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      01-09-2015, 11:50 AM   #1
smihko
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BMW X3 2015 Wind noise issue at driver's door

Hi.
Recently purchase 2015 BMW X3 28 diesel with performance and technology package and was very disappointed, that there is permanent wind noise when you exceed speed over 65-70 km /hour.
4 times visiting dealership did not help at all to resolve the issue.
Tried to drive another X3 (gas), X5 diesel - and I was surprised, that all these vehicles have similar sound at the left door.
I have not a first BMW, previously carried 524 td and never experience this problem. Both cars were quiet. At the same dealership drove Mercedes ML 350 Blutec (diesel as well) and there was no any issues in a cabin with wind noise.
Have anybody experience similar issue on their own X3?
I really appreciate any suggestions.
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      01-09-2015, 11:42 PM   #2
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Interesting, the wind noise was resolved with the LCI, you have the new X3? If so have dealer look at the soundproofing foam on the doors.
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      01-10-2015, 06:45 AM   #3
smihko
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Dear X4guy.
Thanks for your advise.
I'm not sure, that this noise is coming through the door foam. Sound is coming at the top edge of the side glass.
I'm suspicious that exterior gasket at the door is slightly exposed from the vehicle body - 1-1.5 mm and the sound can be developed on my car as of this matter. But I found out, that other X3 and X5 which I tested has similar sound and noise.
Other my opinion about gaskets quality and durability.
Long time ago BMW used for gaskets silicone. May be in later time - EPDM . But now I see that gaskets made from cheapest material - santropene. This material is way out of the required quality. If you consider, that silicone is BMW level, than - santropene I would estimate like a Trabant.
This bug makes me crazy. Will do some other investigation, may be it can be resolved.
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      01-10-2015, 04:23 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smihko View Post
Hi.
Recently purchase 2015 BMW X3 28 diesel with performance and technology package and was very disappointed, that there is permanent wind noise when you exceed speed over 65-70 km /hour.
4 times visiting dealership did not help at all to resolve the issue.
Tried to drive another X3 (gas), X5 diesel - and I was surprised, that all these vehicles have similar sound at the left door.
I have not a first BMW, previously carried 524 td and never experience this problem. Both cars were quiet. At the same dealership drove Mercedes ML 350 Blutec (diesel as well) and there was no any issues in a cabin with wind noise.
Have anybody experience similar issue on their own X3?
I really appreciate any suggestions.



I also have a 15 X3, i totally agree with you on the excessive whistling it gets annoying
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      01-11-2015, 06:19 PM   #5
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I have it as well. I brought it to the dealer's attention but they couldn't find anything. Still there....loud...
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      01-11-2015, 07:55 PM   #6
smihko
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Ok, Guys.

Looks like we are experiencing the same problem!
If any of you carry account in Facebook or twitter, can you make a research, may be some other owners has similar issues?
Today I did some investigations. Actually waste my Sunday to find out roots of the problem.

I took translucent reinforced medical tape and at first tape upper portion of the drivers door glass where it goes to the sash of the window. Drove up to 80 km/h . sound become slightly less, but still exists.

Than I taped perimeter of a side mirror plastic base . Drove up to the same speed and get slightly less sound as well.

At third I taped windshield jamb. There is a kind of continuous cavity along the side of the glass capped with kind of molding. This action remove some sound as well.

At fourth I tape small narrow gap between top railing and vehicle roof rib. It is like may be 1/8" to 1/4" gap there.

Sound becomes to normal. Like I usually feels on other type of cars or SUV's. Like air pushed by vehicle in front of it.

On Fifth step I remove tape which I applied at First. Again I start hearing noise coming from the top of the glass, but not much as it was originally. I took a suction cap, which is used for the glass installation in a curtain wall industry and applied it to inner side of drivers door glass. During driving I pull suction cap towards to another side of the vehicle, to inside. Sound disappear.

On my car I also have exterior gasket exposed outside of the vehicle body approximately up to 2 mm. It is quite possible, that this exposed gasket also developing noise, but I was not able to seal it or hide it in a vehicle body.
Based on this I came to the following conclusions:

1. 2015 BMW X3 has pour design at those areas, described above. Noise appearing when speed is over 60-65 km/h.

1.1. Drivers door glass does not apply enough force (compression) to the gasket at the top of the sash and on inclined sash as well. As a result, air leakage developing sound at this area.
1.2. Mirror base doesn't sealed properly to the door frame and air leakage appear as well as sound.
1.3. The gap between roof rib and top railing is the worse part of the vehicle, where this noise appears very loud. FYI I did on Saturday some test drives with Audi Q5, Audi Q7, VW Toureg, and Mercedes ML 350 Blutec. The best sound proof I found has Audi Q5. NOTHING to complain about! And BTW top railing at all of this cars does not make any gaps between Roof Side Ribs and Top Railing because Top Railing is moved back from the windshield form 50 to 100 mm back depends of the vehicle.

All these items can't be resolved by us along. These are BMW issues and they have to take care about it.

I'll write formal complain to dealer as well to BMW Canada and see what is going on. If they will be able to resolve the issue, it will be OK. If not I'll go to media. I know that Toronto Star has one guy who is dealing with this kind of problems.

In General I love my X3. Nice size, fuel efficient, I enjoy driving it... but this noise makes me crazy. I cross my fingers, that BMW will hear us and our opinion.

P.S. If you will make some investigation by yourself or with your dealer, please share it with me as well. I'll really appreciate to be on a loop.
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      01-11-2015, 09:45 PM   #7
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At any speed under 70-80 mph, I don't notice a thing. Above that, a little. But much less than in my previous Honda Pilot.
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      01-12-2015, 08:03 AM   #8
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Hi guys, I have also an 2015 X3. I was also few times hearing some extra noise when driving at 80km/h. There was some side wind at least once, maybe this was partly the reason as well. However, for me the noise came more from the rear doors / windows.

There is definitely something not quite right here. With my old e91 I never noticed any wind sounds. There for sure was wind noise, but never so much that I would have actually paid attention to that.
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      01-12-2015, 09:58 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smihko View Post
Ok, Guys.

Looks like we are experiencing the same problem!
If any of you carry account in Facebook or twitter, can you make a research, may be some other owners has similar issues?
Today I did some investigations. Actually waste my Sunday to find out roots of the problem.

I took translucent reinforced medical tape and at first tape upper portion of the drivers door glass where it goes to the sash of the window. Drove up to 80 km/h . sound become slightly less, but still exists.

Than I taped perimeter of a side mirror plastic base . Drove up to the same speed and get slightly less sound as well.

At third I taped windshield jamb. There is a kind of continuous cavity along the side of the glass capped with kind of molding. This action remove some sound as well.

At fourth I tape small narrow gap between top railing and vehicle roof rib. It is like may be 1/8" to 1/4" gap there.

Sound becomes to normal. Like I usually feels on other type of cars or SUV's. Like air pushed by vehicle in front of it.

On Fifth step I remove tape which I applied at First. Again I start hearing noise coming from the top of the glass, but not much as it was originally. I took a suction cap, which is used for the glass installation in a curtain wall industry and applied it to inner side of drivers door glass. During driving I pull suction cap towards to another side of the vehicle, to inside. Sound disappear.

On my car I also have exterior gasket exposed outside of the vehicle body approximately up to 2 mm. It is quite possible, that this exposed gasket also developing noise, but I was not able to seal it or hide it in a vehicle body.
Based on this I came to the following conclusions:

1. 2015 BMW X3 has pour design at those areas, described above. Noise appearing when speed is over 60-65 km/h.

1.1. Drivers door glass does not apply enough force (compression) to the gasket at the top of the sash and on inclined sash as well. As a result, air leakage developing sound at this area.
1.2. Mirror base doesn't sealed properly to the door frame and air leakage appear as well as sound.
1.3. The gap between roof rib and top railing is the worse part of the vehicle, where this noise appears very loud. FYI I did on Saturday some test drives with Audi Q5, Audi Q7, VW Toureg, and Mercedes ML 350 Blutec. The best sound proof I found has Audi Q5. NOTHING to complain about! And BTW top railing at all of this cars does not make any gaps between Roof Side Ribs and Top Railing because Top Railing is moved back from the windshield form 50 to 100 mm back depends of the vehicle.

All these items can't be resolved by us along. These are BMW issues and they have to take care about it.

I'll write formal complain to dealer as well to BMW Canada and see what is going on. If they will be able to resolve the issue, it will be OK. If not I'll go to media. I know that Toronto Star has one guy who is dealing with this kind of problems.

In General I love my X3. Nice size, fuel efficient, I enjoy driving it... but this noise makes me crazy. I cross my fingers, that BMW will hear us and our opinion.

P.S. If you will make some investigation by yourself or with your dealer, please share it with me as well. I'll really appreciate to be on a loop.
Wow this is interesting looks like the LCI didn't fix and X3 and X4 not the same in all aspects for the X4 is quiet like a church mouse in all speeds. This is disappointing BMW knew of the issue and didn't fix in the LCI.
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      01-12-2015, 10:11 AM   #10
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I find my LCI to be a lot quieter than my 2011 and I am picky about such things. It's not perfect but it's 90% there, it's only in gusty conditions when I get wind noise. No more do I gave to raise my voice to have a conversation, I've not been over 95 yet.....

My 2011 seems to have been a bad example for wind noise though I test drove worse cars when discussing this with BMW. Maybe it's the same with the LCI - variable build quality.
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      01-12-2015, 10:20 AM   #11
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Driving at 120Mph on the German autobahn recently in my pre-LCI I didn't notice much wind noise. But this thread makes me second guess if I should be expecting more
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      01-12-2015, 10:27 AM   #12
smihko
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I wish, that German assembly is better than in USA. Here cheap-cheap-cheap technology is Priority number ONE!.
I'd not be surprised, that in Germany quality control is way better than on a newly developed assembly plant in South Carolina USA.
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      01-12-2015, 10:47 AM   #13
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Given that all X3's are built in South Carolina USA, I am surprised this has not been mentioned in X3 deliveries to the UK.

I have never heard of it on the later Pre LCI cars. Mine is a Pre LCI September 2013 build X3 xDrive30d M Sport and it is exceptionally quiet.

Perhaps when more LCI cars appear in the UK the wind noise will be noticed and posted on forum boards.
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      01-12-2015, 05:53 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by philtrick123 View Post
Driving at 120Mph on the German autobahn recently in my pre-LCI I didn't notice much wind noise. But this thread makes me second guess if I should be expecting more
Don't go finding a problem if it doesn't exist for you, IMHO...
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      01-12-2015, 06:07 PM   #15
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To: philtrick123

I'm slightly jealous that you do not have this issue.
I like my X3 and will definitely find the way to fix this bug. With BMW or without it.
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      01-13-2015, 06:03 AM   #16
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I suppose the issue might be you judge the X3 compared with what you had previously. The X3 is quiet compared to previous cars I've owned.
I will listen closely on my next drive.
Note- I did buy some Gummi Pflege Stift based on conversations on other threads re. rubber seals.
I haven't applied the product yet- and I'm left wondering if some owners have noise issues, but I don't. Or perhaps I'm just more accepting of it.
Can someone post a video demonstrating the noise?
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      01-13-2015, 07:23 AM   #17
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Unfortunately, I have to say that X3s do exhibit comparatively high levels of wind and road noise if you're used to lower-profile (read: more aerodynamic) BMWs.

I'm new to the X3, got a mineral silver 2012 XDrive 2.0i two weeks ago. Compared to the F20 118i I had up until then, the X3 is downright noisy. Logic tells me that this is due to two factors:

- It has a big aerodynamic footprint, with lots of surface area. Take the mirrors, for example... they're huge.
- Compared to a sedan, the X3 is cavernous inside. Guess what happens in caves? Things echo. For example, the boot (trunk for American users) is pretty much a reverberation box, and guess what? It's not sealed off like in a sedan or hatchback, it's open, so sounds just bounces around in the massive space. I used to notice this effect quite pronouncedly when driving with the seats folded flat in my F20. My very rough guess is that this added probably 20% road noise to the cabin.

Yep, it's just how things are I reckon. In such a big vehicle, you need tons of soundproofing to make it quiet. The X3 clearly doesn't have that, it sounds like you need to get an X5 if you're finicky....
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      01-13-2015, 07:57 AM   #18
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The X3 is never going to be a quiet car and even the better sound proofed X5 seems to have some noise. Having said that, given that I contributed quite a lot to the original wind noise thread it clear that I'm quite picky about noise. With the LCI the mirror shape has changed, this seems to help. I am getting much less noise that I had with my 2011. If I was starting out with my LCI as a totally new X3 experience I would say the noise characteristic is acceptable. My 2011 X3 experience probably makes me extra critical. I wouldn't say the car is noticeably quiet but it not noisy either. It's hard to compare different cars via the internet, I suspect the build of individual matters a lot. A good one with be fine a poor one won't be.
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      01-17-2015, 10:17 AM   #19
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Today I did some research in one Toronto car shop.
It was achieved some improvement, but we find out, that driver's door was re-painted before delivery to me.
It is quite possible, that door was damaged before delivery and nobody notify me about it.

Also we find out, that mirror and it's gaskets were incorrectly installed.
After some work, I test the car and can say, that noise from mirror side disappear.
Noise from upper portion of side glass still exists.
I'm still suspicious, that noise partially is developed by exposed from the body gasket. Guys in a shop said to me that BMW issued bulletin, about allowable exposure of the gasket up to 2 mm, which from my point of view is unacceptable! Any exposed element at 100 km/h speed can make significant noise!
Also we found, that part of the upper portion of sash in bend in. As a result of this it is possible that gasket doesn't contact glass surface at closed position.

I'll continue discovery of the problem roots next week at my next appointment to the shop. I cross my fingers we find the problem and fix it.
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      01-17-2015, 12:01 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smihko View Post
Today I did some research in one Toronto car shop.
It was achieved some improvement, but we find out, that driver's door was re-painted before delivery to me.
It is quite possible, that door was damaged before delivery and nobody notify me about it.

Also we find out, that mirror and it's gaskets were incorrectly installed.
After some work, I test the car and can say, that noise from mirror side disappear.
Noise from upper portion of side glass still exists.
I'm still suspicious, that noise partially is developed by exposed from the body gasket. Guys in a shop said to me that BMW issued bulletin, about allowable exposure of the gasket up to 2 mm, which from my point of view is unacceptable! Any exposed element at 100 km/h speed can make significant noise!
Also we found, that part of the upper portion of sash in bend in. As a result of this it is possible that gasket doesn't contact glass surface at closed position.

I'll continue discovery of the problem roots next week at my next appointment to the shop. I cross my fingers we find the problem and fix it.
You mentioned in your first post that the X3 is a 2015 model. Surely if you've found out the door has been damaged and repaired before delivery then you should be taking the car back to the dealer and possibly rejecting the car. A new car should be virtually perfect.
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      01-18-2015, 10:35 PM   #21
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I do not believe in folk stories. Who I am? And what is BMW?
It will roll over me like a tank...
I'll fix this problem with guys who knows what they are doing.
Not with guys, that follow BMW multiply choice quiz, which they supply to each shop.
It's just a matter of time.
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      01-19-2015, 04:59 AM   #22
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You don't describe the wind noise, so a bit difficult to compare experiences but in my case (passenger door) it was a whistling sound at any speed above 100 kph, and BMW did not manage to find the problem so I took it upon myself to replace the most obvious culprits (note these are all for the right side, so you need to figure out the drivers door part numbers, and also if you have different trim finish). Since yours is new, it should already have the updated mirror insulation so that is not needed.

51337311260 Fensterfuehrung Tuer Vorne Rechts, 41,32 EUR
51418224768 Clip Mit Dichtscheibe Natur, (25x) 16,25 EUR
(( 51337205594 Abdichtung Spiegeldreieck Aussen Rechts, 13,47 EUR))

You should ask BMW to replace the part that I described, and possibly to adjust how tight the door closes.
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