Another Passenger Dash Pop thread

sistom · 04-22-2011, 05:52 PM

So I've researched this issue tirelessly. Tons of people seem to be having the problem but no one has a fix for it?

After 3 years there is still no solution? I have this 'popping' noise coming from my passenger dash board and it's loud as hell. It scares my girlfiend sometimes. Whoever in the passenger seat always asks, "Damn, what the hell was that?"

Here's an accurate description of the noise:

Quote:

a very random pop noise (kind of like a rock hitting the underside of the car) coming from what seems like the right front suspension. I can't make it happen by doing anything (turning, hitting bumps, etc). And it's done it at speed and snailing through traffic.

Other threads covering this same issue:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274220
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210313
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273744
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=220297
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268703

Does ANYONE have any answers? Thanks.

rps · 04-22-2011, 08:55 PM

It comes from the climate control system and the doors within the dash. Mine is noticeable but not as loud as yours.

Greenkirby21 · 04-22-2011, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rps

It comes from the climate control system and the doors within the dash. Mine is noticeable but not as loud as yours.

I notice it happens to me on very hot days xD

sistom · 04-24-2011, 08:08 PM

So nobody has a fix or even an idea of what to tell the dealership when the car is taken in?

IDBMW · 04-25-2011, 06:39 AM

I told the dealer about it once and they said they could not duplicate it. It is getting less frequent on my car and I hear it about once a week.

Anyone with a modified front suspension who had the noise and it went away after the mod? That might tell us if it is in fact the front suspension.

bogart · 04-25-2011, 08:30 AM

It is the clutch activating for the HVAC, and the flap opening and closing for the filter/circulation... I brought mine into service for this problem, and they said it will happen less frequently if I run the HVAC on constant filter/circulation vs. automatic filter/circulation. But, they said there was nothing they could do, that it happens on all 1-series, and it was just how it was designed.

mosx · 04-25-2011, 11:22 AM

It's not the HVAC clutch, I know that sound, and I know the sound the OP talking about. the HVAC clutch doesn't sound like a brick just hit your windshield at 100mph. Aftermarket suspension won't fix it. There is one member here who had the same problem and then had his windshield replaced and the problem didn't resurface. My thought is the windshield gets hot and expands then "pops" into place (mis-fitted from the factory). Mine only does it on hot days (85* and up). Replace the windshield and it will go away. Since it's so sporadic you will never be able to get the dealer to replicate it.

sistom · 04-28-2011, 07:21 AM

Ugh, this sucks...

thanks for all of the replies everyone. I guess I'm going to have to figures this out myself somehow... Sad.

bogart · 04-28-2011, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mosx

It's not the HVAC clutch, I know that sound, and I know the sound the OP talking about. the HVAC clutch doesn't sound like a brick just hit your windshield at 100mph. Aftermarket suspension won't fix it. There is one member here who had the same problem and then had his windshield replaced and the problem didn't resurface. My thought is the windshield gets hot and expands then "pops" into place (mis-fitted from the factory). Mine only does it on hot days (85* and up). Replace the windshield and it will go away. Since it's so sporadic you will never be able to get the dealer to replicate it.

it is not the windshield. i had mine replaced and it did not fix the pop noise. it is the HVAC. the dealer was able to replicate it and hear it, and that is what it is.

ski747 · 05-27-2011, 12:00 PM

I understand the frustration.

I have had my 2011 BMW 128i only 8 months and 7900 miles with the same issue. I have had it in 5 times to the dealer and they have taken the pillars, dash, HVAC system apart. One difference I notice is that the noise is faint for some, others is like a rock or something hitting the car. Mine is loud and scares me at times. When it is really hot its as if someone threw a few rocks at the windshield.

I am contacting BMW NA for resolution as sometimes it is unbearable. I know a few posts say they have minimal noise so I am guessing it matters on the intensity of the noise. Mine comes from both sides of the dash, but its the same noise everyone else is having. It did it yesterday and I thought I hit something, then it popped two more times and I realized it was the famous popping everyone hears on the threads. I love BMW, just not happy with the current issue that cannot be fixed. Maybe a redesign is in the works? I know the dealer told me a TSB was out, but the fix did not correct my issue. I feel your pain my friend!!

MZWIE · 05-27-2011, 01:49 PM

I wouldn't consider this an issue. It's simply the way the HVAC works.

TMR013 · 05-27-2011, 02:24 PM

Trust me. After a while you will tune it out and barely notice it.

ES BMW · 05-27-2011, 02:34 PM

I get this same sound, as does a friend of mine with a 2010 135i. It's happening a lot more now that it's getting hotter and this is not coming from the HVAC. It's almost like a suspension spring coil is binding but then releases. Very loud but usually only happens once per outing.

RPM90 · 05-27-2011, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bogart

it is not the windshield. i had mine replaced and it did not fix the pop noise. it is the HVAC. the dealer was able to replicate it and hear it, and that is what it is.

But, if that is true and it is by design, then most of us would experience it.
I've never had a sound like a brick hitting the under side or my 1.
In fact, I've only heard a slight sound rarely, which sounds like it's coming from my glove box, nothing like what is being described by some here.

Has anyone tried re-torquing the top strut plate bolts?
There was an issue like this on older Mits Eclipses when some installed a top strut bar, and it it wasn't torqued properly you could get a loud sound from it.

BBBluey · 05-28-2011, 12:24 PM

I have the sound and when it pops, it's loud! Funny thing is that I kept thinking it was a pebble hitting my windshield or one of the plastic empty water bottles in my car. Now I've discovered this thread and feel bad for all the cursing I did at the cars in front of me that I was blaming for the pebbles that never really happened.

sistom · 05-30-2011, 11:47 PM

Critz BMW in Savannah had my car for over a week and couldn't ever replicate the noise.

N55_BBM · 05-31-2011, 09:49 PM

yeah mine started doing this like 3 weeks ago. we're in the upper 80s/lower 90s here. funny thing is that i've owned the car since July of last year and had never heard (or noticed) it before.

it happens with the AC on. heard it's just plastic expanding and contracting. mine also comes from the passenger side dash. also thought it was some loose object in the car at first but then i read all threads here (and even started my own like a week ago). such a freaking pain. and mine's loud too, like a pebble hit your dash. scares me sometimes.

ski747 · 06-05-2011, 07:54 PM

I wonder why the HVAC system would make such a loud noise? I actually thought it was the windshield. I was leaving the office last week and it popped so loud over the radio and I thought I hit something again. Most posts only state it comes from the passenger side, but mine comes from both sides of the dash (Passenger side is the worst). True, it is only when the AC is on when the sound happens. Mine is a 3 or 4 time occurance each time I turn the AC on. I hear it over the radio even when its on its loudest setting. I did speak with BMW NA and car is scheduled for a review by an engineer and marketing director the 15th. The dealer has taken the dash apart, replaced A-pillar parts, looked the AC and attempted 5 times to repair. Love the car, do not get me wrong. I just cannot deal with it being so loud. Maybe mine is the exception and I just have the loudest popping sound of any 1 Series?

They are going to try one last repair and hopefully it disappears. I will recommend the windshield replacement and see if they will replace it. Maybe that it is the issue. I did have a silver 1 Series as a loaner and it popped the same way, but only on the drivers side. Very interesting issue indeed.

ski747 · 06-05-2011, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mosx

It's not the HVAC clutch, I know that sound, and I know the sound the OP talking about. the HVAC clutch doesn't sound like a brick just hit your windshield at 100mph. Aftermarket suspension won't fix it. There is one member here who had the same problem and then had his windshield replaced and the problem didn't resurface. My thought is the windshield gets hot and expands then "pops" into place (mis-fitted from the factory). Mine only does it on hot days (85* and up). Replace the windshield and it will go away. Since it's so sporadic you will never be able to get the dealer to replicate it.

Very good way of describing it. It does sound like a rock hitting the car at 100mph. Mine is just 3 to 4 times each time everyday the AC is on from both sides.

ski747 · 06-05-2011, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by My E90

I get this same sound, as does a friend of mine with a 2010 135i. It's happening a lot more now that it's getting hotter and this is not coming from the HVAC. It's almost like a suspension spring coil is binding but then releases. Very loud but usually only happens once per outing.

I agree. The hotter is gets the worst it gets. I bought my 128i in November of 2010 with the cold weather and never starting popping till the Texas heat hit.

gnpower · 08-03-2011, 08:28 AM

I feel your pain. I have the exact same issue. It is extremely loud some times. Sounds like a firecracker in my dashboard. Definitely wakes you up (not that I'm sleeping at the wheel). At first I was always looking for a chip on the windshield, then possibly a spring/suspension issues. after reading this thread, I do seem to remember it only happening when it's hot and I have the a/c on, but what kind of a pitiful design is that? The entire HVAC team should all be fired.

coda72 · 08-03-2011, 10:48 AM

Check this thread:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=536616

Apparently one forum member had the problem solved by having the dealer rip the dash apart. I know that sounds extreme, but if the noise bothers you that bad, might be worth it.

04-22-2011, 08:55 PM	#2
rps Captain 35 Rep 609 Posts Drives: 2013 X1 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Pace, Fl iTrader: (11)	It comes from the climate control system and the doors within the dash. Mine is noticeable but not as loud as yours. __________________ NB8S Past Garage: Z4, 135i. Present Garage: 2013 X Drive X1 2.8i.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-24-2011, 08:08 PM	#4
sistom Second Lieutenant 61 Rep 253 Posts Drives: '08 135i M-Sport Coupé Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Saint Simons Island, Georgia iTrader: (3) Garage List 2023 M440xi Gran Coupe [0.00]	So nobody has a fix or even an idea of what to tell the dealership when the car is taken in?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-25-2011, 06:39 AM	#5
IDBMW Captain 41 Rep 825 Posts Drives: 2019 X3 M40i Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boise, ID iTrader: (0)	I told the dealer about it once and they said they could not duplicate it. It is getting less frequent on my car and I hear it about once a week. Anyone with a modified front suspension who had the noise and it went away after the mod? That might tell us if it is in fact the front suspension. __________________ 2019 X3 M40i - Black Sapphire Metallic - Mocha Lather - 21" 718M wheels - Every option except Sun Shade
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-25-2011, 08:30 AM	#6
bogart Lieutenant Colonel 116 Rep 1,664 Posts Drives: E82 N55 DCT Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: STL, MO iTrader: (4) Garage List 2011 BMW 135i [7.06]	It is the clutch activating for the HVAC, and the flap opening and closing for the filter/circulation... I brought mine into service for this problem, and they said it will happen less frequently if I run the HVAC on constant filter/circulation vs. automatic filter/circulation. But, they said there was nothing they could do, that it happens on all 1-series, and it was just how it was designed. __________________
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-25-2011, 11:22 AM	#7
mosx The mod bug has bitten. 22 Rep 565 Posts Drives: 2008 M3 Sedan Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: North Texas iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 BMW M3 [0.00]	It's not the HVAC clutch, I know that sound, and I know the sound the OP talking about. the HVAC clutch doesn't sound like a brick just hit your windshield at 100mph. Aftermarket suspension won't fix it. There is one member here who had the same problem and then had his windshield replaced and the problem didn't resurface. My thought is the windshield gets hot and expands then "pops" into place (mis-fitted from the factory). Mine only does it on hot days (85* and up). Replace the windshield and it will go away. Since it's so sporadic you will never be able to get the dealer to replicate it.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-28-2011, 07:21 AM	#8
sistom Second Lieutenant 61 Rep 253 Posts Drives: '08 135i M-Sport Coupé Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Saint Simons Island, Georgia iTrader: (3) Garage List 2023 M440xi Gran Coupe [0.00]	Ugh, this sucks... thanks for all of the replies everyone. I guess I'm going to have to figures this out myself somehow... Sad.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-27-2011, 12:00 PM	#10
ski747 New Member 3 Rep 11 Posts Drives: BMW 128i Join Date: May 2011 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	I understand the frustration. I have had my 2011 BMW 128i only 8 months and 7900 miles with the same issue. I have had it in 5 times to the dealer and they have taken the pillars, dash, HVAC system apart. One difference I notice is that the noise is faint for some, others is like a rock or something hitting the car. Mine is loud and scares me at times. When it is really hot its as if someone threw a few rocks at the windshield. I am contacting BMW NA for resolution as sometimes it is unbearable. I know a few posts say they have minimal noise so I am guessing it matters on the intensity of the noise. Mine comes from both sides of the dash, but its the same noise everyone else is having. It did it yesterday and I thought I hit something, then it popped two more times and I realized it was the famous popping everyone hears on the threads. I love BMW, just not happy with the current issue that cannot be fixed. Maybe a redesign is in the works? I know the dealer told me a TSB was out, but the fix did not correct my issue. I feel your pain my friend!!
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-27-2011, 01:49 PM	#11
MZWIE Lieutenant Colonel 388 Rep 1,660 Posts Drives: M2 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: GEORGIA iTrader: (0)	I wouldn't consider this an issue. It's simply the way the HVAC works.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-27-2011, 02:24 PM	#12
TMR013 Opus Angelus 425 Rep 1,267 Posts Drives: 2018 LBB M2 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Chandler, AZ iTrader: (0)	Trust me. After a while you will tune it out and barely notice it. Last edited by TMR013; 06-01-2011 at 11:50 AM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-27-2011, 02:34 PM	#13
ES BMW Captain 68 Rep 883 Posts Drives: '12 E92 M3 ZCP 6MT Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Florida iTrader: (3)	I get this same sound, as does a friend of mine with a 2010 135i. It's happening a lot more now that it's getting hotter and this is not coming from the HVAC. It's almost like a suspension spring coil is binding but then releases. Very loud but usually only happens once per outing. __________________ '12 E92 M3 \| 6MT \| ZCP
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-28-2011, 12:24 PM	#15
BBBluey Major 77 Rep 1,011 Posts Drives: very slow and courteous Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Vandenberg Village, California iTrader: (7)	I have the sound and when it pops, it's loud! Funny thing is that I kept thinking it was a pebble hitting my windshield or one of the plastic empty water bottles in my car. Now I've discovered this thread and feel bad for all the cursing I did at the cars in front of me that I was blaming for the pebbles that never really happened.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-30-2011, 11:47 PM	#16
sistom Second Lieutenant 61 Rep 253 Posts Drives: '08 135i M-Sport Coupé Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Saint Simons Island, Georgia iTrader: (3) Garage List 2023 M440xi Gran Coupe [0.00]	Critz BMW in Savannah had my car for over a week and couldn't ever replicate the noise.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-31-2011, 09:49 PM	#17
N55_BBM Major 96 Rep 1,038 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Coupe Join Date: May 2010 Location: PA iTrader: (1)	yeah mine started doing this like 3 weeks ago. we're in the upper 80s/lower 90s here. funny thing is that i've owned the car since July of last year and had never heard (or noticed) it before. it happens with the AC on. heard it's just plastic expanding and contracting. mine also comes from the passenger side dash. also thought it was some loose object in the car at first but then i read all threads here (and even started my own like a week ago). such a freaking pain. and mine's loud too, like a pebble hit your dash. scares me sometimes.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-05-2011, 07:54 PM	#18
ski747 New Member 3 Rep 11 Posts Drives: BMW 128i Join Date: May 2011 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	Dash Popping Noise I wonder why the HVAC system would make such a loud noise? I actually thought it was the windshield. I was leaving the office last week and it popped so loud over the radio and I thought I hit something again. Most posts only state it comes from the passenger side, but mine comes from both sides of the dash (Passenger side is the worst). True, it is only when the AC is on when the sound happens. Mine is a 3 or 4 time occurance each time I turn the AC on. I hear it over the radio even when its on its loudest setting. I did speak with BMW NA and car is scheduled for a review by an engineer and marketing director the 15th. The dealer has taken the dash apart, replaced A-pillar parts, looked the AC and attempted 5 times to repair. Love the car, do not get me wrong. I just cannot deal with it being so loud. Maybe mine is the exception and I just have the loudest popping sound of any 1 Series? They are going to try one last repair and hopefully it disappears. I will recommend the windshield replacement and see if they will replace it. Maybe that it is the issue. I did have a silver 1 Series as a loaner and it popped the same way, but only on the drivers side. Very interesting issue indeed.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-03-2011, 08:28 AM	#21
gnpower Lieutenant 18 Rep 475 Posts Drives: BMW ///M Sport 135i Join Date: May 2008 Location: Red Sox Nation iTrader: (0)	I feel your pain. I have the exact same issue. It is extremely loud some times. Sounds like a firecracker in my dashboard. Definitely wakes you up (not that I'm sleeping at the wheel). At first I was always looking for a chip on the windshield, then possibly a spring/suspension issues. after reading this thread, I do seem to remember it only happening when it's hot and I have the a/c on, but what kind of a pitiful design is that? The entire HVAC team should all be fired. __________________ ///M 135i
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-03-2011, 10:48 AM	#22
coda72 Private First Class 5 Rep 187 Posts Drives: 2012 128i convertible Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Glenside, PA iTrader: (0)	Check this thread: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=536616 Apparently one forum member had the problem solved by having the dealer rip the dash apart. I know that sounds extreme, but if the noise bothers you that bad, might be worth it.
	Appreciate 0 Quote