We’ve a 2002 BMW 530D estate. Recently, it’s started making a ‘humming’ noise only when
– turning right (never left)
– sounds only during the right turn and then disappears
– when car’s cold … disappears after 10 mins
– can occasionally sound when stationary and turn the wheel right

The noise sounds a bit like a belt rubbing rather than an overly metallic noise. No dash warning lights have appeared. Car runs absolutely fine.

Any obvious things to check?

Many thanks

I am not a qualified mechanic

Is the power steering fluid old and degraded or does it need topping up?

I would rule out wheel bearings as it does it when stationary

Check your drive belts especially the power steering and fluid levels.

thanks … interestingly from Frankenstein’s post, it has started after replacing the 2 front tyres … poss related?

turn your radio up, thats what its for.

Could be the steering binding slightly and causing the aux belt to slip on the power steering pulley. There is a check for this, something along the lines of spraying soapy water on the belt and then seeing if the noise stops. As it only happens when the car is cold, this could be as the alternator is putting extra strain on the belt as it is recharging the battery/oil pump working harder to move the colder/thick oil.

Or, do you get a whining noise when dry steering or on full lock, that gets louder if you rev the engine? This could be a dying power steering pump. The steering may feel heavier when the noise occurs, and will lighten up when you rev the engine.

spooky – the noise doesn’t get louder, nor is the steering heavier when it occurs

As an aside, have you checked your swirl flaps? This can be a problem on BMWs of your age and engine, and can kill the car. See here: http://www.swirlflaps.co.uk/
FWIW, I took apart the engine on my 320D last year, and had one of the flaps literally fall apart as I touched it. I fixed it by removing the flaps and aralditing M5 screws into the holes they left.

i am a bmw tech 😉

my money is on the bottom pulley rubber has seperated from the pulley itself.

obv without me looking or listening its hard to say but that what it cud be.

swirlflaps are a big problem and should be removed even if its not the problem or it will cause you a 5k plus bill of just parts alone.

but if it was that, it would be a metalic noise on throttle and always be there and never mattered if you was turning left or right.

Nick – thanks – is the bottom pulley visible, and any pointers on where to look to check?

you can take the cowl off and you would see it.

its a garage job tho tbh as you need to remove the belts and pulley.

the pulley is normally a 1 peice but if its the pulley thats failed it will have a crack through it or its completly hanging in there.

but also could be something else . like i said its hard to diagnose without seeing it.

note tho, do look at sorting the swirlflaps out 😉 bmw say there is no problem with them. 😉

thanks nick

Have you enabled the “wandering out of BMW lane” warning buzzer?

how many miles it done?

water pumps arent uncommon at about 100,000 either

best to get bmw to check it out, would only take 5 mins for someone who knows what to look at.

has no-one considered that it’s the wheel bearing on the offside! that would actually be the most likely candidate.

Highly unlikely when the cars stationary. I would take the advice of the BMW guy if I wre you.

mmb- it goes away after 10 mins, and happens when the car is stationary. Could well have been the opposing wheel bearing if not for these 2 points.

yep good point can’t be the bearing if it’s stationery.

+1 swirl flaps. I didn’t know anything about them til one fell apart and got sucked into the cylinder. New engine and turbo later I was considerably less well off. Didn’t go through BMW though, even with a good will gesture it was cheaper to get a local BMW specialist to put in a second hand engine than it would have been to just pay the labour at the BMW hourly rate.

Mine’s just recently started making the occasional weird noise at speed (80mph). Nothing wrong with the engine that I can tell, power still there, it feels more like something is dragging and slowing the car down. Steering feels OK too. Only happened twice in the last couple of thousand miles. Vague I know, but Nick – heard anything like that before?

FWIW, and if anyone interested, I looked at the steering fluid and seemed to be ‘full’. Dropped into a local inde garage and they topped up the steering fluid and all’s well (fingers crossed). Thanks for all the input

My car did that, noise and low power steering fluid. Topped it up a couple of times so suspected a leak.

It went for in for a wheel bearing replacement, I kept quiet about the fluid, on my return their first comment was that my power steering rack was leaking like a sieve. Can’t remember the replacement cost but it was more than the car was worth if paying someone to do it. It got progressively worse so I decided to trade it in, (wouldn’t sell privately in that condition) I topped it up before driving to the trader, then 15 miles later I pulled over when it started whining and added another 250ml before driving round the corner and handing the keys over. Kept bottle hidden in a rucksack whilst we did the paperwork on the replacement car 🙂

He screwed me over with no spare key and poor wheel alignment which ruined a pair of new tyres so I reckon we were even.

this reminds me of the wifes fiesta, one day she got home and said

“i think the car is dying”

“whats wrong?”

“its making a weird noise”

i got in and drove off, there was the worst noise ive ever heard coming from the front end when turning”

turns out the power sterring was dry as a bone, literally **** all left in it.

took it to a garage and he said how the f*Ck did it get to this point…

got home after being raped of £300+ and questioned the wife..

“well, it started to make a strange noise about 2 months ago, then the steering went funny i just thought it was getting old and was like my old ka with no power steering”

if your car is humming it’s most likely because it doesn’t know the words.

monkey_boy – Member

this reminds me of the wifes fiesta, one day she got home and said

“i think the car is dying”

“whats wrong?”

“its making a weird noise”

i got in and drove off, there was the worst noise ive ever heard coming from the front end when turning”

turns out the power sterring was dry as a bone, literally **** all left in it.

took it to a garage and he said how the f*Ck did it get to this point…

got home after being raped of £300+ and questioned the wife..

“well, it started to make a strange noise about 2 months ago, then the steering went funny i just thought it was getting old and was like my old ka with no power steering”
Posted 12 hours ago # Report-Post

Amazing.

Worn wheel bearing ?

So its sorted? Monogramman was right a week ago and he aint even a car mechanic.Well done!

Worn wheel bearing ?

DEAR GOD PEOPLE – READ! 😆

– can occasionally sound when stationary and turn the wheel right