Vibration Noise

[blue99]

Purchased 2005 4.4 X5 with the Performance, Activity and Premium packages (now 6 wks old). Under certain conditions, a high pitched squeal/vibration noise develops which seems to originate from behind the rearview mirror mount where it attaches to the windshield. Only occurs at speeds greater than 65 mph, usually when there is a head or cross wind present. This is not a small noise....can't even drown it out with the mega-watt stereo. The dullard that I am is convinced that it the culprit is some sort of harmonic developing under those conditions. Of course the dealer has twice failed to recreate (and to fix) this particular malady when it has been brought in for repair, and there is now a lot of head-scratching coupled with sideways glances of disbelief by the techs as I attempt to press the issue. Does anyone have ideas/knowledge that might help?

[X5Jay]

:welcome: Welcome! Try doing a search on windshield and/or noise. Lots of talk about this problem, but not sure what the fix is. The search may help you find out though... GL!

[YankeeBimmer]

Welcome

[DINANM3]

I have the same exact problem but my noise starts at 100mph and gets worse. It is extremely loud. The dealer said they wont even look into it because i am supposed to be driving 65mph the speed limit. So i said what about german X5s on the autobahn do those make the same noise because they can do way over 100moh there. I am sure this is not a normal thing for the X5

[blue99]

Dinan M3,
Thanks for your note. I spent the later part of yesterday afternoon down at the dealer "helping" the tech. Thanks to X5Jay, we focused upon the windshield as the culprit. By pushing on the inside of the windshield at high speed (i.e., while it was howling), we were able to change the pitch of the noise. Back at the shop we were then able to identify an area at the top of the glass which appeared to subtely "flex" away from the frame when pushed upon from inside, suggesting improper gluing of the windshield during assembly (wanna bet models assembled in Germany don't have this problem?). Once we determined that the problem was due to poor windshield adhesion, I requested that the dealer immediately replace the windshield under warranty...citing the situation as being a safety concern matter (e.g., what would happen during an air-bag deployment if the windshield is not properly affixed?). Once it dawned on the service manager that turing me away might pose a liability to them if there was an accident, they quickly got to work. If you need back-up info on my particualr warranty claim I'd be happy to oblige. As for yours, given the problem occurs at a higher speed than mine, might suggest your situation is less severe than mine....which might make identifying it a little more difficult. Anyways, if all else fails, a good glass shop should be able to remove and reinstall your windshield. Make certain the vehicle sits in the warmth for ~24 hours post installation to ensure that the bonding compound is fully cured. Hope this helps and Thanks to the prompt respondants to my original note. Happy New Year!

Blue99 (and Black05)

[adrian.b]

Originally Posted by DINANM3

I have the same exact problem but my noise starts at 100mph and gets worse. It is extremely loud. The dealer said they wont even look into it because i am supposed to be driving 65mph the speed limit. So i said what about german X5s on the autobahn do those make the same noise because they can do way over 100moh there. I am sure this is not a normal thing for the X5

Hang on, if they quote TOP SPEED in their booklets and sales stuff then how can they say you shouldnt go more than 65mph. Surely if you CHOOSE to exceed the speed limit for the road BUT you havent exceeded the cars specs then it`s a FAULT!! I`m afraid I`d have a very good fight with the answer they`ve given you here.