I had a similar problem earlier, I was getting a rolling sound (like a coin in can) from roof, opened the sun roof shade and sliding the sun roof back in slow steps while looking in with a powerful flashlight I was able to spot a piece of tree bark, took it out and it was gone. Unfortunately the sound is back again and this time from somewhere back of roof (wife can hear clearly from back seat when I take sharp curves), tried the same thing again and no luck. Anyone has any ideas about what I can do to find out what's been making this noise without pulling things apart?
Noise from roof.
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That's a tough one....is it the same kind of noise? Does it do it when braking or just when turning?
It happens only on turns. My guess is a lose washer/nut on some sort of a rod inside the roof. I opened and lowered the roof liner from D pillar yesterday just enough to take a peek inside, there were no lose debris/parts on the liner (getting the liner off the D pillar is surprisingly easy though). Motor looked intact and basically no visible signs of anything lose and yet there was same noise later in the evening. Its driving me nuts already.
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I know. Several different noises start coming up with the colder temps. Just a couple of days ago my drivers seat strted creaking again! 
Been looking at realoem for any potential clues but doesn't look like any lose part could be trapped inside without going through to the empty space just under "shark fin" in the liner which I already looked into by opening it from D pillar. :dunno:
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EDIT: Not sure if this is correct though, the image shows only one drain in the rear while I saw two, one on each side. My sunroof cassette was replaced under warranty after the shade broke, it is a possibility that it was replaced with the one from later model years. Do later ones come with two drains? If so, can someone post the pic from realoem please. I don't know how to mine through this site without entering VIN and I don't know VIN of any later year car.
EDIT: Not sure if this is correct though, the image shows only one drain in the rear while I saw two, one on each side. My sunroof cassette was replaced under warranty after the shade broke, it is a possibility that it was replaced with the one from later model years. Do later ones come with two drains? If so, can someone post the pic from realoem please. I don't know how to mine through this site without entering VIN and I don't know VIN of any later year car.
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Maybe that is what it is - a nut. Such as an acorn or something like that. Maybe it fell onto your roof and got in there when the sunroof was opened?
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Mine is a 2005 and it has 1 drain on each corner.
That's a good possibility.
Not having an X3 myself, I'm gonna venture and suggest something. Get yourself something magnetized at the end of a wand, narrow enough that you can push through whatever opening you can find close to where the noise is coming from. Who knows, if it is a nut, screw or bolt, you'll be able to fish it out. Strange noises of an unknown source, drive me nuts as well (no pun intended).
That's what it was the first time around and I could see it from the opening between shade and glass when shade was drawn back. Can't see anything this time.
Thanks X3-t. I got confused because realoem shows only one drain. Perhaps they show only what is visible from the viewing angle of drawing.
That is a good idea, thanks. I will try it out tomorrow. My bro-in-law is coming to help me out with it on Sunday. If I can't find the source by then, we will take the sunroof glasses out and try to locate the culprit. Its maddening taking a corner and tang-tunang over your head. FWIW, I took a look/felt inside the little plastic tray between two glass panels of sunroof, nothing there either.
Okay, we fixed it yesterday. The plastic clips that hold the liner with roof had come lose from the back of sunroof and was roaming freely inside. If you look at the second picture in post 7 of this thread its part#13 in it, the ones that came off were from the back of sun roof, the second and fourth from left if you are looking back into the car. You can not see that portion of roof by opening the liner from back of car, but the liner can be pulled from edges on sunroof and these clips pop open, they can then be pushed back in. We drove the car first with me in the back seat to determine the exact location of noise and after that it was just 10 minutes task to fix it. Back to quiet ride
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Mine did that right a day before I gave it to my mom to go get my E90, I think it knew it was leaving me. :angel:I know. Several different noises start coming up with the colder temps. Just a couple of days ago my drivers seat strted creaking again!
As for the sunroof, mine started making a noise too, but different from the typical rattling. It was more of a creak. :dunno:
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Good to hear ya fixed it!:thumbup:
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