2008 528i Vibration at idle

Originally Posted by totally_random

My '06 550i vibrates a bit at idle. Car idles at 450-550 rpm according to the tach.

I have 07 550i with 22K on it. Have 2 issues:
#1- when cold, it is very noisy and pretty rough; if hit throttle, it acts like ready to stall (found info on this forum that it is common issue, related to software, and there is no fix yet – IS IT?).

#2 is something that I would never expect from V8 engine, and from the luxury vehicle in general - it idles at ~700 W/AC, and drops to ~500 WO/AC.
I always had Mercedeses before and never had this king of issues. Is this an issue or is it normal? Because when it idles at 500 you can feel vibration in the steering wheel – hate it.

The vibration at idle was a problem with me and I also owned a mercedes and currently own a lexus with NO NOISE at all. For what this car (528i 2008) costs, it should be as quiet as a mouse. But as you see, this is a common complaints with idle. BMW raised my idle a hair and it stopped. I have no idea what the stall issue is...
These vehicle are a bit complex under the hood and as long as the check engine light is not on, the BMW tells you most of the time "it is just the way it is".
I would get multiple opinions and research it online. The noise I had was sooooo annoying that after 3 weeks with the car I wanted to get rid of it. Good luck

I had a similar problem with my 2009 525i, began after first service, 10200kms.Sent it back to the dealer , and was told that it was due to a faulty air meter.The same was replaced and now humming sound has disappeared. Shall wait and hear !

My 2007 530i has this same issue, I've had it for a month now and it is really annoying. I took it to the dealer about 2 weeks after I got it and they said they couldn't reproduce the issue...ok! So I went back and had the service manager drive the car with me. He acknowledged the issue, but said he wanted to compare it to another 530. So we found another 2007 530 on the CPO lot and it did the same thing. Therefore his rational is that it was normal. I explained that just because it does the same thing in two cars doesn't make it "right".

To me it is a calibration issue. There is no reason that the idle should drop 50+ RPM (that is what mine does and that is when you get the vibration). I work for a company that does engine calibrations, there should be no reason why they can't hold an idle.

I asked them if it was possible to update the engine calibration, at first I got a blank strare and then he said you mean the software? Yes I said. It seams to me if this is a consistent complaint, that BMW would retune the calibration. Anyway, my car is at the dealer and they are going to upgrade all the software - I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Chris
_____

2007, 530i

Hi all, I used to drive a 530 2005 in Dubai. I was lucky enough to have the notorious "lurch" problem of the tranny and eventually had it replaced at 85k km (I paid 30% of parts and 100% labor!).

Sold the car, relocated to Doha earlier this year and just bought another 530 2007 with just 32000 km on the clock. The car even has a M5 kit and rims (worth 10,000 USD!)

I noticed the same vibration when I first test drove the car. Since the car is still under warranty I did not worry about it at first. Over the past weeks it got more and more pronouncing by day which prompted me to bring the car to the dealer this morning.

Similar symptoms; slight rough start when cold, vibrating at idle, it is bad enough both driver and the front seat passenger can feel it. The SA admitted it and did not say "that's the way it is" B.S to me.

Will report back to the forum the outcome. Hope the dealer here is better than DUBAI.

Got my car today.
First of all I have to praise the BMW dealer in Doha, Alfardan, they do take care of their customers. I turned my car in the morning yesterday and in 24 hours they car is ready. Their service center opens from 8~24 pm, 6 days a week, believe it or not.

There were two major compliants from me, AC and the vibration at low RPM. They found the compressor is faulty and had it replaced, covered by the warranty.

For the vibration, like many of you have experienced, they did a complete computer check and found no problem. They did bring the idle up a little bit and I can feel the difference. That has reduce 70% of the vibration. But everytime the RPM dips down the funny shiver is right back.

My front break pads are due in another 2000 KM and I would ask them to raise the idle just a little bit, then the car would be perfect.

Hope this helps!

he-he i just paid $130 for injectors cleaning to make the idle better(and reduce vibration by that) which didn't help and monday taking my 545i to the dealer. Thanx for the bulletin info,hope it helps. Do you guys also experience the delay in accelaration after a stop at the light?(a very slight but noticible)? i had 2 740i back in a day and niether of them did that.

old thread. but anyway reading through it, i can come up with a few things that might be suspect.

does the car idle and have a very slight misfire that isnt prompting the check engine light to come on?

is a motor mount possibly broken or defective?

is there an exhaust hanger or mount that is loose or broken?

just going off what was said, i would check those. i had this type of problem in my subaru which was due to an exhaust hanger issue. only at idle was it noticeable.

Originally Posted by damonwhite

The car use to idle at about 5000-6000 , and now it idles at about 7000 which resolved all noise and cabin vibration. It is worth noting that it was not the same mechanic who first told me the vibration is normal and the #1 complaint that fixed my vehicle. It was a younger mechanic. The BMW mechanic with 20 years experience told me it was normal. I actually typed up a description of the idle noise/vibration and described it in detail to show how serious I was about this issue. The vibration was driving me crazy at all stops.

Your car now idles at 7000RPM????????????? Before it idled at 5-6K?????? Your car's idle is now at redline and you think it's fixed

Originally Posted by velvetlevel

he-he i just paid $130 for injectors cleaning to make the idle better(and reduce vibration by that) which didn't help and monday taking my 545i to the dealer. Thanx for the bulletin info,hope it helps. Do you guys also experience the delay in accelaration after a stop at the light?(a very slight but noticible)? i had 2 740i back in a day and niether of them did that.

Do you mean the bulletin regarding exhaust damping?
I have have experienced a few time the dealy of acceleration. It did not occure after the stop, it happened when the car was running in low speed. I dont think I can reproduce it with the SA. The engine was checked last time and everything seemed perfect.

i can only think that since the car idle at such a low RPM that it needs to get lil higher to accelerate than prev gen. tho my other car(acura tl) idles at about same RPM tho that one takes off like crazy from the line.(for the car like that of'cause)

went to the dealer-they said that there's nothing wrong with the car~!!!!! even Helen Keller would know that something is off!!!

Originally Posted by damonwhite

I took the vehicle to the local BMW dealer where I bought my car. I took it there once and one mechanic said it was normal.
Recently, my breaks were squealing and I wanted them checked. I dropped the car off for the break issue, and also told the guy the problem with the idle noise. He checked the transmission and motor mounts, all were OK. I asked him to increase the idle a hair and he did it and now it is perfect.
I can't understand why they will not increase your idle a hair, especially if this resolves the problem.
The BMW work order states that the vehicle was idling low and an idle adjustment was made which resolved ALL cabin noise and vibration.

i know this is an old post, but can anyone confirm that the idle on the e60 can be adjusted? i have had two bmw dealers (thompson in pa, and atlantic city) look at my 06 525i with idle vibration and both say it is normal (while also acting like they've never heard this complaint before). i showed thompson the sb on the exhaust braket fix, and they told me 'they think' my car already has the newer bracket. they think? what the hell does that mean. either it does or it does not. neither suggested that the idle could be adjusted. if i ask, i am sure that thompson will tell me they cannot adjust the idle. this low idle thing is killing me. my 3 is smooth as glass.. but it also idles at 650/700.. where the 5 is sometimes around 550/600. my hunch is that this really is a 'low idle' problem.. not a loose exhaust problem, and the the idle needs to be raised a hair.

so fyi -- damonwhite sent me a pm and confirmed that his idle was turned up by turnersville bmw in NJ and he even gave me his cotact person there. in the meantime, no surprise, my dealer claims that the idle absolutely is not adjustible. they are putting in the 'updated dampener bracket' that i brought to their attention after finding the tsb about it on this site.
EDIT: the bracket seems to have made a slight improvement, but the vibration is still there

so the part number on my receipt does not match the part numbers in the exhaust bracket tsb. i thought the dealer screwed up, but i found another tsb that has a step #4: Replace the stock 88Hz exhaust vibration dampener (1) with the 32hz dampener PN 18 10 7 506 145. Tighten to 21Nm.

Originally Posted by Eric1992

Ok, I was able to get the dreaded low idle vibration fixed on my 2008 528i. I did some research and found out that there is a bmw service bulletin that describes this problem. The service bulletin number is 18 02 08. (see the description of the bulletin below)


After 2 previous attempts at getting this problem fixed at two different dealerships, the 3rd time was a charm. As usual they initially tried to blow me off and tell me that the booming idle was normal. Then I insisted that they look at the car with the service bulletin that I handed them. The end result was that my idle is now nice and smooth. The problem is not that the idle is too low, but that the problem has to do with the exhaust system vibration. The following is the actual text of the service bulletin:



"Service Bulletin 18 02 08

Customer may complain of a slight vibration and/or droning noise when the vehicle is idling in park, neutral, drive and reverse when engine is at operating temperature.


CAUSE
Insufficient vibration dampening of the exhaust system.


PROCEDURE
1.Verify the complaint. Vibration/droning is most prevalent when engine is at operating temperature.

2.Remove the lower bracket for the exhaust system. If droning/vibration is gone, proceed to step three. If vibration/droning still exists with the lower bracket removed; continue troubleshooting exhaust/driveline for other causes or conditions

3.Remove complete bracket assembly and replace it with the bracket (1) PN 18 20 7 521 346 using two new ASA bolts (PN 07 12 9 905 417. Tighten to 21Nm.
Install front pipe bracket (1) PN 18 20 7 521 347 with four rubber bushings (2) (PN 18 20 7 546 579) to the new 346 bracket with two ASA bolts (PN 07 12 9 904 559) and two nuts (PN 07 12 9 904 580). Tighten down to 21Nm

After performing this procedure the vehicle will exhibit the same amount of normal driveline vibration as a comparably equipped E60 with a M54 or N52 engine."




Now what follows is the exact wording from the invoice of what the dealer did to repair my car:

“Insufficient vibration dampening of the exhaust system. As per service bulletin 18 02 08, verified vibration, removed lower bracket from exhaust system, vibration no longer present, removed and replaced complete exhaust bracket assembly and replaced exhaust vibration dampener, test drove vehicle OK. Defect Code: 18 11 00 39 00 Labor op: 18 99 000”

I hope this helps. This was a real pain, but I am very happy with the result. Let us know if it works for you.

interesting. i wonder if the mechanic here in australia will recognise the TSB

Originally Posted by chicken8

interesting. i wonder if the mechanic here in australia will recognise the TSB

i take it you have the same low idle vibration problem? just so that you know, from my research, beyond the exhaust bracket thing, it seems like for some people their problem was the engine and/or tranny mounts. just something to keep in mind

i initially thought it was just because mine's a diesel

but reading this then im guessing thats not the case as i've found other people with diesels in europe complaining of this issue

you can only feel mine from the drivers seat. all my passengers (front and rear) think im imagining it

Thanks Eric1992 for your post, and the service bulletin. I had a good independent shop install the kit referenced in the SB (apparently the local BMW dealer stocks them which means they sell at least a handful each month). In addition my left engine mount was compressed significantly so I had that changed as well. Not sure why this would happen other than from regular engine torque but I only have 84,000km on the clock. Anyway, after both items were replaced the vibration was better but still there! I took it today to chip tuning expert specializing in European cars locally and he bumped the idle up a little and now it is perfect ... no more complaints

can anyone confirm for me that the bavtech software can adjust idle speed? i just had another bmw dealer tell me that idle speed is not adjustable.. so i guess i'm going to have to do it myself, or bite the bullet and drive an hour and a half to the dealer that did it for damonwhite.

west76, I don't know about the bavtech software, but an independent BMW technician modified my idle about 100 RPM. It is now perfect with no vibration. The stock software can be modified. Good luck :-)

Originally Posted by Eric1992

Ok, I was able to get the dreaded low idle vibration fixed on my 2008 528i. I did some research and found out that there is a bmw service bulletin that describes this problem. The service bulletin number is 18 02 08. (see the description of the bulletin below)


After 2 previous attempts at getting this problem fixed at two different dealerships, the 3rd time was a charm. As usual they initially tried to blow me off and tell me that the booming idle was normal. Then I insisted that they look at the car with the service bulletin that I handed them. The end result was that my idle is now nice and smooth. The problem is not that the idle is too low, but that the problem has to do with the exhaust system vibration. The following is the actual text of the service bulletin:



"Service Bulletin 18 02 08

Customer may complain of a slight vibration and/or droning noise when the vehicle is idling in park, neutral, drive and reverse when engine is at operating temperature.


CAUSE
Insufficient vibration dampening of the exhaust system.


PROCEDURE
1.Verify the complaint. Vibration/droning is most prevalent when engine is at operating temperature.

2.Remove the lower bracket for the exhaust system. If droning/vibration is gone, proceed to step three. If vibration/droning still exists with the lower bracket removed; continue troubleshooting exhaust/driveline for other causes or conditions

3.Remove complete bracket assembly and replace it with the bracket (1) PN 18 20 7 521 346 using two new ASA bolts (PN 07 12 9 905 417. Tighten to 21Nm.
Install front pipe bracket (1) PN 18 20 7 521 347 with four rubber bushings (2) (PN 18 20 7 546 579) to the new 346 bracket with two ASA bolts (PN 07 12 9 904 559) and two nuts (PN 07 12 9 904 580). Tighten down to 21Nm

After performing this procedure the vehicle will exhibit the same amount of normal driveline vibration as a comparably equipped E60 with a M54 or N52 engine."




Now what follows is the exact wording from the invoice of what the dealer did to repair my car:

“Insufficient vibration dampening of the exhaust system. As per service bulletin 18 02 08, verified vibration, removed lower bracket from exhaust system, vibration no longer present, removed and replaced complete exhaust bracket assembly and replaced exhaust vibration dampener, test drove vehicle OK. Defect Code: 18 11 00 39 00 Labor op: 18 99 000”

I hope this helps. This was a real pain, but I am very happy with the result. Let us know if it works for you.

Thanks to you Eric,I just had my local dealer perform the TSB on my 2010 . The dreaded buzzing on idle has gone away. The dealer reviewed my complaint and the TSB number ,gave me a loaner & the work was done the following day.
Very happy with both the SA and the work....Paul at Bob Smith BMW

I have the same problem, it is very annoying to say the least.
1st, it cannot be fixed
2nd, you can play around with the idle, my dealership has done that, I have been there already three times for this issue - by increasing the idle you can almost get rid off the problem, almost, but not entirely. The problem you might encounter, when at a stop light and you let go of the brake, the var may lurch forward a little.

You have two choices, accept it as it is or have the dealer try to adjust to an acceptable level, or seek legal action against BMW, and have them buy your car back.
Sorry, but I have been dealing with this issue for months now, so did my ex wife who had the same car - she just got rid of hers and bought a Porsche - she is done with BMW because of how they handled this issue.
Best of luck
Philipp