Sqeaking sound when driving slowly (driving forward only!)

tpros11 · 07-12-2023, 10:37 PM

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong spot, it's my first time reaching out for help and starting a thread and I haven't found a thread that is dealing with my exact problem yet.
I drive a 08 BMW 128i and it has started making a squeaking sound coming from both rear tires when driving in reverse and forward. I recently replaced both rear outer control arm bushings and that stopped the squeaking noise when going in reverse so now I can only hear it when driving forward slowly (up to about 20km/h). I can tell it is coming from the rear wheels again but I am stumped as to what to try to replace next. I have tried greasing the other bushings back there but have had no such luck.

There has also been a chirping sound that I've started hearing now too when I push down on the gas pedal slightly but then goes away when I push the pedal down past a certain point, but I haven't been able to determine exactly where that noise is coming from yet.
Any advice is appreciated! Thank you in advanced!

JustAnotherSportsCar · 07-13-2023, 06:14 AM

Could the noise in the rear possibly be the e-brake shoes needing service? My old Jeep Cherokee always had an odd noise and eventually found the the e-brake shoes had delaminated and were moving around inside too much. Good luck.

tpros11 · 07-13-2023, 07:31 AM

Might be worth it to take the wheel off and check it out, it is an automatic so the e brake doesn’t get used as much as it should be. But it also doesn’t feel like it’s sticking or anything but could just have something jammed in it as well maybe?

JustAnotherSportsCar · 07-13-2023, 09:37 AM

Nothing with my Jeep e-brake indicated it was bad, other than the noise I was hearing. It still seemed to work.

NorthernDancer · 07-13-2023, 09:58 AM

Where do you live in Ontario? We in Ottawa have about 6-8 garages that know BMWs very well. You are throwing time, money and parts at a car and you're not fixing the problem. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and let a very knowledgeable mechanic troubleshoot the car. I can understand if you're far from a good BMW indy garage.
Now I do think the emergency brakes are a good place to start. I too have an 08 128 but with a manual and a slopped driveway and I use my e brake every day.

Meestah Chow · 07-13-2023, 02:49 PM

I second (third?) the e-brake theory. My E39 had a squeaky rear end and my tech replaced the squeaky pin with a bolt and problem solved. YMMV

tpros11 · 07-13-2023, 10:33 PM

I'm away this weekend so I won't be able to look into that until early next week, the only thing is the sound is not a constant squeak its like a cycle (if that makes any sense) not sure if that would change things about the e brake theory but I think it is still worth looking at it

also the e39 528i was my very first car and I loved that thing! I drove it for 7 years before it finally bit the dust but it was such a good first car!

tpros11 · 08-31-2023, 04:39 PM

Been a busy month, I didn't end up having time to take the wheels off but about a week ago the noise suddenly stopped so I'm thinking it did have something to do with the e-brake and maybe whatever was making the noise got sanded down enough to stop squeaking?

07-12-2023, 10:37 PM	#1
tpros11 New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 128i Join Date: May 2023 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	Sqeaking sound when driving slowly (driving forward only!) Sorry if this is posted in the wrong spot, it's my first time reaching out for help and starting a thread and I haven't found a thread that is dealing with my exact problem yet. I drive a 08 BMW 128i and it has started making a squeaking sound coming from both rear tires when driving in reverse and forward. I recently replaced both rear outer control arm bushings and that stopped the squeaking noise when going in reverse so now I can only hear it when driving forward slowly (up to about 20km/h). I can tell it is coming from the rear wheels again but I am stumped as to what to try to replace next. I have tried greasing the other bushings back there but have had no such luck. There has also been a chirping sound that I've started hearing now too when I push down on the gas pedal slightly but then goes away when I push the pedal down past a certain point, but I haven't been able to determine exactly where that noise is coming from yet. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you in advanced!
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07-13-2023, 06:14 AM	#2
JustAnotherSportsCar Private First Class 80 Rep 111 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 135i E88 Join Date: Nov 2021 Location: Iowa iTrader: (0)	Could the noise in the rear possibly be the e-brake shoes needing service? My old Jeep Cherokee always had an odd noise and eventually found the the e-brake shoes had delaminated and were moving around inside too much. Good luck.
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07-13-2023, 07:31 AM	#3
tpros11 New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 128i Join Date: May 2023 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	Might be worth it to take the wheel off and check it out, it is an automatic so the e brake doesn’t get used as much as it should be. But it also doesn’t feel like it’s sticking or anything but could just have something jammed in it as well maybe?
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07-13-2023, 09:37 AM	#4
JustAnotherSportsCar Private First Class 80 Rep 111 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 135i E88 Join Date: Nov 2021 Location: Iowa iTrader: (0)	Nothing with my Jeep e-brake indicated it was bad, other than the noise I was hearing. It still seemed to work.
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07-13-2023, 09:58 AM	#5
NorthernDancer Colonel 850 Rep 2,276 Posts Drives: 08 Sedona 128 & 06 330xiT 6MT Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ottawa On Canada iTrader: (3)	Where do you live in Ontario? We in Ottawa have about 6-8 garages that know BMWs very well. You are throwing time, money and parts at a car and you're not fixing the problem. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and let a very knowledgeable mechanic troubleshoot the car. I can understand if you're far from a good BMW indy garage. Now I do think the emergency brakes are a good place to start. I too have an 08 128 but with a manual and a slopped driveway and I use my e brake every day.
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07-13-2023, 02:49 PM	#6
Meestah Chow New Member 24 Rep 23 Posts Drives: BMW 128i E82, BMW 528i E39 Join Date: May 2021 Location: Kelowna, Toronto iTrader: (0)	I second (third?) the e-brake theory. My E39 had a squeaky rear end and my tech replaced the squeaky pin with a bolt and problem solved. YMMV
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07-13-2023, 10:33 PM	#7
tpros11 New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 128i Join Date: May 2023 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	I'm away this weekend so I won't be able to look into that until early next week, the only thing is the sound is not a constant squeak its like a cycle (if that makes any sense) not sure if that would change things about the e brake theory but I think it is still worth looking at it also the e39 528i was my very first car and I loved that thing! I drove it for 7 years before it finally bit the dust but it was such a good first car!
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08-31-2023, 04:39 PM	#8
tpros11 New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 128i Join Date: May 2023 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	Been a busy month, I didn't end up having time to take the wheels off but about a week ago the noise suddenly stopped so I'm thinking it did have something to do with the e-brake and maybe whatever was making the noise got sanded down enough to stop squeaking?
	Appreciate 0 Quote