3.0Si Z4 Coupe - Noisy gearbox?

[Scuzi]

The car is just over a month old now and the clock is about to reach 3k miles. It is an '08 Z4 Coupe 3.0Si Sport.

This may be normal but I'm not so sure as I have only noticed it today. When driving along slowly in first or sitting idling in neutral, there is what appears to be a "grinding" noise from what I assume is the gearbox. If sitting in neutral with the engine at idle it sounds something liek a spinning/grinding noise and can only be heard when the stereo is off and the fans are off/low. When I depress the clutch, the noise disappears and only the sound of the engine can be heard. When I let the clutch out again, the noise returns.

Can anyone confirm that this noise is normal? It sounds like the driveshaft spinning in neutral but seems to be louder than normal. I'd post a sound clip only that it's not quite loud enough for my mobile phone to pick up.

Thanks in advance

[andysj]

It doesn't sound right, I don't get this on an older 3 litre roadster.

I'd get it down to the dealer to check it out.

[E30M3SE]

As the car is 4 weeks old get it sorted under warranty, it's probably the clutch release bearing, as a minimum, which could last for years like that with out causing any other problems, it may be one of the shafts in the gearbox, which is more serious. You may get the ...'they all do that sir'.

[Scuzi]

That's what I'm afraid of - I don't want to be palmed off with the excuse that they all do it. I was hoping some owners of the same car could tell me whether or not it is normal so I am full of ammo when I go to the dealers!

Let's say it is a shaft in the gearbox. Is this a worst case scenario and if so, how long would it take to fix?

Thanks

[pgilc1]

Scuzi said:

That's what I'm afraid of - I don't want to be palmed off with the excuse that they all do it. I was hoping some owners of the same car could tell me whether or not it is normal so I am full of ammo when I go to the dealers!

Let's say it is a shaft in the gearbox. Is this a worst case scenario and if so, how long would it take to fix?

Thanks

Definitely not normal. ours is as quiet as a mouse.

It will depend on parts availability as to how long it will take to fix

[Scuzi]

It looks as if I'll have to get it looked at then.

Thanks for the input

[Scuzi]

A bit of an update. On teh way to work this morning I had a listen both when I first started up the car and when I arrived at work. The noise seems to have disappeared now which seems rather strange. I'll have to keep listening to see if it returns.

Does this change the possibilities any?

[photo_ed]

Does it do it with the clutch in or out?

Occasionally in mine if I'm idling in traffic in neutral clutch out there's a slight rattle/chuntering noise from what I imagine to be the clutch release bearing. If I depress the clutch it disappears, it happens so infrequently that I can't be bothered chasing it up until service time. Both my Civic Type R's and Clio 172&182 Cups did exactly the same thing and even when I demanded a whole new clutch assy in the 172 it still did it, so I wouldn't imagine it's anything terminal.

With the Z4C I also get a chattering noise from the prop when trundling in first gear - I'm putting it down to a bit of 'character' - which I quite like in a car!

Also the aircon pump in mine sometimes makes a noise like a small faraway moped - again it's annoying but so intermittent that the dealer would probably think I was imagining things if I turned up complaining about it - I'll mention it at service time though.

Have your front tie bars worked loose yet! (Not painting a good picture am I, ooops )

Great cars though

[E30M3SE]

Scuzi said:

A bit of an update. On teh way to work this morning I had a listen both when I first started up the car and when I arrived at work. The noise seems to have disappeared now which seems rather strange. I'll have to keep listening to see if it returns.

Does this change the possibilities any?

If it's not doing it when you drop the car off to them then there's nothing to change, but hey, the cars a month old, so you still have 2 years 11 months warranty , so keep an eye/ear on it.

[M3_chaz]

I've a Sep 07 Coupe and never had this on mine, I'm on 3.5k miles with mine now so around the same as yourself.

[DavidCane]

If they say that they all do that, ask to have a go in one of the 3.0s Z4s they've got in stock. That'll prove or disprove thier point.

[andye30m3]

my E30 M3 did this, it was the layshaft bearings. lasted about 10,000 miles before i ended up replacing the gearox (although it could have been rebuilt).

I'd get the main dealer to have a look at it to be on the safe side. I always thought gearboxes could be a week point on some BMW's.