1 SERIES RATTLES

[Andy Meads]

Hi

I have had my 135i for about 6 weeks and it has done 800 miles. It has developed a rattle that sounds like it is coming from the passenger seat, nearside A pillar or perhaps the passenger door. The sound can be induced by striking the passenger seat from the side, but it still seems as if it might be coming from the door and that striking the seat causes vibrations elsewhere. Having said that, the rattle does sound consistent with typical seat movement. Even small bumps are enough to cause it. Needless to say, it comes and goes and refused to happen on a road test with a BMW engineer. Temperature doesn't seem to make a difference. I don't think it has happened when the passenger seat is occupied, so perhaps it is the seat. The sound is a rattle rather than a creak or a squeak. It sounds a bit like a small screw moving around in a plastic box.

Perhaps I have a disorder, but rattles drive me mad. Any ideas please?

Also, I have noticed that at motorway speeds, there is considerable windrush around the top rearmost corners of the windows in both doors. It is worse on the passenger side. Is this normal? The windows seem to locate properly when I close the doors.

I love the car, but small things like this get on my nerves. Especially when our 40,000 mile S-Max doesn't rattle a bit despite living a very hard life.

Cheers.

Andy

[DavidLScott]

This may not be as stupid as it sounds but it's not the seatbelt catch knocking on the seat lever is it? (if you have one).

My old 330ci used to do that if the passenger didn't put the belt pack properly when they got out and it used to drive me mad.

Probably a bit simplistic for your problem but worth looking at.

Best of luck.

[RacingTeatray]

Not sure what to do about the rattle - mercifully mine has so far managed 6,000 rattle-free miles.

However, you might have something amiss with the seals as I've not noticed particular windrush from the side windows so far. Conversely, mine has a sunroof and that does create something of a windrush when closed unless you close the inside cover.

[B16JUS]

most of my bmw's have done that ive always pulled the passenger seatbelt over the seat bolster to stp it tapping the side or the seat

[Funk]

The 1-series M-Sport seats have plastic side bolsters and I've found the seatbelt buckle can knock against it. Equally though, mine's just been back in to have the seat runners looked at under warranty as it had developed a 'clunk' and a small amount of play.

[Andy Meads]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will check the seatbelt now Perhaps I'll latch it and then see whether the rattle goes.

I think I'll book it in for a check-up too. According to some one series forums I have read, these cars can really be a problem where rattles are concerned.

[Heathwood]

Have a look at babybmw.net. IIRC there's a sticky regarding rattles and squeekes.

[pilchardthecat]

Andy Meads said:

<rattley 1-coupe>

Have a look under the passenger seat. There is a long spring which has something to do with the forward/backward adjustment mechanism. Mine is sheathed with a cheap plastic tube which rattles about a bit when the seat is adjusted in a particular way.

[astirling]

The 120d I had rattled like crazy. Drove me up the wall. Fixed some of them but not all. Good luck getting it sorted!

[///Mike]

I am rattle free so far but I do have the windrush from the top corner of the passanger window only. You have to be going some to hear it though.

The other really annoygin feature is the windrush/whistle that comes from the new van sized mirrors that are on the 59 plate cars, very annoying when progressing nicely with the windows down.

All that said, the car is immense and I am totally smitten still.

[RacingTeatray]

Were there any other changes to the 59-plate cars? I was feeling rather glad to get an 09-plate with the new improved widescreen iDrive but without the Dumbo-ears wingmirrors.

[///Mike]

My dealer told me that they had made changes to the exhaust to make it a little more sporty but whether or not this is true I do not know.

The mirrors are great from a practical point of view but I would prefer the smaller ones.

My heated seats buttons are in with the climate control as opposed to being on the lower panal as I have seen in others.

[SimonK]

I have this rattle (amongst a couple of others )

Just move the passenger seat around a bit (50-60% forwards works for me) - it only does it in certain positions. And never with a passenger in the car.

HTH

Simon

PS i love the car, but the interior build quality is *shocking*

[Andy Meads]

SimonK said:

I have this rattle (amongst a couple of others )

Just move the passenger seat around a bit (50-60% forwards works for me) - it only does it in certain positions. And never with a passenger in the car.

HTH

Simon

PS i love the car, but the interior build quality is *shocking*

Thanks. I raised the seat yesterday and fiddled around underneath, in response to some comments above about gubbins under the seat. So far, so good. Perhaps when the seat is at its lowest, something fouls something else. Having said that, I think a car costing well over £30k should not rattle or whistle and so I am going to ask the dealer to take a look at both problems. I have no other rattles or annoying noises at all, which, strangely, makes the ones I do have more annoying.

Re the changes for the 2010 model year, I think the post above has got them all: revised climate control system (incorporating heated seat controls and a button that applies the same temperature setting to both sides of the car) and larger door mirrors are the only ones I have noticed. Not sure about the exhaust. Personally, I preferred the old mirrors, even if the new ones are better in terms of visibility.

Thanks for all the comments so far. If the dealer sorts either problem, I will post the solution in the hope it might help someone else. So far, the dealer has shown willing and so let's see...

Andy

[DavidLScott]

Andy Meads said:

So far, the dealer has shown willing and so let's see...

Andy

Watch your wallet! They do like charging for failed investigations.

Hope it all works out though.

[RacingTeatray]

Andy Meads said:

...and a button that applies the same temperature setting to both sides of the car...

Andy

Finally! God, the lack of this in mine annoys me! I sure my old 2002 Audi S3 had this (and my 2005 Alfa GTA certainly did) so it was perplexing to discover 7yrs on that BMW still hadn't managed to fit this feature.

[Andy Meads]

DavidLScott said:

Andy Meads said:

So far, the dealer has shown willing and so let's see...

Andy

Watch your wallet! They do like charging for failed investigations.

Hope it all works out though.

Thanks. They are treating it as a warranty issue (the car is only weeks old). But I will certainly bear that warning in mind.

[Andy Meads]

DavidLScott said:

Andy Meads said:

So far, the dealer has shown willing and so let's see...

Andy

Watch your wallet! They do like charging for failed investigations.

Hope it all works out though.

Thanks. They are treating it as a warranty issue (the car is only weeks old). But I will certainly bear that warning in mind.

[DavidLScott]

Andy Meads said:

DavidLScott said:

Andy Meads said:

So far, the dealer has shown willing and so let's see...

Andy

Watch your wallet! They do like charging for failed investigations.

Hope it all works out though.

Thanks. They are treating it as a warranty issue (the car is only weeks old). But I will certainly bear that warning in mind.

That's a relief then.

My wife's Mini kept stalling when the temperature went down to 3C or lower until it warmed up and it cost me best part of £200 on failed investigations - ending in being told we didn't know how to drive a car by the service reception guy. I haven't been back since. You had to rev it to about 4k and slip the clutch to get it going!
I even left it with them overnight, drove over there in -3C conditions showed them what was wrong and left them to sort it out - 2 hours later I was told there wasn't a fault!!!
A specialist fixed it in an hour - dirty throttle bypass valve (or something like that).

[Andy Meads]

DavidLScott said:

Andy Meads said:

DavidLScott said:

Andy Meads said:

So far, the dealer has shown willing and so let's see...

Andy

Watch your wallet! They do like charging for failed investigations.

Hope it all works out though.

Thanks. They are treating it as a warranty issue (the car is only weeks old). But I will certainly bear that warning in mind.

That's a relief then.

My wife's Mini kept stalling when the temperature went down to 3C or lower until it warmed up and it cost me best part of £200 on failed investigations - ending in being told we didn't know how to drive a car by the service reception guy. I haven't been back since. You had to rev it to about 4k and slip the clutch to get it going!
I even left it with them overnight, drove over there in -3C conditions showed them what was wrong and left them to sort it out - 2 hours later I was told there wasn't a fault!!!
A specialist fixed it in an hour - dirty throttle bypass valve (or something like that).

Thanks. Perhaps I will phone first and double check...