Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

[panda8]

Low humming sound at 80 cruising. Anyone experience this?

 

[Red_Bean_Bun]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Gets louder when it gets faster ?

 

[jonleeck]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Hey.. is a bmw...is normal.

 

[Viper Warrior]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Low humming sound at 80 cruising. Anyone experience this?

What tires you using? That might be one possibility.

 

[pengful]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Usually from the tyres.

 

[ozipo]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

assuming it is due to uneven wear, will rotating tyres or wheel alignment or camber or toe adjustment ( one or all of above) help to eliminate or reduce the noise? Beside changing tyres.

 

[sinn]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Worn wheels bearing + uneven tire wear. After changing both, car runs like butter.

 

[Red_Bean_Bun]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

All of that helps ......

assuming it is due to uneven wear, will rotating tyres or wheel alignment or camber or toe adjustment ( one or all of above) help to eliminate or reduce the noise? Beside changing tyres.

 

[Slow_poke_driver]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

A bit like helicopter sound?

Could be a combination of road plus tyres. I have this low humming sound on certain cement road after I changed tyres.

Otherwise it is wheel bearing...

 

[ozipo]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

If due to say camber:
Is BMW camber fixed? And need to change to an adjustable camber?

If due to toe-in or toe-out, alighment will solve this?

If due to wheel bearings, unless badly worn out, otherwise difficult to check unless got to
dismantle the brake units?

Quite puzzled that physically the tyre don't look that worn out but the noise at higher speed
gets quite bearably loud

 

[roberttan]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

got do anything to your car priors to noise surface?
can try go back to your regular TS for tyre check , An exp TS people should able to advise you about the tyre
or even better TS people can help you trace your noise is from tyre or Ball bearing

 

[ozipo]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Noise came almost gradually until it is noticeble
Changed new tyres around 6 months ago.
Trying to gather more information first as going to most TS they usually prefers to recommend
change the tyre. Problem solved as far as they see it.

 

[eric7107]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Low humming sound at 80 cruising. Anyone experience this?

I experienced it! 80KMH sounds getting humming lounder and louder.....
PML heard it and replaced with a new shaft for me. solved!

 

[ozipo]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Went to Stamford Tyres, found Caster right wheel slightly ahead of left, left wheel toe out and right toe-in, rear wheels left camber positive and right wheel negative.
Must be our bumpy roads that caused all these
Humming noise down 40% to 60%
Total $140 including wheel balancing

 

[Red_Bean_Bun]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Check tyres for feathering ...... Run your hand on the tyre threads in one direction then the other direction. If one direction not smooth the likely there's feathering.

Feathered tyres are noisy and it's caused by excessive toe out. Camber can be changed slightly by adjusting those nuts on top of the strut but it's just a weeny bit. If the noise persists in all road surfaces (grey, black etc) then look at the bearings.

If it's wheel bearing just hoist the car and spin the rims and listen or feel the springs while doing it. Look for noise and vibrations. And while driving, if the noise stops when turning in certain direction then only one of the wheel bearings on that axle is having issues. Wheel bearing noise increases with speed. Choose a nice black road to test e.g the F1 route so you won't mix it up with road noise .....

If due to say camber:
Is BMW camber fixed? And need to change to an adjustable camber?

If due to toe-in or toe-out, alighment will solve this?

If due to wheel bearings, unless badly worn out, otherwise difficult to check unless got to
dismantle the brake units?

Quite puzzled that physically the tyre don't look that worn out but the noise at higher speed
gets quite bearably loud

 

[lf37]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Interesting...
Don't expect wheel alignment to be source of noise. I would suspect axle differential or wheel bearings.
My old E60 520 once had humming noise cause I banged into curbs several times and damaged the wheel bearings. Changed the back 2 bearings and the noise gone totally.
Suggest you monitor and check on the bearings if it's near 100k km.

 

[ozipo]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Interesting...
Don't expect wheel alignment to be source of noise. I would suspect axle differential or wheel bearings.
My old E60 520 once had humming noise cause I banged into curbs several times and damaged the wheel bearings. Changed the back 2 bearings and the noise gone totally.
Suggest you monitor and check on the bearings if it's near 100k km.

With front toe-out and rear camber positive and front caster not flush , they added up and cause subsequent noise incremental as tyre/s wear out unevenly.
Even though noise is noticeably lowered I am not too hopeful it will be gone completely until I change the tyre
Perhaps I could only hope with alignment done the affected tyre will sort of "bed-in" til humming is down to 15%....or maybe re-thread? (Only heard of lorry tyres being re thread)
May not be worth it...anyone knows where and how much?

 

[panda8]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Thanks for the info and suggestions!

 

[Red_Bean_Bun]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Your tyres staggered ?

And is it directional ?

With front toe-out and rear camber positive and front caster not flush , they added up and cause subsequent noise incremental as tyre/s wear out unevenly.
Even though noise is noticeably lowered I am not too hopeful it will be gone completely until I change the tyre
Perhaps I could only hope with alignment done the affected tyre will sort of "bed-in" til humming is down to 15%....or maybe re-thread? (Only heard of lorry tyres being re thread)
May not be worth it...anyone knows where and how much?

 

[ozipo]

Re: Low humming sound when cruising at 80+ kph

Yes to both questions