Squeaking Dash / Windscreen

[fasterthanlight]

I have an "59" plate Cooper S Convertible that's been trouble free since delivery in mid-September, but over the last 300 miles or so has developed the most annoying squeaking / creaking noise that I have ever heard in a car - let alone a premium car.

It sounds like it's coming from the interface between the dashboard and the windscreen, although there's a large gap at the front of the dashboard so not sure that's the cause. The sound itself is like two bits of polystyrene, constantly rubbing against each other as the car goes over an uneven surface (i.e. every road where I live!). You can even make it do it when driving on a smooth road by flicking the steering wheel back and forth quickly.

There's a video of the sound on YouTube so you can hear just how bad it is:

YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.

What could this be? The noise is present most of the time, but I can't find any pattern relating it to interior or exterior temperature, wet or dry conditions.

BMW have had the car for a few days and replaced a single bracket somewhere in the dash, together with some foam, but this has not cured the problem. It's as bad as ever.

Can anyone suggest what might be the cause, because it's ruining my Mini ownership.

[KenL]

No idea what is causing it, but, take it back to the dealer and tell them to not return it until fixed - that is totally unacceptable.

I would write a letter to the dealer principal telling them the above. Outline that it is not of the quality you expect, if it is not fixed in "x" days you expect a replacement car!

[fasterthanlight]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that this noise is totally unacceptable. It's really embarrassing having a passenger in the car when the squeak is bad. I find myself turning up the music and putting the blower on full blast just to try and hide it!

I may eventually have to adopt your suggested approach with the Dealer Principal if things don't move forwards. So far the Mini dealer has been very helpful, having the car for three days last week to try to isolate the problem.

At the moment I am waiting to hear back from the dealer, after telling them on Monday that last week's "fix" had not cured the problem. Somehow I doubt anything's going to happen before the New Year now.

[cmoremini]

Hello, you might check the rear view mirror -- it might be loose. My 09 Mini Convertible developed a rattle within just a couple of weeks of driving. At first it was sporadic but progressively worsened. I thought it was a problem with the dashboard, or seal around the windshield. I was only able to determine the rear view mirror was loose by lifting the mounting bracket of the mirror during one noisy drive and finding the rattle stopped.

The dealer fixed the problem in just a couple of minutes.

If you have the HI FI system with the speakers above the dash one of them could also be loose.

[dave.pm.young]

It is a common problem, I have even had a cross fitted to overcome the body flexing, though yours does sound as though the packing under the dashboard has come away, this was not fitted on the early R56s

[miley69]

I've a "59" Cooper S too that in the last 2 weeks has started to experience exactly the same problem.

My description of it is like "someone has poured popping candy down the front of the dashboard" - extremely frustrating and I agree, its ruining my Mini experience also!

I have the car booked in next Tuesday so will let you know how I get on!

[iain cooper]

unfortunately the squeaking dash is very common on the mini and very difficult to fix.

have a read at the numerous posts re this on the forum.

you may have to just live with it !!

Iain


ps I had a listen to it and you can't live with that..........as KenL says take it back and demand it's sorted or replacement/money back.

[fasterthanlight]

miley69 - Sorry to hear that you have a very similar problem to me. Fingers crossed your dealer can help you resolve it. Obviously very keen to know how you get on.

cmoremini - Thanks for your suggestions. I don't have the upgraded Hi-fi in my car and it's certainly nothing to do with the rearview mirror bracket. I have pressed just about every surface I can in the car and can't find the problem.

iain cooper - After the car's first visit to the dealer, I have been trying to "live with it" over Christmas. Blower on, music on the whole time is just about enough to drown out the average level of creak/squeak from the dashboard - although nothing's really enough to drown it out when it's as bad as in the video. Every now and then I convince myself it's gone, then I turn everything off and discover it's still there. Just like I did last night. Feeling a bit depressed today.

Therefore, looks like mine will have to go back to the dealer again sometime in the next couple of weeks.

[mayflower232]

Im pretty sure the cause is the high density foam within the dash, this is designed to protect you in crashes from the engine coming through the bonnet. It sounds as if this is rubbing on something. It is hard to fix as you have to locate it first, however this is the dealers problem. Give it to them and don't accept it back until it is sorted.

[Mr Top-Off]

Get your dealer to take out the windscreen, then refit it.

A friend of mine told me about this, it worked for him. I have also just had it done and it has worked for me.

[fasterthanlight]

The windscreen not being sealed correctly is certainly one thing that could be causing this noise. However, having toured the factory right around the time my car was built, you've got to wonder how a robot glued and installed screen can be imperfect...?

Anyway, I think getting the windscreen removed and re-sealed is a great idea, a potential "quick win" if you like, as I'm very reluctant to have the dash removed. I shall raise it with my dealer.

[fasterthanlight]

Quote: Originally Posted by miley69 (original)

I have the car booked in next Tuesday so will let you know how I get on!

How did you get on at the dealer? Any joy getting the problem fixed? Still putting up with my own squeak/creak for a little longer before returning to the dealer.

[fasterthanlight]

The dealer has had the car for 4 days this week to make a second attempt to try to get to the bottom of this wretched intermittent creaking / squeaking fault.

Thanks to the previous poster, I suggested that the fault must be related to the windscreen but they were reluctant to remove and refit it. Apparently they are limited to doing what BMW tell them they can do to fix a particular warranty problem and BMW didn't sanction a refitting of the windscreen at this time. So, this time on the advice of BMW technical support, they have replaced the entire upper section of the instrument panel and added additional felt and sound proofing as and where required.

It being an intermittent fault, the car seemed fine when I collected it on Friday. However, today (Sunday) the squeak is back. When I got home I applied some pressure to various parts of the windscreen and may have got a little closer to the source of the problem...

Previously I've said that the sound appeared to be coming from a central area, somewhere near the dashboard / windscreen interface - that's what it seems like when you're on the move. However, pressing the bottom of the windscreen made no difference to the squeak. Today I applied pressure to the top of the windscreen and found a very familiar creak sound. The YouTube video below shows it, but you have to turn the volume of your computer up A LOT to hear it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAJY_e1igGk

The creaking in the video is not the driver's seat and it's not coming from the rear view mirror housing or rain sensor. It's coming from where the windscreen joins the header rail, seemingly mostly on the right side of the windscreen, not the left. Now I did also notice that the header rail plastic trim is not well fitted on my car, it is not flush (by about 4mm) where is meets the A-pillar plastic trim on the right side. The left side is not too bad, but not perfect either. Probably unrelated as it doesn't really touch the windscreen glass but I noticed it so thought I'd mention it.

Later in the day I tried pushing the top of the windscreen again and the creak wasn't there. Driving the car also failed to produce the squeak, so they seem related, although I can't understand why a windscreen seal problem would be so intermittent...? Anyway, it's another lead to go back to the dealer with, so that's what I'll be doing soon. Another update to follow no doubt!

[fasterthanlight]

Well, dropped the car off at the dealers for a third time on Monday in the hope that the dealer will finally be able to fix this fault. Update received from them today is that they have still been unable to recreate the fault that I now believe appears to be coming from the top of the windscreen.

This is so annoying as it was "faulting" all last week. I don't see, given all the video evidence that I have provided them why they should need to recreate the fault, but they seem to have their hands tied by BMW before they can take action.

So p***ed off with this now.

[Wez007]

i really feel your pain mate, i am in the same boat as you but with a gearbox/ engine related problem and they are jsut denying that anything is wrong with the car. I honestly do not know how BMW has operated so long as a company if this is the level of after care you get from them. I love the mini more than anything but i really really dont think i would get another after the service i have had from them and in my optinion the Warrenty is not worth the paper it is written on! BMW Suck !!!!!