GRRRRRRRR!!!!! Here we go!!!

[Robert]

Originally Posted by Rovman

All it takes is one smart arse to ruin a thread. Hey Bud, why don't you read the thread before commenting.

We all know what we bought, and what they are designed to do. But when you spend 60 to 70k on a vehicle that has a few problems, some of us would like solutions. Fortunatly forums like this exist and with USEFUL participation can be helpful.

This is a prime example. I posted about a problem I experienced with my car. Turns out others with cars optioned like mine are having the same issue. BMW of NA have taken notice by frequenting the forum and have actioned by contacting people like me who are experiencing these issues. The findings from the dealer visits will be reverted back to BMW of NA and if we are lucky, a permanent solution will be engineered and implemented.

So please, I repeat, try not to taint this beautiful process with your shallow remarks and go post some where else. A Lexus forum may be a good start.

Apologies guys, not in a good mood tonight, been a rough day....

Hey man, no need to be hostile. If I came off as an ass, I do apologize. I should have inserted a couple smilies in the message. Most of us are bmw owners here and I have taken my brand new BMW into the dealership twice for manufacturing defect in about (3000 miles). There's a third problem but I know dealership won't able to fix unless there's a fundamental re engineering at the part of BMW. Just making lemonade out of lemon. Seriously, you need to make light of the situation otherwise you will be out the BMW family fast. BMWs can be quirky. Take a look at its history of first year models. Shouldn't come as a surprise at all that a 60-70k dollar car may require dealership visits, otherwise you didn't do enough research.

[Tag]

bobbo I don't think you need to apologize for anything. I knew you were being sarcastic as I'm sure everyone other than this guy did too.

Rovman, you are not making this thread or forum for that manner any better with your random tirade. If you're not in a good mood you shouldn't be taking it out on others...

[Robert]

Originally Posted by tag824

bobbo I don't think you need to apologize for anything. I knew you were being sarcastic as I'm sure everyone other than this guy did too.

Rovman, you are not making this thread or forum for that manner any better with your random tirade. If you're not in a good mood you shouldn't be taking it out on others...

That's alright. I understand his frustration. Everyone react differently, and I wouldn't lose sleep over an internet discussion. I hope BMW find the problem and this experience can help others.

[Rovman]

No prob, it did tweak my strings a bit, as I am sure you noticed. I guess that is one of the negatives concerning a forum and posting. You never know what context the thread was meant to be taken in.

Allow me to apologize as well for mis-interpreting and retorting so. All is well in BMW land..

[Tag]

[spectrumphoto]

So has there been a resolution found for this issue??? My week old E90 is now doing the pop and then 30 sec silence/system freeze thing about once or twice a day. Yes I have the Prem Sound. Any insight fo me to tell my SA???

[Rovman]

Originally Posted by spectrumphoto

So has there been a resolution found for this issue??? My week old E90 is now doing the pop and then 30 sec silence/system freeze thing about once or twice a day. Yes I have the Prem Sound. Any insight fo me to tell my SA???

As of now, no. Of course when I brought my car into the dealer the popping noise would never come back. I have seen other threads where other dealers some how diagnosed it with a faulty radio or amp and changed those components but I had no such luck with my experience.

Unfortunately, it looks like the stars and moon will have to align before I will get this resolved. Meaning, I don't fancy the chances of having the problem arise, while I am driving by the dealer, and have the time to stop so they can experience it as well. The chances of that are slim to none.

I guess I may just have to wait until enough cases are remedied by BMW to make it an "en mass" repair.

[GT3 Tim]

Mine had the "screaming from Hell" once. It was more like "white noise" (eg: a tv tuned to a station with no reception) at FULL VOLUME. I thought I had a hole in one of my tires! lol

This happened in the morning when I opened my trunk!!! I had not even entered the car yet (turned it on, etc.). I just went intothe garage, opened the trunk, and then BLAMO, full Vloume white noise!

I went in the car, turn on/off, tried to cycle sound on/off, etc. NOTHING worked to kill the noise. Finally, I went back to the trunk, unplugged the optical input to the amp, and the noise disappeared. The optical connector was emitting a steady red light when unplugged, then it flashed for a few seconds, then when out...that is when I plugged it back in and it has been fine since (this happened 5 days ago, so who knows).

My car is at the dealer now for its 1,200 mile service. This item in on my "list" that I gave the dealer. He doubted that they could even look at it today as the scheduled totally screwed up and only alotted time for the 1,200 mile service!!! AHHHHH!

Now I have to bring it back in next week for the other things.

I told him I at least wanted my alarm installed today, but he cautioned me that they have had coding issues with the last few they did...the last one took 6 hours to get right. After hearing that, i agreed to bring it in next week for that. I have too many meetings and committments to tend too...I cannot be waiting at the dealer for hours...

Hopefully this will get resolved soon. Good luck with your issue and let us know what happens. A few others on the board have had the head unit replaced because of these issues. I would imagine this will be the case with ours as well....

[jbroosen]

Originally Posted by GT3 Tim

Mine had the "screaming from Hell" once. It was more like "white noise" (eg: a tv tuned to a station with no reception) at FULL VOLUME. I thought I had a hole in one of my tires! lol

This happened in the morning when I opened my trunk!!! I had not even entered the car yet (turned it on, etc.). I just went intothe garage, opened the trunk, and then BLAMO, full Vloume white noise!

I went in the car, turn on/off, tried to cycle sound on/off, etc. NOTHING worked to kill the noise. Finally, I went back to the trunk, unplugged the optical input to the amp, and the noise disappeared. The optical connector was emitting a steady red light when unplugged, then it flashed for a few seconds, then when out...that is when I plugged it back in and it has been fine since (this happened 5 days ago, so who knows).

My car is at the dealer now for its 1,200 mile service. This item in on my "list" that I gave the dealer. He doubted that they could even look at it today as the scheduled totally screwed up and only alotted time for the 1,200 mile service!!! AHHHHH!

Now I have to bring it back in next week for the other things.

I told him I at least wanted my alarm installed today, but he cautioned me that they have had coding issues with the last few they did...the last one took 6 hours to get right. After hearing that, i agreed to bring it in next week for that. I have too many meetings and committments to tend too...I cannot be waiting at the dealer for hours...

Hopefully this will get resolved soon. Good luck with your issue and let us know what happens. A few others on the board have had the head unit replaced because of these issues. I would imagine this will be the case with ours as well....

ARGHH. I am so glad I am not the only one. I took delivery of my M3 Convertible in early May. I was so excited as to have the first one delivered... the convertible wasn't even listed on the website yet....I should have known better to buy the "first" of ANYTHING. My car is now at the shop for the 3rd time for the dreaded "popping" noise. The first one happened the day I picked it up. I was actually pulling out of the dealership and I thought a rock had hit my window. I chalked it up to maybe it won't happen again. Wishful thinking. It has repeatedly happened usually after driving for longer periods of time ie an hour or so. This isn't my daily driver so its September now and of course everytime I bring it in, it doesn't replicate. I just finished picking it up after the service advisor said they had reset the system and it should be fine now. Well low and behold after leaving the dealership it "popped" again. Needless to say I made a U-turn and drove directly back to the dealership. One thing I did notice was after the pop, my screen said "phone not connected, contact BMW roadside assistance" then the screen went back to normal and the volume of the radio continued. I am so not wanting to deal with having another lemon case. I have already gone through an 04 Range Rover, an 05 LR3 and an 05 SL55 that had a constant supercharger problem. I came to BMW because of the "maintenance" program. Currently my M3 is at the dealership and of course the shope foreman is going to escalate it. My question is, if somebody from BMW NA has already responded to someone on this website, why aren't they notifying dealers that there is a problem and to be on the look out and not send someone home saying the problem has been "reset" and you shouldn't have the problem again. My situation is my closest dealer is 45 miles one way to my home and is VERY inconvenient to drive and pay for the gas excess mileage etc to bring something that should be working. As well as have to pay the dealer a $11.00 usage fee to drive a mediocre 335 sedan. Now I guess I am venting.... Hopefully that same rep will contact me. My email is jbroosen@yahoo.com if anyone wants to commiserate on their "loaded" M3

[chris719]

Full scale white noise is almost certainly coming from the digital data source. Considering the DACs are in the amp in this car, and it's intermittent, I'd be more inclined to think it is a software issue. However, it could be something as simple as a bad solder joint near the audio system's digital output. Note that in the other thread, unplugging the fiber connection to the amp stopped it, so it's 99% sending maximum value samples to the amp.

[2thdr]

If I might suggest, I would consider using something like an iPhone with a voice recorder function or some sort of digital recorder, and simply turn it on when you drive. Whenever you drive, just make sure you record what happens (if anything). If nothing occurs, just erase the recording and repeat. At least you will be able to document the sound and provide some proof of what is happening.

[jbroosen]

Originally Posted by BMW NA Customer Relations

I'm with BMW of North America, LLC. I've passed this message on to a BMW NA Customer Relations Representative who will be in touch to discuss this with you.

I am in the same situation with the popping noise. Currently my M3 Hardtop Convertible is at BMW N. Scottsdale in AZ. The shop foreman came out to speak with me regarding the situation. He asked for the model of my phone which is a Blackberry 8330 serviced by Verizon. He indicated that the "popping" could potentially be the loss of the fiber optic connection between all the audio systems. I let him know once I saw the Idrive screen which read "phone connections not established (or something like that) Please contact BMW Roadside Assistance).This is the 3rd time it is in the shop for the same problem that can never be replicated while at the dealer. The first time it was in was the 1000 mile service after I bought it. Like I originally said the "popping" started as I left the dealership. Has anything been resolved? Why do these dealership not know of this situation, since what I am gathering from these posts are not isolated incidences? Please let me know if there is resolution on this matter? Thanks for your help.

[spectrumphoto]

I've gotten the dreaded "PoP" with my e90. It was kind of frequent for the first 2 weeks then all was good. Now it has happened 3-4 times in the last week. Mine is a loud "PoP" followed by a full iDrive freeze for 30-40 sec (cant change screen, knob and steering wheel buttons don't work) then everything is fine and back to normal. It has happened with the radio, satellite, iPod active.

I would love some sort of resolution!!!

[BK]

Crap, that's not good. Subscribing to this thread.

[BMWNA]

Originally Posted by jbroosen

I am in the same situation with the popping noise. Currently my M3 Hardtop Convertible is at BMW N. Scottsdale in AZ. The shop foreman came out to speak with me regarding the situation. He asked for the model of my phone which is a Blackberry 8330 serviced by Verizon. He indicated that the "popping" could potentially be the loss of the fiber optic connection between all the audio systems. I let him know once I saw the Idrive screen which read "phone connections not established (or something like that) Please contact BMW Roadside Assistance).This is the 3rd time it is in the shop for the same problem that can never be replicated while at the dealer. The first time it was in was the 1000 mile service after I bought it. Like I originally said the "popping" started as I left the dealership. Has anything been resolved? Why do these dealership not know of this situation, since what I am gathering from these posts are not isolated incidences? Please let me know if there is resolution on this matter? Thanks for your help.

I’m with BMW of North America, LLC. Check your inbox for our offer of assistance.

[monsta]

Originally Posted by BMW NA Customer Relations

I’m with BMW of North America, LLC. Check your inbox for our offer of assistance.

[mkoesel]

^^^

Wow, I've never seen BMW NA on here before. Very cool.

But why do only 4 of his 39 total posts show up??

[newtom3]

I know a bit about audio systems. There is absolutely no excuse for BMW engineering to not have figured this out. With all the descriptive posts on various forums, they do NOT need to duplicate the event, in order to come up with a theory for what is happening and test/solve for it. It's as simply as looking at the system diagram and various circuits and figure it out.

White noise and pops sound like a problem with something digital. Since there is EQ in this premium audio system, perhaps it is a digital EQ and something about the filter design is going unstable, which would totally explain the pops/hiss/white noise. But I don't know the system, so that's a swag. I do know that in any electrical/digital system like this, given the symptoms reported, they should totally be able to narrow this down, and quickly. Just got to get the right engineers in the same room and in one hour, it will be figured out.

[elm3]

Originally Posted by Rovman

Sigh!!!! So it begins... Took a business trip to Houston today in my new 3700 mile E90 M3. I absolutely love the car but I don't think it likes me. Trip started out great. Had my iphone plugged in and was enjoying some good tunes when a loud POP came from the front speakers and the radio went silent. What seems like the amp shut down for about 20 to 30 seconds. This happened 2 more times before I got to my destination, once again while I was listening to the radio and once while I was talking on my phone that was paired to the car.

On my way home, it got even better. About 45 minutes out of Houston, once again I was enjoying some tunes on the radio when an extremely loud POP rang through the interior again. This time the radio never came back on, in fact the idrive screen locked up and became unresponsive. I drove for another 30 miles in silence trying to figure out WTF is going on with no luck. No matter what I tried, the idrive, radio, nav, climate control was unresponsive.

So there I was driving in my 64,000 dollar car with no radio, no nav, and an unresponsive idrive. Needless to say I was absolutly LIVID

Finally I decided to pull over and turn the car off/on in the hopes that this manuever would cure the ailment. NOPE!!!!! I stopped turn the car off 4 times. NOTHING.. Just the idrive main menu page would come up and nothing. No radio, nav, zero.

So I drive the rest of my 2 1/2 hour trip in silence , first 75, then 80, then 85, then, Well God Damn fast. I was so angry about the whole ordeal I just wanted the trip to end.

I got home, tried the off/on trick again. Once again no luck. I walked in the house dejected...

4 hours later I go back outside to move the car into the garage and all is back to normal!!!!!!

This does not make me happy, cause now that means I have an intermitent problem that of course, the dealer will never be able to replicate. Man I can see the repeated trips back and forth to the dealer now.

MOOOOOOOOSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
MOOOOOOOOSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

OK I am better now. I just needed to vent to you guys and make everyone aware of my crazy M3 experience today. Man I love this car but I absolutly hate a car that gives problems. I just hope that this is an isolated incedent and the dealer will easily be able to diagnose and remedy.

If not , my days as a BMW M3 owner will be short lived.

Did they find anything on your car yet? I ordered my 09 last Friday and I also ordered the Premium Sound. I was just wondering.

[Rovman]

Nope, no remedy yet. My dealer is taking the opinion that if it isn't doing the problem when they have the car in thier posession then they aren't going to do anything. Sucks to be honest. My car has done a few other things since then and of course I am never at my dealer when the fault occurs so, I guess I will never get it remedied. Makes me angry thinking about it, but I have far more important things to deal with on a day to day basis with my business rather than try and re-create the fault and hover around my local dealer hoping that someone in the service department will witness the problem, which in my opinion will not give them much to work with anyway. I would willing to bet that if they were to witness the fault they would begin to do what the other dealers are doing as well, ex. change the amp, change the tuner(radio) etc. etc.

I don't understand why some people can bring their car in with the same issue's and their local dealer will take the pro-active aproach and try to change out components and some dealers (like mine) will take the passive aproach and put it all on you to try and prove to them that their is a problem.

Bring it to another dealer, you might say. Yeah I could drive another 3 hours to another dealer but I shouldn't have to. It should be well documented by now concerning the issue the new M3's with the premium audio are having and a plan of action should be passed down from BMW of NA to the dealers as protocol in trying to remedy this problem.

[jbroosen]

I guess I got a little farther than you did. I left the car with them for about 10 days. The shop foreman took the car home for the weekend with some recording/test equipment ( I wasn't thrilled to have him do it) They called me after the weekend and said they have ordered a special part for the amp. It supposedly is in Germany so it will take approximately 12 days. In the meantime, they returned my vehicle and deleted the paired phones from the idrive system. They asked me not to pair the phones back up and see if it pops again. I got in the car just yesterday and started it up and again a pop. The person from BMW NA who I am dealing with is named Meg. She is a manager and she at least arranged from my loaner vehicle to be given gratis. I am a little upset because now I can't use the phone while driving since in CA it is illegal to not have handsfree. In further research, I am using a Blackberry Curve, which apparently isn't an approved phone. the Blackberry Pearl is though. STUPID. Once they call me back to install that amp, I will let you know if that fixed my popping noise and if you like Meg's number at BMW is 800) 831-1117 ext 7970. Hope this helps you out.

[chris719]

The Curve and Pearl likely use the same Bluetooth transciever. This whole approved phone list is pure bs and BMW's attempt at covering their ass in case of a poor Bluetooth implementation on their part or on the phone side. Bluetooth is a standard managed by Bluetooth SIG, if it is implemented correctly there should be zero issues. I highly doubt Bluetooth issues can cause anything like what you describe anyway.

FWIW, the flickering on the optical connector is not normal, with most implementations it should always be glowing red even when muted.