2008 E92 M3 Carbon Roof Discolouration

[black condor]

Hi all ,
Just to let you know the carbon roof on my 2008 E92 has began to discolour. I noticed it just days before the 3 year warranty was due to expire and took it to my straight to my local dealership ELMS BMW Bedford. The warranty claim has NOT yet been settled . I took the car to them 7 weeks ago now and its due back on May 16th for a full investigation by BMW themselves no less! Im hopeful the outcome will be favourable as there is no visible damaage to the top coat , it is as if the discolouration is from 'within' the roof.However, the area in question is without doubt a shade lighter underneath the laminate.
So i thought i would put this post up as a warning to all owners or would be owners as there seems to be no one else mentioning this fault, which i would imagine is extremely costly to rectify, hence the reticence i seem to be getting from BMW at the moment !
p.s this is the 1st bmw i have owned, by may 16 th this claim will be 11 weeks old, a shocking amount of time for a warranty claim to be processed. Truly appaled at this treatment.


regards

[E21_Ross]

i'd agree, that's not good enough and rather surprising if i'm honest. that's also a very weird problem, not heard of that before. keep us posted on what it is...

[foresterlad]

I had a similar issue with a CSL after the car was 20 months old. A large milky patch developed between coats of the gel that is multi layered.BMW were very good although they required the car for 2 weeks to strip and re-coat,having considered a replacement roof panel which I was not keen to have ,since it could only be fitted on a jig in Germany. Subsequently the roof panel was fine even after stone chips .
My last M3 a 2008 car had quite a few marks on the roof panel with no dis-coloration and given the problem you describe I would expect it to be fixed. Good luck

[black condor]

Thanks lads, i'll keep you posted. Hopefully they agree to the repair. Im told laminate is supposed to have UV filters in it that prevent sunlight bleaching the carbon weave inside it , so i guess its a manufacturing fault .

[Beedub]

black condor said:

Hi all ,
Just to let you know the carbon roof on my 2008 E92 has began to discolour. I noticed it just days before the 3 year warranty was due to expire and took it to my straight to my local dealership ELMS BMW Bedford. The warranty claim has NOT yet been settled . I took the car to them 7 weeks ago now and its due back on May 16th for a full investigation by BMW themselves no less! Im hopeful the outcome will be favourable as there is no visible damaage to the top coat , it is as if the discolouration is from 'within' the roof.However, the area in question is without doubt a shade lighter underneath the laminate.
So i thought i would put this post up as a warning to all owners or would be owners as there seems to be no one else mentioning this fault, which i would imagine is extremely costly to rectify, hence the reticence i seem to be getting from BMW at the moment !
p.s this is the 1st bmw i have owned, by may 16 th this claim will be 11 weeks old, a shocking amount of time for a warranty claim to be processed. Truly appaled at this treatment.


regards

11 weeks.... thats is DISGUSTING!! just replace the friggin roof, honestly op i really hope this works out for you. BMW you wkers!!!

[Zod]

Beedub said:

11 weeks.... thats is DISGUSTING!! just replace the friggin roof, honestly op i really hope this works out for you. BMW you wkers!!!

Calm down, dear!

[mat205125]

Zod said:

Beedub said:

11 weeks.... thats is DISGUSTING!! just replace the friggin roof, honestly op i really hope this works out for you. BMW you wkers!!!

Calm down, dear!

..... and besides, I'd much rather they were rectifying just the laquer instead of ripping the roof off of my car.

[E21_Ross]

hopefully won't happen to my dads M3, have coated the whole car (roof included) with a quartz based sealant with 100% UV block - lasts up to 5 years so if UV is the cause then should be ok!

[Beedub]

Zod said:

Calm down, dear!

im calm, but im not your dear

if it was your car you wouldnt be so understanding, i feel for you OP.

[Beedub]

mat205125 said:

..... and besides, I'd much rather they were rectifying just the laquer instead of ripping the roof off of my car.

Having taken the roof panel out of a CSL, also adding an aftermarket carbon roof panel to my friends z4mc..... its really not a difficult process and i WOULD want a new roof panel :-)

[Carlton Banks]

Beedub said:

mat205125 said:

..... and besides, I'd much rather they were rectifying just the laquer instead of ripping the roof off of my car.

Having taken the roof panel out of a CSL, also adding an aftermarket carbon roof panel to my friends z4mc..... its really not a difficult process and i WOULD want a new roof panel :-)

Fitted by some technicians who may have never done this before thus compromising factory rigidity and safety....?

Er, no.

[Beedub]

Carlton Banks said:

Fitted by some technicians who may have never done this before thus compromising factory rigidity and safety....?

Er, no.

the key word you said is MAY... thats why you request this to be done by a master tech......
i take it your the type of person that puts up with lifes st sandwhich and says nothing.

anyway were REALLY going off topic, OP goodluck and dont except bullst, simple as, really feel for you having to wait 11 weeks, that really sucks, anyhow, hope it gets sorted asap.

[Carlton Banks]

Beedub said:

Carlton Banks said:

Fitted by some technicians who may have never done this before thus compromising factory rigidity and safety....?

Er, no.

the key word you said is MAY... thats why you request this to be done by a master tech......
i take it your the type of person that puts up with lifes st sandwhich and says nothing.

anyway were REALLY going off topic, OP goodluck and dont except bullst, simple as, really feel for you having to wait 11 weeks, that really sucks, anyhow, hope it gets sorted asap.

Hardly, i would estimate that I have managed to get a lot work carried out under warranty that others have had rejected!

Anyway, I would say it's a risk.

I know one person who has replaced their z4m roof with a carbon skin and although the work has been carried out to a superb standard, I stand by my belief that you should only get someone who has done this before.

[playalistic]

I would imagine you can kiss the 10yr corrosion warranty goodbye too once you start dicking with aftermarket panels.

[Beedub]

playalistic said:

I would imagine you can kiss the 10yr corrosion warranty goodbye too once you start dicking with aftermarket panels.

playa no-ones talking about adding aftermnarket panels, were talking about a stock m3 carbon roof thats discoloring, i was basically saying i'd have no problem letting bmw replace the roof for a new item.

[black condor]

BMW agreed to fit a new roof. Its been in the body shop for the last 2 weeks , the 1st roof that turned up to fit was damaged , ive been drivig around in a mini clubman hire car. roll on the day they call and tell me i can get my car back !

[NBTBRV8]

black condor said:

BMW agreed to fit a new roof. Its been in the body shop for the last 2 weeks , the 1st roof that turned up to fit was damaged , ive been drivig around in a mini clubman hire car. roll on the day they call and tell me i can get my car back !

I'd like to see a photo of the discolouration. Did they try to back out of it in anyway?

[black condor]

They took photographs of it the first time i took it to them but even though the discolouration was visible they still insisted on me taking it back for the area manager to look at.
It was a patch about 15 cm by 5 cm at the rear of the roof on the nearside, and as i think ive said before it looked like the weave underneath the resin had been bleached , making that section of the roof a few shades lighter than the rest of the roof. Im still waiting to get it back , its been in the body shop for 3 weeks now . They were fine about replacing the roof , but in truth i dont think they had much of a leg to stand on , it was clearly apparent. As to the time they have taken so far to fit a new roof.... i have to say Porsche are streets ahead of my local dealer for after sales care. Good car, poor aftersales .