M4 review but this was unexpected!!

[mdemon]

So here's the full story of what happened earlier this day.
My dealer just got the priority M4 delivery and had it on display. I asked for a test drive since I was looking for an upgrade for my 335i. The dealer would not give this car out on test drive since it's so new plus in CT only 1 dealer has it. But he agreed to give out a test drive since my family has been religiously buying almost half a dozen cars from this dealer from past 2 year.

I get into the vehicle. The car is greatly designed but a poor piece of work on the speed-o-meter console. Looks like a BMW from the 90's. Looks a lot of plastic around that area. The ride was a little stiff when I first pulled out. I expected that already since its a sports car. The in-cabin noise almost sounds like a muffler delete on my 335i which I'm pretty used to which doesn't bother me but sounds annoying to a lot of people.

As soon as I jump on highway the car takes off like a rocket. The 426 hp with a lot of torque for little body of M4 just pulls it hard enough to give you adrenaline rush but not to make you puke on a constantly curving highway road. The cars sticks to the lane very efficiently on that mile curve on highway at xxx mph. There are 6 lanes on that highway and usually people just change lanes on that curve since they don't realize where to go. But M4 has a great handling and boost to keep you pushing. It won't stop.

After driving it on comfort mode for 3-4 mins, I wanted to see what does M$ really has to offer. So I put the car in Sports+ for steering, suspension and power. Also put the DCT on most high revs. WHOOOOOOOOF!!! That just made that machine a track car. The car just took off with a burnout and made the high rev noise while catching up to the ongoing traffic. A M A Z I N G is what I would say I can't believe how fast I was and car still wanted more.

THE REAL DISAPPOINTMENT COMES NOW....

After the car is in sports plus for 3-4 mins and I believe it's heated up enough. I was on 55 mph and just punched it on highway to beat Mercedes on my right. M4 reached 55-60-65-70-BOOM!!!! I got startled by the BOOM sound and the engine pull just cuts off. The sales guy right next to me also had no idea what just happened. He realized the car is not pulling anymore like before and it seems like driving a 328 or a 6 cylinder engine with no turbo. I kept on driving just to see if that resets itself since there is no error on screen. But I can't imagine if M car can ever do that. As I gradually press the accelerator, same thing happens, I can hear turbos spooling but no power. It was just driving as a regular car with no turbo. I kind of felt that I think I blew the turbo in a car that I haven't even bought yet!!

I have personally tracked M cars and have been on 160 mph on track with no break in service done. I was sure it wasn't going to be something serious. $80,000 price tag cannot blow engine on me on a test drive. So we came back immediately. The mechanic at dealership took a look at engine everything looks fine except the hose to intercooler snapped out from the clamp as it heated up.

I was like WHAT?? A hose to intercooler. How can it just snap like that. Just because of heated up clams , it got out. That's poor engineering right there. That BMW is not reliable for me. maybe, there will be a fix but not on this car. So, I love the car, its just I won't like my car to bust hose on me with 11 miles on dash.
I love to drive my cars on sport all the time. I rarely drive on comfort. For me, it was a surprise and I felt bad about M4's issue.

Did anyone of you guys drove that car on sports plus for 4-5 mins straight? Because, seems like it would be a general problem if it has anything to do with clamps or hoses.

I just wish this car doesn't bring any more surprises. I might go for next year edition.

Please share your thoughts on this for all professional people out there.

[myzmak]

Sounds like the one car you drove (probably too harshly for a new car) had a problem. No more, no less.

Do the math. One of every so many cars of any brand will have a problem. Sorry bout your luck man.

[4/3rds]

Damn it. The hood, the other guy's M3 breakdown, your hose story. WTF. Maybe a crap shoot.

[FogCityM3]

Something similar (some hose clamp came off I believe) happened in one of the auto mag reviews, can't remember which one. Author of article made some snarky comment to the effect of now we know what a N/A inline 6 feels like.

[ASAP]

Lol, before you ever even mentioned intercooler hose... that was my first guess right after charge pipe.

[tdizzle]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Lol, before you ever even mentioned intercooler hose... that was my first guess right after charge pipe.

Same. I was thinking please no charge pipe failure already. Wonder if BMW is going to deny the dealers warranty claim due to not adhering into break in lol. Doesn't sound like the op was taking it easy on the bran new car.

[solstice]

Originally Posted by FogCityM3

Something similar (some hose clamp came off I believe) happened in one of the auto mag reviews, can't remember which one. Author of article made some snarky comment to the effect of now we know what a N/A inline 6 feels like.

I remember that, might be worth re-visiting and see if they mention driving in sport+. Could it be some back pressure caused by the anti-lag function that pushes a poorly positioned and/or tightened clamp off the connection? Anyhow just seem like poor QC with lose clamps. They must have been tested at the design phase to hold full pressure under all conditions. Should be easy to rectify in production processes. My biggest quality concern with my car is if Germany play in the World Cup during my production week. All pros out drinking and only the green horns and temporary workers left to try to build my car with pounding hangover heads my last ED car was built during the last WC and it was a lemon...

[IMrMark]

Drove in sport/sport+ for about an hour, no issues - just adrenaline! Sorry for the bad experience, hopefully your next ride out is a better one.

[onatuesday]

Originally Posted by FogCityM3

Something similar (some hose clamp came off I believe) happened in one of the auto mag reviews, can't remember which one. Author of article made some snarky comment to the effect of now we know what a N/A inline 6 feels like.

Here you go: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...-m3-m4-review/

The troubling: A turbo hose failed on our test coupe, suddenly venting precious oxygen into the atmosphere and basically leaving us with the world’s first normally aspirated (and weak) M4. “Pre-production parts” was the excuse, but these types of failures always leave us wondering.

Not sure the OP's car qualifies as "pre-production." This just adds to the list of reasons to wait a bit before getting my M4. Other being that I want Tanzanite Blue. Too bad my M4 is already in production. Kind of at the point now where, I'm not going to be one of the first to get one but I'm not late enough to be sure all the early production quirks are worked out.

[Caelric]

So, a related question: is the engine sensor determining the airflowing MAF (mass air flow in the intake) or MAP (manifold air pressure)?

Going to guess that it is MAP, since the car was still drivable after the hose came off, since a MAF would still be measuring the air flowing past it in the intake, and giving the ECU a false reading.

I know on my previous car an aftermarket twin turboed G35, when I first put the turbos in, I was still usign MAF, and I blew an intake hose once, and the engine would only barely run, since it wasgetting false readings to the ECU. Once I went to MAP, I never had that problem. Of course, blowing an intake hose is still a bad thing.

[Bemo]

So you test drove the white M4 at BMW of Bridgeport?

[NullCheck]

I have been driving the shit out of my car, no booms or no issues. But a lot of these cars are very newly produced, meaning they are one of the first cars BMW made and these issues may happen. But it has been my experience that BMW always does right by their customers when there are issues happen, so I'm not too worried about it.

[M3ryder55]

First year production cars. That's what break in is for too

Probably was not on right

Shit happens

[ridin135]

Yea I drove the hell out of a new M4 a couple times for about 30 minutes and didn't have one problem. Shit happens and no matter what car you look at you will find someone with a problem.

[DreF80///M3]

I too have driven in sports plus at over 100mph for a few miles on the highway. My charge pipes are fine at present. This did happen to my 335is though. Almost exactly as you described. Stomped on the gas to pass a car. The build up of air tore a small hole in the plastic charge pipe. It's really a minor fix, but annoying that it's happening to new cars nonetheless. They really should build the charge pipe out of aluminum or carbon fiber. Hell Id love another piece of carbon fiber under the hood.

[chiplee]

I knew what it was as soon as you described what happened, and it wasn't because the hose clamps "heated up". It's because BMW is running very high boost pressures through these engines, which is awesome, but troublesome. The rolling romp you described is a very easy way to get a boost spike. I've driven a turbo car that runs over 20psi for a while and this has probably happened to me a half dozen times. We might find ourselves getting called in for a free upgrade to T-bolt clamps, or at least tightening of existing clamps if they are already high quality.

[chiplee]

Originally Posted by M3ryder55

First year production cars. That's what break in is for too

Probably was not on right

Shit happens

Very true. People think break in is all about internal components; ring seating and bearing conditioning, etc. It's about that, but it's also about letting the damn engine sections and the gaskets/joints between them have a minute to "conjeal", so to speak. Things just tend to stick together after a bit of running, including hoses and pipes.

[DeejAus]

This talk about early production cars and their lack of reliability makes me laff.

I have a E92, first one to get delivered into Western Australia in Nov 2007, I has needed nothing in 6.5 of hard driving other than its regular service and a coil. That's it.

[basamx]

I hate when dealers let people beat the crap out of cars that aren't broken in. I can. See if you were going t buy the car, but no consideration for the person going to buy the car.

l[u2b[/u2b]

Originally Posted by mdemon

So here's the full story of what happened earlier this day.
My dealer just got the priority M4 delivery and had it on display. I asked for a test drive since I was looking for an upgrade for my 335i. The dealer would not give this car out on test drive since it's so new plus in CT only 1 dealer has it. But he agreed to give out a test drive since my family has been religiously buying almost half a dozen cars from this dealer from past 2 year.

I get into the vehicle. The car is greatly designed but a poor piece of work on the speed-o-meter console. Looks like a BMW from the 90's. Looks a lot of plastic around that area. The ride was a little stiff when I first pulled out. I expected that already since its a sports car. The in-cabin noise almost sounds like a muffler delete on my 335i which I'm pretty used to which doesn't bother me but sounds annoying to a lot of people.

As soon as I jump on highway the car takes off like a rocket. The 426 hp with a lot of torque for little body of M4 just pulls it hard enough to give you adrenaline rush but not to make you puke on a constantly curving highway road. The cars sticks to the lane very efficiently on that mile curve on highway at xxx mph. There are 6 lanes on that highway and usually people just change lanes on that curve since they don't realize where to go. But M4 has a great handling and boost to keep you pushing. It won't stop.

After driving it on comfort mode for 3-4 mins, I wanted to see what does M$ really has to offer. So I put the car in Sports+ for steering, suspension and power. Also put the DCT on most high revs. WHOOOOOOOOF!!! That just made that machine a track car. The car just took off with a burnout and made the high rev noise while catching up to the ongoing traffic. A M A Z I N G is what I would say I can't believe how fast I was and car still wanted more.

THE REAL DISAPPOINTMENT COMES NOW....

After the car is in sports plus for 3-4 mins and I believe it's heated up enough. I was on 55 mph and just punched it on highway to beat Mercedes on my right. M4 reached 55-60-65-70-BOOM!!!! I got startled by the BOOM sound and the engine pull just cuts off. The sales guy right next to me also had no idea what just happened. He realized the car is not pulling anymore like before and it seems like driving a 328 or a 6 cylinder engine with no turbo. I kept on driving just to see if that resets itself since there is no error on screen. But I can't imagine if M car can ever do that. As I gradually press the accelerator, same thing happens, I can hear turbos spooling but no power. It was just driving as a regular car with no turbo. I kind of felt that I think I blew the turbo in a car that I haven't even bought yet!!

I have personally tracked M cars and have been on 160 mph on track with no break in service done. I was sure it wasn't going to be something serious. $80,000 price tag cannot blow engine on me on a test drive. So we came back immediately. The mechanic at dealership took a look at engine everything looks fine except the hose to intercooler snapped out from the clamp as it heated up.

I was like WHAT?? A hose to intercooler. How can it just snap like that. Just because of heated up clams , it got out. That's poor engineering right there. That BMW is not reliable for me. maybe, there will be a fix but not on this car. So, I love the car, its just I won't like my car to bust hose on me with 11 miles on dash.
I love to drive my cars on sport all the time. I rarely drive on comfort. For me, it was a surprise and I felt bad about M4's issue.

Did anyone of you guys drove that car on sports plus for 4-5 mins straight? Because, seems like it would be a general problem if it has anything to do with clamps or hoses.

I just wish this car doesn't bring any more surprises. I might go for next year edition.

Please share your thoughts on this for all professional people out there.

[mdemon]

I won't say I beat the shit out of it... Also I won't drive it like a yaris, if I'm spending 80 G's on it. Again, I've tracked BMW M6 and m5 at 100 miles on dash... And they work with no problems.

[4/3rds]

Anyone going to upgrade their hose clamps right off the bat now?

[serieD]

Don't buy it, someone else will =)