High pitch grinding noise as wheel speed increases

[kb43ver]

Help! I am trying to troubleshoot a high pitch grinding noise on my 2013 X5 x35i, 87k miles. It's doing that noise since about ~11 months, or I started to notice it last last spring. As per the title, it's not RPM related. Transmission got services 4 months ago, and runs smooth.

As per my mechanic, it's not a wheel bearing. Another (old) mechanic changed the rear disk pads around that same time-frame.

FYI - got a complete front disks+calipers upgrade in July last year, and the front diff got replaced 2 years ago (before I purchase the car). The car runs A1 and I am at a lost.

Any insights ?

Eric, from Montreal.

[DialedIn]

If it is only at slow speeds and related to wheel speed it is probably a wheel bearing. You'll hear the wheel bearing go bad many months before you can actually detect any play.

[kb43ver]

There's no play, but I will go recheck it to be 100%. The noise is high pitch metallic rubbing in nature, and increases as wheel speed go faster, then summit. The sound didn't change in intensity nor pitch since I noticed it.

I notice it a lot more when let say I drive in a street with cars parked on both sides. Could a differential going bad do that noise?

Much appreciated.

[DialedIn]

Definitely sounds to me like a wheel bearing. Again, they start to make noise looong before actually having any play. So there is no real need to replace it yet.

If a differential made the noise you'd be able to change the sound just with the gas pedal when free wheeling. Gas pedal pressed (sound off), gas pedal released (sound on).

[kb43ver]

Originally Posted by DialedIn

Definitely sounds to me like a wheel bearing. Again, they start to make noise looong before actually having any play. So there is no real need to replace it yet.

If a differential made the noise you'd be able to change the sound just with the gas pedal when free wheeling. Gas pedal pressed (sound off), gas pedal released (sound on).

That make sense... will go next week to a different shop and will put it on a lift and drive it. Thanks for your inputs.