user33

Nope. Would likely be difficult to capture the sound since cars are a relatively noisy environment.

Sorry to hear you're having so many issues, but it sounds like you have one of the better dealers. My 2017 C43 had 2 issues, the diff whine and a module that prevented a rear door from being opened from the inside. OTOH, my 2016 C63 S has had a number of (seemingly) poor quality control issues (2-way tape on black side-skirt inserts not properly applied and coming loose on both sides, turbo heat-shield screw/bolts not tightened with one laying on the engine, missing plastic nut under car, loose exhaust-tip because fastener/screw was not installed properly, multiple loose expaning connectors and nuts holding plastic fender parts, stripped tinnerman lugs for under-car plastic fasteners, headlights aimed way too low) ... all of which were rather simple and I fixed myself but really shouldn't have had to. I'm thinking that car was assembled on a Tuesday after a long (party) weekend. #;-)

zibby43

That’s brutal! I think the folks that assembled our cars are relatives.

I have had a similar list of quality control problems with my car, including stains leaching from the door panels, corroded rotors that needed to be replaced on all 4 corners, and badges installed cooked:



Steering wheel and column have also been replaced.

I love the brand but this car has not been the “best or nothing.”

zibby43

Update (just going to keep updating this in case it’s useful to anyone else now or later):

- Whining noise from diff. is back and so loud now, I can hear it over talk radio

- Something sounds like it is snapping underneath the car whenever I reverse

- Transmission is starting to occasionally jolt my spine through my skull while making a gradual stop in C mode

You guys would laugh if I listed the non-mechanical problems.

Harold1898

Thanks for the thread. I was due to sign an order tomorrow for a new C43 but this has put me off. I will stick with my E400 coupe for a little while longer.
thank you again

zibby43

Taking the car in for the diff. again tomorrow.

They’ll probably put it up on the lift this time. What a shame. The car drives so nicely but this noise is embarrassingly loud and annoying.

zibby43

On the way over to the dealer, the car did not make the noise. Which was obviously super frustrating. Knowing I could not reproduce it that day, I skipped putting the car up on the lift.

It has days where it is present, and days where it is not. It now happens anywhere in the 40-50 mph range, as opposed to just 50, and happens on or off throttle (but never while accelerating).

I've noticed it seems to be more pronounced on windy days. I'm wondering if what I'm hearing is wind whistling originating from somewhere behind me.

Seanhfx

The noise stil occurs for me but not has pronounced as in the winter...the sweet spot now is 85km/h to 80km/h. I'll have to try the engine data screen to verify what the #'s are. My dealer is not helpful at all, but will be calling again to have them check after some more testing.

jonathan358

Not sure if I am having the same problem but it sounds awfully familiar to what you guys are describing...

The noise I am hearing happens around 50mph as well. Very faint and requires radio to be turned off. I can really only pick it up when driving on smooth rural roads away from my metropolitan city.

Thought it was my tires at first, which they still might be, but the differential issue may also be linked to another problem I am having with the car during cornering.

2018 Coupe btw.

Seanhfx

So to confirm for my situation, it only occurs while coasting with no throttle, so the engine data is 0 hp / 0 trq. The sweet spot is 84 km/h where the whine is the loudest.

stockbmw

New differential will fix that.

My dealer is going one step further by replacing the propeller driveshaft in 2 weeks. Will report if the noise is completely gone. Honestly I can't hear the noise anymore or forgot to pay any attention but before it was driving me nuts.

munis

This sound you guys are describing, I have still having a hard time understanding it. Is it a high pitched noise or like a oscilatting vom vom vom vom noise?

stockbmw

EDITED for zippy

Sounds like very low "piiiiiiii" at 60kmh hardly heard gradually increase to the throttle pedal. Loudest at 80kmh and decrease around 85kmh.

Just annoying. I used to fly pass 70 to 100 just to avoid hearing this sound.

munis

That does not sound like a whine to me. That usually sounds like the wheel bearing. If the sound does not change if you change directions quickly, sounds like the tire actually.

Seanhfx

The noise for me is a med/high pitch whine that doesn't really change and only happens with no throttle, in all modes between the speeds already identified. Its not a wheel bearing as it doesn't change with speed or turns. I doubt it's the tires either as it would be a noise heard with throttle and would probably change slightly with turns (ie: such as with cupping tires).

GWSHARK

Folks, the symptoms you have described are exactly the ones I had. It’s the differential. Have them put it on a lift and run the car, it will likely howl when not under load ( weight of the vehicle). My SA said the noise was as extremely loud in the service bay. Hope this helps.

zibby43

For me, the sound is a high-pitched whirring/ringing sound. When I had the shop foreman drive the car, he could not hear it. He could barely just hear it when I drove with him and pointed it out.

Some days, I don't hear it at all. I've decided to wait it out and gather more intel before having my diff messed with.

I hear it on and off throttle. I need to have my radio barely audible or completely off to hear it. It's easier to hear if I tilt my right ear toward the rear seat area.

It used to be most pronounced at 50 mph, but recently, I began to hear it between 35-45 mph instead. I'm starting to wonder if, in my case, it is related to the PE.

munis

Where are all you guys located? If Toronto, I would like to hear this myself.

Jujigatame

I thought I had this problem, or one described in other threads. A whining noise at about 50-70mph from the rear. I was sure it wasn't the tires and was a bearing or the diff.

It's the damn tires.they're eaten up on the inside edge and thats causing the noise.

stockbmw

Sadly, you can barely hear it now with the new differential.

munis

The way to know if it is bearing or the tires, is bearing noise will vary if you make turns or lane changes, tire noise will be constant.

Jujigatame

Kind of, but not totally.

What really confused me was that the noise was constant no matter what kind of road I was riding on, and it would vary with lane changes, but especially when going over bumps or cresting a hill. Whenever the tires would unload the g-force. That's what made me think it was probably the tires, but the sound being constant on any road surface really threw me.

Plus, it really didn't sound like any tire noise I had ever heard before.

I had no idea that this car eats the inside edge of the runflats like it does. I think I'm switching to Michelin A\S 3+'s and hopefully it will be all better.

zibby43

I went outside and looked at my rears and the tire wear extends far closer to the inside shoulder than the outside. Is that a similar symptom to look for visually until I can get the car up on a lift and look at the tires more closely?

And I only have about 4k miles on them.

jonathan358

No, our cars are pretty cambered...

zibby43

True. This noise thing is bizarre. It's not so loud that it's unbearable, but once you notice it, on the days it is present, it's virtually impossible to ignore.

I don't hear the noise change or worsen while switching lanes at the speed it is present. It happens on (during light throttle load to maintain speed) and off throttle.

I've listened to videos of problematic diffs in newer BMWs and it doesn't sound like they do. This tone is more akin to ringing in the ears after a loud concert or something like that.

Jujigatame

The inside 1/3 of all 4 of my tires are basically bald, but the rears are about 50% worse than the fronts.

The outside of the tires look like new.

When I got the car (a CPO) about 4000 miles ago, the tires all looked fine, and the alignment was checked.

When I get the new tires I'll have it aligned too, but standard alignment on these cars are pretty aggressive.

Hopefully, the non-runflats will help.