Steering wheel "thump"

[JM71]

When at a standstill, I can feel a slight "thump" coming through the steering wheel at regular intervals of about 1.5-2 seconds. Stereo is off, so its not that. Took it in for service and service advisor felt it too. Head shop tech diagnosed as normal thump coming from ac compressor. I call BS on this as it still does it when AC system is completely off! Just think they were trying to get rid of me. I've searched this forum and other BMW forums, but cannot find anyone with a similar problem. Anyone else here experience this?

BTW, its a 2011 5.0 X5.

[rh71]

if 1 dealer fails to acknowledge it, you will just have to try another dealer unfortunately. I would speak to the SA about your dissatisfaction first though - they hate getting bad ratings on the survey. Hopefully there's another dealer by you.

[Xtony]

My car has a harmonic humming noise every second or so at highway speeds only. I first thought it was due to my noisy runflat tires, but I replaced them and since the car is much quieter now, I notice the humming noise even more now.

But now that I think about it, I also have the thumping sound at idle that seems to come form behind the dash. It seems to come and go. I want to say that it only happens when the weather is cold, but I might be mistaken.

[ukwildcat]

I'll venture to be an idiot for a minute (I am blond, after all)..

So I have a 35i, not a 50i, but..

I would describe it more as a "bump," not a "thump," but I have the same issue.
However.. It seems to be more "the road" than anything else.

Almost like passing over seams on concrete, yes?
And by that I mean the "feeling," as I drive mostly on paved asphalt, so no seams.

I only have run flats now (maybe when they wear out I'll try something else) but I DO feel the road a lot. I'm used to it - I rather PREFER the very SOLID feeling this car gives me. I don't even remember where I read it, but some reviewer said "it has the innate ability of transferring every bump in the road straight to the driver's ass," which is fairly true, but I've come to learn that this is kind of what it's made for.

The Japanese luxury marques all get BAD reviews for NOT transmitting the feeling of the road to your butt. I know that all British car reviewers think everything that normal people can afford is crap, but still..

Yes, I have that feeling in the steering wheel.
As you accelerate (well.. as you go faster) that will probably vanish.
The bad part is that seems to happen at somewhere north of 80MPH.

At oh.. 130MPH, it's like your driving on clouds.
Not that I would know that.

[JM71]

Mine only happens when the vehicle is at a stop and in drive. Dealer has no clue what it is.

[ard]

^^ Ping weasel, see if he has any ideas?

Remember, if it isn't in an SIB, and if the tech hasn't personally seen it before, they may not diagnose it easily... some other dealer you may find a tech with an inquisitive mind and the willingness to actually troubleshoot it...

GL

A

[SCardamon]

+1 on the trying another dealer.