Need help - 'Klunk' sound from rear suspension & squeaky seats

[caseywai]

Hi all,

I'm a new BMW owner with my first 316i which I collected in Nov 2013. Love the drive, feel and handling, except for the fact of all the various problems I have now. Hoping some experienced owners and members can share their ideas to issues! I drive around the city with only 11,000 km mileage so far.

1. 'Klunk' sound from left rear suspension which occurs daily, after car rested for at least 2 hrs, and occurs when driving through small humps and turning steering left (i think). Quite annoying and present since Day 1 I took the car. Sent in 2-3 times for couple of days to Ingress Damansara - said no such known issue, still unresolved...

2. Squeaky seats everytime I go over any uneven or rough road surfaces. It's so often and constant that it's audibly annoying. According to SA, said it's common issue with other f30's and that nothing can be done??? Is this true?

3. Sudden jerk when gear changes from low speeds from 1st to 2nd gear, happened recently and more often lately. Any other owners having this issue?

I've previously owned a Peugeot 308 turbo, which was known to have issues, but seriously, I never brought it to the workshop with any issues except after my 2nd-3rd years. Only flat batteries yearly, that's about it.

Is this kind of quality normal for BMW's? I'm still very surprised an in shock really....

Thanks sifu's for your help and feedback! Much appreciated.

 

[Prot]

Hi all,

I'm a new BMW owner with my first 316i which I collected in Nov 2013. Love the drive, feel and handling, except for the fact of all the various problems I have now. Hoping some experienced owners and members can share their ideas to issues! I drive around the city with only 11,000 km mileage so far.

1. 'Klunk' sound from left rear suspension which occurs daily, after car rested for at least 2 hrs, and occurs when driving through small humps and turning steering left (i think). Quite annoying and present since Day 1 I took the car. Sent in 2-3 times for couple of days to Ingress Damansara - said no such known issue, still unresolved...

2. Squeaky seats everytime I go over any uneven or rough road surfaces. It's so often and constant that it's audibly annoying. According to SA, said it's common issue with other f30's and that nothing can be done??? Is this true?

3. Sudden jerk when gear changes from low speeds from 1st to 2nd gear, happened recently and more often lately. Any other owners having this issue?

I've previously owned a Peugeot 308 turbo, which was known to have issues, but seriously, I never brought it to the workshop with any issues except after my 2nd-3rd years. Only flat batteries yearly, that's about it.

Is this kind of quality normal for BMW's? I'm still very surprised an in shock really....

Thanks sifu's for your help and feedback! Much appreciated.

Let me provide my 2 cents worth.

For 1: For issues the Dealer cannot simulate, it is almost impossible for them to fix. Which annoys us owners, but I do see it from their point of view as well.

For 2: Squeeky seats? could you record the squeeky sound and post it on youtube for us to hear it? if you could, it would help?

For 3: Thats normal behaviour of the gearbox. believe it or not, you may need to change your throttling style to mitigate that jerkiness. the 8 speed auto has a very short first gear, so it is rather abrupt. Car journalists praise, lather, adore, admire, infatuate,and lust the 8 speed ZF because of it being short-ratio-ed for "sportiness". so you kinda have to live with it.

 

[caseywai]

Hi prot,

Thanks for your feedback...

Let me provide my 2 cents worth.

For 1: For issues the Dealer cannot simulate, it is almost impossible for them to fix. Which annoys us owners, but I do see it from their point of view as well.

They actually have heard the problem during test drives, the problem is there is no fix. They took apart the seats before, said they disassembled and reassembled suspension. Problem is still there.... Just left it with them today for another 3 days.

For 2: Squeeky seats? could you record the squeeky sound and post it on youtube for us to hear it? if you could, it would help?

I'll try to record when I get the car back and if still there. Basically it's just like a squeaky chair sound that is loud and is present constantly, it's on both driver and passenger seat bottom, how to describe.. Hmmm...

For 3: Thats normal behaviour of the gearbox. believe it or not, you may need to change your throttling style to mitigate that jerkiness. the 8 speed auto has a very short first gear, so it is rather abrupt. Car journalists praise, lather, adore, admire, infatuate,and lust the 8 speed ZF because of it being short-ratio-ed for "sportiness". so you kinda have to live with it.

It's not like a normal jerk, it's more like a sudden shift in gear with a loud sound and you can feel car move forward, will monitor and see how it goes...

 

[seancorr]

Hi all,

I'm a new BMW owner with my first 316i which I collected in Nov 2013. Love the drive, feel and handling, except for the fact of all the various problems I have now. Hoping some experienced owners and members can share their ideas to issues! I drive around the city with only 11,000 km mileage so far.

1. 'Klunk' sound from left rear suspension which occurs daily, after car rested for at least 2 hrs, and occurs when driving through small humps and turning steering left (i think). Quite annoying and present since Day 1 I took the car. Sent in 2-3 times for couple of days to Ingress Damansara - said no such known issue, still unresolved...

2. Squeaky seats everytime I go over any uneven or rough road surfaces. It's so often and constant that it's audibly annoying. According to SA, said it's common issue with other f30's and that nothing can be done??? Is this true?

3. Sudden jerk when gear changes from low speeds from 1st to 2nd gear, happened recently and more often lately. Any other owners having this issue?

I've previously owned a Peugeot 308 turbo, which was known to have issues, but seriously, I never brought it to the workshop with any issues except after my 2nd-3rd years. Only flat batteries yearly, that's about it.

Is this kind of quality normal for BMW's? I'm still very surprised an in shock really....

Thanks sifu's for your help and feedback! Much appreciated.

Hi bro below are my feedback based on your questions:

1. I haven't gotten that issue before but to push for more importance please call BMW Voice and report that issue to them. You will most likely need to send in the car for a few days for them to troubleshoot and make sure you demo that problem to the technician and he experiences it so he can fix it.

2. The seat fake leather material is actually rubbing against each other between the vertical and horizontal seat sections. There's nothing they can do about it coz if I look at it logically its the material that is causing that noise. Only thing I can do is to apply some sort of oil between them so the rubbing noise is no longer there.

3. Yeah I too noticed the jerking between gear 1 & 2 and its happening to my own car and the courtesy car I'm using now. I might raise it as an issue in the coming months if it jerks too badly but at the moment if you light press the accelerator pedal it car will be ok. Its only bad when you gun the pedal AFAIK. I'm still monitoring this issue.

 

[caseywai]

Hi bro below are my feedback based on your questions:

1. I haven't gotten that issue before but to push for more importance please call BMW Voice and report that issue to them. You will most likely need to send in the car for a few days for them to troubleshoot and make sure you demo that problem to the technician and he experiences it so he can fix it.

2. The seat fake leather material is actually rubbing against each other between the vertical and horizontal seat sections. There's nothing they can do about it coz if I look at it logically its the material that is causing that noise. Only thing I can do is to apply some sort of oil between them so the rubbing noise is no longer there.

3. Yeah I too noticed the jerking between gear 1 & 2 and its happening to my own car and the courtesy car I'm using now. I might raise it as an issue in the coming months if it jerks too badly but at the moment if you light press the accelerator pedal it car will be ok. Its only bad when you gun the pedal AFAIK. I'm still monitoring this issue.

Hi seancorr,

Thanks for feedback.

1. Seems the sound in the rear the just told me that it's due to rear seat hitting something like the suspension in the rear. Something about putting more foam between seats and body? Not sure. Will have to monitor again. I remember they tried that once but didn't work previously.

2. It's shocking cause seat rubbing noise should be a QC issue. I mean, seriously? How can we accept this as a norm for a premium car? Sounds more like a manufacturing defect on their side. This solution was given by the workshop, but have to try and see if it revolves it long term. Did ur car encounter same issue also?

3. I'm more concerned about future gearbox failure after 2 years warranty. Wonder if extended BSRI covers gearbox? Might be work extending then...haha. Heard it's very costly to replace!

Anyway getting car back soon, will post updates when I've tested it out

 

[seancorr]

Hi seancorr,

Thanks for feedback.

1. Seems the sound in the rear the just told me that it's due to rear seat hitting something like the suspension in the rear. Something about putting more foam between seats and body? Not sure. Will have to monitor again. I remember they tried that once but didn't work previously.

2. It's shocking cause seat rubbing noise should be a QC issue. I mean, seriously? How can we accept this as a norm for a premium car? Sounds more like a manufacturing defect on their side. This solution was given by the workshop, but have to try and see if it revolves it long term. Did ur car encounter same issue also?

3. I'm more concerned about future gearbox failure after 2 years warranty. Wonder if extended BSRI covers gearbox? Might be work extending then...haha. Heard it's very costly to replace!

Anyway getting car back soon, will post updates when I've tested it out

Okay bro good luck with problem one coz I really cannot help you on that as have never encountered such problem.

I will want to know what your dealer did with the squeaky seats. I tried to put my finger at the place where its rubbing against each other at the middle point and the sound is gone so it confirms the location where its rubbing.

As for that jerky gearbox, did you mention it to the dealer? What was their response to it? The BSRI only covers servicing the said parts and will repair any component that is faulty so nope, you will need to cough out money for a replacement if the gearbox KO.