Turbo Replacement Finally!

[N54Fiend]

Just wanted to let you guys know!..

Ive been fighting BMW for like 6 months now to replace my turbos from the horrible wastegate rattle. I had it in one shop for 3 weeks actually and they replaced the actuators and still was rattling away and they told me I was SOL and that I needed new turbos. So then I was left with my car still showing me reduced power light every day. So I sent an email over to the service manager at my regular dealership that had denied me several times showing them about 20 pictures of the lights on the dash. He told me to come on in and he'd get me on a test ride with the shop foreman. So I head over, and he was able to get in the car with me and produce the light that I always get.

He told me that I'd have to pay the $135 diagnostic fee but if the issue was covered they wouldnt charge me for it. So I left.. The shop mechanic texted me the next day and said "we found some loose hoses on the intake side of your car. Has anybody else worked on your car since us in April?" I said yes, I took it to Braman and they had it for 3 weeks but ensured that only BMW had been under my hood ever. So I get a call from them later in the day. The shop foreman, my service adviser, and the service manager all on speakerphone. The manager was speaking and he told me that the intake hoses were causing the reduced power light and the engine misfires. Then went on to ask me about the wastegates. He asked what Braman did because "if they replaced the actuators and adjusted them correctly, they wouldnt be clapping any more" I said I really dont know, they told me they did but never produced any paperwork to prove it. So he sent me off to get a copy of my paperwork and email it to him.

FINALLY (after the worst experience ever with a receptionist) got a hold of someone who emailed my paperwork to me. I couldnt tell what it meant; It said no help given, but had the part numbers of the "replaced" wastegates there. So I forwarded it to the manager and my SA. Then I got an email from the Manager. He said he didnt understand what the paper said and had a call in with someone from Braman so he would keep in touch.

Fast forward a few hours, I just got a call from the shop foreman and he said this.. " Heres the bottom line, you need new turbos. If you want them now, youll have to pay for them. But I suggest waiting because BMW will replace them soon" He said that the ever so elusive Wastegate lawsuit warranty was actually put in action then taken down for re-negotiation and when it gets put back into action that Ill be able to get them replaced for free.

So he said when it happens Ill get something in the mail stating the recall/warranty. I told him that I actually never got the first piece of mail, so can he just put me on a list and let me know when that happens. He said I will definitely get the mail, but just in case he would check the computer and make sure it has my address.. Here's where it gets interesting.

He says, "yes your in the paperwork, but listen to this! As of 7/25/2012, the Turbos will be covered to 8 years, xx,xxx miles as a result of wastegate malfunction....... Adam, Looks like your getting new turbos! Well call you when its done!"


So! To all of you with rattling issues, GO TO THE DEALER NOW! Just in case it gets taken down for re-negotiation again!

Good luck!

[fs454]

Good news! I thought it came down for re-negotiation meaning it was going to be thrown out, glad that wasn't the case.

Just signed the papers on an '09 135 today so this is awesome considering I skipped out on CPO.

[N54Fiend]

Originally Posted by fs454

Good news! I thought it came down for re-negotiation meaning it was going to be thrown out, glad that wasn't the case.

Just signed the papers on an '09 135 today so this is awesome considering I skipped out on CPO.

Thankfully, no. The original doc said that there had to be a "defect in the turbocharger caused by the wastegate" and people didnt like that. They wanted to be that even if its only clicking its still covered. I guess that worked, but not sure, because my car actually has the turbo effected by the wastegate

[fs454]

Originally Posted by DinanE82

Thankfully, no. The original doc said that there had to be a "defect in the turbocharger caused by the wastegate" and people didnt like that. They wanted to be that even if its only clicking its still covered. I guess that worked, but not sure, because my car actually has the turbo effected by the wastegate

As I understand it, the wastegate rattle eventually affects the turbo itself/causes performance issues once the problem further develops? I wonder if this will extend it past 84,000 miles or not, too...and if the new replacement turbos/wastegate mechanisms are of a new revision that are less susceptible to this issue.

[NYC6]

Glad it worked out for you. Thanks for the heads up also. Good info to know just in case.
Let us know how things went after the install.

[N54Fiend]

Originally Posted by NYC6

Glad it worked out for you. Thanks for the heads up also. Good info to know just in case.
Let us know how things went after the install.

Thank you!

Will do

[My135]

Can some one please explain to me how the waste gate rattle can hurt the turbo? My mechanic told me don't worry about it since the parts rattling is outside of the turbo.

[BMWbab1]

Is this for the N54 engine and not the N55 since the turbos are different?

[fs454]

Originally Posted by BMWbab1

Is this for the N54 engine and not the N55 since the turbos are different?

N55 is single-turbo and doesn't have this issue.

[mineo77]

yea, my warranty was denied cause I had downpipes and they flagged my car so I am shit out of luck and have to replace them myself.

[N54Fiend]

Originally Posted by My135

Can some one please explain to me how the waste gate rattle can hurt the turbo? My mechanic told me don't worry about it since the parts rattling is outside of the turbo.

I know if I give you the mechanics of how it works someone will come and 1up me because im not a mechanic.. But it doesnt really "hurt" the turbo. More makes it obsolete. The adjustment rod for the turbo is held on like this:
.l. the rod should be as secure as can be. But after the car rattles more and more, it loosens up over time looking like this
.l . where theres wiggle room. that room does not allow the wastegate to seal right. therefore the turbo will not build boost in the manner it was built because the wastegate does not seal properly.

[N54Fiend]

Originally Posted by mineo77

yea, my warranty was denied cause I had downpipes and they flagged my car so I am shit out of luck and have to replace them myself.

Wow thats no good... What i would suggest to you is to call BMW NA and ask them to read the notations in your file. See if your dealer flagged you all the way up the food chain or just at their dealer. also, due to the magnuson-Moss act, they cant deny you a warranty fix unless they can prove that your mod was definitely the factor that caused the part to break. And because this issue happens so much that there was a class action for it, in court, im sure you would win. However if you have to pay court costs its probably better to just replace them yourself.

Maybe pay a family lawyer to draft up a letter as a last shot?

According to the Report of the House of Representatives which accompanied the law (House Report No. 93-1197, 93d Cong 2d Sess.) the Magnuson-Moss act was enacted by Congress in response to the widespread misuse by merchants of express warranties and disclaimers. The legislative history indicates that the purpose of the Act is to make warranties on consumer products more readily understood and enforceable and to provide the Federal Trade Commission with means to better protect consumers.[1]

The statute is remedial in nature and is intended to protect consumers from deceptive warranty practices. Consumer products are not required to have warranties, but if one is given, it must comply with the Magnuson-Moss Act.

p.s. If you can find out which turbo of yours is making the noise, you can order it from turner for $1300.00

[BadOneThreeFive]

Originally Posted by DinanE82;123****6

Just wanted to let you guys know!..

Ive been fighting BMW for like 6 months now to replace my turbos from the horrible wastegate rattle. I had it in one shop for 3 weeks actually and they replaced the actuators and still was rattling away and they told me I was SOL and that I needed new turbos. So then I was left with my car still showing me reduced power light every day. So I sent an email over to the service manager at my regular dealership that had denied me several times showing them about 20 pictures of the lights on the dash. He told me to come on in and he'd get me on a test ride with the shop foreman. So I head over, and he was able to get in the car with me and produce the light that I always get.

He told me that I'd have to pay the $135 diagnostic fee but if the issue was covered they wouldnt charge me for it. So I left.. The shop mechanic texted me the next day and said "we found some loose hoses on the intake side of your car. Has anybody else worked on your car since us in April?" I said yes, I took it to Braman and they had it for 3 weeks but ensured that only BMW had been under my hood ever. So I get a call from them later in the day. The shop foreman, my service adviser, and the service manager all on speakerphone. The manager was speaking and he told me that the intake hoses were causing the reduced power light and the engine misfires. Then went on to ask me about the wastegates. He asked what Braman did because "if they replaced the actuators and adjusted them correctly, they wouldnt be clapping any more" I said I really dont know, they told me they did but never produced any paperwork to prove it. So he sent me off to get a copy of my paperwork and email it to him.

FINALLY (after the worst experience ever with a receptionist) got a hold of someone who emailed my paperwork to me. I couldnt tell what it meant; It said no help given, but had the part numbers of the "replaced" wastegates there. So I forwarded it to the manager and my SA. Then I got an email from the Manager. He said he didnt understand what the paper said and had a call in with someone from Braman so he would keep in touch.

Fast forward a few hours, I just got a call from the shop foreman and he said this.. " Heres the bottom line, you need new turbos. If you want them now, youll have to pay for them. But I suggest waiting because BMW will replace them soon" He said that the ever so elusive Wastegate lawsuit warranty was actually put in action then taken down for re-negotiation and when it gets put back into action that Ill be able to get them replaced for free.

So he said when it happens Ill get something in the mail stating the recall/warranty. I told him that I actually never got the first piece of mail, so can he just put me on a list and let me know when that happens. He said I will definitely get the mail, but just in case he would check the computer and make sure it has my address.. Here's where it gets interesting.

He says, "yes your in the paperwork, but listen to this! As of 7/25/2012, the Turbos will be covered to 8 years, xx,xxx miles as a result of wastegate malfunction....... Adam, Looks like your getting new turbos! Well call you when its done!"


So! To all of you with rattling issues, GO TO THE DEALER NOW! Just in case it gets taken down for re-negotiation again!

Good luck!

Any way to get this extended warranty in writing? I keep telling my dealer about this but they keep saying there is no such thing as an extended warranty on the turbos. I would really like something in writing to throw in their face and prove them wrong:-)

[ken1137]

^^^ a member's wife works for BMW so he posted a copy of the original document, but not the re-negotiated one. Do a search...I'm too tired and in LA. I'll see if I can find it when I return home.

[N54Fiend]

Originally Posted by Robertbenson30

Any way to get this extended warranty in writing? I keep telling my dealer about this but they keep saying there is no such thing as an extended warranty on the turbos. I would really like something in writing to throw in their face and prove them wrong:-)

All you have to do is call your BMW dealer and ask them to look up your vin in their computer. Ask them to read you any recent service bulletins. If they dont mention anything, tell them it should be about the turbos and the wastegates. Its in the computer as of yesterday

[BrokenVert]

Lol whenever somebody brings up the magnuson-moss act with regards to modding.

Because it doesn't cover squat in that context. It only covers parts built to OEM spec. Like if I replace my distributor with and equivalent one from Bosch or Autolite or whatever.

If you modify the car and bring the engine or whatever to outside of OEM spec than they still have all the rights in the world to void your warranty. And they're right to do it.

Because you are the one who violated the warranty agreement - not the manufacturer.



OP thanks for the info. I thought the turbo warranty was the same as the HPFP - 120K miles.

Damn if it's 84 Looks like one more warranty that I'll no longer have soon

[N54Fiend]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

Lol whenever somebody brings up the magnuson-moss act with regards to modding.

Because it doesn't cover squat in that context. It only covers parts built to OEM spec. Like if I replace my distributor with and equivalent one from Bosch or Autolite or whatever.

If you modify the car and bring the engine or whatever to outside of OEM spec than they still have all the rights in the world to void your warranty. And they're right to do it.

Because you are the one who violated the warranty agreement - not the manufacturer.



OP thanks for the info. I thought the turbo warranty was the same as the HPFP - 120K miles.

Damn if it's 84 Looks like one more warranty that I'll no longer have soon

The point is not if they can or can not void your warranty, the point is when and for what reason... If they see your car has parts on it, they cant just get up and say, no more warranty for you because you broke your car.. they can only actually void it on paper when they see that something broke "as a result of the aftermarket part" However if you were to drive to the dealership with the warranty paper for the turbos and show them that it was an issue even on un modded cars, so much so that there was a class action suit, maybe they would do it for you? its a long shot, but like I said before... If you took them to court they'd win

[N54Fiend]

Heres an update guys. My SA just called me and said there is indeed a buletin for the wastegates but its not active yet. He said that I'd have to come pick up my car in the mean time and pay the $135 fee and hell check day by day until its active. bummer for now

[BadOneThreeFive]

Originally Posted by DinanE82

All you have to do is call your BMW dealer and ask them to look up your vin in their computer. Ask them to read you any recent service bulletins. If they dont mention anything, tell them it should be about the turbos and the wastegates. Its in the computer as of yesterday

I did that. They said there wasn't any bulletins on my car but that was Monday. I'll try again today

[BadOneThreeFive]

Also just called my dealer and BMW NA as well, took my VIN and both say there is no extended warranty on the turbos/wastegates. And that's funny because I found the TSB on another thread from that guys wife that works at BMW and it says it was extended to 8 years/82,000 miles.

I don't understand why nobody knows about this bulletin except for the OP's dealer..

[N54Fiend]

Originally Posted by Robertbenson30

Also just called my dealer and BMW NA as well, took my VIN and both say there is no extended warranty on the turbos/wastegates. And that's funny because I found the TSB on another thread from that guys wife that works at BMW and it says it was extended to 8 years/82,000 miles.

I don't understand why nobody knows about this bulletin except for the OP's dealer..

It was just posted yesterday afternoon and because of the new news that I got today that its not yet active, they may not be willing to read it to you. Ive gotten pretty close with the guys at my dealer because they practically see my car more than i do! But when I go to pick my car up today ill ask for the SIB number so you can reference it

[N54Fiend]

you can also go here and see the details, but this paper means nothing to BMW

http://www.gilardi.com/HPFPSettlemen...20Approval.pdf