. __________________ Also own: 2012 Z4 35is M Sport Adaptive (Atacama Yellow)
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11-21-2019, 07:52 AM	#10
Coercion Shaman Private First Class 48 Rep 140 Posts Drives: 2019 Audi A5 Prestige S/B Join Date: May 2018 Location: Georgia iTrader: (0)	Goodyear put on two sets of tires yesterday. Neither corrected the sound. It actually seems to be intermittent again. When it is present, the 'thump' sound doesn't change regardless of speed. There is no way it is the tires as I have had the exact same sound across 4 tread designs. They also don't feel like the rims are bent at this point, and there is no way I had four tires all out of round the same way. Rotating the wheels front to back didn't change anything, either. I left with the Goodyear Assurance Weatherready tires on to try. All other vibrations are gone. When I hear the noise, I can feel the exact rhythm very slightly in the wheel. They are not a performance tire. I have to admit, I forgot what it was like to ride on a tire that isn't stiff. We wanted to see if that made a difference. Anyway, this morning it was relatively cold out. I didn't hear the noise until after I got on the highway and drove a bit. Could be the wheel bearing (or something) not affected until it heats up a bit? It was there off and (mostly) on after that, particularly over about 30 miles an hour. Time to have a discussion with the BMW service folks, I guess. __________________ Also own: 2012 Z4 35is M Sport Adaptive (Atacama Yellow)
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