Noise problem with the Z4MR softop up?

[glock40]

Hey all, I got an 07 Z4MR w/ 19k miles on it on 12/24/09 from a BMW dealer. I can't get over the power and the smooth transmission on this beast. I almost gave myself a heart attack when I hit the sport button for the first time at an intersection.

However, I have a soft top problem. It was the only Z4 I test drove before purchase so I didn't have much to compare it to. The dealer is located in the suburbs and when I test drove at streets speeds of 45 mph or less, I thought it was a little loud on the passenger side when the soft top was up. The sales guy told me it was normal and (stupidly) I trusted him.

Well, when driving it home on the freeway, I can definitely tell it is not normal. It almost sounds like the passenger window is cracked open - a lot of road and engine noise. The radio quality sucks due to the road noise and I got a light headache. I dread driving it on the freeway now. I am actually driving it at 60mph or under to lighten the noise, and that seems like a crime in an ///M car. The sound seems to originate from the corner behind where a passenger's head would be. A visual inspection by me does not reveal any obvious tears, gaps, or seal malfunctions.

Questions: I trust this kind of issue should be covered by remaining factory warranty? I am afraid my sales guy will attempt to put this back on me. Obviously he lacks some scruples. I need to know what BMW should do in ideal circumstances, so I can give proper push-back to the sales guy or service department there.

Secondly, what might the source of this problem be?

I hope I didn't make a stupid mistake by getting this car. It is not CPO, as that dealer said they do not CPO their ///M cars by default.

[aerobod]

Originally Posted by glocktop

Hey all, I got an 07 Z4MR w/ 19k miles on it on 12/24/09 from a BMW dealer. I can't get over the power and the smooth transmission on this beast. I almost gave myself a heart attack when I hit the sport button for the first time at an intersection.

However, I have a soft top problem. It was the only Z4 I test drove before purchase so I didn't have much to compare it to. The dealer is located in the suburbs and when I test drove at streets speeds of 45 mph or less, I thought it was a little loud on the passenger side when the soft top was up. The sales guy told me it was normal and (stupidly) I trusted him.

Well, when driving it home on the freeway, I can definitely tell it is not normal. It almost sounds like the passenger window is cracked open - a lot of road and engine noise. The radio quality sucks due to the road noise and I got a light headache. I dread driving it on the freeway now. I am actually driving it at 60mph or under to lighten the noise, and that seems like a crime in an ///M car. The sound seems to originate from the corner behind where a passenger's head would be. A visual inspection by me does not reveal any obvious tears, gaps, or seal malfunctions.

Questions: I trust this kind of issue should be covered by remaining factory warranty? I am afraid my sales guy will attempt to put this back on me. Obviously he lacks some scruples. I need to know what BMW should do in ideal circumstances, so I can give proper push-back to the sales guy or service department there.

Secondly, what might the source of this problem be?

I hope I didn't make a stupid mistake by getting this car. It is not CPO, as that dealer said they do not CPO their ///M cars by default.

Check that the passenger side window is not riding over the step in the seal near the roof (check the driver's side for comparison). It should be just resting so that the edge of the glass is touching the seal step. If it is going too high, then the window needs to be adjusted inwards (there is an adjustment nut on the bottom of the door under a plastic cap). If the window is not going high enough on the seal, then a window re-initialisation may be all that is required (see here: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=19).

[Hughbert]

I have / had the same experience. Check the rubber molding at the joints where the frame folds on the exterior side. If the joint transistions are not smooth with the top up then air turbulence will cause quite a bit of noise escpecially at highway speeds. On mine the joint at your ear on the drivers side was not flush across - the rear folding section stuck out about 3mm farther than the middle section.

My quick fix was to mold a foam earplug into the joint forming a smoother transition between the middle and rear frame sections. Permanant fix is to better adjust the soft top frame. Of course fixing one misadjustment may cause another.

[vicj]

Originally Posted by glocktop

Hey all, I got an 07 Z4MR w/ 19k miles on it on 12/24/09 from a BMW dealer. I can't get over the power and the smooth transmission on this beast. I almost gave myself a heart attack when I hit the sport button for the first time at an intersection.

However, I have a soft top problem. It was the only Z4 I test drove before purchase so I didn't have much to compare it to. The dealer is located in the suburbs and when I test drove at streets speeds of 45 mph or less, I thought it was a little loud on the passenger side when the soft top was up. The sales guy told me it was normal and (stupidly) I trusted him.

Well, when driving it home on the freeway, I can definitely tell it is not normal. It almost sounds like the passenger window is cracked open - a lot of road and engine noise. The radio quality sucks due to the road noise and I got a light headache. I dread driving it on the freeway now. I am actually driving it at 60mph or under to lighten the noise, and that seems like a crime in an ///M car. The sound seems to originate from the corner behind where a passenger's head would be. A visual inspection by me does not reveal any obvious tears, gaps, or seal malfunctions.

Questions: I trust this kind of issue should be covered by remaining factory warranty? I am afraid my sales guy will attempt to put this back on me. Obviously he lacks some scruples. I need to know what BMW should do in ideal circumstances, so I can give proper push-back to the sales guy or service department there.

Secondly, what might the source of this problem be?

I hope I didn't make a stupid mistake by getting this car. It is not CPO, as that dealer said they do not CPO their ///M cars by default.

Does not CPO M cars by default??
What a load of crap. I bought MINE CPO. Did you directly ask him if there was any accident damage? That would be one explanation for the noise, AND why it could not be CPO'd.

[glock40]

Correct, not CPO. During the negotiations, the dealer offered to add CPO for $4,000. However, that made the total price unattractive to me and the dealer would not budge. I consulted a salesman at BMW dealer #2 with whom I have good rapport, and he told me the CPO costs around $2400 - $2800: the rest was probably going to be necessary repairs (rear tires are near end of life) and profit for dealer #1.

Ultimately, I decided to go for the 2007 M Roadster w/ 19k miles (service date 12/24/2007) for the price of $27,500 without CPO. My thought was it had a solid 2 years of factory warranty left and if I wasn't comfortable with it 2 years later, I could trade it it. I thought I was getting a good deal since the Kelly Blue Book stated the retail was approx $35,500 for retail.

I spoke with the dealer today about the noise and I am taking it in for service on Monday. Casually, he said the sound problem should be within warranty. Lets hope they stand by that. I will give these guys the benefit of the doubt for now.

[glock40]

Regarding accidents, I did ask if they were not CPO'ing it due to an accident and they stated it did not have an accident. I also independently checked Carfax, and it did not have any accidents on record.

[chickdr]

That should most certainly be a warranty item. BTW, awesome price for an 07!!!