BMW replacing my turbos

[993 911]

Have had a strange noise coming from my car for the last 10k miles. Sounds kind of like a ticking/playing card in bicycle spokes kind of thing. I first brought the car to a Portland area dealership and complained that a noise was coming from what I thought was the transmission during deceleration and when the clutch was disengaged, and that it was most commonly heard following cold starts. Dealer #1 couldn't find or hear anything.

Kept driving the car and noticed that the noise was getting louder and didn't go away when the car was up to temp. I brought the car in for service at a different Portland-area dealership and asked them to check out the noise while they had the car. I was once again told that nothing abnormal was heard nor was "damage" found. I shook my head as I heard the ticking (with my windows up) while leaving the dealership.

My car sat for winter almost immediately following that service, and I put it back on the road about 4 weeks ago and piled on about 4k miles in that time. Driving the car around town was now embarrassing. The noise loud enough to cause pedestrians to stop and turn their necks to see what could cause such a noise. My passengers would ask what was wrong with the car within 1/2 mile of any trip. It sucked.

My warranty for the car expired yesterday, 4/19/12, so I knew that I needed to get the car in one last time to get the problem checked out. On Wednesday (4/18/12), I managed to get to BMW of Salem and told them about the problem. It took 2 seconds for the shop foreman to figure out that my wastegates were toasted. The first question he asked me was whether I had flashed or tuned the engine, to which I answered no (and I really never have). My service adviser then told me that the job would easily cost a couple thousand and I was very lucky to have gotten my car in the last few hours of my warranty window.

The next day my SA called and said the complete turbo would be replaced as the wastegates were beyond repair and the turbo and wastegates have to be replaced as one.

So at 42k miles, BMW is having to replace my turbo's and the cost is likely greater than $3.9k. Glad it's not coming out of my pocket, because I don't find this acceptable at all.

[Adam135]

Damn that sucks - only 42k miles!

[Vigilante375]

Did you factor in the last 10k miles you said you've been having this problem? If not, then it would be at 32k miles on your '08. Thats just crazy that it took the third dealer to find out what the problem was. If you knew the problem was there then why didn't you just push the issue harder at the 1st dealer? Unless the last 2 either knew what the problem was or the "high trained tech" didn't know what the hell he/she was doing.

[993 911]

I pushed pretty hard at both dealers, and both didn't care to investigate further. I'm guessing they didn't want to deal with me because they figured I had tuned the engine? Regardless, I'll avoid the service departments of the two Portland area dealers for future needs other than oil changes.

[1helcat]

yup i had the same prob at 52,000 miles..except my cel came on and when i was accelerating my car was making a jolting kinda feeling (this all happened at once) i got off frwy and my car was making that same noise you were saying luckily i was rite next to a dealer so i took my car in..hour later they called said my wastegate, high pressure oil pump , and valve were bad then a week later they said basically my top end was going to be rebuilt and done in a week then a week later they said not only my waste gate but my turbos had oil in them and they were going to replace them as well..long story short my engine basically was rebuilt and turbos got replace luckily my car has the extended 100,000 mile warranty so i only paid 50.00 bucks oh i do have a tune from dinan that was put in at 43000 miles or so but they didn't trip on it cuz they work with dinan and it doesn't void the extended warranty but they said even with the tune that this isn't that common it took a seal 2weeks to get to them cuz it was backordered from germany ..crazy tho your lucky you caught it rite b4 your warranty went out ..next time trust your gut i know my car better then sum one that just rides in it for 15 min i woulda made them go for a ride with me the first time till they heard it too!!!! but thats just me I had a 2006 subaru sti and it got in a wreck and subaru fixed it got it back and it didn't steer rite it used to hug the road but when i shook the steering back and forth it felt like a shock was missing or something i took it to dealer and 2 peep said nothing was wrong i made 3 different peep drive it finally i got another guy a tech from the back and took him on freeway and made him drive and shake it rite away he said omg don't drive this anywhere and took it into the back turned out my front left tire was missing a spacer or something i forget this was a while ago anyways I'm rambling but you know your car (how it handles) better then anyone...now i own 2008 135i 53000 miles sweet car wonder if anyone else has had the same problems me and you had

[Spitfire007]

Since I've been on this forum and heard/read of the carbon issues and waste gate/turbo problems, I'm thinking this car was not a good investment. It's fun and all, but long term dependability seems to be nonexistent.
And I can't extend my factory warranty cuz I bought it second-hand from another dealer.

[audimotion]

^ as long as your within the 4 years or 50K miles of original purchase date, you can extend the factory warranty. It doesn't matter where or who you have bought the car from.( unless it has a salvage title.)

[Spitfire007]

I looked into it but apparently I cannot! I have to be the original
Owner.

[Pablito1702]

Originally Posted by Spitfire007

I looked into it but apparently I cannot! I have to be the original
Owner.

You are wrong, look harder and at different dealer. If you have not exceeded 4 yr. 50k mile you can purchase extended warranty regardless of who was original owner. Contact Dan Dutton at Pacific BMW for group buy pricing (danieldutton@pacificbmw.com)

[Todd135i]

Originally Posted by Spitfire007

I looked into it but apparently I cannot! I have to be the original
Owner.

Like everybody has said, that's wrong. I'm a second owner and they're more than happy to sell me the BMW extended or aftermarket warranty.
Find another dealership!

[993 911]

Originally Posted by Spitfire007

Since I've been on this forum and heard/read of the carbon issues and waste gate/turbo problems, I'm thinking this car was not a good investment. It's fun and all, but long term dependability seems to be nonexistent.
And I can't extend my factory warranty cuz I bought it second-hand from another dealer.

I didn't bother to extended warranty. Time to up the boost and if anything fails I'll replace it with a superior aftermarket part.

In retrospect, I should have bought a used Porsche in '08. My 1 has spent easily over a month in the shop over the 4 years I've owned it. Thankful I didn't buy a 1M to deal with these problems allover again.

[x-tian-X4.8]

Originally Posted by 993 911

I didn't bother to extended warranty. Time to up the boost and if anything fails I'll replace it with a superior aftermarket part.

In retrospect, I should have bought a used Porsche in '08. My 1 has spent easily over a month in the shop over the 4 years I've owned it. Thankful I didn't buy a 1M to deal with these problems allover again.

1 month over a time span of 4 years is not bad actually...

[Simsims]

Originally Posted by 1helcat

yup i had the same prob at 52,000 miles..except my cel came on and when i was accelerating my car was making a jolting kinda feeling (this all happened at once) i got off frwy and my car was making that same noise you were saying luckily i was rite next to a dealer so i took my car in..hour later they called said my wastegate, high pressure oil pump , and valve were bad then a week later they said basically my top end was going to be rebuilt and done in a week then a week later they said not only my waste gate but my turbos had oil in them and they were going to replace them as well..long story short my engine basically was rebuilt and turbos got replace luckily my car has the extended 100,000 mile warranty so i only paid 50.00 bucks oh i do have a tune from dinan that was put in at 43000 miles or so but they didn't trip on it cuz they work with dinan and it doesn't void the extended warranty but they said even with the tune that this isn't that common it took a seal 2weeks to get to them cuz it was backordered from germany ..crazy tho your lucky you caught it rite b4 your warranty went out ..next time trust your gut i know my car better then sum one that just rides in it for 15 min i woulda made them go for a ride with me the first time till they heard it too!!!! but thats just me I had a 2006 subaru sti and it got in a wreck and subaru fixed it got it back and it didn't steer rite it used to hug the road but when i shook the steering back and forth it felt like a shock was missing or something i took it to dealer and 2 peep said nothing was wrong i made 3 different peep drive it finally i got another guy a tech from the back and took him on freeway and made him drive and shake it rite away he said omg don't drive this anywhere and took it into the back turned out my front left tire was missing a spacer or something i forget this was a while ago anyways I'm rambling but you know your car (how it handles) better then anyone...now i own 2008 135i 53000 miles sweet car wonder if anyone else has had the same problems me and you had

use stuff like . and ,

[ksparks]

Originally Posted by x-tian-X4.8

1 month over a time span of 4 years is not bad actually...

i love this car just as much as anyone else, but that's awful. Maybe on an older car that would be acceptable.

a new car should only see the dealer for maintenance in the first 3 or 4 years.

My car has a problematic hpfp which was replaced 2 times in 3 years. Not counting scheduled service visits, they had my car for 3 days total.

It was a major PITA, trying to get a loaner on short notice, not to mention having to take time off my job. That pretty much tested my limits. $44k on a brand new car that knowingly was built with a bad part. To me this car is a novelty, I would never be able to rely on this as a commuter car.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by 993 911

I'm guessing they didn't want to deal with me because they figured I had tuned the engine? Regardless, I'll avoid the service departments of the two Portland area dealers for future needs other than oil changes.

I'm guessing they've replaced turbos under warranty before and found out it's a pain in the ass or money loser because of having to prove everything to BMWNA. The dealer closest to me lies about everything too. So I drive 45 miles to a dealer that has an honest SA.

[Spitfire007]

Originally Posted by GaryS

I'm guessing they've replaced turbos under warranty before and found out it's a pain in the ass or money loser because of having to prove everything to BMWNA. The dealer closest to me lies about everything too. So I drive 45 miles to a dealer that has an honest SA.

Which dealer and SA do you use in MD?

I'm from Maryland, but spend a lot of time up in NYC, so I've only been to a dealer up here, never in MD.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by Spitfire007

Which dealer and SA do you use in MD?

I'm from Maryland, but spend a lot of time up in NYC, so I've only been to a dealer up here, never in MD.

For any warranty work more expensive than an oil change or freon, I recommend Bel Air BMW, Tom Wolfe.

[Spitfire007]

thank you.

[993 911]

UPDATE:

Picked up the car Thursday from the dealer and immediately noticed a change in sound and performance. Car sounds GREAT now (stronger engine sound and exhaust tone is sweet). Drove the car about 45 miles after picking it up and then parked it until today (Sunday).

While driving down the freeway this afternoon (5 miles from my home), a yellow check engine light payed my dash a visit and the car went into limp mode. Turned the car off to while grabbing a burrito, drove it 60 miles at > 75 MPH, and the light didn't return.

Have a call into the service department. Thinking I should call the sales department and trade in for a new, non-turbocharged model.

Oh wait.

[PA135i]

Yup,... I was at 49,967 when I pulled into the dealership about this issue. Next day got a call about the waste gates leaking.. and that both turbos would be replaced.

[matsayswhat]

This is a bummer thread for me to be reading considering I'm thinking about being in the used 135i market

Hope everything works out ok!

[Indo Rider]

Originally Posted by matsayswhat

This is a bummer thread for me to be reading considering I'm thinking about being in the used 135i market

Plan to get some RB turbos to go with your used 135i and then no worries