M3 E92 1 Month old Strange Noise

[WombleR]

Hi All,

My beloved M3 has developed a strange noise when turning 3/4 of the wheel to full lock, I noticed it when parking the other day and have got it booked into the Dealer to have a look next week. The noise is like a whining from the power steering then a small thud or bump, has anyone had this or got some ideas?

thoughts / opinions / positive vibes all welcomed.

[m30dus]

Could be the rear differential locking up, although you say the noise was from the front?

Tends to be worse when your on wet ground - esp concrete carparks.

Mine does it all the time!

[WombleR]

Yeagh its def from the front, very concerned!

[macca]

M30DUS may be right. Mine had a similar noise and I could have sworn it was from the front; had it booked in and dealer could find nothing wrong (I insisted it was from the front), took it back a second time and went out with engineer, he sat in the back and said it was the diff. Funny thing was, once I was aware the noise was coming from the back the more obvious it was.

Anyway, thicker diff oil put in (it is a known problem), told to drive for 500 miles for it to settle down. It's better but still not right.

[MC99]

I had the same diff noise issue, solved with free oil change as described above. They said 1000 miles to see the noise go completely but it is much better already and gone all bar very minute resonance in less than 360 miles

[Slope]

Mine does it, it's the rear diff, it's normal for the M3.

[WombleR]

Just thought I would update everyone on this problem.

My running in service was done in Dec09 the noise I noticed started in January and as other members have said would happen at first the garage said they couldnt hear it and to come back when it was happening. Well it got worse so I called in about 6 weeks ago with a terrible whining / banging noise when you turned in either direction, full credit to the dealer who got an engineer to come on an immediate test drive who on returning looked up on the BMW systems and was honest and said they werent sure but to bring it in for up to 3 days investigation. The car went in yesterday and late in the day they called me and said they had identified the problem being the diff oil which I had told them PH members had suggested. As it turns out BMW have issued a revised oil for the diff on the M3 due to "Operational Noise" issues, apparently there is no damage done but the oil previously used is no longer the approved standard, the dealer was suprised that I had the older variant for my running in service so begs the question when was this updated? Who else is having this problem? Long and the short is that the noise has gone and the last few months problems I hope are gone!

[hamzamian]

odd... i seem to recall exactly the same things happening with the E46... you'd think they'd get the diff oil right the first time round on the E92

[kds keltec]

hamzamian said:

odd... i seem to recall exactly the same things happening with the E46... you'd think they'd get the diff oil right the first time round on the E92

Yep i agree with you , i had mine done (E46) a few years ago now could even of been 2006-2007 so how and why is this still happening to E92/E93 or is it a different oil spec from the E46 to E92 ?

If its the same oil spec then why is it not being changed for lastest oil on running in service ?

Kelly

[E30M3SE]

They use Castrol SAF-XJ, and have been for years, how many I don't know, but it is what is/was used in E30M3's, and they first rolled in 1986. 80's M5 & M6's would have used the same.

Edited by E30M3SE on Wednesday 24th March 16:46

[MC99]

Had the same thing with my E92 ('57), the clonky diff noise isn't nice and gets much worse if you track it. Free to fix so no issue really.