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Troubleshooting buzzing from guage cluster?

4K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  gosch 
#1 ·
Ok, I have this annoying buzzing that seems to eminate from behind my speed/tach cluster. It comes on around 2900 and ends around 3500 rpm. If the cluster was mechanical and operated with a spinning cable inside a tube of some sort this is EXACTLY how i'd explain the type of noise. However, I assume the cluster is electronic?

Anyone have any ideas? I've found a few other posts on other board with a similar sound but nobody's found the source yet.

n
 
#2 ·
My M5 (which is the spitting image of yours) has recently developed the exact same noise. Mine only comes in under load, but I would describe it EXACTLY as you did.

Help would be greatly appreciated in eliminating it!

nixter said:
Ok, I have this annoying buzzing that seems to eminate from behind my speed/tach cluster. It comes on around 2900 and ends around 3500 rpm. If the cluster was mechanical and operated with a spinning cable inside a tube of some sort this is EXACTLY how i'd explain the type of noise. However, I assume the cluster is electronic?

Anyone have any ideas? I've found a few other posts on other board with a similar sound but nobody's found the source yet.

n
 
#3 ·
nixter said:
Ok, I have this annoying buzzing that seems to eminate from behind my speed/tach cluster. It comes on around 2900 and ends around 3500 rpm. If the cluster was mechanical and operated with a spinning cable inside a tube of some sort this is EXACTLY how i'd explain the type of noise. However, I assume the cluster is electronic?

Anyone have any ideas? I've found a few other posts on other board with a similar sound but nobody's found the source yet.

n
i also noticed this in my car a while back but has since gone away.
this noise was during the winter and also before i changed chain tensioner.
not sure if either of these things were the cause but it was very anoying and im glad its gone.
 
#4 ·
Isnt it caused the windscreen wiper tensioner?
 
#6 · (Edited)
Nix

I have reviewed the past threads on the wiper tensioner and am not convinced that the noise you and I seem to share is caused by that.

My noise is definitely rev dependent, but doesnt seem to be mechanical - more vibrational. I could be wrong on this. But what I do know is that as I rev the car (haven't checked the rev range as you have), I get this sound like a loose whirring speedo/tacho cable that gets faster and louder as the revs increase.

It definitely comes from in the dash directly in front of the driver (although I have been deceived before by a vibrating piece of external windshield trim). It definitely isn't heater fan speed related and is nothing to do with the radio.

What I intend to do this week-end is fire the M5 up, get it out of the garage, take it for a run and record a sound file of the noise.

Nix, if you have a digital camera, perhaps you could do the same and we could compare noises!

Hopefully then, someone might be able to assist pinpoint the source of this most annoying noise!

nixter said:
Hmm. Where do I find said bit? Would this make a noise even when the wipers are not on?

n
 
#9 ·
Nixter

I had a go at capturing the sound of the noise today - didn't have a lot of time and had the kids in the car.

In this one I can hear it, but only just and it sounds different to how it sounds in actuality.

Will try again tomorrow when I have a bit more time.



Cheers
 
#10 ·
The only moving parts are the gauges themselves. Maybe it is coming from one of them?

nixter said:
Didn't have time last night maybe this weekend. Can anyone chime in on the workings behind the gauge cluster? What are the moving parts back there?

n
 
#12 ·
Check the level of the Pentosin power steering fluid, just to cancel out my initial thought when I saw the movie:hihi:
 
#13 ·
Wout, it is possible it is a bit low. Why did you make that suggestion?

Sebring NL said:
Check the level of the Pentosin power steering fluid, just to cancel out my initial thought when I saw the movie:hihi:
 
#14 ·
M540i LE said:
Wout, it is possible it is a bit low. Why did you make that suggestion?
Since you are a bit far away, I take it you never heared my car with the SLS deleted?

I have a noise resembling yours in my SLS recircle line since SLS was removed, and it appears to come from the gauge cluster area too. This is caused by the line being attached to the body just below the BMcylinder.

I will solve this in 2015 when I have time to fit a 535 pump

I strongly doubt that a very small difference in PAS fluid level can cause this. If your canister was close to empty, you would not always notice that from the suspension operation. So thats why I asked you to check.
 
#15 ·
Hmmm...interesting.

I will have the system topped up and see if that makes any difference. I have a leak in one of my 'rebuilt' rear slrs shocks so it is quite possible the level is down.

Thanks

Sebring NL said:
Since you are a bit far away, I take it you never heared my car with the SLS deleted?

I have a noise resembling yours in my SLS recircle line since SLS was removed, and it appears to come from the gauge cluster area too. This is caused by the line being attached to the body just below the BMcylinder.

I will solve this in 2015 when I have time to fit a 535 pump

I strongly doubt that a very small difference in PAS fluid level can cause this. If your canister was close to empty, you would not always notice that from the suspension operation. So thats why I asked you to check.
 
#16 ·
M540i LE said:
Hmmm...interesting.

I will have the system topped up and see if that makes any difference. I have a leak in one of my 'rebuilt' rear slrs shocks so it is quite possible the level is down.

Thanks
I would seriously doubt it , when the level is more than 2 cm in the canister , I think its impossible for the SLS system to gather air. You would be looking at an almost empty reservoir for that theory to make sense.

Well, you never know,and with Pentosin being €5 a litre, its $hit money in E34 M5 maintenance land.
 
#17 ·
Hi M540i, I had a listen and it's hard to say. I kind think we have the same sound but the engine noise gets in the way. One thing that's different is that you seem to get the noise all the way up whereas mine is only in the 2900 - 3300-ish range... maybe a little more. I didn't even get a chance to get in the car this weekend. I'll see if I can try it. What if we try it in a higher gear to reduce the engine background noise?

n
 
#18 ·
I found that the higher gears came with more wind and other noise. So I doubt that will help.

I think one (or both) of us is going to have to pay for a fix...

Cheers

nixter said:
Hi M540i, I had a listen and it's hard to say. I kind think we have the same sound but the engine noise gets in the way. One thing that's different is that you seem to get the noise all the way up whereas mine is only in the 2900 - 3300-ish range... maybe a little more. I didn't even get a chance to get in the car this weekend. I'll see if I can try it. What if we try it in a higher gear to reduce the engine background noise?

n
 
#19 ·
Ok so I finally got around to looking into the noise last night. First I pulled out the gagues cluster to eliminate that as a possibility. Yep, noise still there. However, as I drove around the back streets in first gear keeping the rpm in the magic "noise window" and ducking and bobbing my head around to see if I could get a better fix on the source (occasionally driving blind!) I noticed that the noise was actually coming from under the steering column area. The sound accoustics are sneaky in cars! I wasn't about the pull the dash but I did notice there are two srews holding that part of the dash in . The right screw was loose. I removed both screws and noticed the right one was missing it's washer. I haven't put them back yet as I need to find the correct size washer but even that bit of fiddling has drastically reduced the noise! More to come.

M540i LE- I listened to your sound again and I think we have different yet related issues. I think the engine rpm is creating both our noises but I don't think the vibrational source is same. Probably 2 separate bits vibrating around. Mine has a very definite cut in and out point between 2900 - 3500 rpm or so. Before and after those points there is no noise.

n
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#23 ·
I sold my M5 to GWM635 about 12 months ago - so can't provide an update.

Cheers

Bump! Any update M540i? I'm taking my car in soon and will ask them to have another look for the sound. I have a sound clip of my noise which I will try to post somewhere.

n
 
#21 ·
My car has a winding noise too, but its based on speed, not rpm. It makes the noise at a lesser speed if the windows or sunroof is open. When they are closed, the noise only happens around 80mph.

Apparently the previous owners battled it too, as I have paper work from 1999 of the dealership trying to diagnose it but to no avail.

Good luck, and keep us updated
 
#24 ·
Ok, I have this annoying buzzing that seems to eminate from behind my speed/tach cluster. It comes on around 2900 and ends around 3500 rpm. If the cluster was mechanical and operated with a spinning cable inside a tube of some sort this is EXACTLY how i'd explain the type of noise. However, I assume the cluster is electronic?

Anyone have any ideas? I've found a few other posts on other board with a similar sound but nobody's found the source yet.

SO I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS VERY ISSUE FOR A YEAR, THIS BUZZ NOISE FROM BEHIND CLUSTER AT ONLY A CERTAIN RPM, MINE IS BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000. YOURS IS BETWEEN 2900 AND 3500. NOW I KNOW WHY. THE PROBLEM IS IF YOU OPEN UP THE CABIN AIR FILTER IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT YOU WILL SEE THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND BRAKE OIL PAN, NOW JUST TO THE LEFT DEPENDING WHERE YOU ARE STANDING (I WAS IN FRONT OF THE CAR LOOKING AT THE WINDSHIELD YOU WILL SEE 3 SMALL METAL LINES THAT START FROM TOP AND KIND OF GO DOWN BELOW THE BOOSTER, ON THESE 3 LINES (SOME HAVE 4) YOU WILL SEE A PLASTIC GANG CHANNEL IN 2 PLACES WHICH ARE USED TO SEPARATE THE LINES FROM TOUCHING EACH OTHER . THE LOWER GANG CHANNEL WORKS ITS WAY UP THROUGH TIME AND ALLOW THE 2 LINES BELOW IT TO TOUCH EACH OTHER AND DEPENDING ON HOW HIGH OR LOW THEY MIGRATE (MEANING HOW MUCH THEY TOUCH EACH OTHER) WILL DEPEND ON THE RPM BUZZ YOU HEAR IN THE CABIN. I FIXED MINE BY JUST SLIDING THE GANG CHANNEL LOWER AND MADE SURE NO METAL LINES TOUCH EACH OTHER, PUT A DAB OF RTV ON THE TOP SIDE AT THE 3 OR 4 LINES AT THE GANG CHANNEL TO PREVENT FUTURE MIGRATION (UP) PROBLEM. I FEEL YOUR PAIN THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR HEADACHE FOR ME BUT IT DID FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY. I HAVE A 2004 BMW 530I E60 SPORT. I NEVER KNEW SUCH A SMALL PROBLEM WILL CREATE HAVOC. ALSO DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE LINES WHERE THEY WERE RUBBING MINE WAS NOT BAD, IF THE RUBBING IS DEEP YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED TO REPLACE 1 OR 2 LINES. GOOD LUCK AND IF IT WORKS FOR YOU LET OTHERS KNOW.
R
 
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