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      01-21-2020, 12:38 PM   #1
ezmaass
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Strange whirring noise near headlight on lock/unlock

So, I had my 650 in for service, and I also had them do a CPO since I plan to keep the car now. Upon driving it home today, I locked the car and noticed that it was making a strange (fairly loud) whirring noise from behind the right headlight.

I'm used to all of the "normal" sounds you get after shutting the car down - fans, etc. This was very different. It's very clearly coming from behind the front right light, and it's a whirring - prominent enough that it sounds like it's making the case of the light vibrate.

To replicate it, I simply lock OR unlock the car. It makes the noise for about 5 seconds and then stops - makes a quick winding down kind of noise, like when an electric motor stops spinning.

Strangest thing - but I'm very tuned into my cars, so I know it's a "new" sound and not something ever there before. I've done a bit of searching and came across some similar discussion about F10's doing what seems to sound similar in nature, but no conclusions on what it is/was in those threads.

Has anyone here experienced this or have clue what it can be? I'm wondering if it may also be associated with a software update that's now turning on/off a component there as part of the car's wake-up / go-to-sleep process as it's unlocked/locked.

Just deciding whether I should turn around and bring it back in or let it go for now and see what happens.
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      01-21-2020, 02:31 PM   #2
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Do you think you can rule out the aux electric pump for the turbos & the electric pump for the charge air cooling system? This cooling system is in addition to the engine cooling system which uses a mechanical (belt driven) pump. The turbos use #3 in the illustration below...and the charge air coolers and engine ECUs are facilitated by G in the illustration below...and can run up to 30 minutes after the car shuts down.

I mention it because it in the vicinity of the right headlight...not directly behind it but if we're talking about sound coming from the engine bay...this would be near the right front headlight:
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Last edited by Qsilver7; 01-21-2020 at 02:44 PM..
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      01-21-2020, 02:48 PM   #3
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Just for additional info and not to confuse the cooling system above with the engine cooling system...see the engine's cooling system in the illustration/info below:
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      01-21-2020, 08:08 PM   #4
ezmaass
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Thanks QSilver!

So, I went out a bit later, and the sound has all but subsided. I still can hear it, but it's now very quiet. I assume it's always been there, but it's probably been very quiet and therefore unnoticeable. But for whatever reason, it was super loud for a period of time. On lock and unlock I could hear it prominently whirring away - so loud, as I said, that it felt like it was vibrating the headlight.

A pump would definitely make sense as it sounded like an electric motor of sorts when spinning down after 5 seconds or so.

I'll keep an eye on it to see if it comes back. Whatever it is, it definitely happens on both unlock and lock, so I assumed it may be a pump that's trying to prime certain components.
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      01-22-2020, 09:41 AM   #5
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These cars have so many little things going on behind the scenes...I'm always hearing something...it's as if the thing is alive sometimes. I can walk past it in the garage and it will make noise...or if you open the door to get something you left inside...after you close the door...it will make some sounds that have nothing to do with what you just did.

BTW...that's why I keep it on the battery tender when I know it won't be driven in a day or two. Who knows when she's waking up (using the battery) then going back to sleep.
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      01-22-2020, 10:41 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Qsilver7 View Post
These cars have so many little things going on behind the scenes...I'm always hearing something...it's as if the thing is alive sometimes. I can walk past it in the garage and it will make noise...or if you open the door to get something you left inside...after you close the door...it will make some sounds that have nothing to do with what you just did.

BTW...that's why I keep it on the battery tender when I know it won't be driven in a day or two. Who knows when she's waking up (using the battery) then going back to sleep.
Yes, absolutely - and I suspect it's part of the reason these cars apparently eat their batteries! My previous 550 and now this 650 both had their batteries proactively replaced by BMW at the 2 year service. I never had any issues with them (e.g. low voltage warnings or trouble cranking), and the only explanation I got from BMW was that it was instructed to be done by corporate at this time - seems very crazy. But considering it was being done under warranty, I didn't argue with them!

I'll continue paying attention to this one and see where it goes. Like I said, I think the sound probably always existed on lock/unlock (as it must be part of the car's wake-up/shut-down procedure), but it was just significantly louder for some reason. Consequently, I did read on an F10 forum discussion that some of the folks were witnessing something which sounded similar, and there was potentially a link to a software update. I didn't verify if BMW did a SW update, but it's quite possible as, like I said, I was having the car CPO'd and they tend to go through quite a lot in the process.
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      01-22-2020, 10:54 AM   #7
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If you have led headlights they have heatsinks and fans which stay on a little after shutdown.
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      01-23-2020, 02:21 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ezmaass View Post
Yes, absolutely - and I suspect it's part of the reason these cars apparently eat their batteries! My previous 550 and now this 650 both had their batteries proactively replaced by BMW at the 2 year service. I never had any issues with them (e.g. low voltage warnings or trouble cranking), and the only explanation I got from BMW was that it was instructed to be done by corporate at this time - seems very crazy. But considering it was being done under warranty, I didn't argue with them!

I'll continue paying attention to this one and see where it goes. Like I said, I think the sound probably always existed on lock/unlock (as it must be part of the car's wake-up/shut-down procedure), but it was just significantly louder for some reason. Consequently, I did read on an F10 forum discussion that some of the folks were witnessing something which sounded similar, and there was potentially a link to a software update. I didn't verify if BMW did a SW update, but it's quite possible as, like I said, I was having the car CPO'd and they tend to go through quite a lot in the process.
Guys, yes I can attest to the odd noise , buzz and ting comes from my 650 at times when simply standing still .... Lol I’ve walked past my car at times to put stuff in the waste bins and heard odd little noises come from mine and wtf? .... sleep and wake up is a spot on analogy Qsilver7!
Ezmaass, I hear the fans whirring after I Park for a little while maybe 5 minutes this isn’t that unusual though. I do hear a series of sounds that seem to encircle the car , like a ‘ self check’ at times...
I assume the whirring you are referring to at the front of your car are not the cooling fans. Heavens knows what little self check items our sharks have in them to keep their brows in check.... 👌
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      01-23-2020, 07:14 PM   #9
ezmaass
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JBF650 View Post
Guys, yes I can attest to the odd noise , buzz and ting comes from my 650 at times when simply standing still .... Lol I’ve walked past my car at times to put stuff in the waste bins and heard odd little noises come from mine and wtf? .... sleep and wake up is a spot on analogy Qsilver7!
Ezmaass, I hear the fans whirring after I Park for a little while maybe 5 minutes this isn’t that unusual though. I do hear a series of sounds that seem to encircle the car , like a ‘ self check’ at times...
I assume the whirring you are referring to at the front of your car are not the cooling fans. Heavens knows what little self check items our sharks have in them to keep their brows in check.... 👌
Yep, there are definitely a bunch of little sounds - stuff like the HVAC will do self diagnostics every so often to open/close the vents, cooling fans run, etc. I've definitely heard a bunch of those over the years, but this was definitely something different and odd enough that it was like, "BMW wouldn't have let that leave the factory sounding like that." It was loud and causing the headlight to vibrate. I can only assume it was something temporarily out of whack... or maybe it could still be a failing component that may just be temporarily acting up and may come back. We'll see!
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      02-03-2020, 11:16 AM   #10
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From my experience with bmw's especially as they age they start making a lot of funny sounds... when new you dont hear anything but... It's just how they are.....
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      02-08-2020, 03:23 PM   #11
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The electric water pumps occasionally run even when the car is off, as does the fan. Although the fan would be obvious, the pumps might not be. As for hearing it now vs when new, they get noisier as they get older.
I don't remember if this is how to initiate the procedure, but this try this. Turn on the ignition (don't start the car) and immediately depress the accel pedal for about 20secs. You should hear a very faint whirring sound. This would be your aux pumps running. Depending on how old they are, you will either hear them or just hear liquid running in the system. There are 2. One behind the radiator, and another in front of the driver wheel. They are independent of each other, and run different systems.
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