[Avion]

I would be really appreciate to hear if anyone else has experienced the same problem or if anyone knows enough about cars to advise me on this.

I have a 1 Series 118d registered in Sept 2007.
The car was delivered to me at work. It didn't even get me home. I was driving along when i was engulfed in burning fumes. The car then stopped and i was left stranded with my 7 year old for 5 1/2 hours (another issue) before the BMW emergency recovered me. Luckily a friend came and took my daughter.
The recovery guy investigated and said that the car could be driven and advised that i drive the car home. He followed me and the dealership collected the car the next day.
When i first asked the Garage for an explanation on why this would happen on a new car, the only explanation they offered was as a result of user error!!! IE. It was my fault as i don't know how to use a clutch!
A week later i was told this had happened due to a faulty self adjuster and that they had replaced this and the clutch.
Since then i repeatedly smell the same burning smell. This has occurred when stuck in traffic and whilst reversing into the drive after my car has been stationary. The analogy the dealership have given me is that it takes a while for the burning smell to leave the car as it would in the case of a house fire!!!!. After experiencing poor customer service, my leasing company are now on the case for me. The car was picked up yesterday so i shall update this topic in due course. Despite my car being under warranty the garage have advised that they are not obliged to provide me with a replacement car however they will do so if they need to keep the car longer than three days! This is not the only problem i have experienced. See my other message re. Windows,sunroof opening and doors unlocking!!!

 

[mrash]

your car is still under warranty, the dealer that you are taking it to, clearly, are a bunch of unpleasant idiots with no concept of customer care...I would take it to a different dealer, even if its further away.

he car then stopped and i was left stranded with my 7 year old for 5 1/2 hours (another issue) before the BMW emergency recovered me

This is absolutely disgusting treatment, if i was you, i would write to BMW uk about ALL of the issues, but remaining calm in your letter, you SHOULD get a courtesy car, and, some form of goodwill gesture from BMW. Being stranded with a child, with ANY recovery firm, puts you in a priority, and you should be picked up within an hour. Reading things like this make my blood boil, if I treated my customers like this, i wouldnt get any business...

 

[Avion]

mrash,
I am in the process of the writing the letter however now that the car is with them i am waiting to see how they resolve the issues before i complete the letter and send. Since the clutch was replaced i have no service book or drivers manual as the car was returned without them hence i have little knowledge about of the features on the car. After repeatedly calling the garage requesting they return it to me i have been ignored and never had a call returned.
The leasing company , Marshalls, have been extremely supportive and are speaking with BMW UK on my behalf. I did approach a different garage to ask for replacement service book and manual. They said they would provide the replacement but that i had to contact the original dealership and agree for them to be invoiced for the cost. Again the onus was on me the customer to sought it out.
Thanks for you message. It's a great support to hear after being dismissed by the Garage for so long. 8)

 

[mrash]

After repeatedly calling the garage requesting they return it to me i have been ignored and never had a call returned.

complain to BMW uk about the dealership, and all this **** service your getting....In fact, i would ring them too if you can....

 

[dantheman]

I'm on my second clutch. This one is on the way out (juddering is returning)...

Fortunately I live in a flat part of the country so it doesn't happen too often, but when I recently reversed up a steep drive (slowly, in order to get out of a tight spot, so slipping the clutch. About 10 seconds in total) I could smell the clutch frying.

In my opinion the clutch type used in my car is inherently duff. I know it's not my driving - I have another (much cheaper!) car with 55k on the clock which has had none of these problems. Clutches on these cars seem to fail on a regular basis, so BMW must know it's plain rubbish....

 

[Avion]

dantheman,
Please can you tell me how BMW have responded to this issue?

 

[dantheman]

In all honesty I've done nothing since it started it's (once each morning) daily judder for the second time. It began again over the Christmas period. It's only done the burning smell thing on one occasion, on a slope of at least 30 degrees (something I can't replicate here in the flatlands). The judder is definitely worse in wet weather.

The car is due a service of some kind in a few thousand miles, so when it goes in for that I'll tell them what's going on. Presumably they'll just fit a new clutch as they did before (the other one juddered for 10K without dying or getting worse). I know I should do something now, but I'm lazy..

When I told them it was juddering before, they just fitted a new clutch and flywheel without question (20K miles). They also replaced some part of the clutch release mechanism (the list of parts was 2 pages long, but I don't have a copy of it). When it went in I tried to get it to repeat the problem with one of the mechanics in the car but couldn't. His reply was 'we've had this before, I'll just fit a new clutch anyway'. When they took it apart the guy at the service dept phoned me and said 'the clutch and flywheel are definitely knackered'.

It did cure the problem (and also made pulling away smoothly much easier, which was presumably due to the release mechanism being replaced), but 4k miles on and it's back. The pulling away smoothly feeling has also gone, and what I'd describe as feeling like a 2-stage clutch is back.

I'm waiting a while before getting it fixed again in the vain hope that in the mean time they'll work out what the problem is with their clutch design...

 

[Avion]

dantheman,
Thanks for that. I really don't know much about cars so all this info is useful. The last time i smelt the burning was reversing up a slight incline into the drive so there is a correlation right there and reassurance that BMW do know this is a problem. I have been warned by one garage that because the car is under warranty the garage may be reluctant to carry out the repairs as they have to pay for it so maybe this is why they have been fobbing me off. Sorry you're having problems.

 

[dantheman]

The garage don't have to pay for it.

If it's a warranty issue, BMW UK pay the dealership. I'm sure they make a tidy amount from replacing a clutch!!

 

[Avion]

That's what i thought however when i spoke to an alternative BMW garage this is what i was told.
I'll put this to BMW UK when i write to them.

 

[DieselDog]

Just a thought .... my car smell like a burned out clutch some times, but that smell is the DPF that is burning particles. This happens now and then when the car needs to.

 

[mrash]

BMW UK pay the garage for the warranty repairs, my 1er went for over 60k miles and i didnt need a clutch though. Personally, i would get the dealer to have the car transported to another dealer, they clearly have absolutely no idea, and i wouldnt trust them with a dinky toy, let alone a bmw...

 

[dantheman]

DieselDog, I have no DPF

 

[DieselDog]

DieselDog, I have no DPF

OK. Just wanted to state it, because the smell is very similar.

 

[Avion]

What is a DPF? Told you i know nothing about cars!

 

[hannes]

A diesel particle filter.

 

[Avion]

Thanks for that!

 

[Shazza P]

I have to say I am not very impressed I picked up a Bmw 120 D M Sport on Weds 17th March 2010 less than 48 hours later on a very rainy evening I had just started my journey when I noticed a burning smell and black smoke from behind the car and subsequently at the front of the car which then filled the cabin with an acrid smell and the same black smoke whilst trying to get out the car shut down and it took several attempts to get out the fire brigade came and disconnected the battery as they queried possible electrical faliure which in turn meant that the car could not be locked so I had to stand near the car as the fire brigade would not let me sit in it for health and safety reasons which i dont have a problem with but the real icing on the cake has to be BMW Assist who did not turn up until nearly 2 hours later and the car ended up on a low loader back at the dealership.

:x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x
WELL I AM BACK IN THE SAME POSITION AS I WAS EXTECTLY 2 MONTHS AGO THE CLUTCH HAS BURNT OUT AGAIN FOR THE 2ND TIME!!!!

LAST TIME THE CLUTCH AND THE FLYWHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED WHICH WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY.
A WEEK LATER THE CAR HAD TO GO BACK AS THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP HAD NOT PUT ONE OF THE NUTS BACK ON THE BATTERY AND THIS CAUSED THE PYROTECHNIC CHARGE TO IGNITE AND MELT ONE OF THE COMPONENTS ON THE BATTERY.

I HAVE NOW BEEN TOLD THAT THE CLUTCH HAD BEEN SLIPPING AND RIDDEN AND THIS CAUSED IT TO FAIL THE CAR IS UNDER THE MOTABILITY SCHEME AND THEY HAVE BEEN LANDED WITH THE BILL AS BMW WONT PUT THIS THROUGH UNDER THE WARRANTY.
I HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MOTABILTY STATING THAT THEY HAVE PAID FOR THE REPAIR AS A GOODWILL GESTURE AND HAVE SAID IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN THAT I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS.

I FEEL THAT BMW ARE TRYING TO STICH MOTABILTY AND MYSELF UP FOR SOMETHING THAT IS MECHANICAL FAILIURE.

IN OVER 20 YEARS OF DRIVING I HAVE NEVER BURNT OUT A CLUTCH AND FOR THIS TO HAPPEN FIRSTLY AT 85 MILES AND THEN AT 3,000 MILES IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE

HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS ISSUE WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION.