Why does My BMW Shake at High Speeds?

BMW despite of being one of the best luxury cars, still if faces many issues. One of such issue is shaking of BMW while at high speeds. Shaking causes inconvenience and uncomfortable among passengers. Shaking can also increase various risks. In this article, you will know what causes a BMW to shake at high speeds and how to get rid of it.

What causes your BMW car to shake while accelerating?

There are many causes that make a car to shake or vibrate while acceleration. Here are some common causes.

Wheels are unbalanced

Uneven wearing of any of the tires causes unbalance in wheels. Even some newly manufactured tires can have imperfections When such wheels together run on road with high speed causes vibration or rapid shaking when the car is accelerated. Use of wrong tires can also cause such imbalance. Unbalanced wheels are most common reasons for shaking of vehicles.

Absence of proper wheel alignment

Misaligned wheels also cause shaking of car. This happens if you mostly drive on potholes and curbs. This can also cause excessive wearing of tires. You will find your car pulling to one side continuously. You will find it difficult to control your car.

Damage in wheels

A wheel consists of a rim and a tire. If you are driving over obstacles like speed bumps and potholes without slowing your car, then it can cause damage to the rim and tire gradually. The rims get bent and tires may get bulges and cracks at its sidewall. Damaged tires and rims are to be replaced. Also lug nuts on wheels are left loose after wheel replacement can cause shaking. With rims and tires, you have to also check the lug nut if it is properly tightened or not.

Damaged wheel bearings

A damaged wheel bearing is also caused by driving more over potholes or any uneven roads. It is also caused by overloading or driving for a long time. The impact of the weight of the car and other additional forces increase while driving on obstacles more. Driving more on plain roads minimize the risk of bearing damage. Bearings are also very important parts of a car. Damage of bearings causes grinding sounds with high vibration while driving straight and knocking sounds while turning or changing lanes.

Suspension and steering parts are worn out

If the suspension and some steering parts wear or get loosened then it can make your car shake vigorously, especially while driving over a rocky path, speed bumps or even while turning. There will also be some rattling and clunking sounds from front suspension.

Pressure in tires

The pressure in the tires should neither be too high, nor too low from the pressure recommended by the manufacturer. A low pressure in tires does make the car to vibrate at high speeds. A high pressure in tires can lead to wear and tear due to expansion.

Axle is bad

An axle is a shaft that gives power to the wheels and makes it rotate to make the car move. If the axle is defective or worn out, then it will make the car vibrate while running.

How to fix the problem?

To fix the issue, first you must find out the cause. If you reach to the root of the problem, then you can easily diagnose the issue.

1. First, the mechanic will check the wheels. If the rim is bent or damaged, then he will replace it. The same he would do to the tires too.
2. If there is no damage on the rim, then the wheels mush have been unbalanced. By a wheel balancing machine, you can check if the wheel is balanced or not. Unbalance is rectified by attaching weight on the rim to shift the center of mass at the axis of the wheel. Experts recommend balancing the wheels once for every 5000 miles.
3. To know whether wheels are properly aligned or not, technicians use electric diagnostic tools. If the wheels are badly aligned then the actual value will deviate from target value which is given by the manufacturer. This deviation is measured to align the wheels properly.
4. Then the bearings are to be checked. Faulty bearings are replaced.
5. If the wheel lug nuts are loose, then it is tightened by a lug wrench.
6. The mechanic will also check the tire pressure and correct it.
7. If still the problem continues, then the suspension, steering system and the axle is checked. Bad components are replaced with new ones.

Conclusion

To fix this issue, you have to take your car to a good mechanic or a car workshop. They have various equipment to test and know the actual cause of the issue. Do not delay in fixing this issue as it may give rise to other serious issues.

Rowlett Motorwerks located in Rowlett, TX is a leading European auto repair and service shop in the entire area. The mechanics in Rowlett believe in getting the job done right. We have decades of experience working with European, Domestic and Asian.