[kingofdakings]

Complete amateur question here, my apologies.

I own a 2016 328XI (VIN: NT26354) in the Chicago area with about 20,000 miles now. Stock suspension, oem Continental tires, 17" rim. For couple of months now, I've noticed when I start the car every morning, when its cold, the RPM is above 1.5k (close to 2k) and then it drops below 1k and becomes steady if I let it sit for a minute or two then drive away. Apparently the ride smoothness appears to be dependent on this. If I drive right away then the car rides extremely rough, and makes super loud noise on potholes for pretty much the entire drive time. It almost feels like the suspension parts are going to break down or the window glasses would shatter, sometimes I even think the car is not properly balanced on left and right axles. On the other hand, if I let it sit for couple of minutes everytime I start the car, then the ride is almost always smooth and I get that feeling the road is made of butter (sorry for poor english, I mean really smooth).

Thought I should also mention, I drive less than 1 mile every morning to work. then I drive 1 mile each way for lunch. End of the day 1 mile to home. Basically I make daily 1 X 4 = 4 miles trips, which I once heard is bad for the car because it rarely gets time to get properly warmed up.

Can anyone suggest if I should try anything to improve this condition? It is still under factory warranty, but the dealership is no helpful detecting anything so far. Any suggestions or recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

[madmonkey]

Originally Posted by anantareza

I've noticed when I start the car every morning, when its cold, the RPM is above 1.5k (close to 2k) and then it drops below 1k and becomes steady

Apparently the ride smoothness appears to be dependent on this.

sometimes I even think the car is not properly balanced on left and right axles.

On the other hand, if I let it sit for couple of minutes everytime I start the car, then the ride is almost always smooth and I get that feeling the road is made of butter (sorry for poor english, I mean really smooth).

I once heard is bad for the car because it rarely gets time to get properly warmed up.

So a high idle at startup is completely normal and letting the idle drop down to 1k rpm is what you should do to allow oil and lubricants to circulate to prevent wear to your engine and transmission. But you can drive the car right from startup...it's just not something you should always do if you intend to keep the car long term.

The shaking you describe could be rough idle - meaning your rpm surges and dips, causing your car to shake, you might have issues and should have a mechanic look at it. It could be multiple things, but all of which should be covered by warranty. If your dealership can't find the fault, you can always try another dealership.

Just for future knowledge, your car has front and rear axles - not left and right. If you have used incorrect terms when talking to BMW mechanics, they might assume you are crazy and ignore you.

Might I suggest that next time you have rough driving, make a video of what the car is doing. Record the dash cluster and record audio. Make sure to capture the day and time it happens. Show the video to your BMW technician so they can see what you are talking about.

And yes...short trips aren't good for the car. Try to get it out for longer drives. This will help with battery life and overall engine life.

[kingofdakings]

Thank you very much. This is a brilliant idea, I shall make a video and show it to the mechanics. Sorry for my limited knowledge on the axles, glad I learnt it now.

[madmonkey]

Originally Posted by anantareza

Thank you very much. This is a brilliant idea, I shall make a video and show it to the mechanics. Sorry for my limited knowledge on the axles, glad I learnt it now.

No worries...we are all still learning. Hope you get it sorted out.

[khafner]

an easy way to see if your front end is loose is to be on a level spot put it in gear with the engine idling and put your foot on the brake pedal. stop the car and then let the brake on and off you only need to move a few inches. If you hear a clunk you most likely have worn control arms. Mine went bad at that mileage. rotors can develop rust fairly fast and if you don't burn it off it can cause roughness that comes and goes. The area under the pad does not get rusted and that causes the unevenness till you've used the brakes a few feet.

[sickF30]

if i only lived a mile away from work, i'd walk most of the time.

i know this doesn't help you. lol