really strange interior noise: not yet mentioned
Thread Starter
Members
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Hoboken, NJ
My Ride: 04 545i HUD, comfort seats, PDC, moon roof, Logic 7, Nav, Steptronic, K7 and diffusers, Aux-in for iPod!
I'm pretty sure this has not been mentioned, so perhaps some of the gurus out there can help.
When I am driving slowly down a smooth street, I can distinctly hear a motor whirring away somewhere around the center console. But, it modulates! It basically goes like this:
pitch up rrrrrr (2 seconds) pitch down, just up and down, up and down, up and down. just imagine a small motor, low pitch, being cranked up and down in rpm. it's about as loud as the DVD navigation spinning up when you enter and start the car.
it's the strangest noise. whenever it's quiet, it's quite distinct. it gets hidden by the engine noise at rpm, of course, but otherwise is really damn loud! and I have no idea what it could possibly be.
help! anyone here have an idea? it's a May 04 545i. it's not a real nuisance as it gets masked half the time. but the other half I think I'm going nuts!
When I am driving slowly down a smooth street, I can distinctly hear a motor whirring away somewhere around the center console. But, it modulates! It basically goes like this:
pitch up rrrrrr (2 seconds) pitch down, just up and down, up and down, up and down. just imagine a small motor, low pitch, being cranked up and down in rpm. it's about as loud as the DVD navigation spinning up when you enter and start the car.
it's the strangest noise. whenever it's quiet, it's quite distinct. it gets hidden by the engine noise at rpm, of course, but otherwise is really damn loud! and I have no idea what it could possibly be.
help! anyone here have an idea? it's a May 04 545i. it's not a real nuisance as it gets masked half the time. but the other half I think I'm going nuts!
Contributors
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,298
Likes: 0
From: Winter Park, FL
My Ride: 2005 545i (SMG)
Titanium Gray
Black Interior, Anthracite Trim
M-tech kit
Sport Package
Premium Sound
Satellite Radio
Active Cruise
Comfort Seats
Navigation
Folding rear seats
Sounds like alternator whine. This occurs when there is a poor ground in the elctrical system, so the alternator bleeds sound into the audio system.
But this is more of a problem you'd run into if you did an aftermarket stereo system. It's not common with a car that has not been modified in some way.
But this is more of a problem you'd run into if you did an aftermarket stereo system. It's not common with a car that has not been modified in some way.
Contributors
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,717
Likes: 0
From: Central Massachusetts
My Ride: Now Driving a Freakin' Prius!
Was...
2004 545i | SMG | White/Black | Sport | NAV | Logic 7 | PDC | Fold-down Seats | Adaptive Headlights | Cold Weather Pkg | Clear-again Bra | Mud Flaps | Bluetooth | Coat Hangar | Aux Input | All Weather Mats | 18"X8.5" BBS RK w/ Michelin Pilot Alpin's (winter) | New steering rack @ 1.2K & 17K miles| Software V.19.1 | B&B Exhaust (vrrrroooooommm!) <---Click.
Could it be the fan that cools the lower part of the glove box in the center console??
Thread Starter
Members
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Hoboken, NJ
My Ride: 04 545i HUD, comfort seats, PDC, moon roof, Logic 7, Nav, Steptronic, K7 and diffusers, Aux-in for iPod!
nope, don't think it's any of those. I know the sound of fans and motors, and this just sounds weird. the pitch is pretty low, it's not correlated to climate, and seems pretty constant throughout the trip. definitely not the DVD sound because I can hear that, and also because it oscillates on such a cycle. I'll try to record it one of these days! thanks for your thoughts.
Contributors
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,374
Likes: 0
From: Netherlands
My Ride: [i][b][u]Since 19 august 2004[/u][/b][/i]: [color=red][b]530i[/b] High Executive[/color], Silvergray with beige interior, Popular wood, Servotronic, Sportssuspension, electric foldable and dimmed mirrors, dimmed interior mirror, pappelmaser braun wood, cupholders, styling 123 18" wheels, Logic 7, Steptronic, alarm class 3, electric sunscreen in the rear and suncreens for sidewindows, Comfort seats, heated seats, Xenon with headlightwashers, Adaptive corner lights ALC, Advanced airconditioning, lightpackage, Nav Pro, 6 cd changer, side airbags rearseats, bluetooth siemens S55, chrome kidneys, gearlever with wood, voice recognition retrofit, front windshield with green band.
Waiting for trunkopener button from Hobi :)
I've heard it too but it only does that when my engine is cold (so for the first 10 minutes of my drive)
Contributors
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 767
Likes: 1
From: UK
I think its the Climate Control. Heard it when I first got the car. Think I checked on the forum here and it was due to the Climate Control. I believe the sound occurred in the E39 5 series too, can't confirm this as I never owned a 5 series before now. I had 2 E46s and never experienced that noise though.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Vman33
Complete Car Sales
5
Mar 14, 2022 04:43 AM
bestofthebest
Complete Car Sales
4
Mar 28, 2016 02:47 PM
DetailersDomain
Detailing Forum
0
Sep 22, 2015 03:59 PM