Finally Fixed ANNOYING NOISE in my BMW

[Robb]

Here this should fix your 'clickity click' noises ....

http://www.dynamat.com/

[MarkD]

Originally Posted by rendered

When you said BMW Toronto. This doesn't surprise... Similar problem happened to me with one of my new bmw's 4 years ago... Except a differential noise.... took them 5 tries, and installation of 1 wrong part (wrong Diff) to get BMW Canada head office involved to meet me at BMW toronto to discuss their major screw ups and poor customer service... When it happened that the manager and Service advisor were both rude pricks, that pushed me over the edge and BMW head office got involved... A human being can only take so much crap/dissapointment/wasted time, after spending $70K on a new BMW.

I feel your pain.

I've got no real connection with any dealership other than knowing a few people who work at some of them. Four years ago, BMW Toronto was still a corporate store. You can't fault the current owners for what may have happenened then. Noises in cars are often very hard to find. But it sounds like the OP should have been told something else, instead of being told to go somewhere else for service. You may not make money on one quirky job but you make it back later by keeping the customer happy.

[Dissembler]

Originally Posted by ChrisTO

I'm sure the dealer doesn't get reimbursed to trouble shoot the problem. Was the owner/manager of the dealer unprofessional - probably? Is it debatable? Perhaps. But for customer service it's how you perceived to be treated and that's all that matters.

Is this a serious safety issue or mechanical issue for the e90 that would cause the car not to function? no. so i can see the dealers stance as they are in a rock and a hard place. they can't spend the time trouble shooting all these niggly problems and not get paid.

i think it's a learned lesson for all us in terms of how dealers get paid and how to get around it. if BMW HQ wants to keep a customer happy they will fund the work. just need to push the 'right buttons'. does it suck that we as consumers need to do this? probably, but i'm sure all other car dealers /manufacturer relationships are no different. dealers don't have infinite funds. that nice dealer building does have to be paid for somehow.

Amen.

[damameke]

You did the right thing by escalating higher to get this resolved to your satisfaction..I would have done it sooner..

This car I believed is still under warranty (based on OP post) so funding is not an issue, dealership still claim for warranty work.. and it was brought back 4 times and was initially serviced therefore mechanic had heard that noise.. just that it was not serviced well enough...

It might not be a safety issue but it is a nuisance to hear that ticking sound for the duration of the journey.... that would be classified as torture. especially for sensitive ear..

End of day. you did what would be beneficial for any E90 owners if they face the same ticking issue.. there is at least a service bulletin they can refer to..

Now enjoy your ride...

[pissedcustom]

Originally Posted by damameke

You did the right thing by escalating higher to get this resolved to your satisfaction..I would have done it sooner..

This car I believed is still under warranty (based on OP post) so funding is not an issue, dealership still claim for warranty work.. and it was brought back 4 times and was initially serviced therefore mechanic had heard that noise.. just that it was not serviced well enough...

It might not be a safety issue but it is a nuisance to hear that ticking sound for the duration of the journey.... that would be classified as torture. especially for sensitive ear..

End of day. you did what would be beneficial for any E90 owners if they face the same ticking issue.. there is at least a service bulletin they can refer to..

Now enjoy your ride...

Damameke - I think you summed this whole thing up very well - thanks. I think people have been missing the point about the car still being under warranty and that I paid for that warranty as part of the purchase price of my vehicle. In other words - I don't care whether the dealer makes more money from it or not - I already paid them to fix my car....especially since the care was delivered to me with the clicking noise - I noticed it in the first week. And I paid PDI of $1,400 odd - you would think Pre Delivery INspection would cover annoying clicking noises.

And it really was torture. Once you identify a noise your ears just naturally hone in on it every time you get into the car. I have such a peaceful ride now. But that doesn't make up for the 1.5 years of clicking hell.

You're right - I should have escalated sooner, but didn't really think I had that option. I did escalate it sooner to the owner Reg Quinn, but he basically just ignored it..

If I posted all my letters to the dealer and BMW Canada and BMW Germany you would be shocked by all I went through and dealt with over the 2 year period. It really was disgraceful service. They were so arrogant.......better stop - my blood is starting to boil again.

[pissedcustom]

Originally Posted by ChrisTO

I am not a mechanic for BMW or any other car maker. I'm just a regular car guy like everyone else here.

As for going back and asking them to have the felt extended...i didn't see that in first posting or I misread it.

As I said before kudos to you for going straight to the top.

I'm sure the dealer doesn't get reimbursed to trouble shoot the problem. Was the owner/manager of the dealer unprofessional - probably? Is it debatable? Perhaps. But for customer service it's how you perceived to be treated and that's all that matters.

Is this a serious safety issue or mechanical issue for the e90 that would cause the car not to function? no. so i can see the dealers stance as they are in a rock and a hard place. they can't spend the time trouble shooting all these niggly problems and not get paid.

i think it's a learned lesson for all us in terms of how dealers get paid and how to get around it. if BMW HQ wants to keep a customer happy they will fund the work. just need to push the 'right buttons'. does it suck that we as consumers need to do this? probably, but i'm sure all other car dealers /manufacturer relationships are no different. dealers don't have infinite funds. that nice dealer building does have to be paid for somehow.

ChrisTO - Trust me when I tell you that they were unprofessional - especially the Service Rep and the SErvice Manager. If I posted my letter to the CEO you would see what I deal with. It was beyond crazy for a BMW dealership - you just don't expect that from BMW. It was shocking service. I just didn't want to bore everyone will all the nitty gritty and the conversations back and forth. Some of it may seem petty but after the crappy service it's difficult to let anything slide.

People who buy BMWs don't just want their cars to be safe and to function. They want them to be awesome rides, comfortable, quiet, well made, etc.. That's why you pay a premium.

[pissedcustom]

I found this response to my post on another forum - quite interesting. I guess it's been said, but not as clearly as this:

I hope I am able to shed some light here. I was an retail auto technician (mechanic) for about 25 years. It used to be a good trade. Retail technicians are paid on a flat rate basis in increments of 1/10ths of an hour. In other words let's say he changes a water pump. The job may pay 2.5 hours. If he can complete that job in 2 hours, he still gets paid the 2.5 to change it. However, if something happens and it takes him 4.0 hours to change it, he has lost 1.5 hours worth of pay on that job. Some days are profitable, other days are merely a waste.

If the technician is working at a dealership, some of his work may be paid by the customer. If the vehicle is under warranty, he is paid by the manufacturer. As a means to cut costs, manufacturers have cut the time they pay the technician to repair a car. The same water pump that paid 2.0 hours on a customer pay basis may only pay 1.4 hours under the manufacturers warranty.

Furthermore, the manufacturer may not pay the time to find the problem. They will only pay the time it pays to correct it. Noises are a good example. the technician may spend an hour to find it. Say it turns out to be a simple adjustmen, he may only get paid .3 of an hour to make the adjustment after spendin an hour of free time to find it.

I agree this is not the customers problem. When I got into the retail business back in the late 1970s, maunfacturers were very generous in paying technicians to repair cars. In the last few years they have baiscally "screwed" them. This is why I got out of it and into fleet repair.

This may help explain some of the apathy

[kamus]

Well that certainly helps explain my experience as a customer over the last few years

[pissedcustom]

Does anyone know of any other popular BMW forums either in NA or Europe? I would like to know how many other owners are having the same problems I had with the clicking noise in the back of the car.

Thanks

[davericher20]

bimmerforums.com, e90post.com.......there's lots out there that I don't go on

[325isStephen]

I have to agree with Dissembler, I'm a tech at a volkswagen dealership, and I assume the warranty on squeeks and rattles is the same as ours which is 1 year or 20k.

Is that fair? I don't really think so, but does that mean that the dealer has to fix it for free? NO. I know it sucks, but that's the car manufacturer deciding not to warranty that type of concern, not the dealers. The fact that they looked at it at all and attempted to fix it show's they were trying to help you out.

You should have done your research before buying your vehicle and seen that bmw does not cover that concern and is not responsible to fix it, thats part of the deal you made when you bought that car, you agreed to the warranty that it comes with.

You simply cannot expect a tech to spend alot of time on something they will not get paid for. I don't know about you, but I don't work for free, I have bills to pay and I need to make money while i'm a work to do so.

I understand your not happy that they did not fix it, but i'm sure you were told that this type of concern is not covered under warranty, if they did not, then they should have, and they should have told you that if you wanted to get bmw to fix it, to call the after sales guy and complain about it. To me it sounds like the service advisor tried to help you out and attempted to solve the issue for you, but after trying once, they can't justify to spend more time on it. Likely would have been better for them to not help you at all, and direct you to call after sales and have sorted it out that way from the get go.

I have to say I really hate the mentality of you spent 50k on a car it must be perfect in every way, and that everyone must do everything for you immediately for you regardless if they are going to get paid for it or not. As far as I know a 3 series does not come with a slave.

[propr'one]

Originally Posted by T.Dot_E30

You lost me as soon as i read this line,.....

Enjoy your latte at the local starbucks and whine to your friends.

i resent the implication that people who like good coffee can't swing a wrench.

although, starbucks isn't even that good coffee.

[T.Dot_E30]

Originally Posted by propr'one

i resent the implication that people who like good coffee can't swing a wrench.

although, starbucks isn't even that good coffee.

Perhaps my comment was a little harsh, Kudos to the OP for rattling enough chains to get his noise fixed.

But his comments gives the impression that he has the attitude of those yuppie BMW owners that bought his car for the image and not because of how good the car is, expecting the car to 'drive itself' and maybe even cut his toe nails. It also seems like he expected BMW to bend over backwards for him because he bought a mid-level 3-series, yes you can expect premium service, but as an industry I don't think any other dealership would have spent hours on end to find your noise. Yes hey should have dealt with his situation better, but i'm' sure if he walked in there with attitude no one really cared to help him.

Thats all i was trying to say, nothing about people who drink starbucks or coffee in general.

[ryju]

Originally Posted by T.Dot_E30

Perhaps my comment was a little harsh, Kudos to the OP for rattling enough chains to get his noise fixed.

But his comments gives the impression that he has the attitude of those yuppie BMW owners that bought his car for the image and not because of how good the car is, expecting the car to 'drive itself' and maybe even cut his toe nails. It also seems like he expected BMW to bend over backwards for him because he bought a mid-level 3-series, yes you can expect premium service, but as an industry I don't think any other dealership would have spent hours on end to find your noise. Yes hey should have dealt with his situation better, but i'm' sure if he walked in there with attitude no one really cared to help him.

Thats all i was trying to say, nothing about people who drink starbucks or coffee in general.

You seem to be making a lot of assumptions. Maybe you should work on that.

[propr'one]

^^he may be, he may not be, but something tells me if his car had a rattle that bugged him, he'd have it fixed himself in a day.

Getting BMW corp to fix stuff for you is good. Fixing it yourself cause you know how is best.

(and roasters coffee is the bomb)