Upgrade or Trade

mrtigerb · 03-20-2014, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartles

Seriously, sounds like you overpaid big time.

Oh yeah, for sure.. It was at the BMW dealership in Dallas, TX. I pulled over for gas, then the car wouldnt start. Being away from home, i was in a tight spot and really couldnt shop around.

It was definitely a bitter moment in the bmw's history...

mrtigerb · 03-20-2014, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taran.J

May you elaborate on your wheel bearing issue? Or what your Steering felt like under braking?

The wheel bearing problem started when a rear passenger complained they could not hear the conversation in the front of the car. Being accustom to driving the car everyday, the noise had grown progressively worse without me noticing and i attributed the noise to the RFTs.. Took the car in to a mechanic.. He noted uneven wear on the tires; ordered a new set, did an alignment, but it had little effect on the road noise. Took the car back in to discover the driver side rear bearings were almost beginning to fuse together ( the rear left seat was also where the noise was most noticable)

As for the steering; I dont recall being alerted to the problem by any steering or braking input. Perhaps there was a little wobble in the steering but nothing too dramatic. After the bearing was replaced though, it felt smooth and...well...frictionless. The car seemed to "roll" better and didnt require as much throttle input. Almost like when you drive from sand onto concrete.

The problem, most likely, could have been prevented by rotating the tires more frequently.. The bearings began to deteriorate, due to the uneven tire wear. Hard to say if it was neglect on my part, lemon tires, or just the high maint. of owning a bmw.
Idk if you guys have had similar experiences with tires, but i feel like these cars will chew through tires if you dont keep a close eye on them...

mrtigerb · 04-01-2014, 02:44 AM

I've decided to make this car a project car. Im not really prepared to make car payments for something of similar caliber. And I'm amazed that with this many miles, the engine still feels lively and strong. So I'm going to reinvest some of the car payments into replacing components and repairs as they arise. I should say that i don't track the car and it serves as a daily driver. Im not looking for ultimate performance, but compared to some of my rwd buddies, i def think you can squeeze more out of this chassis (and maybe a tiny bit more from the engine). Now, the list of upgrades and or repairs:

1. Transmission (AT):
As stated before, i had 2 occasions, in a 3 month span, where i had warning messages via iDrive, and the car revert to a "safe mode". Transmission pan/fluid were replaced 5-10k miles prior by a indy bmw shop. After the second occurrence, i took it to 2 different independent bmw shops. This is what they told me:
#1 - Diagnostic reads 4th to 5th is slipping. They recommend shipping it in for a rebuild.
#2 - Diagnostic also reads that 4th to 5th is slipping. Though they seemed inclined to recommended another transmission pan/filter/fluid change. They were kind of a perf shop and said they don't deal with a lot of auto trannys much less, awd.

Ive been driving cautiously, but haven't seen anything suspicious at any speed. I'm planning on a remanufactured (not rebuilt) transmission, direct from a ZF distributor. Remanufactured for various reasons, but the main one being that its built from scratch and not just replacing the broken "parts". Its for piece of mind, esp. since I'm considering the long haul for this vehicle. Est price for parts based on research: $2800-3000. labor:$500-700.

But not till i get one more sign. Right now, we're at 2 strikes.. I also plan on looking into replacing the bushing for the transmission mounts, whenever the time comes....

2. Oil pan leak
Feedback from both shops:
#1 - The guy behind the counter didn't even mention it. It wasn't until i was talking with the mechanic outside that i learned about it. Upon learning about my plans to keep it and extend its longevity, he said that it would eventually need to be replaced and that its not small job. He said he noticed some leaking.
#2 - Aside from the tranny, they said they noticed leaking from the oil pan and also said it'd have to be replaced soon.

I should have specified but i assume and hope they only mean the oil pan Gasket needs replacing. I don't recall any mention of a crack or structural damage. I haven't noticed any low oil notifications, so i can only assume its a slow leak and most likely the gasket. Its a fairly inexpensive piece yet a long labored job. Shop #1 said anywhere from 6-8 hours. eeeshhh...

Whenever the oil pan gasket gets replaced, they'll need to remove the subframe This led me to the following upgrade list:

3. Subframe bushings
Since they'll be removing it to access the oil pan, I figure why not replace the subframe bushings. I read good things about Powerflex and will most likely pursue this path. The other option being m3 bushings, which i have yet to research.

4. Rear Swaybar
From what i understand, installing the rear sway bar requires removing the subframe. So again, while we're at it... why not. Plans are for the m3 sway bar. Mostly because of reports that it is the best fit and balance and oem manufactured.

Anything else?

Suspension and tires are soon to come, but the vital issues need to addressed, first.

I don't plan and hope i don't have to do the transmission/ oil pan gasket at the same time.. I'd like to put some distance between them but I'm preparing for a hefty service bill this year. Contemplating which to do 1st.... ( to be continued.)

advice/comments welcomed.

04-01-2014, 02:44 AM	#25
mrtigerb Private 7 Rep 63 Posts Drives: 06 330 XI Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Orlando iTrader: (2)	I've decided to make this car a project car. Im not really prepared to make car payments for something of similar caliber. And I'm amazed that with this many miles, the engine still feels lively and strong. So I'm going to reinvest some of the car payments into replacing components and repairs as they arise. I should say that i don't track the car and it serves as a daily driver. Im not looking for ultimate performance, but compared to some of my rwd buddies, i def think you can squeeze more out of this chassis (and maybe a tiny bit more from the engine). Now, the list of upgrades and or repairs: 1. Transmission (AT): As stated before, i had 2 occasions, in a 3 month span, where i had warning messages via iDrive, and the car revert to a "safe mode". Transmission pan/fluid were replaced 5-10k miles prior by a indy bmw shop. After the second occurrence, i took it to 2 different independent bmw shops. This is what they told me: #1 - Diagnostic reads 4th to 5th is slipping. They recommend shipping it in for a rebuild. #2 - Diagnostic also reads that 4th to 5th is slipping. Though they seemed inclined to recommended another transmission pan/filter/fluid change. They were kind of a perf shop and said they don't deal with a lot of auto trannys much less, awd. Ive been driving cautiously, but haven't seen anything suspicious at any speed. I'm planning on a remanufactured (not rebuilt) transmission, direct from a ZF distributor. Remanufactured for various reasons, but the main one being that its built from scratch and not just replacing the broken "parts". Its for piece of mind, esp. since I'm considering the long haul for this vehicle. Est price for parts based on research: $2800-3000. labor:$500-700. But not till i get one more sign. Right now, we're at 2 strikes.. I also plan on looking into replacing the bushing for the transmission mounts, whenever the time comes.... 2. Oil pan leak Feedback from both shops: #1 - The guy behind the counter didn't even mention it. It wasn't until i was talking with the mechanic outside that i learned about it. Upon learning about my plans to keep it and extend its longevity, he said that it would eventually need to be replaced and that its not small job. He said he noticed some leaking. #2 - Aside from the tranny, they said they noticed leaking from the oil pan and also said it'd have to be replaced soon. I should have specified but i assume and hope they only mean the oil pan Gasket needs replacing. I don't recall any mention of a crack or structural damage. I haven't noticed any low oil notifications, so i can only assume its a slow leak and most likely the gasket. Its a fairly inexpensive piece yet a long labored job. Shop #1 said anywhere from 6-8 hours. eeeshhh... Whenever the oil pan gasket gets replaced, they'll need to remove the subframe This led me to the following upgrade list: 3. Subframe bushings Since they'll be removing it to access the oil pan, I figure why not replace the subframe bushings. I read good things about Powerflex and will most likely pursue this path. The other option being m3 bushings, which i have yet to research. 4. Rear Swaybar From what i understand, installing the rear sway bar requires removing the subframe. So again, while we're at it... why not. Plans are for the m3 sway bar. Mostly because of reports that it is the best fit and balance and oem manufactured. Anything else? Suspension and tires are soon to come, but the vital issues need to addressed, first. I don't plan and hope i don't have to do the transmission/ oil pan gasket at the same time.. I'd like to put some distance between them but I'm preparing for a hefty service bill this year. Contemplating which to do 1st.... ( to be continued.) advice/comments welcomed.
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