[fortythirtyfive]

So around 2 months ago I had my car in at the local dealership over brake vibration and steering wheel noise (clunking when parking or reversing around an object)

Eventually they couldn't find anything wrong and charged me an hours labour for "not being able to replicate the problem"

So today whilst it's in for inspection as to why my exhaust flap has stopped working, I mentioned that it has gotten even louder and even more so I have found a way of replicating the noise. If I move the steering wheel whilst the car off it's the exact noise I get when either unloading the wheel from a full lock or going into a tight turn (parking spaces etc).

The initial response from the workshop manager was "that's normal and BMW have told us that it is a characteristic of the 3 & 4 series" - I honestly find it beyond belief that it is normal, I'm also fedup of people commenting about the awful crack/clunk noise my car makes when parking up.. it's audible inside the cabin and outside of the car.

The car is an early 2015 build with 34k miles on it.

[Polo08816]

Originally Posted by producerlawson

So around 2 months ago I had my car in at the local dealership over brake vibration and steering wheel noise (clunking when parking or reversing around an object)

Eventually they couldn't find anything wrong and charged me an hours labour for "not being able to replicate the problem"

So today whilst it's in for inspection as to why my exhaust flap has stopped working, I mentioned that it has gotten even louder and even more so I have found a way of replicating the noise. If I move the steering wheel whilst the car off it's the exact noise I get when either unloading the wheel from a full lock or going into a tight turn (parking spaces etc).

The initial response from the workshop manager was "that's normal and BMW have told us that it is a characteristic of the 3 & 4 series" - I honestly find it beyond belief that it is normal, I'm also fedup of people commenting about the awful crack/clunk noise my car makes when parking up.. it's audible inside the cabin and outside of the car.

The car is an early 2015 build with 34k miles on it.

That's pretty awful.

Even most dudes don't fap that loud when jerking it.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Polo08816

Even most dudes don't fap that loud when jerking it.

Am glad to learn new things each day.

Ummm, you personally know the dB level of guys.... why/how?

[cu260r6]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Am glad to learn new things each day.

Ummm, you personally know the dB level of guys.... why/how?

Brings new meaning to peer reviewed study, huh?

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by cu260r6

Brings new meaning to peer reviewed study, huh?

Yes sir, as some things are hard to beat.

[fortythirtyfive]

In all seriousness for just a moment, what is both of your's opinion on the noise from my steering column?

[enjoythemusic]

Bushing or ??? might be worn. Put it on a lift and have someone move the steering wheel to find / post a pic of where the clunk it is originating.

[fortythirtyfive]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Bushing or ??? might be worn. Put it on a lift and have someone move the steering wheel to find / post a pic of where the clunk it is originating.

They seem to be fine https://video.citnow.com/content/cin...ls/output.m3u8

I guess I'll have to wait to hear if they could be bothered to diagnose it any further (it's been in multiple times to try and figure it out).

[madmonkey]

I second the opinion that it could be a control arm bushing. It could also be something loose in the steering column itself since you can reproduce this sound when the car is off.

This is definitely not something normal for BMW's, and it's rather pathetic that the workshop manager would tell you that.

Dearlerships have found the new loophole in BMW's policy regarding warranty / maintenance work and are exploiting it fully, much to the detriment of we, the owners, and charge us 1hr labour with the flimsy excuse that they "could not replicate the issue". I myself was a victim of this "new policy" when I brought my car in for the dreaded lock actuator failure. I had to eventually scream like bloody murder to get them to fix the issue - took 4 times for them to eventually fix it - never got my 1hr labour reimbursed though.

Show them this vid and then ask them to replicate this sound on one of their other 3/4 series cars in the lot and then ask them to tell you again that this is normal.

Good luck!

[fortythirtyfive]

Originally Posted by madmonkey

I second the opinion that it could be a control arm bushing. It could also be something loose in the steering column itself since you can reproduce this sound when the car is off.

This is definitely not something normal for BMW's, and it's rather pathetic that the workshop manager would tell you that.

Dearlerships have found the new loophole in BMW's policy regarding warranty / maintenance work and are exploiting it fully, much to the detriment of we, the owners, and charge us 1hr labour with the flimsy excuse that they "could not replicate the issue". I myself was a victim of this "new policy" when I brought my car in for the dreaded lock actuator failure. I had to eventually scream like bloody murder to get them to fix the issue - took 4 times for them to eventually fix it - never got my 1hr labour reimbursed though.

Show them this vid and then ask them to replicate this sound on one of their other 3/4 series cars in the lot and then ask them to tell you again that this is normal.

Good luck!

It's nice to hear an agreeing like minded response

I asked for them to check the cv joints and rods whilst it's still in and the service adviser came back to me yesterday saying that "it was all in shape, no signs of wear and nothing to be worried about".

It gets better though, initially the car was booked in because the exhaust actuator for the valve/flap had stopped working. After carrying out multiple "fixes" they're now blaming a chip/remap applied to the car knowing full well that I haven't done this I exploded on the phone to her telling them to check the boost logs which will happily show no evidence of me ever doing this.

So this ^ response is now making me feel like they're trying to pass of the car as they don't have a clue, which may contribute to my steering noise problem.. do they actually have any idea?

What you said about making them check this noise with other 3/4 series' in innovatory is actually a really good point.. I'll make sure they do this before I let them "forget about" this issue.

[madmonkey]

Originally Posted by producerlawson

It's nice to hear an agreeing like minded response

So this ^ response is now making me feel like they're trying to pass of the car as they don't have a clue, which may contribute to my steering noise problem.. do they actually have any idea?

Unfortunately, I believe that they really do not have a clue. If the computer can't tell them what the issue is, they are lost. Mechanical skills have really declined since the "good old days" of simple hydralic, vacuum and mechanical components.

In my case, under the old CPO program, you paid a deductible fee for any warranty service you brought your car in. The fee was nominal, but must have covered the dealership's true labour costs for 1hr of tech time to diagnose issues. If the work was deemed a warranty, you were refunded the deductible, because the authorized repair from BMW included the tech time for a diagnosis. So there was incentive for them to find an actual issue. I had a couple of issues on my old 2006 330i and every one of them was fixed without fail, apart from the one time I left the gas cap undone and got a check engine light. Totally my fault.

Since the new CPO program no longer has a deductible fee, dealerships are now on the hook for the 1hr tech time and so charge the customer to make up the loss - albeit, now they can charge their normal shop fee - so they're making money. This is why they shrug their shoulders and walk away. It's easy for them to bill you and call you a mental.

Keep screaming like a banshee until they figure it's in their best interest to buckle down and actually do things properly. If I were you, I'd start documenting how many times you've been in, what was said and by whom - let them see you taking notes (makes them uncomfortable). If they're still stubborn, maybe escalate to BMW corporate, along with your notes and videos. You may not get a satisfactory response - but believe me, corporate will call the dealership to get more info, which puts the dealership on the defensive and could get you a better response the next time you talk with the manager.

Sorry for the long rant, mate. I do hope you get things resolved to your satisfaction. Cheers!