I only notice this weird, soft, low, whump-whump sound coming from the rear when making type slow parking lot turns. I assume it's a problem with the limitted slip diff but I was dissapointed that an experienced BMW had no suggestion but to change fluid which did nothing.
The diff seems to work fine. It's the softness of the sound that gives me wishful thinkin that it could be something stupid or easy to fix. Is there something that can be done from the rear cover? If it requires dropping the rear end, I might just live with it. It can be a little embarassing when I have passengers.
Q when they changed the diff oil what was it like ? if it was clean forget about it .
I would put the car on a free wheel ramp to check,
Turn the wheels
I am sure it will be the rear brake disc rubbing on the backing plate or the handbrake shoes come lose on one side,
This sounds a bit like the noise that my 328 touring makes from time to time during slow parking manouvers. It sounds a bit like someone thumping the floor.
I'm convinced its the LSD and I'm not really too concerned. There's some bushes around the front and rear of the diff which I was going to have a look at, maybe replace them, but like I say I'm not that bothered.
I had an Isuzu Trooper with an LSD (it needed it!) in the back axle. It used to thump at times (normally coming out of junctions) but it was totally normal acording to the handbook and a big sticker on the dash.
The reason I asked about the clutch is that my car makes the same noise but it goes away when I push in the clutch. My mechanic doesn't seem to worried...so what, me worry?
Pushing on the clutch makes the noise go away. Sounds like something under load. I would check the drive line just to be absolutely sure. It may be the early stages of a center bearing failure. I don't know for sure, but I would rather have total piece of mind. Just grasping at straws.
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Steven
1990 M5
2003 Land Rover Discovery II SE7
The low, whump-whump sound is really just the LSD. That's how these (rather primitive) things sound when you make sharp slow turns. There are better diff designs (like the ones in the Hummer), but in cars they only ever use LSD's. Nothing to feel embarassed about.
Just had a run in the wife's 328 and its worse than I thought!
I think I'll change the oil. It's just had an inspection by BMW but I wonder if they changed the stuff!
I've got Castrol SAF-XJ in the M5 and I may give it a go in the 328.
By the way you can now get this LSD synthetic gear oil from Castrol in 5 litre containers. Castrol Classic Oils decant it from the normal 25 litre containers. It costs a fortune, £65.......
Sounds like something under load. I would check the drive line just to be absolutely sure. It may be the early stages of a center bearing failure. I don't know for sure, but I would rather have total piece of mind. Just grasping at straws.
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