My car is sitting in the service centre for over a month without anyone having a clue about the issue. Meanwhile, I have been given a Mahindra Scorpio N as a loaner car.
BHPian ashish2135 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Less than 2 years old 330Li in the service centre for over 30 days – Engine noise issue undiagnosed & unresolved
I have been a BMW fanboy since school. I always dreamt of owning the E-60 5 series. When the time came for me to finally get my first BMW, the experience turned horrid.
Having read so much about the famous 30i variant from BMW on Team-bhp forum, I was sure I didn’t want any other powertrain except this.
I got my 330Li LCI in March 2023 along with a 5-year Extended Warranty and a 5-year BSI+ package. Since this was my first luxury vehicle purchase, I didn’t want to take a chance with any service-related issue.
My car has done around 7000 kms and in November 2024, a strange ticking noise from the engine started, especially when idling. Although I had heard the noise but I dismissed it as the sound of the engine cooling down.
My car went for some bodyshop work to a dealer on 9th November 2024. The dealership didn’t inform me or take any action on the engine noise issue during this time. A few days before the delivery, they informed me of the engine noise issue and a job card was opened on 3rd December 2024.
In the meantime, they were unable to diagnose the issue and stated that some special tools were required for further diagnosis. I got my car back on 19th December 2024 and waited for the dealer to procure the tools. I sent my car again on 27th January 2025 when the dealer got the diagnostic tool.
The heart-wrenching part started 2 days ago when the Service head informed me that they want to dismantle the engine for further inspection, as the tool hasn’t revealed the cause of the ticking noise from the engine. I have not come to terms that a less than 2-year-old car with less than 10,000 kms on the odometer should have its engine opened up. It does not seem acceptable at all.
The car has been at the Service Centre for almost a month now, and if further engine work is to be performed, it might take another month for the issue to be resolved. The dealership keeps telling me that the plant team and the dealership have never come across an issue like this. What I fail to understand is that an engine which is used in so many models, the B48, and yet BMW India has not documented an issue like this? Even after insisting multiple times, the dealership has not shared any communication they have had with the BMW technical team regarding my vehicle issue.
Any help from the forum members who might have had a similar issue on their vehicles, or how I should proceed to get the problem resolved, would be highly appreciated!
Update
1 month later, still no explanation for engine noise, car still at the service centre with the engine completely dismantled
It has been 1 month since I sent my car to the Service Centre on 27th January. I had given the approval for engine dismantling on 13th February, even after 14 days, the Service team has no explanation for the engine noise.
Meanwhile, I have been given a Scorpio-N as a loaner car from the Dealership. Other than this, I do not have any positive updates regarding my car. Neither have I been explained the process after engine dismantling, nor has the Service Team shared any report after opening up the engine.
I have been pushing the Service Team every day to share daily updates and resolve this issue. I have sent a mail to the BMW Customer care and Dealership team to replace the engine in case they are unable to identify the issue as my car has already been in the Service Centre for over 50 days, including the time in December 2024 (waiting for some tool, which was hardly helpful in my case).
Every time I ask for an update, the only reply I get from the service team is that they are working on it and they will “inform me accordingly”.
I understand that German luxury cars are complicated machines, but what I can’t fathom is how one of the highest-selling models from BMW India, which is less than 2 years old, is sitting in the service centre for over 45 days without anyone having a clue about the issue.
I request BMW owners of other models to share if this downtime is usual or if my dealer is just delaying the job. Any other B48 engine owners who might have faced this noise issue, who can share any insight? Any help from the forum moderators would be much appreciated, as it is just painful to see my car opened up like a can of tuna!
Some pictures of the engine opened up.
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