Alright, let’s talk about that “bmw shaking” thing I was messing with today. Man, it was a day!
First off, the problem. My old BMW, she’s been shakin’ like Elvis lately, especially when idling. Not a subtle shake, more like a full-on shimmy. I figured it was either engine mounts, or something fuel related, or maybe even a vacuum leak. Classic BMW stuff, right?
So, I started with the easy stuff. I popped the hood and just gave the engine a visual. Checked for any obvious loose connections, cracked hoses, that kinda thing. Nothing jumped out. Figured I’d start with the simplest solution and work my way up.
Next up? Spark plugs. I hadn’t changed them in a while, and figured it was a good place to start. Pulled ’em out, and they looked…okay. A little worn, maybe. I replaced them with some new Bosch plugs I had lying around. Buttoned everything back up, fired her up…still shaking. Damn.
Okay, Plan B. I went to thinking about the fuel system. I had some fuel injector cleaner sitting around. I dumped that in the gas tank. Usually it’s snake oil but hey why not? Then I took it out for a drive, trying to give it a good workout, hoping the cleaner would do its thing. No dice. Still shaking like crazy!
Time to get serious. I borrowed an OBD2 scanner from my buddy down the street. Plugged it in, and… nothing. No error codes. Seriously? That’s almost worse than having a code. At least a code gives you somewhere to start!
I started thinking it had to be engine mounts. I grabbed a pry bar and started gently trying to move the engine around. You can usually tell if the mounts are shot that way. They didn’t seem completely gone, but definitely looked compressed and worn. That could be it!
I debated on changing the motor mounts myself. I’ve done it before, but it’s always a pain. It’s really tight, especially on the exhaust side, getting those bolts out. I decided to bite the bullet and have a local mechanic do it. Honestly, my back was already killing me.
Dropped it off at the shop this morning. They called me this afternoon and said the mounts were definitely shot. All three of ’em, especially the right-side one. They replaced them, and guess what?
She’s running smooth as butter now! No more shaking. The mechanic even said it sounded better. So, yeah, it was the engine mounts. Should have trusted my gut! Lesson learned: don’t always assume the worst, but don’t ignore the obvious either. Now I can cruise in peace without feeling like I’m riding a paint shaker.
Here’s what I did, step by step:
- Visual inspection under the hood.
- Replaced the spark plugs.
- Added fuel injector cleaner.
- Scanned for OBD2 codes (nothing found).
- Inspected engine mounts with a pry bar.
- Took it to a mechanic who replaced all three mounts.
That’s my day! Hopefully this helps someone else wrestling with the infamous BMW shake. Sometimes it’s the simple things, even if they’re a pain to fix.
