My wife's X3 has developed a faint whining noise at low speeds (40-70 km/h). The frequency of the whine is road-speed dependent, so I have ruled out anything on the engine. The noise is present during acceleration and deceleration, although it is more pronounced under power.
I can detect no difference in the noise when turning left/right, so I am unsure if the noise comes from worn wheel bearings but I cannot rule it out.
The car is at 185k on the odo, and had the transfer case replaced at about 130k when it made a distinct rumbling noise.
I am really hoping it is something relatively minor like a worn wheel bearing and not the TC again or the front/rear diffs.
How can I test the wheel bearings? I will jack up the car and turn/wiggle the wheels to check for play on the hub, but on the X3 it is difficult to spin the wheels seeing that it has four half-shafts...
I can detect no difference in the noise when turning left/right, so I am unsure if the noise comes from worn wheel bearings but I cannot rule it out.
The car is at 185k on the odo, and had the transfer case replaced at about 130k when it made a distinct rumbling noise.
I am really hoping it is something relatively minor like a worn wheel bearing and not the TC again or the front/rear diffs.
How can I test the wheel bearings? I will jack up the car and turn/wiggle the wheels to check for play on the hub, but on the X3 it is difficult to spin the wheels seeing that it has four half-shafts...