Vibration Problem

Please, please, please can somebody help me with this. Its driving me crazy!!!

My 523i has just gone over 100,000 miles. I've had it from new. Everything is fine EXCEPT, this vibration problem that has started in the last few months.

Initially it started with a bit of a steering wobble between 50 and 60 mph. I guessed that it would be wheel balance...so I had them re-balanced. It seemed to go away, but then came back.

It then started to happen over 70 mph too, but much more high frequency vibration, and the vibration appeared to be coming from the rear of the car.

So I took it to a BMW dealer. They said there was nothing wrong with the car, but the rear tyres were worn and 'distorted'. So I bought some new rear tyres. The vibration over 70 seemed to go away. Great I thought!

Then it started to come back again!!

I thought perhaps the balancing had not been done correctly (seems to happen a lot with alloy wheels). I had 'em re-balanced. Again, the problem seemed to disappear for a short while (like the drive home!) and then came back!!

I then took it for a service at BMW and told them to look at the vibration. They serviced the car and said that there was nothing wrong with the suspension etc... but that they thought they'd cured the problem when they took the wheels off. They said it was the build up of copper grease on the face of the wheel mounting, so the wheels were not flat to the face when on, and that they had cleaned it and the problem had gone. Once again, temporary relief from the problem..but it came back.


So I took it to BMW again (a different garage). This time they said the front tyres would need replacing. Guess what - I beleived them! Bought new tyres.... problem got a little better and then came back.

So, now I am really getting p***d off.
It now started showing up as sterring wobble when I applied the brakes... so I guessed that the brake disks were warped and needed replacing. I took it to a local non-BMW garage and had it done.

This seemed to cure the problem (certainly on braking)....

BUT.. you can guess the rest.

The problem is back..(even on braking). It has cost me $750 so far and a hell of a lot of inconvenience.

Right now the problem is this :-

0-50 mph - smooth ride
Slight wobble on steering between 50-60, otherwise smooth ride
Major vibration (seemingly from the rear) coming through the body of the car between 70-75..goes away above 80.
above 80mph - smooth ride
Under Braking above 50mpg - steering wobble.:banghead: Has anybody got any ideas???????

well thats a complexing prob. all i can say is check the geobo if it has one the two trans. mounts and the two eng. mounts.

assuming all the normal stuff has been checked i got one you wont believe have them check the rotors for balance they can be checked on any tire balancer on stactic balance mode spec is no more than .50 oz anything over that replace the rotor(s) i know some people will say what that guys nuts but trust me.

I had similar probelms,

Really short and sweet,

Front strut bearing/bushings, lower control arm and ball joint(repalced as a whole assembly and b/j and bushing are not separate) Tie rods, sway bar end links.

For the strut bearings 2 choice, OEM or adjustable mounts to adj. camber.

For the control arms 1 of 3 choices, OEM steel for 5 series, OEM steel for 7 series, or OEM Aluminum for M series cars.

Now the ties rods are no big deal, OEM straight up. as well as end links for stab bar.

The driveshaft is prone to worn and torn flex-disc and center bearing. also seized u joints and insufficient lube on splined shaft for the driveshaft. Loose bolts are also comon.

I hope this finds you and is helpful

Let me know what comes of this I am interested to see which is at fault for reference.

-Scott:iceslolan

You mention wheel balancing a couple of times but didn't say alignment. Try doing a 4 wheel alignment. I had the same problem with my '00 540i before and a 4 wheel alignment fixed it. Make sure the alignment shop knows how to work with bmw cars. I have to go to two alignment shops before the problem was corrected. Watch them do the job. When they do the alignment, the car should have a full tank of gas, loads on all the seats, and I believe including the trunk. Let me know how it turns out.

Good Luck,
-peter

i don't think u can align the rear tires on a 5 series now 3 series is a diff. set up i put rear wheel bearings in both 5 and 3 series but u have to mark the 3 series the 5 series just put it back togather,although u did say 2000 but still i think its the same too.

an alignment will not cause a vibration

Be sure they are torquing your lug bolts.. Over tightening will cause rotor warpage and vibration..

Well I have come a bit closer to solving this I think.

I was going to get it looked at again by my local garage...but they said I needed to check the wheel balance before they did...

so I paid for all 4 wheels balancing...at a new place (expensive)....

and

it now seems to have cured the worst of the problems. So was it the wheel balancing all along?? Possibly. I have found that some places have a lot of problems balancing big alloys.

Now it seems pretty solid, there is still a bit of vibration between 70-80 mph, but I think that could be that the tyres have become worn unevenly... anyway its 100% better than it was. Its only cost me about $800 !!!!!!!