BMW 5-Series E39 (1996 - 2003) - 06 2.5 Road speed noise

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Mon 28 Apr 2008 13:44
06 2.5 Road speed noise - doug_r1
I've just bought a nice 62,000 mile E39 323i with full dealer history, and I'm ironing out a few little issues with it. I've found that once I reach around 30mph I get a rumbling sort of noise, if I dip the clutch the revs drop but the noise stays at road speed, also, it doesn't alter if I lightly apply the brakes or gently weave. I've read that front wheel bearings are often a problem on the E39, but I'd have thought the braking/weaving would have loaded any clearance and made them go a bit louder or quieter, any thoughts?
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Mon 28 Apr 2008 17:12
06 2.5 Road speed noise - Lud
Don't forget there's the whole driveline - propshaft, diff and drive shafts with all their universals and bearings - to investigate. Noises can be hard to pinpoint but with a helper in the car it should be possible to track it down. A BMW specialist, perhaps the dealer who last serviced the car, should be some help surely?

That said, be careful who you believe. A friend had a horrible 316 with very noisy intermediate gears in the gearbox, but he took it to an independent who told him the clamour was caused by the differential, which it certainly wasn't.
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Mon 28 Apr 2008 17:55
1996 2.5 Road speed noise - doug_r1
The last service was done on the other side of the country to where I am, so that one's out. I'll try it with someone else in the car to see if we can pin down what area it's coming from.
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Tue 29 Apr 2008 11:33
1996 2.5 Road speed noise - doug_r1
Hmmm, so far I've had to put a litre of oil in it, three litres of screenwash, a pint of distilled water in the rad to reach the cold level and I've reduced the tyre pressures from 43.5psi all round to the correct pressures. I think the tyres may have contributed to the noise, but there's still a noise there, not quite a rumble but not quite a whine, very low level.

Previous owner's excuse is "it was serviced only 5,000 miles ago".
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