e-brake adjustment spring cowbell -- safe to drive?

[Robz26]

Hey M Team,

Thanks to the infamous "cowbell" thread, I diagnosed my own problem has to do with the e-brake adjustment spring (it sounds very springy). It happens too frequently when the tire is barely rotating to think something got caught inside.

I attached the audio if you're curious:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/30jqy89cq22gt0g/cowbell.m4a

My questions:
1) Is it safe to drive the car in the meantime? Obviously this only happens at very low speeds.
2) Is there anything I can do on my own to stop the sound, at least temporarily?
3) What do I tell my dealer/tech to fix this properly, rather than claim it's the service bulletin "natural sounds" ?

Thanks guys and gals!

Rob

[PrimoM3]

That is awful... Good luck at your dealer.

[Robz26]

Originally Posted by PrimoM3

That is awful... Good luck at your dealer.

You know things are bad when all you get is sympathy from the board!

Sound stopped after some aggressive driving, then came back, then stopped again. ::shrug::

[spr]

This just started last night no my car!!! WTF is this. Is it ok to drive? Sounds like shit on a 80k car. Come on...

[spr]

Btw the noise is coming from my left rear. It sounds aweful.

[LucWerkz]

Try this at your own risk but for me the sound went away when I accelerated to about 10-15mph and then pulled the ebrake.

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by Robz26

It happens too frequently when the tire is barely rotating to think something got caught inside.

I've been fortunate enough to experience the cowbell a couple of times. Exactly like your audio, and only could be heard at very low speeds, e.g. approaching a stop. Both times were preceded by driving in a parking lot with some gravel/pebbles.

Do something approximating a brake bedding session and see if it goes away. (With the regular brakes, that is.) Multiple stops from ~60 mph. Warm the brakes up and stomp on them. Worked for me.

[Robz26]

Originally Posted by FormulaMMM

Exactly like your audio, and only could be heard at very low speeds, e.g. approaching a stop. Both times were preceded by driving in a parking lot with some gravel/pebbles.

Formula, did your "cowbell" have a similar springy twang to it? In that video, I am backing up / moving forward *very* slowly (like 1 mph)... it's highly unlikely a pebble would make that much noise with the tire barely rotating... it would probably just roll along the bottom of whatever container it's in.

It really seems like some sort of spring is involved.

Rob

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by Robz26

Formula, did your "cowbell" have a similar springy twang to it? In that video, I am backing up / moving forward *very* slowly (like 1 mph)... it's highly unlikely a pebble would make that much noise with the tire barely rotating... it would probably just roll along the bottom of whatever container it's in.

It really seems like some sort of spring is involved.

Rob

Hey Rob, my cowbells sounded exactly like your cowbell. And I too only heard it as I was creeping up to a stop, rolling out of the garage, etc. Actually, I recall that I had my lady stand next to the car as I went forward and back 1-2 feet in the garage so that she could isolate the noise for me (driver's rear wheel). So I heard it loud and clear just barely moving.

I don't know for certain what it was, but it definitely became dislodged and went away with some hard accelerations and stops. Worth a shot at least. Maybe you have a different issue, but like I said no distinction to be made between what I heard on your audio and what I experienced.

[FormulaMMM]

Rob, thought I'd post and report that the cowbell returned for me on Monday while at the track. Parking lot there is full of pebbles, bits of rolled up rubber, etc. Not a coincidence.

After a long trip home (highway and back road) no more cowbell.

[E92Hwo2]

+1

I had cowbell couple times be4 pretty much the same as ur audio and then I sent it to dealer to check but it just don't do cowbell anymore all the sudden in the dealer . I know how u feel.

[Zertag01]

Cowbell

Hi Everyone

The last two months I have a metallic ping-in sound coming from the rear of the M3 (cowbell) only when moving the car from 1st or stopping and same when I go reverse but when start moving the car sound normal.
1-No rocks stuck in the brake dust shield
2-No bent brake dust shield,
3-I replace the drive shaft U joint
Could this be e-brake?

Do you have any idea what can it be ?

See video

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by Zertag01

Cowbell

Hi Everyone

The last two months I have a metallic ping-in sound coming from the rear of the M3 (cowbell) only when moving the car from 1st or stopping and same when I go reverse but when start moving the car sound normal.
1-No rocks stuck in the brake dust shield
2-No bent brake dust shield,
3-I replace the drive shaft U joint
Could this be e-brake?

Do you have any idea what can it be ?

See video

That's odd. Not the standard stuck pebble/rock cowbell that I've had 20x.

Almost seems like something is swinging and connecting metal on metal when there's a shift in momentum. You've checked the underside of the car for loose clamps, brackets, etc.?

[Zertag01]

The last two months I have a metallic ping-in sound coming from the rear of the M3 (cowbell) only when moving the car from 1st or stopping and same when I go reverse but when start moving the car sound normal.
1-No rocks stuck in the brake dust shield
2-No bent brake dust shield,
3-I replace the drive shaft U joint

Could this be the cowbell or metallic sound fix?

Do you have any idea what can it be ?

See video

[EricM3]

I get this too

Dealer said it's the clutch going out (DCT, 75k miles... $6000 to replace). Doesn't seem right (at least they didn't charge me).

Only notice at low speed. Usually when starting from a stop. Also notice when going slowly around a corner.