Hope this all gets resolved Tomo - what was up with your wheel arch panels?
I noiced my drivers side one was hanging off the other day when I was cleaning it. I'm not sure if it's a recent thing or just something I didn't notice before, but it clipped back into place fairly painlessly. I have a horrible feeling that it happened whilst taking it through a car-wash the other week and if this is the case then I'm pretty unimpressed with the quality of these bits.. The roof trim also came off in my hand the other day but clipped back on, on closer inspection it doesn't match the trim on the opposite side of the roof, so the dealers are going to get another call from me soon..
I've also had my roof trim repaired. It came off constantly and very easy. Trouble is that the clips holding the trim in place are not very tight-fitting. Worse is that you can't replace the clips with new ones without taking the side rear windows off...
(because the clips are mounted between the roof and the windows)
This is NOT what you want, 'cos the windows are glued down..
In the end they glued the roof trim back down with special bonding stuff.
It does work, they don't come off anymore, but BMW could have made the roof trim a lot better IMHO.
I believe that the correct fix for the windscreen upper trim is to replace the windscreen, and fit it correctly. Our windscreen was not 'glued' in the right place and a replacemnet was needed. This fixed the trim with no glue required.
- Mini Cooper SD - Pepper white. Leather Lounge Black. Chili,Media,Vision packs, Sunroof, Harmon Kardan, Heated Windscreen.
I don't think I've been all that clear in my original post, Eric knows the bit I mean though, it's the long strip of trim that runs the length of the car. One side resists being pulled off pretty well and the other side was knocked off the other day as I brushed over it with a cloth while cleaning the car. The wheel arch trims used to do it on my 'M' reg Mini, but I certainly wasn't expecting it on this one.
This isn't a whinge by the way, I fully expect the dealers to replace this asap and they can superglue it back on as far as I'm concerned, so long as it doesn't drop off again!
Well, anyway, they glue it with the same stuff used to seal the windows, so it's still removable and it does the trick.
There's not much choice anyway, unless you want to wait for a redesigned roof or be a pain to your dealer who can't help it either.
I would say that the drivers seat has significantly improved since the repair fix. However if pressure is applied backwards on either seat with the lumbar support on maximum there is still a popping noise and feeling in your back. Has any other owners tried this out. I would be interested to know if this is evident on other models.
It is unlikely that the lumbar support function will be used to it's maximum but it is a tad annoying as I carried out a comparison with a showroom model which was much better. Since the repair the drives seat does seem to be squeaking far more than it did. Luckily I have a reasonable CD player to cancel this noise out at this stage !!!!.
In the little time I have had inspecting the vehicle, I would say that I am happy with the replacement interior back panel fitted. It is far better than the original one.
I have now had replacement panels fitted twice on the front and back passenger wheel arches. The most recent panels fitted are much better than the previous ones. However, I reckon BMW should be aware that replacement panels do not clip in as well as the original ones fitted at production. It is very minor but the clipping does not provide a flush fitting at the bottom end of the panel. I would be interested in hearing if anyone else has experienced this.
The dealership took my concerns seriously and I am awaiting feedback from them regarding the LUMBAR again.
RE : SUPERGLUE !! dont fancy using this for plastic panel perfection but if you do attempt this be careful !!
I think I mentioned to you before tomo, that the wheel arch extension on the Red Cooper sitting in Brisbane BMW also was hanging off for a while. They seem to have fixed it now, but it doesn't bode well for long term ownership. Hopefully with "continuous development and improvement" these areas of the cars design will improve. I hope the plastics of the car hold up to heat over here, it was another 40 degree celcius day here today. Even my old Landrover looked whilted.
I know this is an old post, but I was doing a search for lumbar support and was reading through this and found Tomo has/had exactly the same problem as me. My lumbar suport makes a popping noise also but set on the minimum setting which I use every day, my car actually went in last Friday to have this and other rattles fixed plus the gear linkage recall. All rattles have gone however the popping lumbar support remains. Has anyone else had this problem and have they had it fixed ? I've taken my car back twice already for problems with the front seats I've only done 3k !!
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
The roof trim also came off in my hand the other day but clipped back on, on closer inspection it doesn't match the trim on the opposite side of the roof, so the dealers are going to get another call from me soon..
