Some warranty work before its 3rd birthday...

[X Box]

one thing ours doesn't have to contend with!

Apologies to the OP for the dragging off topic!

[markda]

I'm curious, how did you get the dealer to take on what to me seems like wear and tear on the wheel arches and sills + warped front discs/pads.  After 3 years it would be hard to prove that any of these issues were down to premature failure or unacceptable build quality.  Did they query any of it?

[ChrisABP]

[quote="markda"]
I'm curious, how did you get the dealer to take on what to me seems like wear and tear on the wheel arches and sills + warped front discs/pads.  After 3 years it would be hard to prove that any of these issues were down to premature failure or unacceptable build quality.  Did they query any of it?
[/quote]

As the car was still under the manufacturers warranty the discs & pads were replaced due to excessive vibration through the brake pedal - this is not a wear & tear issue. Brakes should not give any vibration and therefore this was covered.

Regarding the paint on the sills / arches this is a known issues on all early E70 M-Sport and BMW fitted later cars with clear films to protect the doors, sills and arches. As BMW recognised the issue and fitted a solution to later cars they accept the design fault and will rectify if excessive stone chipping is present. All areas were painted and fitted with protective clear films.

Chris

[markda]

BMW are one of the better manufacturers when it comes to warranty and goodwill gestures, impressed they didn't try and wriggle out of the brakes.

[ChrisABP]

Wife received an email yesterday saying that the new transfer box that was going to be delivered this week will now not be in the UK until mid-December! Not great news when last week we were told one was available from stock in Germany!

And still I seriously doubt the validity of replacing the transfer box to cure the noise.... Surely using a basic process of elimination should set the alarm bells ringing that this will not cure the noise.
Replacing the front diff cured the noise for 600 miles so why would a front diff replacement cure a noise that is now suspected to be coming from the transfer box??? If the noise was the transfer box the new front diff wouldn't have made any difference! Still BMW UK have their process' to follow and if they want to fit a £3,000 transfer box for fun then so be it.

I suspect another new front diff along with a pair of fronnt driveshafts and input shaft might have been a better course of action but I don't control the BMW warranty process...

We MIGHT just get it back for Christmas.....

Chris

[X5Sport]

I'm still waiting for a new bonnet release mechanism.....outstanding for nearly 4 months now!  BMW's parts relocation in Germany really is turning out to be a shambles!  >:(

Richard

[GuenniX5]

Hi Chris, with my X5 40d 2012 I have quite a story behind me regarding noise coming from the left front of the car  (German car, steering wheel left side). BMW replaced transfer box, front differential, and many more parts until we found the noisy part to be the short front drive shaft. If you want, describe the noise you are hearing, then I might be able to tell whether your observation sounds similar to mine. Greetings, Guennix5

[ChrisABP]

[quote="GuenniX5"]
Hi Chris, with my X5 40d 2012 I have quite a story behind me regarding noise coming from the left front of the car  (German car, steering wheel left side). BMW replaced transfer box, front differential, and many more parts until we found the noisy part to be the short front drive shaft. If you want, describe the noise you are hearing, then I might be able to tell whether your observation sounds similar to mine. Greetings, Guennix5
[/quote]

Well the car is still in the BMW dealers and it has now had a new Turbo, a new front diff, a new transfer box and still the noise is there!!!! Waiting for the dealers to come back to me with plan of action moving forward.

The noise on our car happens when under load betweem 2,200 and 2,500 RPM and is best decribed as a zinging noise which happens in any gear (at this RPM range) and only when the fluids are up to working temperature. The Front diff replacement did cure the noise temporarily but only for 600 miles before the exact same noise returned. It may well be the driveshaft you describe so I hope to hear from you and if your noise happened at the same times.

Cheers, Chris

[GuenniX5]

Dear Chris,

Different noise case as it seems. In my case the noise was a grinding noise, like a broken wheel bearing (which it wasn't). The noise was there when driving at about 35-55mph without load (coasting) and went away when accelerating and when under load.
   
Sorry to be of no help for your case. Wishing you best of luck for a permanent repair and a return of your X5 to its home very soon.
 
By the way, I had last year the same issue with spare parts, with no spare front drive axle being available for several months. BMW have really messed up their spare part logistics. The dealer replaced the noisy axle with a less noisy used part, for at least some improvement. The new part is to be installed when I will be back in Europe in May. It seems to be a generic problem, at least for X5 40d early 2012 models, because we found the noise to be present more or less in several X5 40d vehicles of that period, with mileages around 10k to 15k and with the noise typically getting worse with higher mileage. Something to watch.
 
Best regards, Guennix5

[Chappers76]

This warranty work is great but jeez the dealers make heavy work of it! Took mine in November but only had the work done this week due to their workshop commitments.

Had four new alloys (20" m sport ones)

New rear light replacing due to water ingress (ordered wrong one so needs to go back!!)

New heater motor

Re sprayed rear arches BUT no protective film available till April so on order with another re spray if needed.

Front parking sensor not flush - they refitted a new one but not the one that wasn't flush so no idea what they were doing.

Not responded to a couple of other queries..... So chasing confirmation that it was checked and ok'd.

Wish BMW would invest more with their after service dealer network - very hit and miss.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ChrisABP]

So since Christmas the X5 has had a new transfer box (BMW UK's decision) which made no difference, another new front diff (BMW UK's decision) which made no difference, various oil samples taken from transmission components and still the car has the noise.....

Spoke with both the dealer and BMW UK Customer services last week and next Tuesday we have a senior BMW UK technician coming to look / listen to the car at the local dealers. Hopefully then we might be closer to a solution to the problem we've had since last July!

I find myself asking where does this go from here if the BMW UK technician sent to investigate can't provide a solution? What do manufacturers do if a fault occurs on a car during its warranty period and they simply can't locate or rectify it? Complete new transmission? Complete new engine? This car has now had thousands spent trying to resolve this noise (Turbo, 2 x front diffs, transfer box....) and surely BMW have a policy in these rare cases???

Will keep you all posted.....

[Nat]

Hi,

Im just thinking aloud here.....................

Replace all 4 tyres with BMW approved tyres.............thats is tyres that have the *.( start rated )

Im not sure i believe it myself, but 4 tyres is a cheap option here in thinking.


http://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/https://xdr ... ic.php?t=6

Regards,

Nat.

[ChrisABP]

[quote="Nat"]
Hi,

Im just thinking aloud here.....................

Replace all 4 tyres with BMW approved tyres.............thats is tyres that have the *.( start rated )

Im not sure i believe it myself, but 4 tyres is a cheap option here in thinking.


http://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/https://xdr ... ic.php?t=6

Regards,

Nat.
[/quote]

Had BMW* approved tyres fitted when fault occured, has had a brand new set of BMW* rated tyres swapped out and noise was the same. Noise is also the same with BMW* rated winter tyres fitted so definately not the tyres.

Also the noise happens at a certain RPM range in each gear, a tyre generated noise would be evident a specific speed range and not RPM range as the speed is different in each gear.

Chris

[ChrisABP]

So after the latest visit to the dealers lasting an astonishing 16 weeks I finally received a call yesterday saying that the cause of the noise has been found and is now fixed 

After BMW UK sent a senior technician up to look at the car it was acknowledged as an unprecedented fault and instructions were then coming direct from BMW in Munich... A whole raft of parts had been supplied and were being fitted one at a time to attempt to find the cause. Another identical model was also utilised on the ramp next to our X5 so that substitution of parts could be used if required. Last week alone the car was being worked on for over 3 whole days so you can only imagine the time spent on this over the last 16 weeks to find the solution!

So after all the initial warranty work including new brakes, turbo, badges, paintwork on arches, trim issues, rear window seals, set of 4 new 20" wheels, roof rail etc etc the mystery noise has resulted in 2 x new front diffs, new transfer box, new propshaft, new wheel bearings, new input shaft plus many many more parts  and finally the solution was found with the replacement of the front driveshaft and bearing assembly. Not sure at this time which one it was but its cured it!!!

Factoring in the cost of all the replacement parts, the labour costs to BMW UK, the hire car costs to BMW UK (New 5 series touring for 10 weeks & 5,000 miles, new X3 for 2 weeks and 1,000 miles, New X5 for 13 weeks and 4,000 miles and another new 5 series touring for 3 weeks and 2,000 miles) my guesstimate for the total cost to BMW for the work on our car is circa £25,000 BUT at least we get our car back and its fixed which my wife is delighted about   

BlueBell BMW have been as helpful as BMW UK would allow (afterall they were picking up the bill!) but after 28 weeks in the dealership since we purchased the car early last July it will be great to finally get it back and use it.

The car is currently being fully valeted, having its tank filled up and then the final thing before we collect it is awaiting an offer from BMW UK for excessive delays in repairing the car and the loss of 16 weeks of our extended warranty. After the initial 12 weeks dealer stay we accepted £500 from BMW which we used towards extending the warranty not knowing the noise fault was going to return and take another 16 weeks to cure! We shall await their offer....

So glad I made a list of warranty work required and heard this noise whilst the car was still under the manufacturers warranty!!!!

Now hopefully on to better forum posts in the future and with a 3,000 mile European jaunt booked for August holidays taking in France, Route Napoleon, Nice, Monaco, San Remo, Genoa, Milan, Italian lakes, Italian alps, Stelvio Pass, Austria, Bavaria, Nurburgring & Spa we can make up for lost time....

Chris

[X5Sport]

Just had my front propshaft replaced too.  Considering there has been a recall on that part since at least last Summer, you would have thought that someone would have asked the obvious question....you know the one I mean "Has anyone checked the front propshaft bearings & joints?" 

I mean they are the experts - well OK may be not quite as experts as the combined brain power of this forum - but that one must (or should) have been a very early thing to check.  Especially given the signs of a problem are vibration and noise in the cabin.

I had felt some vibration with the winter tyres fitted - though oddly not the Summer set - that has now gone.  As with you, the Dealer had looked at the wheels as the cause but not found anything.  In my case it was excess circumferential play in the joints.

Glad you're getting it back, but how frustrating!!

Richard