I hear a clunk from the front end of the vehicle when backing up and turning the steering wheel all the way clockwise. It happens every morning when I back out of my garage. It usually happens after the X has been parked for a while. Of course my dealer could not reproduce the problem. Please post if anyone was able to resolve this problem.

I've got the same problem. :dunno:

Well as I've already mentioned it is due to an air bubble in the power steering, the clunk or popping sound is the sound of the air being released into the chamber. Mine does exactly the same. You're wellcome to check with the BMW technicians at your dealership but I've been told that it's not curable. At first I thought it was an anti-roll bar link that was loose but apparently this is quite a commone issue with the latest version X5s and it's down to air pockets being compressed and then suddenly released.

What would you guys think if this would be the problem in the long run. because I am planning to live with my x for the rest of my life... and I surely don't want to replace the power steering in the near future. with air bubbles in the system, can't they drain it and then refill it like the brake system? since... it's metal parts and w/o proper lubrication... I am really worried....

Yes, I have the same very occasional "pop" sound when turning the wheels only when standing still after backing out the garage. Have not had a look at this myself, steering seems not affected.

Cheers, M

I don't understand why you should be 'really worried'. I certainly found it irritating at first but since I had it investigated by BMW I'm re-assured that it represents no risk. It happens to me once or twice a week, has never become worse and only happens at slow speeds. I understand it to be a 'design' feature and not something that can be cured by bleeding and changing the power steering fluid, but please check it out with your local BMW rep and confirm for yourself.

The amount of misinformation being disseminated about this problem in this thread is amazing.

There is a service bulletin that describes this very problem as an issue with wheel bearings and flanges on the front of the X5. The dealer has to install some new flanges and bearings and the popping sound will be rectified. Mine was done and the problem is gone. It's a multi-day event because of the time involved allowing the glue to dry. No Kidding!

The moment I mentioned the popping/clunking sound to my dealer, he explained the issues and the solution. Any dealer who doesn't know about this action is not paying attention to the service information being sent to them.

Dig a little deeper and you'll also find there's a service bulletin relating to the bubble in the power steering system. The same notice also applies to some Minis. There's absolutley nothing wrong with my wheel bearings and it wasn't my dealer that investigated it but BMW themselves. Perhaps one person's pop isn't the same as another person's clunk, you may be describing a different symptom... ;)

I have the same problem....right after backing out of the garage and going forward....then I hear the noise....sound like something popping underneath the car....The dealer could not figure out what it is...I will wait for a while to see if it gets worse before bring it back again.

John

clunking noise from front end
 

I have the same exact cluncking noise from the front end. I got mine in sept 04. I brought it to the dealer and they said there is nothing wrong with it. Recently it started making the noise when driving hard in corners. IKt really worries me. Anyone have a fix for it.