E89 Comprehensive problem list

[abientostyle]

2010 23i. The sensors went on the roof so it lost all positional sense and was stuck in the open position. Luckily close to BMW dealer and not raining.Was 4.45pm on a Friday. Given courtesy car and picked mine back up Monday. No hint of any problems before it happened (2012).Fixed on warranty and great support from dealer. Mechanic said "they had seen a few with this issue". Otherwise the car has been perfect over the 3 years of ownership.Only regret was not ordering the sports seats as the standard ones don`t give enough support on bends.Changing to the face-lifted model this weekend. Ordered in April! with Msport spec so get the seats.Was given one for an afternoon to try before I bought.Will miss the sound of the 6 cylinder changing from 1st to 2nd with the top down otherwise the new spec looks and feels good and even hit the 41+MPG without any trouble on a 1500 mile demo car (2.0i turbo not 2.8i).

 

[Sketchley]

Guess I should put mine here

1. 28i Msport Auto
2. 2013 / 13
3. Deep Sea Blue
4. Walnut Extended
5. Crackling and distortion through rear speakers even with hifi off (Pro Media and Pro Speaker Upgrade). Come and goes sometimes in left rear sometime right rear sometimes both. Initially only on start up but has got worse over time (3 days)
5a. BMW Dealer says faulty rear amp
5b. Unresolved, worldwide back order of amps at BMW, rear amp disconected so no crackling currently but no rear speakers and I guess subs (need to check that tonight) either.
5c. All to be fixed at no cost to me
5d. Nothing to add except dealer is doing what I would expect. It's annoying but these thing happen. Dealer is looking to provide a sweatner as car was only 1 day old when problem occurred.

Problem now moving to front spekers. Dealer doing all they can. But BMW UK being rubbish when I finally got a response they were unable or unwilling to tell me when new amplifer will be delivered. It's been 18 days since fault diagnosed anbd part order and they still cannot tell me! They are blaming BMW Germany and a new parts ordering system for all the problems. Througouly ****** off by the whole thing. This was supposed to be my dream new car!!! This morning sent emil to BMW Group CEO, hopefully that will get somewhere......

 

[Sketchley]

Guess I should put mine here

1. 28i Msport Auto
2. 2013 / 13
3. Deep Sea Blue
4. Walnut Extended
5. Crackling and distortion through rear speakers even with hifi off (Pro Media and Pro Speaker Upgrade). Come and goes sometimes in left rear sometime right rear sometimes both. Initially only on start up but has got worse over time (3 days)
5a. BMW Dealer says faulty rear amp
5b. Unresolved, worldwide back order of amps at BMW, rear amp disconected so no crackling currently but no rear speakers and I guess subs (need to check that tonight) either.
5c. All to be fixed at no cost to me
5d. Nothing to add except dealer is doing what I would expect. It's annoying but these thing happen. Dealer is looking to provide a sweatner as car was only 1 day old when problem occurred.

Problem now moving to front spekers. Dealer doing all they can. But BMW UK being rubbish when I finally got a response they were unable or unwilling to tell me when new amplifer will be delivered. It's been 18 days since fault diagnosed anbd part order and they still cannot tell me! They are blaming BMW Germany and a new parts ordering system for all the problems. Througouly ****** off by the whole thing. This was supposed to be my dream new car!!! This morning sent emil to BMW Group CEO, hopefully that will get somewhere......

BMW are finally are delivering an amplifier to dealer this week. It's only 6 weeks since fault discovered. My dealings with BMW UK customer services have been less than ideal. Why it takes 6 week from order to get an amplifier I don't know! I had multiple exuses the latest being that it has to go through quality control, which is laughable as is the quality control was that detailed then the problem would have been found first time round....

Here's hoping that when fitted it gets rid of the problem and I can enjoy the car I paid for!

 

[Sketchley]

Car is finnaly being fixed to today. Fault diagnosed 11th June and part ordered, delviered to dealer yesterday July 18th. 5 weeks and 2 days to deliver a part. Still have no idea why it took so long, BMW UK have been next to useless, but at least they are going to review a good will guesture for me, so that make it allright then!

 

[Stark]

Overheard that BMW are having major parts delays as problems due to a change in their structuring in Germany, and some parts taking months and weeks to come thru...

 

[Fozzstar]

1. E89 Model: 35i DCT with adaptive suspension
2. Year / Reg: 2009 - 59reg
3. Colour exterior: Deep Sea Blue Metallic
4. Colour interior: Canberra Beige extended leather

5. Issues experienced, notes & status:

5a. Issue description - Clunk from rear driver's side suspension
5b. Current status - awaiting fitting of new adaptive rear shock absorber
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under used-car warranty
5d. Comments? - Dealer tried to charge for labour to identify the problem! It's taken 2 months to get to the point of identifying the problem component.

 

[jaz4]

1. 28i Msport
2. Year / Reg: 2012 - 62
3. Colour exterior: Brisb Red
4. Colour interior: Beige Leather

5. Issues experienced, notes & status

5a. Issue description - BOTH Rear lights Cracked within 200 miles / 1 week from show room (purchased May with 28 miles)
5b. Current status - Both replaced.
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under warranty
5d. Comments? - Had water in the 10 plate 30i replaced after 18 months and no issues with the new ones but 3 years on the new 28i worse as they cracked within a few weeks, even though BMW should have found the fault and made some modifications.

 

[Sketchley]

Problems hopefully finnaly getting sorted today.

Both front mid range speakers are being replaced today as they have blown. Hopefully this was a side effect from the amplifier problem and not a design fault in the speakers. Fingers crossed I'll finally have the car I ordered back at the end of March working fully!

Also they are updating the software in the car so traffic info is on the correct side.

ho hum.....

 

[Sketchley]

Speakers replaced but there are still rattles from doors at certain frequencies dealer 'spotted' this and is fixing it.... Hopefully car back tomorrow.

 

[Sketchley]

Still not got car back, fouth day at dealers today. They are trying to stop a resonance in the door panels. BMW sound deadening ordered apparantly.

At least they are not trying to tell me there isn't a problem......

 

[Fozzstar]

1. E89 Model: 35i DCT with adaptive suspension
2. Year / Reg: 2009 - 59reg
3. Colour exterior: Deep Sea Blue Metallic
4. Colour interior: Canberra Beige extended leather

5. Issues experienced, notes & status:

5a. Issue description - Clunk from rear driver's side suspension
5b. Current status - awaiting fitting of new adaptive rear shock absorber
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under used-car warranty
5d. Comments? - Dealer tried to charge for labour to identify the problem! It's taken 2 months to get to the point of identifying the problem component.

Collected car today from BMW main dealer. It has been fitted with a new adaptive rear shock absorber, and the ride height has been checked. Clunking noise has gone!

 

[Carol M]

Car in sig. 2012.

Sport button worked intermittently for a few weeks then stopped altogether.

Booked in to be fixed next week.

 

[Carol M]

Car in sig. 2012.

Sport button worked intermittently for a few weeks then stopped altogether.

Booked in to be fixed next week.

Car went in today. A block connector had come apart under the switch. All fixed now.

 

[jamos.franco]

1. E89 Model: 35i DCT with adaptive suspension
2. Year / Reg: 2009 - 59reg
3. Colour exterior: Deep Sea Blue Metallic
4. Colour interior: Canberra Beige extended leather

5. Issues experienced, notes & status:

5a. Issue description - Clunk from rear driver's side suspension
5b. Current status - awaiting fitting of new adaptive rear shock absorber
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under used-car warranty
5d. Comments? - Dealer tried to charge for labour to identify the problem! It's taken 2 months to get to the point of identifying the problem component.

Collected car today from BMW main dealer. It has been fitted with a new adaptive rear shock absorber, and the ride height has been checked. Clunking noise has gone!

Hi Fozzstar,

Z4 35is - 2010 - 12,000 miles - Purchased comprehensive BMW extended 12 month warranty
DTC + adaptive suspension

I have the same clunking (metallic) noise coming from both sides of the rear of my Z4's suspension. BMW have had it three times now, but luckily have only charged me once for diagnostics Anyway, they have reached a dead end with no results... They have told me the only way to go forwards is to start replacing things, but if it doesn't fix the issue I will have to pay for the parts and labour on each thing they do until it's fixed... Then the warranty company will pay for the final thing that fixed the problem. Do they think I'm made of money or something... Lol

If you don't mind Fozzstar, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you

- As it's been a few months since your suspension issue was fix. Is this still the case or has the noise returned?
- I assume you took your car to the Bath BMW dealership? If so, do you know the name of the technician who worked on your car so I can discuss my issue with them, or get my BMW repair centre to talk with yours...
- Last question. How did they work out what the issue was and where, and did they give you a reason to why or what the problem was?

Many thanks. I'll list the issues I've had with my car, in the last 3 months of owning this car, in my next post.

 

[jamos.franco]

1. E89 Model: 35is
2. Year / Reg: 2010 - 10reg
3. Colour exterior: Alpine white
4. Colour interior: Black

5. Issues experienced, notes & status:

5a. Issue description - Clunk from rear driver's side suspension
5b. Current status - as previously posted, nothing
5c. Warranty Claim? - warranty will cover, but issue needs to be identified first
5d. Comments? - All as previous post.

5a. Issue description - Electric drivers side seat operation, rake movement broken
5b. Current status - 1 of the 4 seat motors was replaced - fixed
5c. Warranty Claim? - no warrant at the time, but the company where I bought the car from paid the bill.
5d. Comments? - Took three weeks for the motor to arrive in stock

5a. Issue description - Due to recent cold weather, I noticed that the car was very slightly bunny hopping when driving away from cold
5b. Current status - fuel injectors replaced and full car system modules firmware was updated - fixed ish...
5c. Warranty Claim? - BMW warranty paid the bill of £1700
5d. Comments? - SmartTOP crashed their system when updating the modules firmware... I had to confess all, they were fine and not bothered about the SmartTOP module being installed, which I was surprised about.

5a. Issue description - New problem today... Whilst stuck in traffic, the car started to make a strange noise, like as if there were a helicopter flying over head, I dismissed it at first, but then it kept coming back (Don't worry I did check that I wasn't being chased by the police for speeding or something). However, I did managed to get a great recording of the noise on my phone, so going to see BMW tomorrow to see what they say.
5b. Current status - awaiting diagnosis
5c. Warranty Claim? - better be
5d. Comments? - None as of yet.

 

[dario]

1. E89 Model: 35is
2. Year / Reg: 2010 - 10reg
3. Colour exterior: Alpine white
4. Colour interior: Black

5. Issues experienced, notes & status:

5a. Issue description - Clunk from rear driver's side suspension
5b. Current status - as previously posted, nothing
5c. Warranty Claim? - warranty will cover, but issue needs to be identified first
5d. Comments? - All as previous post.

5a. Issue description - Electric drivers side seat operation, rake movement broken
5b. Current status - 1 of the 4 seat motors was replaced - fixed
5c. Warranty Claim? - no warrant at the time, but the company where I bought the car from paid the bill.
5d. Comments? - Took three weeks for the motor to arrive in stock

5a. Issue description - Due to recent cold weather, I noticed that the car was very slightly bunny hopping when driving away from cold
5b. Current status - fuel injectors replaced and full car system modules firmware was updated - fixed ish...
5c. Warranty Claim? - BMW warranty paid the bill of £1700
5d. Comments? - SmartTOP crashed their system when updating the modules firmware... I had to confess all, they were fine and not bothered about the SmartTOP module being installed, which I was surprised about.

5a. Issue description - New problem today... Whilst stuck in traffic, the car started to make a strange noise, like as if there were a helicopter flying over head, I dismissed it at first, but then it kept coming back (Don't worry I did check that I wasn't being chased by the police for speeding or something). However, I did managed to get a great recording of the noise on my phone, so going to see BMW tomorrow to see what they say.
5b. Current status - awaiting diagnosis
5c. Warranty Claim? - better be
5d. Comments? - None as of yet.

Helicopter?

 

[dario]

1. E89 Model: sDrive 35i M-Sport
2. Year/Reg: 2011
3. Colour exterior: Melbourne Red
4. Colour interior: Black

5. Issue experienced:

5a. the dreaded window bounce!
5b. Current status: not known, in the dealers as of now for last few days.
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under warranty.window motors have been replaced.
5d. Comments: we will see. if this is a fix and i can put my smartop module back.
6a. noise coming from car that sound like a knocking camshaft! noise is not engine speed related and appears to happen when in first gear, gearbox hot and under light load.
6b. in dealers with window repair. I need to go back today and show them the fault again as they can't reproduce the problem.
6c. Windows are FIXED. they have reprogrammed the car including the Gearbox and no more bouncing windows. the front now close just before the backs!!

 

[jamos.franco]

Hi Dario,

The helicopter noise, excuse my crapness here... sounds like a V8 going bob, bob, bob, bob, bob. Tempo would roughly be about twice per second and sounds like its coming from the rear, so I would assume the noise is coming from the exhaust, which would mean the engine is not running correctly.

Now, could this be to do with the new fuel injectors and firmware updates being faulty from when I had the bunny hopping problem fixed a couple weeks ago? Or is this something completely new... We will see.

 

[Fozzstar]

1. E89 Model: 35i DCT with adaptive suspension
2. Year / Reg: 2009 - 59reg
3. Colour exterior: Deep Sea Blue Metallic
4. Colour interior: Canberra Beige extended leather

5. Issues experienced, notes & status:

5a. Issue description - Clunk from rear driver's side suspension
5b. Current status - awaiting fitting of new adaptive rear shock absorber
5c. Warranty Claim? - Cost covered completely under used-car warranty
5d. Comments? - Dealer tried to charge for labour to identify the problem! It's taken 2 months to get to the point of identifying the problem component.

Collected car today from BMW main dealer. It has been fitted with a new adaptive rear shock absorber, and the ride height has been checked. Clunking noise has gone!

Hi Fozzstar,

Z4 35is - 2010 - 12,000 miles - Purchased comprehensive BMW extended 12 month warranty
DTC + adaptive suspension

I have the same clunking (metallic) noise coming from both sides of the rear of my Z4's suspension. BMW have had it three times now, but luckily have only charged me once for diagnostics Anyway, they have reached a dead end with no results... They have told me the only way to go forwards is to start replacing things, but if it doesn't fix the issue I will have to pay for the parts and labour on each thing they do until it's fixed... Then the warranty company will pay for the final thing that fixed the problem. Do they think I'm made of money or something... Lol

If you don't mind Fozzstar, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you

- As it's been a few months since your suspension issue was fix. Is this still the case or has the noise returned?
- I assume you took your car to the Bath BMW dealership? If so, do you know the name of the technician who worked on your car so I can discuss my issue with them, or get my BMW repair centre to talk with yours...
- Last question. How did they work out what the issue was and where, and did they give you a reason to why or what the problem was?

Many thanks. I'll list the issues I've had with my car, in the last 3 months of owning this car, in my next post.

Hi Jamos.

I am afraid to say the clunk has returned! I don't think it was ever fixed in reality.

Mark was the Senior Technician at Bath Wellsway that came out with me on the original test drive, and agreed there was a problem.

Regarding how the problem was identified by the dealer - BMW told Wellsway that they needed to carry out tests using a ‘chassis ear’ tool. This is a clip-on tool that measures noise levels of components to pinpoint problems. Wellsway didn’t have such a tool, but their parent, Platinum Group, did. So they used this on a test drive and believed the shock absorber was causing the problem. Hence the fitting of a new shock absorber.

Clearly that wasn't the problem, as the clunk persists.

I have not taken the car back to the dealership as I have already wasted far too much effort on this issue. The car has other issues too, like dancing windows, and the battery sitting in 2 inches of water!!

In summary, I won't be buying another Z4 in the future!!

 

[flybobbie]

Now that i have had the car 18 months from 28k now 43k.

1. E89 Model 23i
2. Year / Reg (2009 - 59reg)
3. Colour exterior (Orion silver)
4. Colour interior (Kansas beige)

5. Issues experienced, notes & status e.g.

5a. Issue description........Clunk from rear axle.
5b. Current status -.........Resolved yes, i replaced the anti roll bar bushes with polyurethane after market.
5c. Warranty Claim? .......Tried but no joy having spent £150 with BMW to find problem. They didn't really solve. Put grease on antiroll bushes. Noise came back after a month. Whats the point in warranties. Fixed myself for £25.
5d. Comments? .............Any clunking as you drive at an angle of a drive way try replacing the bushes. BMW waste of time.

6a. Issue description........Tail lights condensation. Tail light failure nearside rapid flashing of side and front. After the clunk debarcle i removed tail lights myself to investigate. Result could see how tail light was poorly designed and wrong type of foam used to seal unit. Sealed with silicon sealant. One lamp ok, the other still gets occasional moisture. Now starting to see hairline cracks near the seal that can be seen on the outside. Finally sorted by gluing seal with EvoStick then gluing to lamp unit. All ok now.
6b.Resovled...............sort of.
6c Warranty claim........no.
6d Comments.............This is a design fault, should have been all called back with a redesigned unit. Every Z4 i have looked at has condensation.

7a. Issue description.....rattles
7b. Resolved..............Yes by me, happy at moment.
7c. warraty................No
7d. Comments............Taken some time to track down all the rattles.

8a. Issue description......Rear demist connector detached from glass.
8b. resolved...............Not yet.
8c. warranty...............No
8d. Comments............Will try to solder back on.

9a. Issue description.......Beige leather rubs off bolster
9b. Resolved................Sort of, just poor quality leather, seems to be printed on. Arse rubs bolster and colour rubs off. Have touched up with leather paint. still doesn't look good.
9c. warranty...............No
9d. Comment..............Poor quality of leather, or the bits they use on bolster poor.

10a Issue description... Wheels bumping on uneven surface
10b Resovled.............Replaced rear dampers with Bilstein B6. The rearis much better planted and significant reduction in bumping. The tyres seem to grip the road better, previously slipped on gritty roads.
10c Warranty....No
10d Comment..The dampers became soft. Should have lasted longer than 44k miles.

Nothing major, just little things that spoil the enjoyment of the car.
first and LAST BMW!

Now what did the BMW advert say.....?