Squealing on right turns

[SnakeyesTx]

It may sound a little odd, but every once in a while I get this really irritating squealing noise when I turn the wheel more than about 30 degrees to the right. Nothing happens when I turn the wheel left even to full lock. It's really hard to determine if its a belt squeal or a bearing one because I have to be moving and turning and the noise is a little difficult to tell the difference. I didn't want to suspect the belts right away since they were replaced about 2 months ago with zero noise.

The other occasional oddity is sometimes when I get ready to stop and put it into park, when I turn the a/c blower down a few speeds, I'll hear the squeak too, but in a much shorter interval.

It doesn't seem to be effecting the drivability, nor does the a/c feel any warmer (since I had the noise even messing with the fan speed) but the noise is getting a little embarrassing.



On a side note, lately I'm only getting 14.9 mpg too... I suspect my TPS with the older problem I had of the CEL coming on when sitting at lights - basically when the throttle is in the closed position (more prominent in cold weather), but could it really effect my milage THAT much?

[Tiger]

Sounds like your belt tensioner is not tight enough or worn out. Any abnormal wear on right wheel? Maybe alignment issue.

[SnakeyesTx]

Actually, that was going to lead up to my second question. Are E34's really hard on front tires? I had an old XJ-6 and I know that straight 6 was about 200 pounds heavier than a SBC was. It seems like I go through front tires a lot faster than back ones. The wear pattern on them looks pretty even, but they definitely wear down quicker. Most of the roads out here are pretty flat and straight so I seldom get opportunities for "liberated cornering" so I doubt it's really me being hard on the front end.

[Alexlind123]

My rear tires are much more worn than my front tires. Your front tires should really not wear more on a rear drive car.

[Tiger]

Actually it is front supposed to wear more than rear... If your rear tire wears alot more then front, then you got alignment problem. Go have your alignment checked.

[Morgenster]

My front tires are bridgestone turanza and they've been on for some 40000kms now. I still have more than 60% thread depth and they wear very even.
I don't know how long yours have been on but consider that I do 80% highway commute.

edit: Oh and the turning noise I only got in winter when it was low on PS fluid. It was more of a low pitch whine.

[Alexlind123]

Actually it is front supposed to wear more than rear... If your rear tire wears alot more then front, then you got alignment problem. Go have your alignment checked.

No dude, when the rear tires are driven they wear more. Unless you drive like a pussy.

[Tiger]

Highway driving is very little turns so you are going to wear out rear first. For the rest of us, we turn more than we drive so we wear out the front tire first. Also, two different brands of tires means nothing in wear category... they wear differently.

[attack eagle]

No dude, when the rear tires are driven they wear more. Unless you drive like a pussy.
umm it's a 525i... no tiresmoldering torquey launches to wear out the rears. :p

It's harder to turn the wheels when sitting still, so if it was belt related it should do it at a stop too.

I'd be looking at the front right suspension for worn out bits and possibly the bearings myself.

[Tiger]

If the steerig is hard to turn at idle, then I believe your steering rack is shot.

[Ross]

525 doesn't have a rack

[Robin-535im]

525 doesn't have a rack
mmmmmm..... Rack...

[Macv]

mmmmmm..... Rack...

lol

[Tiger]

Mmm... I thought it once had a rack... you are right... In this case, something is seriously wrong with his steering system. Probably a bent tie-rod assembly and maybe a binding idler arm.