[BMW49]

Hey guys, its been quite some time since I've posted to this forum but wanted to see if anyone could help me pinpoint an issue I'm having.

So for starters, I just bought a 2012 CPO 535i xDrive sedan with the Sport Package (non-M Sport).

I've only had it for about 3 weeks now and realized that I have a vibration in the gas pedal only when I'm accelerating and can feel it somewhat consistently when driving at highway speeds (50-70 mph).

I took it into BMW of Alexandria for service and to get it checked out. The tech and the shop foreman said they felt nothing or abnormal. Obviously, when I took it for a test ride w/the foreman I could still feel the vibration. The guy wasn't very friendly and it sounded like he thought I was questioning his assessment of it.

For background, here are the repairs/service that I've had done on it since buying it:

-New front brakes (rotors and pads)
-Four wheel alignment
-Oil change

Now my question is, do all F10 535i xDrives drive with a slight vibration in the gas pedal (only when accelerating) or is this just my car? The vibration is slight but its enough to bug you if you're going on a long road trip. I do understand that giving any car some gas will give some feedback but this is a different vibration feeling kind of like a drone or hum in the pedal when pressing the gas at higher speeds.

I've owned an E90 M3 and an F30 335 and both cars didn't have a vibration in the pedal when accelerating.

Thanks for helping. This car was a gift to myself after an Afghanistan deployment and I just want it to be squared away. If its normal to feel this on the xDrives, so be it...if not, then please chime in and give any thoughts on what you think it could be?

[splitsensetam]

I would start and get all tires road force balanced. Have a tire specialist balance them, I feel the dealers do not know how to use the balance machines.

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by splitsensetam

I would start and get all tires road force balanced. Have a tire specialist balance them, I feel the dealers do not know how to use the balance machines.

The service advisor said the tech and foreman didn't think it was a balancing issue but I also was thinking about balancing too. Thanks for the input, this will probably be my next step. Any suggestions on any national chains that do good road force balancing?

[splitsensetam]

Unfortunately, I don't know of any in your area. In queens, NY there are a ton of tire shops that only specialize on BMW'S and other German makes.

I had a vibration problem as well when I first picked my car up. Since it was under warranty they replaced a bunch of stuff from my motor mount bracket, new spark plugs, thrust arm bushings and it helped quite a bit. However, I still had that slight vibration around 60mph, ended up changing the crap runflat tires for conventional and after road force it was smooth like glass.

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by splitsensetam

Unfortunately, I don't know of any in your area. In queens, NY there are a ton of tire shops that only specialize on BMW'S and other German makes.

I had a vibration problem as well when I first picked my car up. Since it was under warranty they replaced a bunch of stuff from my motor mount bracket, new spark plugs, thrust arm bushings and it helped quite a bit. However, I still had that slight vibration around 60mph, ended up changing the crap runflat tires for conventional and after road force it was smooth like glass.

Thanks a bunch man, I really appreciate it.

I hope I wouldn't have to go through those lengths to find where the vibration issue lies (it only has 25k miles). I only have it when accelerating and its very slight/faint, but noticeable in the gas pedal. Was this the same issue you were having or something separate? Ultimately, I just want to know if this is a 535i xDrive issue (the foreman said it could be normal with our cars) or if it isn't.

I'm running the stock Goodyear LS2's and they're crap compared to the conventional I'm used to. I'm debating on switching out the tires too, but would hate to spend $1k or more...but will likely do it if it doesn't void the warranty (heard thats a myth).

[M5Beast_NYC]

This is interesting as the gas pedal is drive by wire. I don't see anything that would make that vibrate unless your floorboards are vibrating as well. Is it only during acceleration or does this happen when cruising?

[kondor]

It's either your MAF sensor or related to your fuel pumps....low pressure to the fuel rail. I had the exact same thing on my 550.
Take it in and have them check.

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by Carbonm3ny

This is interesting as the gas pedal is drive by wire. I don't see anything that would make that vibrate unless your floorboards are vibrating as well. Is it only during acceleration or does this happen when cruising?

Thanks for the feedback - so no vibration in the floorboards luckily. I only feel the vibration during acceleration (and nothing when cruising). Any ideas?

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by kondor

It's either your MAF sensor or related to your fuel pumps....low pressure to the fuel rail. I had the exact same thing on my 550.
Take it in and have them check.

Thanks kondor for the input...can you describe what feeling you were having just so I can get a feel on if we're having the same issue?

I'm definitely taking it in to another dealer in the area and will try to suggest what you described. Oh and was this something the tech find out on your car or something you self-diagnosed and got fixed?

I'm still under the original warranty and its been a PITA having to justify the symptoms to the service dept so far. Thanks again.

[BMW49]

Forum, I have another service appt tomorrow at a different BMW service shop and wanted to get any last minute thoughts or ideas on what it could be.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone else out there who has a 535i xDrive can tell me if its normal to have a slight vibration in the pedal when accelerating? Is this just the engine and/or the xDrive feel? If its just me not being used to it, that'd be great to know.

I'm going to suggest them inspecting the wheels and tires in addition to a road force balance. Thanks again everyone.

[M5Beast_NYC]

Have them perform a road force balancing on all your wheels. This might be a silly thought but I think i know what your talking about as i felt something similar today for a brief second. i think a rock got stuck in between the thread of my tire and felt it through the pedal as the vibration was in sync with the wheel rotation. once i sped up it went away.

in your case, if you have a flat spot or a bump on the tire then it would be more permanent..

worth a shot

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by Ro.M3

I'm running the stock Goodyear LS2's and they're crap compared to the conventional I'm used to. I'm debating on switching out the tires too, but would hate to spend $1k or more...but will likely do it if it doesn't void the warranty (heard thats a myth).

If you have 25000 miles on those Good Year tires, that's most likely the cause of the vibration. A out of balance tires usually will vibrate rather if you are on the gas or coasting.

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by Carbonm3ny

Have them perform a road force balancing on all your wheels. This might be a silly thought but I think i know what your talking about as i felt something similar today for a brief second. i think a rock got stuck in between the thread of my tire and felt it through the pedal as the vibration was in sync with the wheel rotation. once i sped up it went away.

in your case, if you have a flat spot or a bump on the tire then it would be more permanent..

worth a shot

Thanks Carbon...good timing, I'm actually at the service dept now waiting on a loaner car. I used the Hunter Road Force balancer locator and this BMW has it, so maybe it will come out to be a balancing issue (crossing fingers its something as simple as that). I'll keep you guys posted on what they find.

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by The X Men

If you have 25000 miles on those Good Year tires, that's most likely the cause of the vibration. A out of balance tires usually will vibrate rather if you are on the gas or coasting.

So during the CPO process, 2 of those LS2 tires were replaced (so brand new) but I cant vouch for the other 2 tires. I havent been impressed at all with them...a lot of road noise, handling is sub par, and they don't corner well. Granted F10's dont handle like my old E90 M3 but I know the tires have a major part in why they feel like the Buick of BMW's when stock. At the dealer now and hope to hear something back by today or tmrw & will keep you posted

[BMW49]

So the dealer just called me and said they immediately found out what the issue was.

They found that the tires were feathered and were feathering due to my left front tie rod being somewhat f'd with by a previous mechanic. He said the tie rod showed that it had heat/burn marks which was probably due to a previous mechanic having a hard time loosening it for an alignment. He likely heated it up to allow it to be taken off for adjustment. He told me this is not within warranty due to it not being an issue with the part itself but negligence by the previous mechanic. I didn't really disagree with him considering the subpar dealer I bought it from (a whole other story).

So the total bill to replace the tie rod with labor including alignment/road force balance was a little over $1k. I was able to bargain down with a 10% military discount for a total of $900. Pretty pissed that it came to this but I just want it fixed at this point.

I also told them to check all of the wheels for signs of being bent. I reiterated to the SA that if this doesn't fix the vibration issue, then they would take care of it (he agreed). He did say that it would take 500-1000 miles on those feathered tires to even out and then I should be good. Does this all sound kosher? The SA seemed to be good to go and didn't raise any red flags IMO.

[493263]

If you're in NOVA, BMW of Fairfax is the shop you want working on your car. Ever since they changed management a few years ago, they've been on point. They're not cheap but they don't BS you.

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by 493263

If you're in NOVA, BMW of Fairfax is the shop you want working on your car. Ever since they changed management a few years ago, they've been on point. They're not cheap but they don't BS you.

Thanks for the feedback..I've heard alot of bad things about BMW Fairfax, but wasn't aware that they changed management so maybe things are a lot better now. Your post got me thinking about researching how much a tie rod costs and I found that they're listed at around $150 on sites I've googled.

BMW Sterling quoted me $800 for the part plus labor...am I just looking at the wrong part online or does their quote sound way too high??

[M5Beast_NYC]

Check the part list from your receipt. What else did they replace? Is it the whole tie rod, or just the tie rod ends they replaced? if the rod itself is bent then the price could be correct as they have to replace the whole rod that goes from left to right....

[BMW49]

Originally Posted by Carbonm3ny

Check the part list from your receipt. What else did they replace? Is it the whole tie rod, or just the tie rod ends they replaced? if the rod itself is bent then the price could be correct as they have to replace the whole rod that goes from left to right....

So I was impressed with BMW Sterling today in that they overquoted me for $900+ (including military discount) and when I showed up the tab was $580. They ended up replacing the inner and outer tie rod on the left side and the parts came out to be around $250, which was reasonable for me.

They also did a road force balance, alignment, and replaced my driver side sill plate (since it was peeling up) under warranty. I think overall, I didnt want to spend any money but am glad they took care of the issue. I was prepared for $900 so I guess the under $600 tab was okay w/me. They also gave me my tie rod back and I saw where it was heated up by a previous BMW tech which pisses me off but can't really do anything about it now.

That said, I just drove the car and immediately noticed most (not all) of the vibration is gone. I do notice some vibration from the tires, likely because they're lightly feathered. Now the tech told me it was going to take 500-1000 miles to wear them down correctly and all of the vibration should go away. Does this sound true? I ask, because I'm weary about the current LS2 RFTs I have on the car...already debating on switching over to the Pilot Sport A/S 3's to see if I can nip this vibration in the bud. Any feedback would be great, thanks again.

[M5Beast_NYC]

In my opinion, the charges and bill is fair.

Yes, now that all the suspension component is replaced and straightened out, it will take some time for the tires to wear out to the new settings. You should be all set. If you want, you can rotate the good tires in the back to the front so you won't get the vibrations anymore

[Gilgorm]

I agree with Carbon. The best tires should go on the front, at least in your situation. The dealer should have done that when the tires were replaced.

[BMW49]

Agreed, I'm okay with the charges since the SA was pretty upfront and cool.

So I did notice back on the long drive home, that the tires were definitely not smooth. I guess the only way I can explain it is you can feel the "unevenness" of them more so now when driving at high speeds. Likely this is happening due to it being in a true alignment and balance now.

By the naked eye, I honestly can't tell where they're feathered so I'm wondering whats the quickest way to pinpoint the feathering. Not trying to nitpick but I'm kind of hypersensitive to any weird noises or vibrations now that I've been dealing with this issue. The car also creaks alot which I heard is "normal" for the F10 but still bugging me since the E90's and my previous F30 never had that issue.

You guys have any thoughts or experience on possible tires to switch to? Debating on my next upgrade being Pilot Sport A/S 3's and OEM M5/650 sway bar upgrade.