Vibration??

[dimitris33]

Just completed my first trip with my X1. Have runned 1000km and I've noticed a vibration when reaching exactly 120km speed and is still there until I pass the 140km speed.

Vibration is along the whole car as I had the sun face protector down and you can watch it shake like crazy.

Anyone???

[mario486]

Originally Posted by dimitris33

Just completed my first trip with my X1. Have runned 1000km and I've noticed a vibration when reaching exactly 120km speed and is still there until I pass the 140km speed.

Vibration is along the whole car as I had the sun face protector down and you can watch it shake like crazy.

Anyone???

Hi dimitris, Have your X1 checked for wheel balancing and alignment. In my opinion it should go straight back to BMW to fix.

[Gatekeeper]

MMmmmm yeah... Could be as simple as that indeed... Although I would expect a simple wheel balance problem to generate a shimmy in the steering at a much lower speed (70 to 80 kmh), not a shakedown of the whole car at 120. Weird.

Have you noticed any trace of leaked fluids under the car after you stopped ?

I had a similar situation on a car and it was a loosened transmission assembly. It was coming off the engine block, and sprayed engine oil was the telltale.

Any which way, as Mario says on a brand new vehicle it's the dealer's problem.

[dimitris33]

I went the car to bmw this morning to check. They checked the tyres pressure and they told me that the rear tyres were over inflated (although I have checked them at the petrol station befora my trip to be sure they were ok). Then we took the car for a ride together but in the city roads it is impossible to catch 120km speed and keep it there and increase gradually. So there were no vibrations! Shit! I told him that the car vibrates at the open road and not in the city which is a stop and go stop and go...

I will take it for a ride to the open road again this evening to check again (after they depressurizing rear tyres). He said 2.4 for the rear and 2.2 for the front. He did not excluded the possibility of the wheel balancing and allignment. This will be done after my check tonight.

Hope its just a matter of tyre pressure or wheel balancing and nothing more serious.

[Gatekeeper]

I would be very amazed if a simple difference in tire pressure, especially in the rear drivetrain, would generate the vibrations you describe.

Now from a customer point of view, I certainly would not have settled for a little ride around the block which does not nearly recreate the conditions in which the anomaly occured... What's the point ?

Wouldve have dragged the mechanic by the hair if need be, but I'm not throwing that kind of money into a brand new car to have an idiot tell me it's the tire pressure without even trying to properly understand the issue and the circumstances.

[dimitris33]

I will be amazed too if the tyre pressure creates the vibration...

I'm in a big doubt...

Will revert.

[mario486]

Originally Posted by dimitris33

I will be amazed too if the tyre pressure creates the vibration...

I'm in a big doubt...

Will revert.

Yep, tyre pressure should not cause a bad vibration. As I said before more than likely wheel balancing. In some instances incorrect balancing causes a resonance at certain speeds which is why yours manifests itself around 120-140km/hr. also check alignment, particularly if you have hit something like a kerb or a big pothole. Also check your tyres for bulges, bad cuts etc.

If its not tyres then it could be a unbalanced drive shaft, but again BMW needs to sort this.

[geotah]

Hi to all
When the vibration is becoming when the speed is about 70-90 km/h then it is a balancing issue from the front axle. When the vibration is becoming at higher speed (120-150 km/h) then the balancing is a back axle issue.
I think that a high pressure makes the car tough and maybe noisy but no vibrating.
(we are talking about a steering wheel vibration!)
I am waiting for what the problem was finally.

[dimitris33]

Went for a quick ride last night after Bmw engineer corrected tyre pressure and the vibration was there again but on higher speed. It started at around 135km so indeed there must somthing going wrong with the rear tyres/wheels as geotah said.

I will go tomorrow back to the dealer to send car for wheel balancing and allingment. As i have a trip on the forthcoming w/end I will have again the time to check it on the open road.

Thing is that I checked the drivers door plate this morning and it says 2.6 for the rear and this bwm guy said to me that I should put 2.4 and that I have overinflated (2.6) the tyres causing the vibration. Seems to me that this guy is an idiot unless he knows much more than the factory. So after deflating tyres at 2.4 the vibration moved from 120km speed to 135km speed.

Seriously, whats your tyre pressure on your X1 for the 225/50/17 owners???

[mario486]

Originally Posted by dimitris33

Went for a quick ride last night after Bmw engineer corrected tyre pressure and the vibration was there again but on higher speed. It started at around 135km so indeed there must somthing going wrong with the rear tyres/wheels as geotah said.

I will go tomorrow back to the dealer to send car for wheel balancing and allingment. As i have a trip on the forthcoming w/end I will have again the time to check it on the open road.

Thing is that I checked the drivers door plate this morning and it says 2.6 for the rear and this bwm guy said to me that I should put 2.4 and that I have overinflated (2.6) the tyres causing the vibration. Seems to me that this guy is an idiot unless he knows much more than the factory. So after deflating tyres at 2.4 the vibration moved from 120km speed to 135km speed.

Seriously, whats your tyre pressure on your X1 for the 225/50/17 owners???

Hi Dimitris,

Mine are 2.2 front and 2.4 rear unloaded. If I am going for a trip and the car is packed I go up to 2.4 front and 2.6 rear.

[dimitris33]

Same as the engineer told me... Thats strange. But why you have 2.4 unloaded instead of 2.6 (door plate instructions)?

Anyone else to check??

[mario486]

Originally Posted by dimitris33

Same as the engineer told me... Thats strange. But why you have 2.4 unloaded instead of 2.6 (door plate instructions)?

Anyone else to check??

Actually I went on the Pirelli site and checked there.

[ognam]

If you don't find out a solution balancing and making an allingment perhaps the problem comes directly from tires. Try to convince your car dealer to borrow you a full pack of rims+tires and do a road test.

[dimitris33]

Have left the car this morning at the BMW service to check wheels and tyres and make necessary allignement/balancing. Hope its just that. Reverting.

[dimitris33]

Just took the car back from BMW. Engineer told me that they have balanced all wheels as all needed! He told me that this is a normal on new cars and most of the buyers are not noticing on these vibrations as need a little focus, need to feel and concentrate on driving. Most of the new cars needs wheel balancing as he told me and as other friends told me when I discussed this.

Better to feel how smooth is your drive then next time on the high way!

Hopefully everything is solved now. I will make a short trip on the weekend so I will revert back with an update.

[mario486]

Originally Posted by dimitris33

Just took the car back from BMW. Engineer told me that they have balanced all wheels as all needed! He told me that this is a normal on new cars and most of the buyers are not noticing on these vibrations as need a little focus, need to feel and concentrate on driving. Most of the new cars needs wheel balancing as he told me and as other friends told me when I discussed this.

Better to feel how smooth is your drive then next time on the high way!

Hopefully everything is solved now. I will make a short trip on the weekend so I will revert back with an update.

You did the right thing, BMW need to sort it. Funny that your dealer says all new cars need re-balancing. I can honestly say that my last 4 cars have all been from new and not one has had to have any re-balancing done.

Hope its sorted, let us know how you get on when you take it for a high speed spin

[geotah]

Hi all,
every new tyre MAY need balancing after a few Kms, no matter on a new or old car.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally Posted by dimitris33

Just took the car back from BMW. Engineer told me that they have balanced all wheels as all needed! He told me that this is a normal on new cars and most of the buyers are not noticing on these vibrations as need a little focus, need to feel and concentrate on driving. Most of the new cars needs wheel balancing as he told me and as other friends told me when I discussed this..

That's a big load of bull from your so-called engineer.
Just like Mario, I never had that happened on any brand new car properly prepared by the dealer, and never heard anybody who has.

[dimitris33]

Vibrations gone!

That was a matter of wheel's balancing.

[mario486]

Originally Posted by dimitris33

Vibrations gone!

That was a matter of wheel's balancing.

Happy it's sorted dimitris Your dealer should have picked it up sooner though, it's a pretty standard thing.

[Gatekeeper]

Yeah !

Mario and I are thinking about launching together a new business aimed at helping dealers get it right, some kinda "consulting services for morons".

[dimitris33]

Most dealers should be in jail for unprofessional services to their clients...

Anyway...