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View Full Version : Torque converter issue? (2008 e92, xi)



acarpenter86
06-04-2021, 09:52 PM
I’ve been trying to deduce a strange metallic rattling sound for a bit on my 335xi. It was for the most part only happening on cold days. At around 30mph, I’d get this crazy rattling sound all of a sudden. If I sped up, it would go away after around 40mph. However, if instead of speeding up I were to slow down from 30, it would decrease in “speed” matching my vehicle speed until I stopped. Then it wouldn’t return until 30 again. After ten minutes of driving it would stop, period.
If I were rolling and shifted to neutral the noise would still follow vehicle speed, not revs of the engine.
I was thinking CV axle since I had replaced a boot. Maybe it failed. Well, now I’m not so sure.

Sometime it randomly seemed to change. Instead of a slower, speed related rattle, it’s kind of like around 35-40 I let loose some ball bearings on a bumpy metal baking pan and shake it around. It’ll continue until I reach around 50-60mph and gradually die down and disappear. I knew it wasn’t going to go away on its own, but maybe this will help me narrow it down.

Lastly, I noticed today that if I back up my steep driveway, it kind of sounds like “whump whump whump”. A low pitched sounding groan.

Car has recently had a transmission fluid, filter, and sleeve service. Shifts are super smooth.
Front and rear differential as well as transfer case fluids are less than 3k miles old.
I changed the power steering pump 1k miles ago. (So smooth now. One groan gone!)
2008 335xi e92 with 211k miles.

Audio clips I’ve captured so far:

https://youtu.be/I6SRNrIXsew

https://youtu.be/L8p68-h-kLc

https://youtu.be/sBlSnP9T6lQ

marvinstockman
06-05-2021, 09:07 AM
Before you spend millions and millions of dollars, check the heat shields on your cat converters. They sometimes rust and rattle, and can be repaired with large hose clamps.

JDStrickland
06-06-2021, 02:18 PM
If you have a noise that tracks the vehicle speed even when the trans is in N, then you should be looking at the driveshaft center support. This part is a common fail on the RWD cars, I don't know if it's a real thing for the AWD models, but I have no reason to think it would not be.

This diagram -- below -- is from my E93, but you can plug in your VIN (last 7 digits) and find the same part, Item 7, that goes to your car. You also want to look at Item 1.

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=WL13-USA-04-2008-E93-BMW-328i&diagId=26_0217