Weird Tire sound problem

xxSpudxx · 07-21-2009, 02:20 PM

Ok let me start off by saying I am one of those guys that hears every rattle, thump, vibration when driving my car. It drives my wife nuts b/c i get so focused on trying to find the problem that she yells at me for swerving in my lane sometimes.

That being said, with only 1200 miles on my car and have a SEL and tow already, I am already on edge. PLUS i just sold my MINI cooper S to buy this car after less than a year of ownership. I had MINI in the shop around 5 times for: passenger window malfunction, sunroof malfunction, cam chain tensioner replaced twice, clutch replacement, and a few other rattles and interior lights not working correctly.

Now to the real problem. I started noticing a "squish" type sound coming from my left front tire. I thought maybe it was a rock stuck in the tread. Did the normal search and found nothing. It is definitely the tire b/c i hear it at slow speeds, it gets faster with speed etc.. I have access to a lift and hoisted the car up and looked all around the wheel. Thought maybe the dust plate was hitting the interrior of the rim. When i spin the wheel off the ground, no sound.

One of the local shop guys stood in the road and listened to my car as i drove by slowly. He scratched his head and couldn't figure it out. So, i drove it to the BMW dealer, had a tech come out and listen. He said, yep, i hear the problem. So they take the car and i get a loaner for a few hours. Get a call back and they said they swapped the front wheels to see if the sound moved. And sure enough it moved to the left side. They said they could see nothing wrong within the wheel and it must be a tire defect of some kind.
Especially since the sound is like when you wring out a rag vs metal on metal, or rock on road type ticking sound. So definitely a "squish" not a "tick".

I said ok to their diagnosis. They told me to take it to a goodyear to see if they would consider doing something about it since the brand new tires are goodyear brand. It has been about a week since this diagnosis. Haven't had time to run by a goodyear to pretty much what I assume the management will say "not our problem".

However, this morning i noticed the same sound coming AGAIN from my left front tire. So NOW both front tires are making this "squish" sound. How can that be? It cant be a suspension problem... right?

So for a guy who HATES HATES HATES rattles, ticking sounds, i now have to listen to squish squish squish squish whenever my windows are down. Argggg..

Also, there is not noticeable uneven tire wear or flat spots on the tires.. Believe me, i checked.

Thanks for reading and maybe you smart folks have an idea.

Lester · 07-21-2009, 03:45 PM

WHat tire pressure are you running? Try 36 psi when cold, and see if the noise goes away.

xxSpudxx · 07-21-2009, 04:07 PM

allrighty.

Hairy · 07-22-2009, 05:18 AM

I suspect it's just the brake pad brushing the rotor on each revolution. That would account for the sound increasing with the increase in speed. Pads are only a VERY small distance off the rotor when the brakes are not being applied, and it's not uncommon for some contact to occur. If this is your issue.. it's really not anything for you to worry about.

Lester · 07-22-2009, 07:34 AM

Aren't brake pads always in contact with the rotor? At rest there is no real pressure on them, but I believe they are always touching the rotor. If it were brake pads, it should make the noise with the car on the hoist, but it didn't.

I think increasing tire pressure (if the tires are low) may help.

The Cthulhu · 07-22-2009, 08:15 AM

The 135i has all of that brake drying and priming stuff, so the pads are always tickling the rotor. If it isn't directly dependent on speed, it doesn't seem like it could be a rotor thing.

And you'd probably know if you hit a big puddle with hot, hot rotors and warped them... It'd be handy if you had an extra set of wheels to throw on the front to see if it was the tires.

xxSpudxx · 07-22-2009, 09:57 AM

checked the tire pressure and they wernt low.

I thought the brake pad thing, which is why i put it on the lift and spun the wheels up in the air.

No noise occurs.. it cant be the brake pad b/c it was making the noise on the front left, then the wheel got swapped to the front right. The noise moved with the wheel.

It has got to be the tire... Whats more weird is that now the front left is starting to make the noise. The one that is on the front left now was originally on the front right and never made a noise until now.

So i have both wheels making the noise. Has to be the tire right? I have no idea what could be causing the problem. I havnt hit a pothole and messed up the alignment or anything..

elciddragon · 08-09-2009, 09:30 PM

I am curious about this because I have noticed something similar from my front right tire. I guess squish is a good noise to describe it. It is only audible with the windows down, and when passing by a nearby object like a fence or a row of parked cars. Have you pin pointed any cause or solution? I haven't noticed any change in driveability so I didn't think I would take it to the dealer just yet. I have a little less than 4000 miles on the car.

akak1997 · 08-10-2009, 05:35 AM

take the wheel off, bounce it on the ground and rotate it a bit, bounce it again on the same spot, repeat, and see if you hear that weird noise. It might be the tire is defective.

xxSpudxx · 08-10-2009, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elciddragon

I am curious about this because I have noticed something similar from my front right tire. I guess squish is a good noise to describe it. It is only audible with the windows down, and when passing by a nearby object like a fence or a row of parked cars. Have you pin pointed any cause or solution? I haven't noticed any change in driveability so I didn't think I would take it to the dealer just yet. I have a little less than 4000 miles on the car.

What you described is exactly what i hear. Very annoying, especially driving by jersey walls..

the weird part is that the noise followed the wheel when i rotated the front.

NOW it is on both front wheels. which leads me to believe it is not a defective tire problem, but something with the front left..

how could i get 2 defective ones, and the problem start on the other after i rotated...

still havnt found the solution.

ru55 · 08-10-2009, 11:00 AM

When i turn left or/and right i get a ticking sound from my tyres, like a stone, but theres no stone!

Its drives me mad!

miro2296 · 08-10-2009, 04:52 PM

Make sure all the lug bolts are properly torqued. Heard from another thread something similar that this was the issue

xxSpudxx · 08-11-2009, 11:33 AM

i will look into that miro.

miro2296 · 08-11-2009, 06:46 PM

^^^

gobo335i · 09-17-2009, 06:55 PM

Spud,

Your not crazy. If you are, then I am too. Same squishy wheels on my car, but I got a dealer to work with me on it. Story as follows...

'Squishy' noise, coming from ALL sides of my car. M package wheels with stock Run-Flats. Especially loud when cold. I washed the car one afternoon, sprayed the wheels thoroughly, and the sound actually STOPPED for 20 min (until the wheels dried). So I took it to the dealer and they said it was the way the wheels were mounted. Supposedly the bead of the tire squeaks in the rim.

They pulled off all the tires and remounted them. I drove the car in 'silent mode' for about 50 miles and now the sounds are back. It's a freaking symphony! I am going out of my mind. So embarrassing! I was thinking of hitting the beads of the wheels with Armorall to see if that would lubricate them and stop the noise, but I haven't done it yet. Will do this weekend.

If anyone else has had this experience, please speak up. I cant stand it anymore. Any other ideas out there?

xxSpudxx · 09-22-2009, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobo335i

Spud,

Your not crazy. If you are, then I am too. Same squishy wheels on my car, but I got a dealer to work with me on it. Story as follows...

'Squishy' noise, coming from ALL sides of my car. M package wheels with stock Run-Flats. Especially loud when cold. I washed the car one afternoon, sprayed the wheels thoroughly, and the sound actually STOPPED for 20 min (until the wheels dried). So I took it to the dealer and they said it was the way the wheels were mounted. Supposedly the bead of the tire squeaks in the rim.

They pulled off all the tires and remounted them. I drove the car in 'silent mode' for about 50 miles and now the sounds are back. It's a freaking symphony! I am going out of my mind. So embarrassing! I was thinking of hitting the beads of the wheels with Armorall to see if that would lubricate them and stop the noise, but I haven't done it yet. Will do this weekend.

If anyone else has had this experience, please speak up. I cant stand it anymore. Any other ideas out there?

Thanks for confirming that I am not insane.

Would you mind posting some pix of the location you are hitting with armorall and such?

thanks

Drew Rocker · 09-22-2009, 08:37 PM

Squish sounds like a tire wear indicator. I'd ask the tire company if they've had any comments about premature warnings, or look for a web between the treads touching the ground. The Bridgestone Potenzas on my last car did that while when was still plenty of tread left till I couldn't take it any more and bought new tires.

The dealer was useless so I stared at it till I figured it out.

xxSpudxx · 09-23-2009, 10:59 AM

thanks!

gobo335i · 09-24-2009, 11:52 AM

That seems so odd for NEW tires to have a tire wear indicator 'squishing', but I will chase anything suggested! I'll give it a look and report back my observations.

Spud...i ran out of Armorall. Go figure. but I was going to apply it to the bead of the tire, where the tire meets the rim of the wheel. Th dealer said that was where it was squeaking (from the rubber being compressed on the painted rim). The only reason I think this might help is that I find the wheels get quiet after I have hosed them down with water and drive while they are still wet. As soon as they dry, the get noisy again.

Will try to get a new bottle of tire stuff and try it myself. Report later.

If all else fails, I am going to be getting new wheels and tires a LOT sooner than I planned.

Drew Rocker · 09-28-2009, 12:41 PM

It is odd. No comments from Tirerack.com?

xxSpudxx · 09-30-2009, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobo335i

That seems so odd for NEW tires to have a tire wear indicator 'squishing', but I will chase anything suggested! I'll give it a look and report back my observations.

Spud...i ran out of Armorall. Go figure. but I was going to apply it to the bead of the tire, where the tire meets the rim of the wheel. Th dealer said that was where it was squeaking (from the rubber being compressed on the painted rim). The only reason I think this might help is that I find the wheels get quiet after I have hosed them down with water and drive while they are still wet. As soon as they dry, the get noisy again.

Will try to get a new bottle of tire stuff and try it myself. Report later.

If all else fails, I am going to be getting new wheels and tires a LOT sooner than I planned.

oh ok, i gotcha. i will give that a try. At this point ill try anything.

tcd223 · 04-09-2010, 03:21 PM

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I'm dealing with the same thing now. I had an alignment done two weeks ago and the squishing noise started up then, first from the back right and now both back tires. the tires have 5,900 miles on them and they were fine all winter till the alignment was done. There is no uneven wear and it doesn't sound like the wear bars. I'm bringing my car in tomorrow because the dealer scratched my otherwise pristine rim when mounting a new front tire and I'm going to ask them to check it out.

07-21-2009, 02:20 PM	#1
xxSpudxx Private 5 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Woodbridge, VA iTrader: (0)	Weird Tire sound problem Ok let me start off by saying I am one of those guys that hears every rattle, thump, vibration when driving my car. It drives my wife nuts b/c i get so focused on trying to find the problem that she yells at me for swerving in my lane sometimes. That being said, with only 1200 miles on my car and have a SEL and tow already, I am already on edge. PLUS i just sold my MINI cooper S to buy this car after less than a year of ownership. I had MINI in the shop around 5 times for: passenger window malfunction, sunroof malfunction, cam chain tensioner replaced twice, clutch replacement, and a few other rattles and interior lights not working correctly. Now to the real problem. I started noticing a "squish" type sound coming from my left front tire. I thought maybe it was a rock stuck in the tread. Did the normal search and found nothing. It is definitely the tire b/c i hear it at slow speeds, it gets faster with speed etc.. I have access to a lift and hoisted the car up and looked all around the wheel. Thought maybe the dust plate was hitting the interrior of the rim. When i spin the wheel off the ground, no sound. One of the local shop guys stood in the road and listened to my car as i drove by slowly. He scratched his head and couldn't figure it out. So, i drove it to the BMW dealer, had a tech come out and listen. He said, yep, i hear the problem. So they take the car and i get a loaner for a few hours. Get a call back and they said they swapped the front wheels to see if the sound moved. And sure enough it moved to the left side. They said they could see nothing wrong within the wheel and it must be a tire defect of some kind. Especially since the sound is like when you wring out a rag vs metal on metal, or rock on road type ticking sound. So definitely a "squish" not a "tick". I said ok to their diagnosis. They told me to take it to a goodyear to see if they would consider doing something about it since the brand new tires are goodyear brand. It has been about a week since this diagnosis. Haven't had time to run by a goodyear to pretty much what I assume the management will say "not our problem". However, this morning i noticed the same sound coming AGAIN from my left front tire. So NOW both front tires are making this "squish" sound. How can that be? It cant be a suspension problem... right? So for a guy who HATES HATES HATES rattles, ticking sounds, i now have to listen to squish squish squish squish whenever my windows are down. Argggg.. Also, there is not noticeable uneven tire wear or flat spots on the tires.. Believe me, i checked. Thanks for reading and maybe you smart folks have an idea.
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07-21-2009, 03:45 PM	#2
Lester Brigadier General 295 Rep 3,350 Posts Drives: Join Date: Oct 2007 iTrader: (0)	WHat tire pressure are you running? Try 36 psi when cold, and see if the noise goes away.
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07-21-2009, 04:07 PM	#3
xxSpudxx Private 5 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Woodbridge, VA iTrader: (0)	allrighty.
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07-22-2009, 05:18 AM	#4
Hairy Private First Class 4 Rep 120 Posts Drives: 2008 135i Black Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cincinnati iTrader: (1)	I suspect it's just the brake pad brushing the rotor on each revolution. That would account for the sound increasing with the increase in speed. Pads are only a VERY small distance off the rotor when the brakes are not being applied, and it's not uncommon for some contact to occur. If this is your issue.. it's really not anything for you to worry about.
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07-22-2009, 07:34 AM	#5
Lester Brigadier General 295 Rep 3,350 Posts Drives: Join Date: Oct 2007 iTrader: (0)	Aren't brake pads always in contact with the rotor? At rest there is no real pressure on them, but I believe they are always touching the rotor. If it were brake pads, it should make the noise with the car on the hoist, but it didn't. I think increasing tire pressure (if the tires are low) may help.
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07-22-2009, 08:15 AM	#6
The Cthulhu Banned 7 Rep 197 Posts Drives: N/A Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: N/A iTrader: (0)	The 135i has all of that brake drying and priming stuff, so the pads are always tickling the rotor. If it isn't directly dependent on speed, it doesn't seem like it could be a rotor thing. And you'd probably know if you hit a big puddle with hot, hot rotors and warped them... It'd be handy if you had an extra set of wheels to throw on the front to see if it was the tires.
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07-22-2009, 09:57 AM	#7
xxSpudxx Private 5 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Woodbridge, VA iTrader: (0)	checked the tire pressure and they wernt low. I thought the brake pad thing, which is why i put it on the lift and spun the wheels up in the air. No noise occurs.. it cant be the brake pad b/c it was making the noise on the front left, then the wheel got swapped to the front right. The noise moved with the wheel. It has got to be the tire... Whats more weird is that now the front left is starting to make the noise. The one that is on the front left now was originally on the front right and never made a noise until now. So i have both wheels making the noise. Has to be the tire right? I have no idea what could be causing the problem. I havnt hit a pothole and messed up the alignment or anything..
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08-09-2009, 09:30 PM	#8
elciddragon Private First Class 8 Rep 149 Posts Drives: BMW 135i LeMans Blue Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	I am curious about this because I have noticed something similar from my front right tire. I guess squish is a good noise to describe it. It is only audible with the windows down, and when passing by a nearby object like a fence or a row of parked cars. Have you pin pointed any cause or solution? I haven't noticed any change in driveability so I didn't think I would take it to the dealer just yet. I have a little less than 4000 miles on the car.
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08-10-2009, 05:35 AM	#9
akak1997 Major 63 Rep 1,159 Posts Drives: BMW 135 @ 135mph Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (2) Garage List 2008 135i [0.00]	take the wheel off, bounce it on the ground and rotate it a bit, bounce it again on the same spot, repeat, and see if you hear that weird noise. It might be the tire is defective.
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08-10-2009, 11:00 AM	#11
ru55 Private 7 Rep 82 Posts Drives: 135 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Worcestershire. UK iTrader: (0)	When i turn left or/and right i get a ticking sound from my tyres, like a stone, but theres no stone! Its drives me mad!
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08-10-2009, 04:52 PM	#12
miro2296 Colonel 57 Rep 2,251 Posts Drives: '08 Montego Blue BMW 135i Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Round Rock, TX iTrader: (1)	Make sure all the lug bolts are properly torqued. Heard from another thread something similar that this was the issue __________________ ------------------------------------- BMW 135i/6 Speed/Montego Blue/Formula One Ceramic Tint/JB4 G4/AA Sport Intercooler/19 inch Iconz 880Z(19X8.5 & 19X10)/PSS 225/35 & 265/30/E93 M3 front sway bar/TRW front and rear Control Arms/BMS Drop In Filter/Dinan Exhaust/BlackLines/Upgraded \\\M RSFB
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08-11-2009, 11:33 AM	#13
xxSpudxx Private 5 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Woodbridge, VA iTrader: (0)	i will look into that miro.
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08-11-2009, 06:46 PM	#14
miro2296 Colonel 57 Rep 2,251 Posts Drives: '08 Montego Blue BMW 135i Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Round Rock, TX iTrader: (1)	^^^ __________________ ------------------------------------- BMW 135i/6 Speed/Montego Blue/Formula One Ceramic Tint/JB4 G4/AA Sport Intercooler/19 inch Iconz 880Z(19X8.5 & 19X10)/PSS 225/35 & 265/30/E93 M3 front sway bar/TRW front and rear Control Arms/BMS Drop In Filter/Dinan Exhaust/BlackLines/Upgraded \\\M RSFB
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09-17-2009, 06:55 PM	#15
gobo335i Toy Wrangler 11 Rep 193 Posts Drives: 135i - GoCart on Steroids Join Date: May 2007 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (0)	Me Tooo!!!! I'm Freaking Out!! Bump!! Bump!! Spud, Your not crazy. If you are, then I am too. Same squishy wheels on my car, but I got a dealer to work with me on it. Story as follows... 'Squishy' noise, coming from ALL sides of my car. M package wheels with stock Run-Flats. Especially loud when cold. I washed the car one afternoon, sprayed the wheels thoroughly, and the sound actually STOPPED for 20 min (until the wheels dried). So I took it to the dealer and they said it was the way the wheels were mounted. Supposedly the bead of the tire squeaks in the rim. They pulled off all the tires and remounted them. I drove the car in 'silent mode' for about 50 miles and now the sounds are back. It's a freaking symphony! I am going out of my mind. So embarrassing! I was thinking of hitting the beads of the wheels with Armorall to see if that would lubricate them and stop the noise, but I haven't done it yet. Will do this weekend. If anyone else has had this experience, please speak up. I cant stand it anymore. Any other ideas out there? __________________ Had a 335i. It was a highway missile. Traded to a 135i. It's a go-cart on steroids.
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09-22-2009, 08:37 PM	#17
Drew Rocker New Member 5 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 135i, white, 6-speed Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Portland, Oregon, USA iTrader: (0)	Squish sounds like a tire wear indicator. I'd ask the tire company if they've had any comments about premature warnings, or look for a web between the treads touching the ground. The Bridgestone Potenzas on my last car did that while when was still plenty of tread left till I couldn't take it any more and bought new tires. The dealer was useless so I stared at it till I figured it out.
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09-23-2009, 10:59 AM	#18
xxSpudxx Private 5 Rep 60 Posts Drives: 2009 135i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Woodbridge, VA iTrader: (0)	thanks!
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09-24-2009, 11:52 AM	#19
gobo335i Toy Wrangler 11 Rep 193 Posts Drives: 135i - GoCart on Steroids Join Date: May 2007 Location: Los Angeles, California iTrader: (0)	That seems so odd for NEW tires to have a tire wear indicator 'squishing', but I will chase anything suggested! I'll give it a look and report back my observations. Spud...i ran out of Armorall. Go figure. but I was going to apply it to the bead of the tire, where the tire meets the rim of the wheel. Th dealer said that was where it was squeaking (from the rubber being compressed on the painted rim). The only reason I think this might help is that I find the wheels get quiet after I have hosed them down with water and drive while they are still wet. As soon as they dry, the get noisy again. Will try to get a new bottle of tire stuff and try it myself. Report later. If all else fails, I am going to be getting new wheels and tires a LOT sooner than I planned. __________________ Had a 335i. It was a highway missile. Traded to a 135i. It's a go-cart on steroids.
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09-28-2009, 12:41 PM	#20
Drew Rocker New Member 5 Rep 24 Posts Drives: 135i, white, 6-speed Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Portland, Oregon, USA iTrader: (0)	It is odd. No comments from Tirerack.com?
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04-09-2010, 03:21 PM	#22
tcd223 Captain 47 Rep 940 Posts Drives: '10 LeMans 135i Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: NYC iTrader: (1) Garage List 2010 135i [7.00]	Sorry to revive this old thread, but I'm dealing with the same thing now. I had an alignment done two weeks ago and the squishing noise started up then, first from the back right and now both back tires. the tires have 5,900 miles on them and they were fine all winter till the alignment was done. There is no uneven wear and it doesn't sound like the wear bars. I'm bringing my car in tomorrow because the dealer scratched my otherwise pristine rim when mounting a new front tire and I'm going to ask them to check it out.
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