Rattles...

[Maniac]

Well my baby is in the shop again for that elusive dash rattle... typically, my guaranteed way of making it rattle didn't work when I got it to the dealership today. I've now decided that no car is ever going to be rattle free and I'm going to have to live with it if they can't find it this time as nearly every service rep knows me by name now! Perhaps I'm too particular? At least its not as bad as the noises from the SLK demonstrator I drove, so I can console myself there. I just wish I could find the damn thing, its loud, but intermittent as proven by todays silence.. Perhaps my baby knows its under threat of being taken apart and has gone all quiet for a bit? So irritating.

Plus, although I'm in the office, knowing its not outside makes me miss it.. how weird is that!

 

[KeithJ]

Why dont you just turn up your stereo and sing your heart out to cover up the sound?

 

[Liam-O]

I usually have a passenger, if a rattle then starts, they car press different parts to see if it stops. This is how I found my PS A-pillar rattle.

 

[Maniac]

Why dont you just turn up your stereo and sing your heart out to cover up the sound?

Cos my exhaust sound is fantastic and I want to hear it without being irritated by a rattle lol... and as for pressing parts of the car... tried that

 

[Anonymous]

When I had my new 1 series last year it had some rattles. Went in and they cured some. Now I don't notice them.

My work colleagues have A3 lease cars and I think the build quality on those is much better.

My new Z4 had better be good!

 

[Anonymous]

My rattle only appens when it's cold...speaking of cold, my engine is running a bit rough for the first 5 mins...due a service in 1k though.......

 

[Maniac]

Well the latest is they've found the noise/replicated it... so that's a start... now just to see a) if they can find it, and b) what other noises they can leave me with when its all put back together :?

 

[Maniac]

They believe they've located some pipes behind the dash that were the cause and have re-arranged them. I collect tonight, here's hoping!

** Collected and so far so good! I really hope they've found it because this has been driving me mental. I might finally be able to enjoy the car without music full blast.. Fingers x'd.
** Drive into the office this morning was buzz/rattle free. I'm not holding my breath, but so far so good.

 

[scotline]

Well my baby is in the shop again for that elusive dash rattle... typically, my guaranteed way of making it rattle didn't work when I got it to the dealership today. I've now decided that no car is ever going to be rattle free and I'm going to have to live with it if they can't find it this time as nearly every service rep knows me by name now! Perhaps I'm too particular? At least its not as bad as the noises from the SLK demonstrator I drove, so I can console myself there. I just wish I could find the damn thing, its loud, but intermittent as proven by todays silence.. Perhaps my baby knows its under threat of being taken apart and has gone all quiet for a bit? So irritating.

Hi, I read your post and am greatful that I am not the only one who seems to be a regular at my local dealer!! I had a 59 plate Z4, black auto, white design pack, 3.0L nav etc. I was back at the dealer with roof problems and rattles every month, sometimes every week! I got so fed up I sold it and bought another one the exact same spec! This has been fine until recently. I had a rattle from the dash/instrument cluster when it was cold that went after 20 mins of driving plus creaking from rear window. I have been back to my dealer 3 times now, each time they say its all fixed! Yet the rear creaking is 90% better at best, the noise in the dash is just 30% better and now I have another annoying tapping style noise that I can't locate! Its not always there, but when it is it drives me nuts! I just don't know what to do. I'm too embarrassed to go back again!! I love my Z4, but seriously considering changing it for a car that is well made and rattle free, unlike the Z4's!!

 

[Anonymous]

Mine is going in for a service today and with a request to sort out some rattles in the dash.....will keep you posted

 

[Maniac]

Well I've had her back over a week and she's still rattle free, at least in terms of the dash, cos the roof still clicks now and then, but I can live with it. Its like driving another car after such a loud noise goes...

 

[Liam-O]

Glad to hear everything is resolved and you can get on with enjoying your car now

 

[JDM]

Reading this, it seems that people with rattles in the dash all have the sat nav option is that correct?

 

[Maniac]

I have navigation, but the dash rattle/noise turned out to be heating pipes vibrating against the bulkhead, not nav related.

 

[Anonymous]

I was told the same....the guy popped the front and pressed against a part of the engine and it stopped rattling. I did 700 miles over the weekend and the rattling did bug me a little. In fact my rear wind deflector rattles, so I'm going to take that out

 

[JDM]

Lets hope they have fixed the problem on the latest build cars then.. I was hoping with mine being "flimper spec" that I wouldnt get any issues with this.

 

[Maniac]

I drove a 20i and I have to say it was less noisy in terms of rattles than mine, but only a tad, it still had noises from the roof/rear deck etc, but not annoyingly so. Flimper spec = less to rattle and less to go wrong. This model has been around nearly 3 years now, you'd really rather expect they're learning all the time. Having also said that, the heated seats on the 20i were broken... in the ON mode no matter what I did!!

 

[JDM]

Its so reassuring that BMW's are built so well don't you think

 

[TitanTim]

Strange, used to get the rattles threads on the 1 Series forum, but owned 2 1ers and never suffered any probs, my Z3 is 11 years old and completely rattle and creak free. The 2.3 Z4 I test drove was also rattle free :|

My MINI Cooper S used to creak but then the ride was intolerable

Tim.

 

[Maniac]

Strange, used to get the rattles threads on the 1 Series forum, but owned 2 1ers and never suffered any probs, my Z3 is 11 years old and completely rattle and creak free. The 2.3 Z4 I test drove was also rattle free :|

My MINI Cooper S used to creak but then the ride was intolerable

Tim.

1 series are monocoque? z3 is soft top... Z4 is hard top with many more moving parts. More parts = more chance for noise. Some are prone, some aren't.. luck of the draw.

Personally this is my last convertible, time to go back to comfort and silence of a monocoque.