Seat bolster rubbing on center console

[RRedline]

I recently noticed that the outside of the right bolster periodically rubs on the center console and -- squeaks -- in my otherwise rattle and squeak-free car.

Of course, it could just be that I'm a big guy, but curious if I'm the only one who has experienced this.

My 335 with the sport seats never did this...

[-cj-]

Same exact issue... dealer "couldn't replicate, seat exactly like the other cars". I'm also a big guy. I've had to tighten the side bolsters to keep it from rubbing, but of course that's not comfortable...

[mfurse]

Same but in a none-ZCP car and I'm a bigger, taller guy too. I put some black sticky back felt on the side of the centre console where it made contact - stopped it immediately.

[RickFLM4]

I don’t have the ZCP seats because I have an F83 but haven’t had that issue with my F83 ZCP or F82 non-ZCP (and also a bigger, taller guy). Perhaps it is F80-specific.

[RRedline]

Originally Posted by mfurse

Same but in a none-ZCP car and I'm a bigger, taller guy too. I put some black sticky back felt on the side of the centre console where it made contact - stopped it immediately.

I was thinking of doing something similar. Can you share any details/photos of what you did and where you got the felt?

[mfurse]

Originally Posted by RRedline

I was thinking of doing something similar. Can you share any details/photos of what you did and where you got the felt?

Felt was from a DIY hardware store, craft stores have similar. The glue isn't amazing on the back of the stick back stuff but that means the mod is easily reversible

I sort of marked where the seat touched with chalk and then put the seat as forward as it would go and tilted forward to make the centre console accessible from the rear seat (I have an M3, an M4 may need more bending/folding/stretching!).

I then took a sheet of the felt and trimmed it to an L shape and slightly rounded any sharp corners (so the felt wouldn't catch and peel off as easily if I needed to move the seat forward/back). I cleaned the centre console side with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry and then applied this big "L" of felt to the area where the seat touched. Once the seat is back in position you can't really see the felt unless you're sitting and looking down over your left elbow.

[RRedline]

Thanks -- will be doing this over the weekend.

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by mfurse

Felt was from a DIY hardware store, craft stores have similar. The glue isn't amazing on the back of the stick back stuff but that means the mod is easily reversible

I sort of marked where the seat touched with chalk and then put the seat as forward as it would go and tilted forward to make the centre console accessible from the rear seat (I have an M3, an M4 may need more bending/folding/stretching!).

I then took a sheet of the felt and trimmed it to an L shape and slightly rounded any sharp corners (so the felt wouldn't catch and peel off as easily if I needed to move the seat forward/back). I cleaned the centre console side with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry and then applied this big "L" of felt to the area where the seat touched. Once the seat is back in position you can't really see the felt unless you're sitting and looking down over your left elbow.

Isn’t the felt going to act like sandpaper on the leather over time?

[mfurse]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Isn't the felt going to act like sandpaper on the leather over time?

Don't think so. It's pretty soft and it's used by lots of car manufacturers on the belt clip to prevent vibration and rubbing on the seat.

[RRedline]

Applied the felt today -- no more noise.

I think felt is pretty non-abrasive, so I'm not worried about it damaging the leather.

[cionide]

My 2 month old M4 CP has developed a wierd kinda creaking noise coming from near the center console. It seems like the competition pack seats rub slightly against the center console? If I jam my hand in there, it stops making the noise. Anyone have this issue? It's obviously something i'll be taking in for warranty but just wondering if it's common?

[Brasko]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Isn’t the felt going to act like sandpaper on the leather over time?

You might be thinking velcro, which has a tooth and can be abrasive depending on the surface it rubs against.

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by Brasko

You might be thinking velcro, which has a tooth and can be abrasive depending on the surface it rubs against.

Any cloth, including felt, with attract and hold dust particles.

The car is a very dusty environment.

It's those particles that end up eventually scratching.

And the felt that is attached there would be difficult to access with a vacuum.

[tylervp18]

Same exact thing happens in my car. Creates a squeaking type sound

[RRedline]

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Any cloth, including felt, with attract and hold dust particles.

The car is a very dusty environment.

It's those particles that end up eventually scratching.

And the felt that is attached there would be difficult to access with a vacuum.

You're really grasping for straws here.

Simply moving the seat forward or back exposes the felt for easy vacuuming, should anyone feel the need to do so.

I despise squeaks and rattles. Anyone experiencing this should apply the felt with little concern for collateral damage. Problem solved.

[IK6SPEED]

Originally Posted by RRedline

You're really grasping for straws here.

Simply moving the seat forward or back exposes the felt for easy vacuuming, should anyone feel the need to do so.

I despise squeaks and rattles. Anyone experiencing this should apply the felt with little concern for collateral damage. Problem solved.

Nope.

If seats are rubbing against Center Console, no amount of movement backwards or forward will move the seat to allow easy cleaning.

Otherwise, the seats would not be rubbing against Center Console.

[RRedline]

Originally Posted by Me, up above

You're really grasping for straws here.

Simply moving the seat forward or back exposes the felt for easy vacuuming, should anyone feel the need to do so.

I despise squeaks and rattles. Anyone experiencing this should apply the felt with little concern for collateral damage. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by IK6SPEED

Nope.

If seats are rubbing against Center Console, no amount of movement backwards or forward will move the seat to allow easy cleaning.

Otherwise, the seats would not be rubbing against Center Console.

Counterpoint: the seat can be moved forward for easy cleaning of the felt as I previously described.

[cionide]

I'm going in on the 16th for break-in service and reported this issue as well. I'll post up then what they tell me the issue was.

[mfurse]

BMW fix: Apply felt to centre console

[ljzimm]

There's a TSB on this (SI B51 30 18)
Cause: "The center console is not positioned correctly between the front seats, allowing the side of one of the front seats to rub against the console."
Correction: "Adjust the center console position. If needed, adjust the position of one or both front seats."

[Alan l.]

I had to apply some felt on the seatbeat buckle because it would occasionally rub against the seat depending on how i moved. There was already some felt tape there from the factory but i needed to add more to stop the noise completely.

Alan

[cionide]

My car is at the break-in service right now, and they are also handling this same issue. I pick it up tomorrow afternoon as there are some other issues (exhaust was mounted slightly crooked at factory), I'll let you guys know what they ended up doing.