[LuvMyE92]

This was originally brought up in this older thread here. I started this thread because I couldn't find it until today (updated post).

Issue: Car vibrates at high speeds (70+ MPH). Doesn't feel like bad tire balancing, just a very light almost "buzzing" kind of vibration.

I know others have experienced this issue. Some fix it with new wheels, most (AFAIK) have not found a solution.

Saturday I test drove a new 540i (2021) and took it up to 80 on the highway where my car (2019 540i) would normally start to vibrate, and this one was dead smooth. It had the OE 19" runflats, my car has 19" non-RF but I honestly don't think it's the tires.

The weird thing I noticed coming home, was that cruising at around 75-78 or so on the highway, going uphill the vibration seems to be a bit more pronounced. It makes me think that maybe it's going something to do with the drivetrain, as the engine labors a bit more, it's vibrating more. So maybe that's where the problem lies? On my usual commute, I don't have hills at those speeds, so I've not noticed that before. Below 70 MPH it is pretty smooth (not perfect). Downshifting into a lower gear has no effect.

I've lived with it for 18 months and I can deal with it for another year until the lease is up. I'm thinking about buying the car at lease end, but I'd prefer not to have to deal with it forever. I could put the OE runflats back on (I still have them, basically brand new) but that's $100/$200 spent if it doesn't fix the issue. And I don't think it's tires, that's a different kind of vibration...

I have not had it to the dealer for this, as I have little faith that they will do much besides blame the tires, since they're not OE.

Thoughts? Anyone found a solution yet?

[Lancelot]

By elimination, something that vibrates is something that rotates...
- wheels?
- driveshaft?

What frequency is the vibration? Is it like 20Hz? More? That can give a clue to the rotation speed of the component that vibrates (driveshaft rotates 2.8 times faster)

Examples of issues:
I had an issue on my f30 but it was on a narrow window of speeds, sound about 20Hz, 140kph to 145kph, and convinced it was the wheels as my other set of wheels with winter tyres did not vibrate.

Wheel balancing: some shops do it well some others don't, a friend of mine had a vibration issue on his 911, the $50 wheel balancing shop said all was good, $200 pro shop found and issue and corrected it, and now problem gone

[S4CH]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

... because I couldn't find an existing one. I know there's at least one.

Issue: Car vibrates at high speeds (70+). Doesn't feel like bad tire balancing, just a very light almost "buzzing" kind of vibration.

I know others have experienced this issue. Some fix it with new wheels, most (AFAIK) have not found a solution.

Saturday I test drove a new 540i (2021) and took it up to 80 on the highway where my car (2019 540i) would normally start to vibrate, and this one was dead smooth. It had the OE 19" runflats, my car has 19" non-RF but I honestly don't think it's the tires.

The weird thing I noticed coming home, was that cruising at around 75-78 or so on the highway, going uphill the vibration seems to be a bit more pronounced. It makes me think that maybe it's going something to do with the drivetrain, as the engine labors a bit more, it's vibrating more. So maybe that's where the problem lies? On my usual commute, I don't have hills at those speeds, so I've not noticed that before. Below 70 MPH it is pretty smooth (not perfect). Downshifting into a lower gear has no effect.

I've lived with it for 18 months and I can deal with it for another year until the lease is up. I'm thinking about buying the car at lease end, but I'd prefer not to have to deal with it forever. I could put the OE runflats back on (I still have them, basically brand new) but that's $100/$200 spent if it doesn't fix the issue. And I don't think it's tires, that's a different kind of vibration...

I have not had it to the dealer for this, as I have little faith that they will do much besides blame the tires, since they're not OE.

Thoughts? Anyone found a solution yet?

Sounds like there could be some minor bends on the rims or a bubble on the tires. Hard to visually inspect unless the car is up on a ramp.

[23109VC]

Originally Posted by S4CH

Sounds like there could be some minor bends on the rims or a bubble on the tires. Hard to visually inspect unless the car is up on a ramp.

Look into the shop and see if they're balancing system is the kind that does road force balance in my understanding is that's a more advanced balance system and my address your problems years ago I had a Porsche Boxster that had vibrations at certain speeds it would start vibrating at say 75 to 80 then we'll go away at higher speeds had the tires balanced it would never go away that I found a shop that did road force balance in and once they addressed it the problem was gone forever

[LuvMyE92]

Found it! Original thread here.

Rereading it, it's obviously a fairly common problem, seems to be a bit more prevalent in Europe for some reason, and the few that have found a resolution have pointed to the wheels being less than perfect. At 11K miles on the car, I doubt that BMW is going to assume responsibility if that proves to be my issue.

[Superjackson]

Don't bother with BMW, just get your rims straightened at a rim repair shop. The dealer knows you have bent rims but they can't repair it so they waste your time with other stuff.

[dlf750]

as you said before, throw old rims back on first, simple swap, takes 15 minutes

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by dlf750

as you said before, throw old rims back on first, simple swap, takes 15 minutes

If it were that simple, I would have done it long ago.

I had the original RF tires dismounted and replaced with real tires, same rims.

[LuvMyE92]

When I have some time, I'll likely take the car to my trusty performance shop and have them check the wheels for runout and road force balance the tires. Again.

[CnSky]

Im have a very similar issue see my post.
https://g30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1805494

Have tried a ton of things

New Tyres
Alloys Reconditioned no buckles
Road Force balanced
Alignment done twice
Engine mounts and vaccum checked all normal
Gearbox mount checked all normal

Tried OEM smaller 19 inch alloys at a BMW dealer on my car and it reduced the shake but didnt get rid of it ony made it dulled as there is more rubber to soak up any side to side vibrations.

Im starting to think its front thrust arms causing the vibration at speed and diretional instability at slower speed in town.

Also i have proven to my dealer(by revving the engine in park) that any front vibrations on a G30 530e in perticular transmit thorugh the vehicle and feel more pronounced at the rear. keep that in mind when trouble shooting. Probbaly to do with the smaller 18 mm diametr ARB on teh back comapred to other G30s.

Back to BWM monday to get on a rolling road and shaker.

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

This was originally brought up in this older thread here. I started this thread because I couldn't find it until today (updated post).

Issue: Car vibrates at high speeds (70+ MPH). Doesn't feel like bad tire balancing, just a very light almost "buzzing" kind of vibration.

I know others have experienced this issue. Some fix it with new wheels, most (AFAIK) have not found a solution.

Saturday I test drove a new 540i (2021) and took it up to 80 on the highway where my car (2019 540i) would normally start to vibrate, and this one was dead smooth. It had the OE 19" runflats, my car has 19" non-RF but I honestly don't think it's the tires.

The weird thing I noticed coming home, was that cruising at around 75-78 or so on the highway, going uphill the vibration seems to be a bit more pronounced. It makes me think that maybe it's going something to do with the drivetrain, as the engine labors a bit more, it's vibrating more. So maybe that's where the problem lies? On my usual commute, I don't have hills at those speeds, so I've not noticed that before. Below 70 MPH it is pretty smooth (not perfect). Downshifting into a lower gear has no effect.

I've lived with it for 18 months and I can deal with it for another year until the lease is up. I'm thinking about buying the car at lease end, but I'd prefer not to have to deal with it forever. I could put the OE runflats back on (I still have them, basically brand new) but that's $100/$200 spent if it doesn't fix the issue. And I don't think it's tires, that's a different kind of vibration...

I have not had it to the dealer for this, as I have little faith that they will do much besides blame the tires, since they're not OE.

Thoughts? Anyone found a solution yet?

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by CnSky

Im have a very similar issue see my post.

I did. Wow. Looks like yours is much more serious than mine. Best of luck.

[f30modern]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

I did. Wow. Looks like yours is much more serious than mine. Best of luck.

I feel like you're in a good position to be done with this vibration issue after exhausting all options as it's a lease. When the lease is up you can look at other options like maybe a 2021 heavily discounted CPO 540i or even 2019 550i to save some money.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by f30modern

I feel like you're in a good position to be done with this vibration issue after exhausting all options as it's a lease.

There are a lot of disadvantages to a lease, but I'm starting to feel like these kind of things balances it out. I can deal with the vibration for a few more months.

Like today, for instance, we have a threat of tornadoes, hail and heavy rain. If my car gets hail damage (for instance) I don't need to worry about diminished value and all that nonsense. The car I own sits safely in the garage, the leased one is outside in the elements.

[CnSky]

Probably the exact same only I have gone to extreme length to solve it and still can't find the issue.

I'm convinced it's a suspension bushing gone or mount but identifying which one instead of throwing cash at the issue is the problem.

For me the alloys refurb, tyres and road force were planned anyway. The new breaks and discs were under the sellers warranty. I wasn't concerned spending that but I'm now at a potion where figuring out what is causing the issue is difficult so I'm doing a lot of tests to try identify a proper way to ID the culprit.

And keeping everyone updated so anyone else who has the same problem in future can use my experiences to help.

Still it's a royal PITA.

QUOTE=LuvMyE92;27362516]

Originally Posted by CnSky

Im have a very similar issue see my post.

I did. Wow. Looks like yours is much more serious than mine. Best of luck.[/QUOTE]

[CnSky]

If it helps anyone new alloys and tyres solved my cars vibration on motorways and instability at slow speed.

Not even BMW can figure out what is wrong with the wheel tyres combo that is causing them to hop/jump but it 100% is solved with new alloys and wheels as proven by installing a new test set from a new g30 on the lot.

My 2 cents is the wheels are not centric from factory and the hub doesn't lie in the middle of the rim this is even after new tyres and alloys being refurbished.

Now I just need to buy a new set.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by CnSky

If it helps anyone new alloys and tyres solved my cars vibration on motorways and instability at slow speed.

Not even BMW can figure out what is wrong with the wheel tyres combo that is causing them to hop/jump but it 100% is solved with new alloys and wheels as proven by installing a new test set from a new g30 on the lot.

My 2 cents is the wheels are not centric from factory and the hub doesn't lie in the middle of the rim this is even after new tyres and alloys being refurbished.

Now I just need to buy a new set.

Thanks for the update. I feared that this might be the issue. No way do I see BMW buying me a new set of wheels, since I haven't bothered to report this issue before and now with 11K miles on the car, they'll likely blame it on me hitting potholes (which I don't do).

I'm not buying new wheels for a leased car.

[LuvMyE92]

I still have the original runflats that I took off the car... it will cost me around $100 to put them back on, but maybe it would be worth it as an experiment against the tires being the issue. If it doesn't, then I'm wasting $200 because I prefer the ride quality (ironic?) of the conventional tires and would want to put them back on.

[CnSky]

We still can't figure out if it is bad tyres or bad wheels. I had the car jacked today and when spinning the wheels about an inch off the ground I can easily see the hop in each rotation.

Video in my other posts made by BMW showing the issue.

I have a theory that the 530e in particular is heavy and 97y rear 95y front tyres aren't strong enough. I see the latest model tyres are 102y rated that's almost an extra 200kg per corner.

Also I park at my house on an incline approx 15 degree nose down which can't help either. Wonder if this is part of the problem any one else parking nose down?

Also read Hankooks have flat spots issues so bad choice by me.

[particulardude]

could this be your lane departure warning?

I find it very sensitive regardless of how great my driving is

[CnSky]

No have it switched off as it goes crazy on small narrow Irish roads!!

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by CnSky

I have a theory that the 530e in particular is heavy and 97y rear 95y front tyres aren't strong enough. I see the latest model tyres are 102y rated that's almost an extra 200kg per corner.

Out of interest are those ratings XL, extra load?

[CnSky]

Hi Pete yes they are

Hankook Ventus S1 EVO3 K127 245/35 ZR20 95Y XL, FR

Rear are the 97Y variant also XL.

Im wondering why the tyres being delivered by BMW on the LCI seems to all be 102y front and rear?

Did BMW figure out the car is too heavy for 95/97Y XLs and maybe it's what's causing all of these vibrations.


QUOTE=HighlandPete;27400461]

Originally Posted by CnSky

I have a theory that the 530e in particular is heavy and 97y rear 95y front tyres aren't strong enough. I see the latest model tyres are 102y rated that's almost an extra 200kg per corner.

Out of interest are those ratings XL, extra load?[/QUOTE]