Some warranty work before its 3rd birthday...

[ChrisABP]

As our X5 X40D only has 3 months of warranty left and with a family driving holiday to france coming up I went for a long drive and looked over the car coming up with a list of work for the local dealers to get their teeth into whilst BMW would still be paying!

So it went into Bluebell BMW in Crewe two weeks ago (much to the wifes annoyance) and its still there now and will be for some time..... Apparantly BMW UK are suffering with a parts supply issue and it may be some time before its resolved so we now have to plan for time without the X5.

Credit to Bluebell as after some moaning they have agreed to give us a 2013 5-series Touring M-Sport to use for our upcoming holiday and until the X5 is finished.

Work being carried out includes:
New Small Turbo (Noisy between 2,200 & 2,400RPM)
Rear window seals (at top of windows)
Rear wheel arches to be painted due to stonechips and protective strips installed
Sills to be painted due to stonechips
Front brake discs & pads (warped / vibration)
Fuel filler cap tether cable split
Both X-Drive badges on doors corroded
Drivers sun-visor marterial wrinkled
Drivers side roof bar being replaced (shadow line finish pitted)
Wheel centre caps all corroded
All four 20" alloy wheels corroding around centre caps
Sat Nav doesn't allow full postcode entry

I'm sure once we get it back it will be fantastic....

Chris

[graemeX5]

It sounds like a bargain with the warranty picking up the cost  )

[ChrisABP]

Will be once we get the car back...... ::)

[AW8]

Good Luck getting these issues sorted & hopefully in a timely manner 

[ChrisABP]

X5 is still in at the dealers.....over 9 weeks now  >:(

Issue after issue after issue after back ordered part after back ordered part after wrong part after back ordered part.......

Now told it will be ready for collection next week to which my wife replied it will be like having a new car all over again!

They have decided to replace the larger of the two turbo's to cure the noise (I still think the smaller was most likely cause) so we will find out next week if they were correct! If not it might be a few more weeks!

Frustrated but at least its FOC warranty work!

Chris

[Nat]

Hi,

9 weeks..............I have to say I would find that unacceptable.

Hope it all gets sorted to your satisfaction.

Regards,

Nat.

[ChrisABP]

[quote="Nat"]
Hi,

9 weeks..............I have to say I would find that unacceptable.

Hope it all gets sorted to your satisfaction.

Regards,

Nat.
[/quote]

I agree Nat - as do the dealers so a goodwill gesture being considered and they have given us brand new top-spec cars to use throughout the process!

Chris

[ChrisABP]

So we had a call early last week to say the car was finished and ready for collection BUT would I go to the dealers to drive the car to check the noise had been cured..... Strange request I thought!

So off to the dealers and within 5 minutes of driving the noise was exactly the same as before!!! So it wasnt the turbo as suspected!

Dealers very apologetic and will sort it ASAP but at the time had no idea what could be causing it. I took a senior technician out with me and he heard it as soon as I demonstrated it. He had no idea what it was be he heard it which helped.

They needed the 520 Touring back to sell as we had done just shy of 3,000 miles in it and it was a demo car so they gave us a brand new X3 2.0D M-Sport in replacement which was nice.

Had a call on Monday saying that they had rigged up various microphones around the car and the only noise was from the front diff! A new diff was ordered and I awaited the call. At 10am this morning our X5 pulled up outside work with a BMW technician smiling asking for me to drive the car again as the noise had been cured! And it was gone which is a result! It appears the noise was some play in the front diff which was only evident under load at the RPM range as that is when maximum torque is produced. So driven gently off-boost it wouldn't happen as not being put under full torque load. The technician seemed very happy indeed as he had been lying in bed thinking about what could have been causing the noise and finally he found the fault and cure.

So back to the dealers the car went to be finished off, valeted and hopefully back in our care tomorrow!

All good fun especially whilst under warranty 

Chris

[Steamyrotter]

[quote="ChrisABP"]
The technician seemed very happy indeed as he had been lying in bed thinking about what could have been causing the noise and finally he found the fault and cure.
[/quote]

Nice to hear that a BMW tech actually cares
You dont hear that very often

[Woofer]

Great service by Blue Bell 

[Chappers76]

Hi Chris - were these all issue you picked up upon or the garage under inspection?

Am curious as have my 3 year warranty check in a few weeks, already noted a slow gear change but wondering if I need to do a more in-depth check before sending it to Sytner?

Cheers


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[ChrisABP]

[quote="Chappers76"]
Hi Chris - were these all issue you picked up upon or the garage under inspection?

Am curious as have my 3 year warranty check in a few weeks, already noted a slow gear change but wondering if I need to do a more in-depth check before sending it to Sytner?

Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
[/quote]

Fortunately for me I own a garage so with its 3rd birthday coming up I just became more critical and looked at everything in detail before compiling a list of work. The dealers agreed with my list and ultimately all work has been carried out to my full satisfaction.

You only have this opportunity once before the manufacturers warranty expires so plan it carefully, go through the car in detail and just be more critical on the car. Drive with the radio switched off and listen to the engine / gearbox, are the brakes smooth? BMW dealers ultimately get paid by BMW UK so its no skin off their noses if you go in with a list of work.

I believe our list of warranty work this time around comes in at just over £12,000 if we were paying for it 

Chris

[Chappers76]

Thanks Chris - good advice! I will check everything thoroughly and list anything that bumps, squeak or rattles and see what they say!!

Cheers


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[ChrisABP]

AHHHHHHHHHH!  >:(

So less than 1 month back with the X5 and the noise has returned!!! We've done approx 1,000 miles since we had the car back and whilst on holiday last week to my horror I noticed the same noise between 2,200 & 2,500RPM.....

So the front diff change did cure it but only for a limited amount of time and now its back and possibly worse than it was originally......

Booked back in with Bluebell on Monday for diagnosis and we will see what they come up with this time. As the front diff cured the noise last time the suspicion lies around either the driveshafts or the input shaft to the diff causing the noise and the new diff just masked the noise until the components all bedded in to each other.

Time will tell.....

Chris

[535dboy]

I can lend you a box of matches if that helps!!