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Re: Noise from behind dash vents in E36



> I have the same noise.  It is sort of a rhythmic thud, which you can really
> hear when sitting at a stop light.  The dealer told me that it has something to
> do with a valve or pump located on or near the fire wall for the hot coolant
> that is pumped through the heater core for the automatic temperature control
> heating/A/C system.  Indeed if the HVAC system is turned off the noise doesn't
> occur.
> 
> He said that a lot of BMW's do it, some are noiser than others, I've always
> just lived with the noise because I've become so annoyed with the poor service
> I got from the service manager that I was tired of complaining. I'm taking the
> car to a different dealer the next time I need something done perhaps I can ask
> them to fix it. Has anyone else out there had this problem and what was the
> dealer fix.
I have it too in a '92 325i. I showed it to the dealer (Afzal may be
interested to know that it was Pius Buchs in Geneva) and got a similar
explanation. Except that I don't have the A/C. It's supposed to be a valve
that regulates coolant circulation. I don't hear it when the engine is 
cold. With a warm engine at idle it makes rhythmic thumps with a few
seconds intervals. There was no fix.

> > the central vents in the dash of my 94 318is. Each time I hear the
> > noise, I also feel a slight pulsing in the breaks. The noise is normally
If it is the same phenomenon, you are just feeling the thud through the
brake pedal. Otherwise it is not related.

Timo