Worried - loud creaking noise and some vibration - oooerrrr

Hi all...

OK this has been happening now for just over two months. I have had two garages look at it on a ramp and neither can find the cause of the creak. I asked them to check the subframe for tearing, the guibo (not sure on spelling), general suspension, etc. One garage said I had a bit of play in my drive-shaft but it would be fine for at least a year possibly more (the other garage didn't mention the drive-shaft at all. Its not just a "older car creak" as it only happens under certain circumstances as detailed below. I don't seem to have any noticeable reduction in performance or handling.

It does it when I am in gear and letting out or putting in the clutch, more noticeably in lower gears.
It doesn't do it when I push the clutch in and out when not in gear.
It doesn't seem to happen when i go over bumps (however I have heard it faintly on high speed cornering).
It seems worse when the car has warmed up.

I also have a vibrating that's started recently that I am getting on medium to heavy acceleration.
This also seems worse when the car has warmed up.
This seemed to happen when I made a sharp exit from a car park a couple months ago.
There is the possibility that this may be tyre wear and/or balancing as I am, lets just say, an enthusiastic driver. However it seems a lot more severe than I have experienced in either this car or previous cars.

I don't want to take to BMW as they will charge me £60 and could come back saying they can't find the problem, (at least the indi's haven't charged me for having a look).

Vehicle is a BMW 328i E46 (1999/T) with 128k miles on it.

Any thoughts.



Edited by Starfury

Close to impossible to diagnose without actually hearing the noise ... maybe try putting grease on the exhaust rubber mountings, check the exhaust mountings...maybe even check the engine mounts...could really be a million things ...

I wonder if you could get it onto a rolling road and see if you can hear the problem? Would tell you if it was mechanical or suspension related then?

Sorry

BB

Edited by BeemaBoy

Got a name for that bit that I can ask the garage to look for...

Ermmm could it be the dreaded re subframe tear?

Engine and gearbox mounts? Have these been checked?

Well, it's in the middle-ish.

Shall I get my coat?

I just want someone to fix it without me having to remortgage the house.

Starfury - call the service manager at your nearest dealer and tell him you think you have a problem.  Describe it to him but don't offer more conclusion as to the cause other than to say that it appears that the floor seems to have ripped near the rear subframe mount.  Ask for them to inspect it and confirm if there is a problem. 

If they confirm then ask them to have it inspected by BMW because you feel it is a safety issue and an unusual structural defect in a car such as a BMW (especially one as easily driven and well minded as yours!).  If BMW inspect and confirm it then they should offer to undertake a proper repair (welding in reinforcement will repair it but it is a bit of a botch - BMW will remove most of the rear floor and weld in a new reinforced floor part).  There is actually a specific part number for the new floor used in the repair on www.realoem.com

I went through this with BMW here in Ireland a few months ago on my sisters behalf with a 328i Touring and the job was done with no fuss or arm twisting required, and no cost.  I'm aware of others in the UK and Ireland that have had it done in recent times.

I have some web links to background info that might be useful if you do have to twist arms to get anywhere.  I casually left copies of some of this stuff on the passenger seat when it went in for BMW to inspect it so that they might be aware that I knew something of the problem and BMW's approach to it.

PM me an e-mail addy and I'll reply with some links that might be useful.

Starfury wrote: I was like look, this isn't your job, just push the damn button.

 

Starfury wrote: So we will see what happens tomorrow.

Best of luck with that!

Starfury - e-mail sent this morning.  Sorry for the delay, had a prob with e-mail at home last night.