Crackling sounds when performing sharp turns + rear brake light problems
 

Hi guys brand new to this forum, I just purchased my BMW X5 4.6is last week, so far very happy with the vehicle except for a few minor issues, when I turn left or right and have the steering wheel in full turn either direction, I can hear a cracking noise of some sort, Im wondering if anyone knows what could be the cause of this, also Im just guessing here but there is also a problem with the rear brake lights intermittantly working, I know it is not the globe but maybe a loose connector somewhere? Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated.

We have an 06' 4.4i and I've had a similar problem with the rear tail light. Always seems to be the rear driver's side. Looks like it's out then after playing with it for a second or two, it starts working again. I actually love the look of the aftermarket LED tail lights available on ebay and thinking about upgrading to those. Probably will have a tighter connection to the bulb harness.

Well after snooping around the net I found out it is most likely a problem with the CV boot joints, Im just wondering if a CV Boot Joint kit would fix the problem? Anyone know? my local BMW dealer here wants to charge over $1k for each CV boot I want to avoid that if I could.

The CV boot joint is just the rubber cover over the CV joint. It holds the grease in, and keeps the elements out. Yes, they do split over time and sometimes require replacement. However, if you are hearing a noise and it is caused by a CV joint, then replacing the rubber boot is not likely to solve it, it is more likely to be the joint itself. The joints don't often fail (unless the boots are split and are left for some time) so I would make sure before replacing the CV joints themselves.

There is a DIY article on the X5World home page worth looking at.

Thanks for your quick reponse JCL Im hoping it is only the boots that are the problem and not the joint itself. the joints are very pricey and if I have to replace them being only a week old from the dealer then they will be hearing from me thats certain.

And for the tail lights, open the rear access panel on the side that's out and pull the bulb and socket out, it's a 1/4 turn twist socket... With a flashlight look at the metal backing of the tail light where the bulb socket makes its contact, looking for a small black burnt spot and/or any signs of the plastic behind the metal to be melted. If that is all fine, it may just be a bad bulb, as sometimes they seem to get corrosion at the filement in the bulb...

If there is the small burnt spot, you could either buy new lights or repair it with a touch of solder. There is a write up on here somewhere with really good pics on that, so maybe a quick use of the search bar might bring some clarity to that description for ya.