Metallic noise and squeak when hitting bumps

InterlagosM3 · 06-16-2014, 08:10 PM

Hi everyone -

Long time lurker here and I wanted to reach out and see if anyone had a similar issue to what I am experiencing. When I hit bumps or uneven pavement, I hear a metallic noise and a loud squeaking. I only hear the noises with the windows open and when there are things that the sound bounces off of. The squeaking is unbearable. A good friend of mine (who is a former BMW lead tech) and I had the car on a lift and beat the hell out of it with a rubber mallet to try to find the source of the noise but have had no luck. The metallic noise seems to be isolated to the front but the squeaking seems to be front and rear. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

thekurgan · 06-16-2014, 09:09 PM

More info:

Is the suspension stock? Any urethane bushings utilized anywhere? How many miles on the vehicle? Have the strut and shock mounts been examined?

Beemdog · 06-16-2014, 11:42 PM

Last time I had a steady squeaking over bumps it was a bad rear shock-- an expensive KW V2 no less. Luckily, lifetime warranty. But your problem could be so many things-- worn suspension bushings, swaybar end links, any joints in the suspension, really. A metallic noise generally indicates loose hardware, like a shock mount or loose parts anywhere in the suspension. If you can figure out which wheel is the worst offender I would start there with a thorough inspection on a lift, wheel off.

InterlagosM3 · 06-17-2014, 09:25 AM

The vehicle is a 2008 with 57k miles. Everything appears to be stock.

badbeef · 06-17-2014, 10:00 AM

Agree. It could be anything. I had a similar problem, a sound coming from what seemed to be the front end with a past m3 that the mechanics couldn't isolate. It turned out the culprit was a slightly lose scissor jack in the trunk. 5 second fix. The sound was traveling up the frame. It went to two technicians and was caught by a salesman. Go figure. Look for the easy stuff first. You might get lucky.

06-16-2014, 08:10 PM	#1
InterlagosM3 Longtime Lurker 1 Rep 13 Posts Drives: 2014 X5 50i, 2011 M3 Comp Join Date: May 2011 Location: Midwest iTrader: (0)	Metallic noise and squeak when hitting bumps Hi everyone - Long time lurker here and I wanted to reach out and see if anyone had a similar issue to what I am experiencing. When I hit bumps or uneven pavement, I hear a metallic noise and a loud squeaking. I only hear the noises with the windows open and when there are things that the sound bounces off of. The squeaking is unbearable. A good friend of mine (who is a former BMW lead tech) and I had the car on a lift and beat the hell out of it with a rubber mallet to try to find the source of the noise but have had no luck. The metallic noise seems to be isolated to the front but the squeaking seems to be front and rear. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. __________________ 2014 X5 Xdrive50i [Carbon Black] - M Sport, B&O 2011 M3 Sedan [Interlagos Blue] - Competition, DCT 2001 330xi [Topaz Blue] - Sport, Manual
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06-16-2014, 09:09 PM	#2
thekurgan Bad Lieutenant 232 Rep 3,517 Posts Drives: E90M3 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sacramento iTrader: (0) Garage List 2008 BMW M3 [0.00]	More info: Is the suspension stock? Any urethane bushings utilized anywhere? How many miles on the vehicle? Have the strut and shock mounts been examined? __________________ 02 E39M5 \| TiAg/Schwartz \| Tubi Rumore \| Ultimate Ti Pedals \| E60 SSK \| Jim Blanton 3.45 40/100% \| Coby Alcantara \| StrongStrut STB
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06-16-2014, 11:42 PM	#3
Beemdog Woof! 352 Rep 1,323 Posts Drives: '11 M3 ZCP LeMans Blue Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Sonoma Cownty, CA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 Dodge Viper [9.00] 2011 BMW M3 E92 [9.50] 2009 Ducati Hypermo ... [10.00]	Last time I had a steady squeaking over bumps it was a bad rear shock-- an expensive KW V2 no less. Luckily, lifetime warranty. But your problem could be so many things-- worn suspension bushings, swaybar end links, any joints in the suspension, really. A metallic noise generally indicates loose hardware, like a shock mount or loose parts anywhere in the suspension. If you can figure out which wheel is the worst offender I would start there with a thorough inspection on a lift, wheel off.
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06-17-2014, 09:25 AM	#4
InterlagosM3 Longtime Lurker 1 Rep 13 Posts Drives: 2014 X5 50i, 2011 M3 Comp Join Date: May 2011 Location: Midwest iTrader: (0)	The vehicle is a 2008 with 57k miles. Everything appears to be stock. __________________ 2014 X5 Xdrive50i [Carbon Black] - M Sport, B&O 2011 M3 Sedan [Interlagos Blue] - Competition, DCT 2001 330xi [Topaz Blue] - Sport, Manual
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06-17-2014, 10:00 AM	#5
badbeef Second Lieutenant 49 Rep 244 Posts Drives: 3 pedals Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Agree. It could be anything. I had a similar problem, a sound coming from what seemed to be the front end with a past m3 that the mechanics couldn't isolate. It turned out the culprit was a slightly lose scissor jack in the trunk. 5 second fix. The sound was traveling up the frame. It went to two technicians and was caught by a salesman. Go figure. Look for the easy stuff first. You might get lucky.
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