Re: driveline problems on 1987 735i (archive)

I heard an occasional "thump-thump" under the tunnel when pulling away hard from a stop. Otherwise, no noises. A couple months later my tranny went out. When I pulled the driveline to get the tranny out I found dust in the u-joints instead of bearings. I believe the energy needed to turn that semi-seized driveline burned out my tranny. Both are very expensive. U-joints are non-serviceable, so check price and availability of parts before you pull it.

It might be just the center bearing, but with that many miles...err..kilos...it's a good chance you've got u-joint problems too. In either case you'll have to pull the driveline.

Also check engine mounts, tranny mount, guibo and anything like heat shielding that could be rubbing on the driveline.

You may have to pull the exhaust to pull the driveline, so now may be the time to think about a new exhaust system too. Mine rusted from the inside-out and didn't show signs of deterioration until I blew the muffler off the back end.

I would consider having a professional determine if the tranny is bad. You don't want to go to the trouble of replacing the driveline, only to find out the tranny is weak too!

Hope it helps, Korby

I have noted some intermittent problems with the driveline. Last week, the I felt a strong vibration coming from just behind the center console when driving in a parking lot. The noise went away and did not reoccur. Then, last night I began to hear a metal-to-metal screeching noise that was speed sensitive in nature. It also went away and did not reappear. But I do notice that if I have the radio and heater off that I can occassionally hear a faint squeaking noise from the driveline. What could it be? The car has 143k kilometers.

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