one of you guys if can do a recording on video or audio would be beneficial... i have recently solved some steering related noises and want to hear it before i comment on what it MIGHT be.

 

My former 545i used to make a humming and whining sound when doing a u turn. The new one does not, thankfully. I think it's related to the active steering.

 

check your tie rods and ball joints...sometimes even if the suspension is tight and free of play. the joints in each suspension components can be dry and of a lack of grease causing it to squeek or have a slight moaning noise. this can occur over time or when someone changing any suspention components next to the joint squeeling was heated up by a torch in order free it up of seezing to remove the part. the heat transfers through the cast iron or aluminum and into the ball joint or any koint at that. i would start there and go from there. good lcuk and keep us posted.

 

I appreciate all your suggestions, but I don't believe this is a suspension issue. It definitely sounds like something to do with the Active Steering. I will have to try and record the sound, but it's so low that I may not be able to capture it over the regular road noise. If anyone else with this problem can record the sound, please do share it with all of us. I really sounds like a pump actuator - something in the steering mechanism.

Any of you that have experienced this noise, please do continue to provide your comments / feedback so we can try and pinpoint the problem.

thanks again!

 

I had this problem. I took it to the dealer they said it was a known issue with PRE-LCI models and they flushed the power steering fluid with a new blend. There was a BMW Service bulletin issued about this that states "replace with updated fluid if customer complains of noise issue in power steering" or something to that effect. Ever since then problem is gone. This was 20k miles ago.

Then again, my BMW tech is amazing. The guy reads forums, knows everything about these cars. Chances are whoever checked your ride out just didn't know better.

 

Check your front hubs - could be worn sealed bearings inside... I am now getting a similar sound out of my car at 71,000 miles - and I had a new steering rack put in last Christmas.

My story: I park in an underground garage in the same spot every day when I go to work. So I travel the exact same route from the street down to my parking spot and I get to hear my car go past the walls as I make sharp turns from street level to get there. If some new noise crops up I am in a good position to hear it when it does... A couple years ago, at 85,000 miles my former car - a 2000 540i - started making low frequency groaning noises only in turns at low speed and first heard from that parking garage - in the Winter. Suspecting perhaps used up front brakes or a bad ball joint, I (and then my indy shop) inspected the front end and found nothing obviously wrong, so I kept driving and waited until spring to see if sound would go away. By then it was a bit worse - turned out one of front hubs had worn bearings and the other was fairly loose. When I pulled the hubs one of them actually rattled! So, guess what I suspect and will be paying attention in the weeks ahead on my 2007 550i... Of course it makes best sense to have these cars looked fully over as my history with one car does not assure me (or you) that the same solution is there for my new car.

I look forward to the imminent release of the Bentley manual for our E60 cars...

 

Interesting. Im in exact same situation as yours... underground parking... been hearing a lot of noise... it maybe my front hubs also... my question. how do you replicate teh sound? did it make sound while not moving and you moved the steering? Also was there a knock involved or only groaning sound?

So far for my scenario my knocks/when going over bumps and moving steering at low speeds while moving and when stationary were caused by strut bearings and steering column.

 

Thanks for your comments! There was another member who mentioned this on an earlier post several months ago. He also has a pre-LCI model and had the same issue. He took it to the dealer and they flushed the power steering fluid and the noise went away. But he didn't have the BMW Service Bulletin either.

Does anyone have this TSB for the steering noise on pre-LCI cars? My dealership has been really good to me, but they were not able to find any info on this issue. I'm sure if I produce the TSB, they will service my car.

Thanks for your help!

 

Hub bearings are MUCH more common on the E39s rather than our cars. This problem is due to the active steering. What causes it, i'm not exactly sure. Mine makes it also, and i have found nothing wrong. Its done this since i bought it. I'm not worried in the least.

 

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