Howling Like a Truck and Steering Weirdness!! Scary...

[drewusmaximus]

Hi all, 1995 525i 5SPD 278,000k

Yesterday I noticed the engine is making a howling sound as I drive. As you would hear from a truck while a truck is in motion. I can hear it while I shift. At first, I thought it might be a wheel bearing but, the sound is synched with the engine speed. The oil is fine, coolant is fine, no check engine light.
It's very odd that all of a sudden the engine sounds like a truck.
Any ideas what might be causing the sound?

Also, my steering is really scaring me. Once i pass 55mph the car shakes but..., it feels as if the car wants to go where ever it wants to go. I tested the steering and it is tight. There is no play on the steering. The wheels turn fine with the steering wheel at a stand still. It feels as if one of the front wheels wants to go where it wants. All of a sudden while driving, the steering wants to go right while I'm driving straight and instantly wants to go left, then sometimes it will drive fine for a minute or two, then it wants to go left or right.
I ruled out the bumps on the road because it happens on a freshly paved road.

I would greatly appreciate anyone's input on either issue. I drive 60 miles a day.

Thanks in advance!

[XAlt]

Fan clutch is going out in regards to the howling.


Shimmy is your thrust arms and bushings.

[drewusmaximus]

Thanks for the quick response. So, I will need a new fan clutch, thrust arms and bushings? Will I be able to drive the car on the way home today and to and from work tomorrow?
I have to use the car for work and I can't work on the car until this weekend.
Thanks!

- - - Updated - - -

Could it be the water pump?

[moroza]

Fan clutch. Depending on how traffic-jammy your commute is, either remove it (and risk overheating, but you'll be fine as long as you stay moving) or keep your RPMs low. Engine-driven fans can explode spectacularly if forced to spin fast enough, and cause a lot more damage than you might think. Punctured hoods, that kind of thing.

Waterpumps tend to sound whinier and more metallic, a more mechanical, piercing noise. "Truck going by" sounds like a big whooshing fan noise.

Thrust arms have to get really bad to cause wander, but if your wheels are balanced and it's still shaking at ~55, the bushings are shot so replace them anyway. Wander is more often caused by the rear subframe mounts.

[drewusmaximus]

Interesting... The sound does not sound mechanical. I had a 2001 325i a while back with a bad water pump and it sounded like a piece of metal bouncing around inside something. This sound sounds like a truck accelerating while shifting gears. Think of an 18 wheeler or dump truck taking off from a traffic light and imagine the sound as it accelerates and shifting to second and third gear. That's how my car sounds like the past three days. It doesn't happen when I start the car and drive, It happens when the car is warmed up.

From what I just read, I believe I am experiencing the steering shimmy....
I recently replaced my front tires and it drove fine for a couple of months. The past two weeks is when the car started shimmering and the past three days im hearing that truck sound during acceleration and changing gears.

I'm wondering if i can use a clutch fan from an e30... There's a junk yard close to me that I donated two e30 to and I know the clutch fans are still on those e30s.

[drewusmaximus]

I open the hood when I got to the parking lot. I checked the clutch fan and it is tight. If I try to spin it (with the engine off) it doesn't move. It wants to move the pulley. As I drove home, I monitored the sound during acceleration. It get's loud during acceleration and it seems as if I lost power. I'm shifting sooner because the sound gets higher. I'm wondering if the engine is running on less cylinders? The shimmering seemed to be much better on the way home. Very awkward. I kept the speed at 55 mph because of the howling sound during acceleration. But, as I was cruising at 55 mph I put the car in neutral and the howling sound went away. That rules out a wheel bearing. Still not sure about the cluth fan but, since the sound doesn't occur during idle or coasting on neutral, it's safe to say that it's not the clutch fan?

I'm afraid to drive it tomorrow because of that howling (truck acceleration sound) seems to be getting louder.

Not sure what to do. Replace coil packs? Spark plugs? Is it tranny?

[drewusmaximus]

I popped the hood, started the car, and revved the engine and it's definitely the clutch fan. I will be replacing this weekend. I got the car on the ramps so, tomorrow I will look under to see the condition of the thrust arms.

[moroza]

checked the clutch fan and it is tight. If I try to spin it (with the engine off) it doesn't move. It wants to move the pulley.

That's a confirmed diagnosis. The clutch is seized. The rest of the sky (spark plugs, wheelbearing, tranny...) is not falling. Remove it now and replace it soon.

[drewusmaximus]

Thanks for the advice! Much appreciated. Now I have to look at the thrust arms.