[asmd]

Hi guys,

First post here.
Am just about to get my first BMW. A used 2007 328i with 53k miles on it.
I spent an entire morning with it and it drives great with the exception of one problem. More often than not, when i hit the brakes to stop at a stop sign, just before it comes to a dead stop, theres a thump from the rear of the car. The sensation is like someone hitting you from the rear or the brakes letting go just a bit. Its disconcerting to say the least. I have not noticed this on other 328i's (also 2007) that i test drove.

Ive read just about everything i could on this.. and there's a lot that's been said here and on other BMW forums. The owner is a friend of mine, but he claims he never noticed it before i pointed it out to him. (im going to take him at face value on this)

The was bought CPO and still has CPO warranty till Jan 2013, and he also bought extended maintenance by BMW till Jan 2013. As far as i know, these are transferable to me. He has made an appointment with the BMW delership to have ti looked at before the final sale is completed between us.

Now, the thing of it is, there seems to be no firm conclusion as to what the problem is. It varies from:

1) reset tranny diy fixes it (i really dont want to deal with this.. the car is for the mrs.)
2) NIC issue
3) soft stop feature that can be disabled with programming.
4) new transmission fixes problem.

and all these with the exception of the DIY tranny reset, seem to be official fixes from BMW. Im not looking to buy a lemon or a car with a major existing problem. I have been assured by the owner if there is a problem, BMW will deal with it. But a little reassurance from the folks here who have successfully resolved a similar will go a long way in giving me some peace of mind.

Heres what troubles me. The owner claims he never noticed it. And in a lot of the threads, owners have mentioned that they've noticed it from the onset of ownership and other say it appeared after some time of ownership. That sort of leads me tho think that this is a problem that most probably appeared. When i drove it, i could not possibly believe that BMW engineered a obvious "clunk" in whenever i brought it to a stop. This is obviously from something going wrong somewhere. I also drove another 07 328i and it didnt exhibit this "clunk" on braking.

I would like to be forearmed before going to the dealer this Friday for the appointment so i wont get my chain yanked. Worse come to worse, i could walk away from this deal.

Looking forward to replies.

Regards,
asmd.

[asmd]

nobody??

[MCoupeInsanity]

My wife's E46 does exactly what you're describing, kinda a "thunk" just before coming to a full stop on braking.

I've had the brakes replaced (pads, rotors, taken the whole assembly apart to make sure there wasn't a stuck pin or anything), replaced a bunch of suspension bushings... no dice. I have a very reliable BMW-specialist indy mechanic and he can't figure out what it is.

[MCOChuck]

I would try poping it into neutral during braking and see if the problem is trans or brakes. If brakes, my guess would be soft stop malfunctioning.

[avocet]

I am going to guess it is your driveshaft loading up the slip joint then suddenly releasing. There is a slip joint mid way of the driveshaft(on an e90 328i, anyway).

I would try greasing the crap out of it and seeing what happens. I think there is a trans remap that unloads the drivetrain a bit when coming to a stop, preventing the "thunk".

But regreasing the slip joint isn't a huge job, and is DIYable with a few special tools.

[richpike]

Originally Posted by MCoupeInsanity

My wife's E46 does exactly what you're describing, kinda a "thunk" just before coming to a full stop on braking.

I've had the brakes replaced (pads, rotors, taken the whole assembly apart to make sure there wasn't a stuck pin or anything), replaced a bunch of suspension bushings... no dice. I have a very reliable BMW-specialist indy mechanic and he can't figure out what it is.

My E46 did this exact thing too. BMW replaced my entire drivetrain short of the engine (transmission, drive shaft, etc, etc) and could never figure it out. I eventually got rid of the car because it drove me nuts and BMW could not figure it out (IIRC they even sent the regional BMW NA guy out to look at it). In fact, it turned me off of BMWs for about 4 years, but I eventually returned to the good guys

OP - I hate to say it, but I'd stay away.

Good luck in w/e you choose!
Rich

[MCoupeInsanity]

Originally Posted by richpike

My E46 did this exact thing too. BMW replaced my entire drivetrain short of the engine (transmission, drive shaft, etc, etc) and could never figure it out. I eventually got rid of the car because it drove me nuts and BMW could not figure it out (IIRC they even sent the regional BMW NA guy out to look at it). In fact, it turned me off of BMWs for about 4 years, but I eventually returned to the good guys

OP - I hate to say it, but I'd stay away.

Good luck in w/e you choose!
Rich

If it was mine I might have sold it already. It's my wife's and I am pretty sure she still doesn't know what "thunk noise" I have been talking about for the past year and a half. She thinks I'm crazy. She'll get a X3 or an LCI 328i soon enough, so it'll be off my mind at least.

[morphius909]

Originally Posted by avocet

I am going to guess it is your driveshaft loading up the slip joint then suddenly releasing. There is a slip joint mid way of the driveshaft(on an e90 328i, anyway).

I would try greasing the crap out of it and seeing what happens. I think there is a trans remap that unloads the drivetrain a bit when coming to a stop, preventing the "thunk".

But regreasing the slip joint isn't a huge job, and is DIYable with a few special tools.

+1.

My Toyota 4runner does the same thing and it's the Driveline Clunk. Just lube the crap out of it.

Apparently quite common in 4wd/diff vehicles.

[asmd]

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.
got an appt this friday with the dealer.
cpo warranty is valid until jan 2013.
I believe it covers transmission and driveline.

What would cause the soft stop feature to suddenly start malfunctioning?
Will let the tech know.

will keep this post going until its resolved for the benefit of other members/

regards,
asmd.

[JuppiOne]

I think this is what you are experiencing?

this is from BMW service bulletin SI B24 06 06


This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B24 06 06 dated August 2006.
designates changes to this revision
SUBJECT
A Slight Bump is Felt Shortly after the Vehicle Comes to a Stop
MODEL
E85 3.0 and 3.0si with the GA6HP19Z transmission produced up to 07/2006
E90, E91 All with the GA6HP19Z transmission produced up to 09/2006
SITUATION
A slight one-time bump is felt shortly after the vehicle comes to a stop.
CAUSE
This is due to the design concept of "NIC", or Neutral Idle Control. This gearbox feature uncouples the torque converter whenever the vehicle is stationary, gearbox oil temperature is between 20°C and 120°C, and the brakes are applied. By disconnecting the torque converter the load on the engine is reduced to a minimum. Please explain this feature and its operation to the customer.
CORRECTION
For the E85, revised EGS software is available with Progman 23.0 or higher.
For the E90, E91 revised EGS software is expected in a future release of Progman. Until that time, on a customer complaint basis only, this feature can be deactivated as described in the procedure below.
PROCEDURE
E85 – On a customer complaint basis only, reprogram the EGS module with Progman 23.0 or higher. It is not possible to deactivate this feature using the retrofit option on the E85.
E90, E91 - On a customer complaint basis only, perform the Retrofit - "Converter lockup clutch" using Progman 23.0 (Target Data status: E89x-06-09-520) or higher. Follow the "Retrofit" procedures as outlined in SI B09 05 01.
WARRANTY
For the appropriate defect code and labor operations please refer to the KSD system.
[ Copyright © 2006 BMW of North America, LLC ]

[asmd]

The SB states "A Slight Bump is Felt Shortly after the Vehicle Comes to a Stop"

I feel it just before it comes to a stop when braking for a gentle stop ala at a stop sign.
While braking, just as the car is about to come to a standstill, theres a "clunk"from the rear end. The car does not jerk forward, but its noticeable, like you got softly rear ended. It didnt happen all the time, about 60% of the time.

It did not happen if i braked hard. Then it was fine.

Im thinking its the "soft stop" feature gone defective.

Thanks for the replies guys. Looking for someone who had the same problem as me and got it resolved, as i would like to know the solution before i head out to the dealer this Friday.

Regards,
asmd.

Originally Posted by patrickch

I think this is what you are experiencing?

this is from BMW service bulletin SI B24 06 06


This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B24 06 06 dated August 2006.
designates changes to this revision
SUBJECT
A Slight Bump is Felt Shortly after the Vehicle Comes to a Stop
MODEL
E85 3.0 and 3.0si with the GA6HP19Z transmission produced up to 07/2006
E90, E91 All with the GA6HP19Z transmission produced up to 09/2006
SITUATION
A slight one-time bump is felt shortly after the vehicle comes to a stop.
CAUSE
This is due to the design concept of "NIC", or Neutral Idle Control. This gearbox feature uncouples the torque converter whenever the vehicle is stationary, gearbox oil temperature is between 20°C and 120°C, and the brakes are applied. By disconnecting the torque converter the load on the engine is reduced to a minimum. Please explain this feature and its operation to the customer.
CORRECTION
For the E85, revised EGS software is available with Progman 23.0 or higher.
For the E90, E91 revised EGS software is expected in a future release of Progman. Until that time, on a customer complaint basis only, this feature can be deactivated as described in the procedure below.
PROCEDURE
E85 – On a customer complaint basis only, reprogram the EGS module with Progman 23.0 or higher. It is not possible to deactivate this feature using the retrofit option on the E85.
E90, E91 - On a customer complaint basis only, perform the Retrofit - "Converter lockup clutch" using Progman 23.0 (Target Data status: E89x-06-09-520) or higher. Follow the "Retrofit" procedures as outlined in SI B09 05 01.
WARRANTY
For the appropriate defect code and labor operations please refer to the KSD system.
[ Copyright © 2006 BMW of North America, LLC ]

[ndog14]

Originally Posted by richpike

My E46 did this exact thing too. BMW replaced my entire drivetrain short of the engine (transmission, drive shaft, etc, etc) and could never figure it out. I eventually got rid of the car because it drove me nuts and BMW could not figure it out (IIRC they even sent the regional BMW NA guy out to look at it). In fact, it turned me off of BMWs for about 4 years, but I eventually returned to the good guys

OP - I hate to say it, but I'd stay away.

Good luck in w/e you choose!
Rich

My buddy's E46 also has it. From E46Fanatics he has read that it is common on all xi E46s, its the awd. Not surprising that an E90xi has it. Keep us posted. OP, head over to E46Fanatics and ask around.

[ek99civic]

Originally Posted by avocet

I am going to guess it is your driveshaft loading up the slip joint then suddenly releasing. There is a slip joint mid way of the driveshaft(on an e90 328i, anyway).

I would try greasing the crap out of it and seeing what happens. I think there is a trans remap that unloads the drivetrain a bit when coming to a stop, preventing the "thunk".

But regreasing the slip joint isn't a huge job, and is DIYable with a few special tools.

Sounds exactly like when i need to lube up the slip joints and driveshafts on my truck. Not sure if the bmw's have grease fittings because this is my first bmw. It is rwd so it should have grease fittings.

[JuppiOne]

I think for the past 10-15 years, car manufacturer sstopped using grease fittings, they are all sealed

[asmd]

its definitely coming from the right rear corner. At least it seems that way.
A "thump" just before coming to a gentle stop that isnt there during hard braking.

Going in on Friday.. so far i dont seem to have a consensus as to what the problem might be from owners here.

Will keep the thread updated as to how things turn out.

Btw - just in case, it turns out to be the worst.. how hard will it be to get the dealer to perform the high $$ repairs like a tranny replacement? Ive read that multiple visits and working the phone may be in order. CPO ends in Jan 13 and i really dont want them trying to shirk doing what needs to be done to get the car back to spec.

[asmd]

Update:

Sent car in, tech acknowledged problem, said it was some bushing or another in the tranny causing the jerk just efore coming to a soft stop. And it most probably wont be covered by CPO.
Waiting for the call back to find out what the fix and cost is.

[asmd]

tech called to say car is within spec. Nothing wrong with all the components they checked. Brakes, tranny, bushings all ok.


will drive around for a couple if days and post if the problem still persists.
I am doubtful its been resolved.

[chromisdesigns]

Have your mechanic check the differential mounts -- apparently, the bushings wear and the diff moves around just enough to cause this noise.

Was at my indy shop today for an end of warranty inspection and a woman came in with a 328 with this exact problem. That's what they told her.

[asmd]

update...

that creak/clunk just before rolling to a stop is indeed the soft stop feature. Its the rear brakes letting up that produces the sound.
i got so annoyed with BMW to the point that we took two other 328i's for tests drives and they too do exhibit this peculiar behavior.
Its less noticeable on newer cars but its there if you look for it.
In fact, now i kinda actually get the point of it. It does take the edge of the last bit before coming to a halt.
Problem is that the sound is annoying.
It can be resolved i assume by programming out the soft stop feature.
Im holding on to mine for a while. Tech said that i will get used to it, if i cant, then it goes.

Now we know.

Regards,
asmd.

[DUI Elite]

What if you hear the clunk when at a stop but shifting to reverse or using manual mode and shifting down e.g from 4th to 3rd

Almost sounds like my mounts are bad.

[Marg]

Question for Original post by asmd ,

Is the car still working fine or you ran into issues ? Does it still clunk or you got it fixed ? Or it got worse, what is latest status ?

[AzureHaze]

I took mine in recently for the exact same problem (along with other issues) and the stealership blamed it on my wheel spacers.