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2004 BMW 318 Vibrating steering

Tiny
KAM318CI
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 BMW 318
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 70,000 MILES
Hello Pro's

Recently I noticed my steering wheel wobbles allot. If I let go of my steering I can actually see the wheel wobble and shake quite allot.

It wasnt so bad last time I drove it but today, the wobble is allot more. I have read several forums but most people with the same symptoms find it wobbles when braking which doesnt apply to me, mine just starts shaking after 10 minutes of normal driving. I thought it could be tire pressure so I just filled them up to manufacturers spec but that didnt help.

things iv noticed is that it doenst happen straight away, i.E when the car is cold, but after about 10 min of driving average 30-40 mph the wobble will start.

Also after having to drive on the motorway to work with the wobble, I noticed that my driver side wheel seems really hot and I can smell burning. I compared it to the other wheel at the front which is more or less cool.

I think thats all the information I have, please help pro's!
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Thursday, January 15th, 2009 AT 9:17 AM

5 Replies

Tiny
DOCHAGERTY
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,601 POSTS
The lower control arms and the control arm bushings are probably in need of replacement like all the E-46 models with that mileage.
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Thursday, January 15th, 2009 AT 9:33 AM
Tiny
KAM318CI
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
That does seem a logical explanation. Could you tell me if this is an expensive repair?

Also I did a bit of research and I found that a common problem is the rotors warping due to exessive heat from the brake disc. Could this be the potential problem?
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Thursday, January 15th, 2009 AT 9:39 AM
Tiny
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  • MECHANIC
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The cost of labor will determine the overall cost. Time to replace these parts is about 1.5 hrs. And the control arms and lower brackets can be priced online at Realoem. Com
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Thursday, January 15th, 2009 AT 9:50 AM
Tiny
KAM318CI
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thanks, i've booked it into my local garage to get both the control arms and bushes replaced as the quote was relatively cheap.

Thanks allot for your expert help. One last question, can you tell me if rotors and brake discs are the same thing? Im from U.K and nobody knows what im on about when I refer to rotors.
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Thursday, January 15th, 2009 AT 10:00 AM
Tiny
DOCHAGERTY
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,601 POSTS
Discs and rotors are the same thing.
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Thursday, January 15th, 2009 AT 2:58 PM

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