My steering wheel started vibrating quite a bit last night when I was driving it in the rain (first time in the wet). It would happen at 70mph on up. I checked the tire pressure...all good.

This morning I took the car to a tire shop and they re-balanced the tires (Michelin Pilot Sports). One of the rears was 1.50 off and one of the fronts was .75 off. They balanced out easily after only a few minutes and some added weights.

As soon as I left the tire shop, the same vibration returned....and just as bad as before....from 70 on up and gets worse the faster you go. So now I'm thinking it's either a warped brake rotor or the front end is out of alignment.

But...the brakes feel perfectly fine when I depress the pedal and it's usually very easy to feel a warped rotor through the brake pedal. And the car doesn't pull to the right or left and was perfectly fine the other day.

About 15 miles later I pulled into a gas station to fill up...and as soon as I left the gas station, the vibration disappeared. I drove 10 miles to my house from the gas station and it never came back. I accelerated numerous times to 100 or so with PSM on and PSM off...as well as using the brakes at speed. No matter what I did, I could NOT reproduce the vibration. FYI...it's still raining outside....has been all day.

Any ideas what it could have been? PSM maybe? I'm at a loss.

 

Not a pro on this, but I would think there was some water sitting on the inside of your rims. I know when I wash my car, with Champion RG5's, I get a small puddle of water on the rims, until I drive off and it flys off, or if I chamois it off. I am not familiar with the inside of HRE's, but that is just my thoughts. Best of Luck!

 

Hmmm...that's a very interesting thought. It seemed to happen the most when it was really pouring out...and the roads were the wettest. Once the rain slowed down, it got better.

It has never happened before when the roads were dry.

 

Looks like M3Cab was pretty much right on. I'm just glad I rarely drive my car in the rain.

HRE 'R' series wheels cause vibration in the rain

 

Hey, glad I could be some help. We have similiar taste in cars. I have an 01 Turbo also, but had an 02 M3 cab which I just sold last month. How do you like the new M with the comp package? I am thinking about that exact same car and color too. My Cab was a pig, and did not feel quick like the coupes at all. I also had the AA exhaust, which to me was very loud but sounded nice once warmed up.

 

I love the new ZCP. It's probably the best all-around daily-driver I've ever owned.

 

Sounds like tire flat spotting to me, does your car sit along time in the garage or elsewhere?


BBGT2

 

ive heard about this many times before: HRE wheels and the reversed lip + rain = vibration

 

Yea exactly... Scott how's the car bud, you liking it??

 

Love it. It's a great car.