Strange drivetrain noise. - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

M5XDW · 22nd March 2005, 17:23

Hello Gents,

I have a 2000 M5 which has now covered 80k miles.I have had it for two years now.I purchased the car from a BMW dealer near to me and they have serviced it and maintained it to date. The car runs stronger and faster now than it ever has since it's Inspection 2 and new MAFS.

Well after getting the performance up to scratch I now have this very strange drivetrain noise that my BMW dealer cannot pin down.

The noise comes from under the center armrest area.It sounds like metal on metal scuffing in a circular motion and also squeaks in low and high pitch. When I stop the car the noise stops.When I depress the clutch the noise is still there. When I coast in neutral with the clutch depressed the noise is still there.

It sounds to me like the small final drive bearing in the box is worn or could it be the propshaft?

Also the noise only comes after about 10 miles of driving at about 50mph.

Has anybody had this problem?

Cheers.

kcdoyle · 22nd March 2005, 19:13

I'd suspect the Guibo. Perhaps when the dealer inspected it the worn/torn bolt section was at "top dead center" although it seems they should have caught it.

jjc1843 · 22nd March 2005, 19:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcdoyle

I'd suspect the Guibo. Perhaps when the dealer inspected it the worn/torn bolt section was at "top dead center" although it seems they should have caught it.

And just what is a Guibo?

Are you referring to the universal joint halfway down the drive shaft, in the center mount?

CSBM5 · 22nd March 2005, 20:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcdoyle

I'd suspect the Guibo. Perhaps when the dealer inspected it the worn/torn bolt section was at "top dead center" although it seems they should have caught it.

I agree with kcdoyle. Often when you have something like this that changes or appears as the car is driven some to warm up, it is at least likely to be the Guibo (or at least has been in my past 33 years of BMW experiences). Inspection of the coupling should usually shows that it is in need of replacement (cracked rubber, play in bushing holes, etc.), but it is a rather inexpensive part to simply replace. Rule it out as the problem first. The location of the noise exactly fits the Guibo location too in your case.

The "Guibo" is a "flex-disc" coupling between the transmission and the driveshaft.

Chuck

kcdoyle · 22nd March 2005, 20:15

http://images.google.com/images?q=tb...uibo/pic20.jpg

This will show you roughly where it is and what it looks like. (although I believe this is off of an E34)

It is a hard rubber "doughnut", the purpose of which is to absorb some of the "shock" of the drive train. It will "give" a little when rotational forces are high enough. A "broken" guibo can be difficult to see. You have to get the car on a lift, and slowly rotate the driveshaft and look for a small tears around one or more of the bolts.

Here is a picture of how difficult it can be to see the cracks.

jjc1843 · 22nd March 2005, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by CSBM5

I agree with kcdoyle. Often when you have something like this that changes or appears as the car is driven some to warm up, it is at least likely to be the Guibo (or at least has been in my past 33 years of BMW experiences). Inspection of the coupling should usually shows that it is in need of replacement (cracked rubber, play in bushing holes, etc.), but it is a rather inexpensive part to simply replace. Rule it out as the problem first. The location of the noise exactly fits the Guibo location too in your case.

The "Guibo" is a "flex-disc" coupling between the transmission and the driveshaft.

Chuck

Chuck:

Thanks, I think I see it. Item # 2 in the attached PDF?

You also state that it is a rather inexpensive part to replace, but the context of the sentence seems to indicate that you meant expensive. Is this correct?

CSBM5 · 22nd March 2005, 20:46

No, the part itself shouldn't be too much. They used to cost less than $100. I don't know about labor though on the M5. The exhaust may have to be dropped, but at that point it should be accessible. Someone here who has done work on the M5 can easily answer this part.

hughallen99 · 22nd March 2005, 22:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by M5XDW

Hello Gents,

I have a 2000 M5 which has now covered 80k miles.I have had it for two years now.I purchased the car from a BMW dealer near to me and they have serviced it and maintained it to date. The car runs stronger and faster now than it ever has since it's Inspection 2 and new MAFS.

Well after getting the performance up to scratch I now have this very strange drivetrain noise that my BMW dealer cannot pin down.

The noise comes from under the center armrest area.It sounds like metal on metal scuffing in a circular motion and also squeaks in low and high pitch. When I stop the car the noise stops.When I depress the clutch the noise is still there. When I coast in neutral with the clutch depressed the noise is still there.

It sounds to me like the small final drive bearing in the box is worn or could it be the propshaft?

Also the noise only comes after about 10 miles of driving at about 50mph.

Has anybody had this problem?

Cheers.

I have seem to have a similar issue with my 2000 M5 but I'm not sure. I get a squeaking noise, like it's coming from a belt or something, and it comes from under the center armrest as well. It also usually doesn't matter whether I'm in gear or not and mostly happens when it's cold. Sometimes it's there, sometime's not but it's become more frequent lately. Does this sound like it's due to the same thing?

Thanks,
Hugh

kcdoyle · 22nd March 2005, 23:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by hughallen99

It mostly happens when it's cold.
Hugh

I'm no expert but it seems reasonable that as the rubber material heats up, there would be more flex and consequently less noise when cold and as hard as a hockey puck

hughallen99 · 22nd March 2005, 23:12

Just checked this website: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/

It's the universal joint and costs $97. For what it's worth.

Hugh