[Ozzie55]

Sometimes when I'm changing into lower gears I can hear a slight blowing sound - the only way I can describe it is it sounds like when you blow down a beer bottle.

Does anyone know what might be causing it - it sounds like it's coming from the exhaust - rear of car - but I'm not exactly sure.

[JamesStam]

I have exactly the same and I'm convinced it's just acoustics. Nothing to panic about.

EDIT: I don't get a blowy beer bottle sound. I'll read more carefully in future.

[Jimmy-M2OG]

Hallefuckinglujah finally someone else is hearing what I’ve been having to put up with for the last 12+ months! It’s got nothing to do with the exhaust as mine does it when the road changes from rough to smooth tarmac, if the car is going up a hill and ease of the accelerator, to be honest when it first started doing it it was few and far between now it does it all the time, BMW have acknowledged it’s making a noise but don’t know what it is and recommend I just drove it till it got worse!!!! The car changes gear like a bag of shite so after 18 months of BMW’s efforts of trying to diagnose (plugging car into diagnostics or test driving it) and failing I finally took the car to a good independent who with in a mile of driving the car was stumped at how anyone at BMW was missing the fact the dual mass flywheel was absolutely knackered, when I presented this to BMW they wanted to charge me 7Hrs @£135 to take it apart and then see if the warranty would cover it (this is a BMW extended warranty). When it was still under the original AUC warranty one of the guys test driving it voiced an opinion it was a clutch issue but I was told at the time that wasn’t the case.

I’m currently taking this up with BMW customer services.

Sorry I got side tracked but I’m pretty sure it’s nothing to do with the exhaust the noise your getting as my car has an N20 petrol engine.

Is your car a manual or automatic? Mines is a manual Xdrive

[RENT-A-GOAT]

This sounds familiar albeit I had this on a VW Passat but it was more of an "owl hoot" sort of sound. VW said it was normal "a design characteristic" part of the car, turned out it wasn't and was the thrust bearing in gearbox was all sorted under warranty but never happened again once replaced.

I'm not sure if it could be the same thing in the BM's as it sounds similar although not the same sound but definitely under the same driving conditions it's occurring.

[Ozzie55]

Originally Posted by Jimmy-320msport

Hallefuckinglujah finally someone else is hearing what I’ve been having to put up with for the last 12+ months! It’s got nothing to do with the exhaust as mine does it when the road changes from rough to smooth tarmac, if the car is going up a hill and ease of the accelerator, to be honest when it first started doing it it was few and far between now it does it all the time, BMW have acknowledged it’s making a noise but don’t know what it is and recommend I just drove it till it got worse!!!! The car changes gear like a bag of shite so after 18 months of BMW’s efforts of trying to diagnose (plugging car into diagnostics or test driving it) and failing I finally took the car to a good independent who with in a mile of driving the car was stumped at how anyone at BMW was missing the fact the dual mass flywheel was absolutely knackered, when I presented this to BMW they wanted to charge me 7Hrs @£135 to take it apart and then see if the warranty would cover it (this is a BMW extended warranty). When it was still under the original AUC warranty one of the guys test driving it voiced an opinion it was a clutch issue but I was told at the time that wasn’t the case.

I’m currently taking this up with BMW customer services.

Sorry I got side tracked but I’m pretty sure it’s nothing to do with the exhaust the noise your getting as my car has an N20 petrol engine.

Is your car a manual or automatic? Mines is a manual Xdrive

HI thanks so much for the detailed info this might really help me - I haven't called BMW yet but just wanted to check on here first if anyone had a similar problem. My 320D is manual - when I first bought the car I didn't hear the sound but it's just recently started. It's exactly as you say I can hear it when accelerating up hills as well.

Thanks for your response

[Nrhamilton]

I was getting the same sound under heavy acceleration. Then I got the drivechain message. Took it to BMW and it was the actuator rod end, they are currently fitting a brand new turbo under warranty. They gave me a G20 320i with all the toys only 2 weeks old as a courtesy car meanwhile, thing is now I don't want to take it back!

[Jimmy-M2OG]

@Ozzie55, no problem mate, glad to try and help.
@Nrhamilton, that’s interesting as my car has only started making the noise after BMW fitted a new turbo, and it has gradually got worse.