Non-A/C cringe-inducing fan/whine from center console stack

[Barbja]

Has anyone heard a whine coming from the center console stack?

When I was driving home from visiting my parents this past Sunday evening a noise started coming from there that sounded kind of like a high speed hard disk that's going bad. It kept going after I turned off the A/C, then even after I completely shut the car off when I stopped to get a soda. When I came back to the car it was finally off.

It started up again 20 miles out and stayed for about 15 mins or so. I could hear it 'under' the A/C and the radio (I was alone in the car and was NOT at a low volume).

I took the car in to have the pipes changed on Monday; I told my SA about it. When he called yesterday, he said that it was a cooling fan and that it was normal. A fan that is going to drive me bananas is normal? I told him to go back and ask the techs if I had one in my '11 X5 and if so, I never heard it in a year, so I better not hear that one either.

So -- has anyone else heard a non-A/C cringe-inducing fan/whine running behind their console stack that will stay on after they shut off their car? If so, perhaps it IS normal and I'm just being a baby. Otherwise, I'll have some data points for talking to my SA.

Thanks guys!

[dmlgc]

I can hear the fan when I'm stopped at lights (it spins faster) but not coming from the center console. In general the X6 is noisier than any other BMW I have own.

[somonster]

got nav?

could it be the hard drive?

[AndreyATC]

^^ No,
HD based NAV does not make any noise
My car is super quiet inside
I dont think there should be any aditional noises besides engine and exhaust sound

[Barbja]

Yes I do have a nav and that is what I originally thought the sound was.

After 30 years of listening to hard disks spin all around me, I certainly know what one sounds like. Of course I know that a well-made happy hard disk should be silent. However, when they're not, there are a myriad of sounds they can produce. The noise definitely had that distinctive 'I'm a high-speed hard disk and I'm not so happy' sound.

When I took it in my SA told me that's exactly where the hard disk lives, and now the sound is a fan? Pfft.

[somonster]

Originally Posted by AndreyATC

^^ No,
HD based NAV does not make any noise
My car is super quiet inside
I dont think there should be any aditional noises besides engine and exhaust sound

well, it's not SUPPOSED to make noise but the fear is that the hard drive isn't functioning quite normally.

As soon as i get in the car I can hear the hard drive clicking / reading (no high-pitched whining, though) from the center stack. There are the expected little whirrs and clicks here and there as various systems (soft-close, comfort access, auto memory seats, etc...) kick on and off, but there's certainly nothing in my car that would be audible once the engine is running.

Noises and squeaks must be frustrating to diagnose, but I'd ask the service advisor to consider swapping the hard drive if you continue to have problems.

Good luck, hope you find a solution soon...

[somonster]

Originally Posted by Barbja

Yes I do have a nav and that is what I originally thought the sound was.

After 30 years of listening to hard disks spin all around me, I certainly know what one sounds like. Of course I know that a well-made happy hard disk should be silent. However, when they're not, there are a myriad of sounds they can produce. The noise definitely had that distinctive 'I'm a high-speed hard disk and I'm not so happy' sound.

When I took it in my SA told me that's exactly where the hard disk lives, and now the sound is a fan? Pfft.

Whether it's a fan or a hard disk, if it's making that much noise it's certainly not working like it should. something's rubbing or vibrating in a not-normal way. If they insist it's normal, have them duplicate the noise in every car they have on the lot. If they STILL insist it's normal, tell 'em SOMONSTER said they're just plain wrong and they'd better fix it right away OR ELSE!!

I really love my 35i, but cars are soooo complicated these days problems like this are (sadly) par for the course.

again, good luck and let us know how it turns out...

[Barbja]

When I got my car back yesterday from them NOT installing my new pipes (long story; its going back again a week from Monday), my SA said that ... wait for it ... they had to replace the whole "computer" back there because it was going bad.

I know that it has the satellite radio in it because they had to swap my ESN with Sirius and I also had to redo every setting that I had in the idrive except my phone.

I hope its all better!