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What’s causing the steering wheel to vibrate in my BMW?
John Paul, AAA Northeast's Car Doctor, answers a question from a reader who’s feeling a strange vibration after having a tire replaced.
Q. Back in February my 2020 BMW X4 M hit a large rock on the road that was obstructed by snow on the ground. My right front tire immediately went totally flat. The car was towed to the dealership, the tire was replaced, and I drove it home the next day. About a month later, I started to hear a humming noise coming from the front of the car and then started feeling a vibration in the steering wheel. When I brought it in for service the dealership informed me that the right front camber was off significantly, and the steering column was compromised. All were replaced and I drove the car home two weeks later, only to bring it back within three days because I again heard and felt the vibration. The dealership could not replicate the issue and confirmed the car was fine. Since then, I have heard and felt the vibration periodically, but not every time I drive. Should I be concerned and what should I do?
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A. I suspect something is still not aligned properly. BMW uses a series of rubber and hydro mounts to isolate vibrations. These drivetrain mounts help isolate motor movement for silent and vibration-free operation. If something is a little out-of-whack, that could be the issue. Should you be concerned? If the dealer checked all of the safety-related components, then you are most likely fine. This may be one of those cases where it will need to get worse and more consistent before a solution can be found.
Q. I have a 2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid that is less than a year old and has fewer than 6,000 miles. About three months ago I started getting alerts that the vehicle was turning off some functions in order to “preserve battery life.” Then one day it was completely dead. After getting a jump, I was able to recharge the battery but brought it to the dealership to find out what was wrong. After some back and forth with the dealership and with Ford Customer Service, and about a week sitting on the lot, they replaced the battery. It had been fine since then until just recently when I started getting the same alerts again. So far it has not died, but I am keeping a portable battery jump system with me, just in case. I really like my little truck, but at this point I am beginning to think I have a lemon on my hands. Any thoughts you might have will be greatly appreciated.
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A. First, the Ford Maverick is a great little truck, but it has had some growing pains. The issue as I understand it is the air conditioner control module will not shut down, and that drains the battery. Here is a link to more information about the issue. If this were my truck, I would want to make sure the software is up to date, since it seems to be the possible issue.
Q. Are there any modern versions of the J.C. Whitney company? I miss their catalog.
A. A few years back the J.C. Whitney company was purchased by Carparts.com. Carparts.com has a broad selection of parts for almost every car, but no Winky the Cat or car coffee makers.
Q. I own a 2013 Chrysler 200. Every time I stop and accelerate, the driver’s seat rocks back and forth. I have been to a number of repair facilities and was told it is a common trait in this model year for this vehicle. This is a power seat. In researching the issue, I could not find a fix. Do you have any suggestions?
A. The first thing that needs to be done is to determine if parts are missing. I saw something similar recently and one of the mounting bolts fell out. If all the parts are there and the looseness is the mechanism, then the seat will need to be replaced. Per Chrysler the seat has no serviceable parts other than the switches.
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Q. I hear a rattling sound in my low-mileage 2018 Honda CR-V, like something is loose in the engine area. It happens when I start the car cold, and I hear it intermittently when I am driving. Any idea what I should look for?
A. The most common issue is a loose exhaust heat shield. When the engine warms up the exhaust system expands and quiets the rattle. This should be easy to verify with the car up on a lift. The second possibility is the variable valve timing system is making noise. If the noise only lasts a minute or so, it is normal. The other common issue that happens only when driving is due to the rubber damper caps on top of the strut. Remove the caps and if the rattle is not present, you can buy updated caps that will quiet the noise.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.
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