BMW 6 series with noise on the rear

 

BMW 6 series waiting for bearing
BMW 6 series waiting for bearing

This BMW 6 series came in a few months ago with a noise from the rear.

We noticed immediately that one of the rear tyres was mis-shapen. The tyre was worn and a had flat spots on the tread. This can cause a rumbling noise when being driven. It is almost like the tyre is running on a 50 pence piece instead of on a 10 pence piece.

We also thought that one of the wheel bearings may be starting to wear.

Rear wheel bearing being fitted
Rear wheel bearing being fitted

The first job to do was to replace the tyres, they required replacing anyhow and they also needed to be eliminated as the cause of the road noise. We put a pair of top quality Bridgestone tyres on the rear and sent the owner on his way to monitor for any further noises.

A few months later the car came back in for a noise on the rear. Initially the customer thought it was the new tyres causing the noise but on road test we realised that one of the rear wheel bearings was worn.

As the vehicle is rear wheel drive it is quite a labour intensive job to replace the bearing. After a few hours the job was completed, we road tested it and all was quiet on the rear.

This is an example of how noises from cars need to be eliminated one by one and how easily one noise can mask another noise. Sometimes the first part that we replace cures the noise but occasionally it takes a further visit to fully fix the problem.