Hello there,
I'm the owner of a 2001 4.4i X5, recently inherited from my father. Today I started noticing a strange sound occurring when I turn corners; a nice solid clunk/pop sound (audible from both inside and outside of the car) will emit from what seems to be right under the front of the car.
Now, I've searched around and found some threads blaming it on the sway bar bushings. The following thread seems to be quite similar to my situation:
Little noise from rear suspension - bimmerfest - BMW Forums
Not being a gearhead, I have no idea what "sway bar damage" could mean. I plan on getting it serviced, or, should the job be easy enough, servicing it myself... although the most I've ever done in terms of car work is replaced 2 window regulators.
My main question, however, is how much I should be concerned about this problem. I've got a 4 hour road trip coming up later this week which I would prefer not to cancel, and I'm considering whether it's worth the risk to save the job until later. Will driving the car make it a lot worse? I've seen some threads with people claiming to have driven it for months with the same symptoms, but perhaps my problem is more serious.
Input is very much appreciated.
Thanks.