[Oksana]

Hi all, I’m new to the 5 forum.
Im considering an F10 as a second car but have seen a fair few threads across different forums complaining of road noise.

I run an m240i with modified suspension and have particularly sensitive ears and find the road noise in that car bothersome. The aim of the second car is to have as quieter cabin as possible for my longish commute to work on typical crappy (noisy) A roads.

Is the F10 a quiet car in terms of road/tyre/ wind noise? I’ve driven a G30 and found that lovely and quiet but can’t stretch the budget to a G30. Is the F10 much louder inside? Especially on rough surfaces??

And is there much difference in road noise between SE and M sport models? We’re there any life cycle updates that would effect noise levels or reliability?
I would more than likely go for a 520d.

Thanks in advance:-)

[AnotherM]

Originally Posted by Oksana

Hi all, I’m new to the 5 forum.
Im considering an F10 as a second car but have seen a fair few threads across different forums complaining of road noise.

I run an m240i with modified suspension and have particularly sensitive ears and find the road noise in that car bothersome. The aim of the second car is to have as quieter cabin as possible for my longish commute to work on typical crappy (noisy) A roads.

Is the F10 a quiet car in terms of road/tyre/ wind noise? I’ve driven a G30 and found that lovely and quiet but can’t stretch the budget to a G30. Is the F10 much louder inside? Especially on rough surfaces??

And is there much difference in road noise between SE and M sport models? We’re there any life cycle updates that would effect noise levels or reliability?
I would more than likely go for a 520d.

Thanks in advance:-)

I personally find my car to be very comfortable and quiet. The run flat tires that come with the car are a little rough and loud, but when you replace those it is very nice.

I drive my 2012 550i that is lowered on springs daily.have you thought about a 7 series?

[Unspec]

The F10 is definitely louder than the G30, but not as loud as a 2 or 3 series. It's definitely more refined. Road noise will really depend on what tires you run.

[Sylverlee]

I went from summer tires to all seasons, increased noise considerably. I just was tired of replacing rear tires at 9k miles.

[spielnicht]

I can't compare to other BMWs but can vouch for the difference in road noise between run-flats and regular tires. It's night and day.

[Oksana]

Thanks for the replies chaps. I had dismissed the 7 series as being too big but may be a fair shout.
Going back to the F10, has anyone had experience to compare cabin noise to that of the G20 m340i? I’ve had a good drive in one of those abs found it fairly quiet so if the f10 is comparable or quieter I’d be more than happy:-)

[Pierre Louis]

My Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4 are quieter and better handling than the OEM Conti RFT's. Car seems to have more wind noise now perhaps because its quieter or maybe from ageing of rubber seals.

[M_Bimmer]

As the F10 ages, the double seals around the door have allowed for a little more wind noise to come in, but even at 7 years old, F10 is still quieter that the X5.

The F10 had an early seal creep on the external drivers side lower window frame that allowed a lot of wind noise to be generated at fairly lower speeds. It can be adjusted easily, so if you pick up an F10 with lots of wind noise around the driver's door exterior rear view mirror, don't discount the car. It's an easy fix.

The lower profile tires tend to make more road noise, and on rough pavement, can be felt through the vehicle...so if a smooth ride is a priority, go for the non M-sport F10 550.

[Sylverlee]

Originally Posted by M_Bimmer

As the F10 ages, the double seals around the door have allowed for a little more wind noise to come in, but even at 7 years old, F10 is still quieter that the X5.

The F10 had an early seal creep on the external drivers side lower window frame that allowed a lot of wind noise to be generated at fairly lower speeds. It can be adjusted easily, so if you pick up an F10 with lots of wind noise around the driver's door exterior rear view mirror, don't discount the car. It's an easy fix.

The lower profile tires tend to make more road noise, and on rough pavement, can be felt through the vehicle...so if a smooth ride is a priority, go for the non M-sport F10 550.

How do you fix this? My car is a 2013. Is it worth it at some point to change all the door seals to lock out the wind?

[Unspec]

Originally Posted by Sylverlee

How do you fix this? My car is a 2013. Is it worth it at some point to change all the door seals to lock out the wind?

I second this. I am having driver side exterior mirror wind noise and it's driving me CRAZY

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by Oksana

Hi all, I’m new to the 5 forum.
Im considering an F10 as a second car but have seen a fair few threads across different forums complaining of road noise.

I run an m240i with modified suspension and have particularly sensitive ears and find the road noise in that car bothersome. The aim of the second car is to have as quieter cabin as possible for my longish commute to work on typical crappy (noisy) A roads.

Is the F10 a quiet car in terms of road/tyre/ wind noise? I’ve driven a G30 and found that lovely and quiet but can’t stretch the budget to a G30. Is the F10 much louder inside? Especially on rough surfaces??

And is there much difference in road noise between SE and M sport models? We’re there any life cycle updates that would effect noise levels or reliability?
I would more than likely go for a 520d.

Thanks in advance:-)

Compared to my M2, the F10 is a like a yoga ashram

[Cvx5832]

Lol. I find the F10 quiet enough no doubt. You won’t be left wanting in the quiet category I don’t think.

[calswan7145]

I agree the run flats make it loud. When I switch from my winter rims to summer I notice a sound difference however my f10 is significantly quieter than my previous car e90. Hardly any road noise to report honestly.

[J-Pizzle]

Concur on switching to non-RFTs. Once I switched to Michelin A/S Pilot Sports the road noise is significantly reduced and some harshness alleviated. It just overall feels a lot smoother in my seat of the pants assessment.

[M_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Unspec

I second this. I am having driver side exterior mirror wind noise and it's driving me CRAZY

Probably worth starting a new thread.....if so inclined.

To add more info for the OP, the LCI added more sound deadening material in key places....and found this out when buying pre-LCI interior parts for my car...

So the best thing to do is include a test drive on the highway prior to buying.

[Johnkwick]

I think I started to notice my car isn't as quiet as it used to be. I can easily hear car passing by or even people chatting outside.

As a side note, I parked my car outside without shade 24/7 so I suspect the seals around the door starting to lose its dampening ability even though there's no sign of worn/stripped on the seals. Where should I check first to narrow down the issue?

If I put my ear on the door gap next to B pillar, it's where the noise coming from.

[Johnkwick]

Anyone?

It's just becoming so unbearable and I think I'm starting to go crazy. Every time I have a load of traffic going in the opposite direction, that whooshing sound just crazy. It's loud, very loud

I swear it's not like this before. Even with radio on I can still hear the noise coming either from B pillar or whole window. The thing is I also notice the same thing happening on the left side. It sound like when I roll the window down a little

[Johnkwick]

Originally Posted by M_Bimmer

Probably worth starting a new thread.....if so inclined.

To add more info for the OP, the LCI added more sound deadening material in key places....and found this out when buying pre-LCI interior parts for my car...

So the best thing to do is include a test drive on the highway prior to buying.

you know I'm 100% sure I have louder and louder traffic and/or surrounding noises, I can easily detect traffic from every direction because of the noise

I can barely hear what my pax were saying when we're in the busy highway or in the busy tunnel because of crazy echoes

I think I really need your help to start a new thread and discuss how to minimize the loud noise

[M_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Johnkwick

you know I'm 100% sure I have louder and louder traffic and/or surrounding noises, I can easily detect traffic from every direction because of the noise

I can barely hear what my pax were saying when we're in the busy highway or in the busy tunnel because of crazy echoes

I think I really need your help to start a new thread and discuss how to minimize the loud noise

I'm not sure I can point you in the right direction without doing an evaluation in person, but here are several things you can check and fix that might help, and as stated earlier, as your car ages, the "rubber" and "soft" parts breakdown first. So these are the areas you want to check first assuming your car has NOT been in an accident (if so, all bets are off).

1. Check and verify that the intended "soft" parts of your car are still "soft", because if they get hard, they will transmit sound MUCH easier, so the gaskets that squeeze your door glass when they are rolled up, tend to dry out and harden (due to outgassing and UV exposure) and noise transmission will increase as these seals become harder, even if they keep the rain out. If they are hard, I'd replace purely for noise deadening reasonings and are cheaper than replacing the car. (Example P/N for LCI F10 Front Left Door: 51337182273) - NEVER BUY USED!
   
   
2. Check and verify that your doors weather seal panel is intact, sometimes call a "water barrier" - BMW calls this sound insulation - it's made out of foam for a reason. Often it is left unsecure to the door, and is often ripped, or missing large pieces. It must be secured all the way around the edge for it to work (BMW did this by design), and if the black butyl sealant is not holding the panel, then replace the butyl. Failure here will allow water that runs down on the outside of the glass in to the doors interior, that may eventually lead to a wet interior carpet. If you go to realoem's website, you'll find this, and many other parts under "Interior Trim + Sound Insulation". (Example provided is listed under "rear sound insulation" = Example P/N for LCI F10 Rear Right Door: 51487366708)
   
   
3. If you are getting noise from the lower doors area, there is a rubber seals that most likely are not aligned proper between the door and the door frame. Most areas around the door have a guide for placement of the door seals, except for the lower area. When new, the rubber was most likely marginally placed so that it wasn't noticeable, but over time, as the rubber forms to the door frame, it's no longer under compression, so road noise increased over time, but as the case in the X5, they weren't even touching. Test this by closing the door with a piece of paper sandwiched between the door and the door frame. If you can pull the paper with NO resistance, the seals are not making contact with the intended mating surface. If you make the paper width small enough, you can test all the way around the door and find out what area's aren't touching - using a full sheet of paper will only find "gross" issues like on the bottom of the door.
   
   
   [Edit: So you have a choice of replacing the rubber seal, which will be a challenge to keep straight as it runs along the bottom of the doors, or you can add a thin layer of rubber sold as window seal along the length of this seal. This seal only runs the length of the bottom each door. If your seal the runs the whole circumference of the door does not seal correctly, it will require a complete replacement as it cannot be repaired.]

If sound is traversing from the outside of the car, to the inside, that is considered abnormal (not as designed or when it was new), then there are three primary reasons:

1. There is an unintended opening or "air gap"
2. Somewhere from the outside to the inside, the original isolation has hardened allowing for a more uniform material density to occur allowing for noise to be easily transmitted from outside the car to inside the cabin:
3. The intended frequency attenuator (sound deadening material) is faulty

I think it's worth the research on RealOEM to assess all of your car specific parts listed as "sound insulation"...you might be surprised how much is installed on the F10, and then verify that your vehicle still has that piece installed, that it's installed correctly, and that it's still in the proper material "phase".

Hope this helps a little bit.

Cheers

[Johnkwick]

Thank you many times for the detailed explanation!! Here's the list of my findings so far:

1. Door seal still soft on all doors, no sign of worn/torn except slight wrinkle on the driver side door (top side, 3-5cm wide)
2. I've tried resistance test using a sheet of paper, I can feel the resistance on multiple points (top, side, bottom)
3. I'm not sure how soft the window guide supposed to be, I tried to open driver side front and rear window and touch the window guide, all of them are hard but no sign of cracking
4. Front doors' weather seal still intact, adhesive still do its job very well. I'll do the rear ones next weekend

I went to a dealership 2 weeks ago, service advisor and the mechanics were lazy, they were subpar compared to Japanese brands' service quality.

I complained about the noise and they never had their own hypothesis, advise, initiative to look up on the TIS, or anything you could imagine from a lazy person. Service advisor only said: "which door do you want us to see? okay that'll be $30", an hour later he came back to me and said: "we have completely checked driver side front door and everything seems fine"

I'd be willing to pay more but not with the way he's doing his job. It's just super awful experience and make me reconsider to buy brand new BMW