Fed up, f*cked off (and about to throw the towel in)
Discussion
RichardM5 said:
Try and find somewhere with a Hunter GSP9700 Road Force balancing machine. http://www.balancemycar.co.uk/ If you get vibrations and are reasonably sure that the suspension components are OK then a Road Force Balancing machine will not only balance the wheel very accurately, but will also show you if the wheel or tyre are out of round while under load.
This Slippy. My money would be on duff wheel (s) and the Hunter Road Force is the only thing that can defintely rule that out - as I have learned to my cost. Suffice to say I wish I had started with a Road Force check. Alternatively swap all wheels for a known good set and see what happens. A BMW of that mileage is unlikley to have straight wheels if they are 18s or bigger. My F11 has 4 buckled wheels after 30k and I am careful. Cheap investigation if you can find one locally - nothing to lose, and potentially a lot to gain.
If normal and not the wheels, then Chris F would be my next stop.
Good luck.
Hi all, apologies for the tardy reply.
Thank you all for your input, some what I wanted to hear, others less so
(like I said, I'm emotionally attached to the car, not sure why, but I only seem to get attached to my daily drivers) the other weekend fun toys come and go with worrying frequency, always with nary a backward glance when I move them on)
Not sure where to start, my business partner (who has a 91K '07 plate 320D Touring) drove the car yesterday, and was blown away by how tight the car now feels. He's pretty OCD like me, and said he couldn't identify any vibration now (and he experienced it when it was at its worst, so much so that it could be felt through your feet when they were planted firmly on the floor)
Though he didn't drive it at speed, which is the only time it's noticeable now (so motorway driving is the only really obvious place it can be felt)
Certainly the Continentals are a quieter riding, more compliant tyre than the PS2's, but seem to be equally grippy now they've been "scrubbed" in.
Clearly the front PS2's which had born the full brunt of the "hit" on the speed ramp were damaged by the impact, though there was no obvious damage/bulges to them (and annoyingly they had between 5-6mm of tread across the tread when I scrapped them on Thurs) the inner shoulders on both of them were almost down to the canvas however.
The wheels on the car are the ones which were on the car when I hit the speed ramp, they're 18" and I've not run the car on runflats for four years now. As I mentioned in my OP, Dealer 2 fitted another set of wheels and tyres to the car whilst it was there last week, they said that the car was perfect with the other wheels and tyres on, but that didn't tell me whether it was the tyres or the wheels causing the problem
As the tyres were effectively scrap, and they were the cheaper option to replace, it seemed pragmatic to do so first.
Chris F at CG has set up three cars for me, but I suspect Mike at Sports and Classic may have the correct Hunter alignment equipment ? If so I'll get the car up to him.
If it needs a pair of new front wheels, I'll happily invest in them, because it's now very clear that despite having driven the car every day (and in the process covered nearly 100k miles in it) and thinking it a tight example, several of its suspension components had deteriorated badly without me being aware of it. Each step of the expensive and drawn out process has wrought an improvement in how the car feels and behaves.
Strangely enough, with all the new components fitted, the car feels so tight, the suspension actually feels too stiff again now ! ! I have to say, it does handle sweetly now and I feel almost duty bound to go the extra mile to sort the final bit of vibration out.
It has been a fantastic car, it's never let me down (now that's tempting fate . . . . .) It's a superb car to climb into at the end of a long day even with a long journey in prospect. Even making "sensible progress", it returns 475-525 mpg.
What has become very clear is just how inept most dealerships are, both at diagnosing issues and at listening to what the customer tells them the problem is.
As someone highlighted, they're all too happy to see higher mileage cars as a cash cow, and had I had the time when Dealer 1 informed me the rear pads and discs were U/S (along with the mysteriously self destructing handbrake shoes) I would have happily replaced them myself, but it was "easier" just to let them carry out the work.
IIRC I did actually supply them with a set of Pagid rear pads (purchased from ECP) when I took the car in, but they refused to fit them, stating that they wouldn't be able to provide any warranty with the work. When I returned them to ECP for a credit, they said that was now the main dealers typical modus operandi.
Under normal circumstances I'd have the car serviced by a decent indy, but as the car is still under warranty at 122K, it feels "safer" to have the car serviced by the dealer network. Maybe the way forward is to let them do the servicing, but have any other work carried out by a decent Indy ? any recommendations in the Midlands ?
I'll keep you informed as to the results of the next "installment".
Once again, thanks for all your input.
Thank you all for your input, some what I wanted to hear, others less so
(like I said, I'm emotionally attached to the car, not sure why, but I only seem to get attached to my daily drivers) the other weekend fun toys come and go with worrying frequency, always with nary a backward glance when I move them on)Not sure where to start, my business partner (who has a 91K '07 plate 320D Touring) drove the car yesterday, and was blown away by how tight the car now feels. He's pretty OCD like me, and said he couldn't identify any vibration now (and he experienced it when it was at its worst, so much so that it could be felt through your feet when they were planted firmly on the floor)
Though he didn't drive it at speed, which is the only time it's noticeable now (so motorway driving is the only really obvious place it can be felt)
Certainly the Continentals are a quieter riding, more compliant tyre than the PS2's, but seem to be equally grippy now they've been "scrubbed" in.
Clearly the front PS2's which had born the full brunt of the "hit" on the speed ramp were damaged by the impact, though there was no obvious damage/bulges to them (and annoyingly they had between 5-6mm of tread across the tread when I scrapped them on Thurs) the inner shoulders on both of them were almost down to the canvas however.
The wheels on the car are the ones which were on the car when I hit the speed ramp, they're 18" and I've not run the car on runflats for four years now. As I mentioned in my OP, Dealer 2 fitted another set of wheels and tyres to the car whilst it was there last week, they said that the car was perfect with the other wheels and tyres on, but that didn't tell me whether it was the tyres or the wheels causing the problem
As the tyres were effectively scrap, and they were the cheaper option to replace, it seemed pragmatic to do so first.
Chris F at CG has set up three cars for me, but I suspect Mike at Sports and Classic may have the correct Hunter alignment equipment ? If so I'll get the car up to him.
If it needs a pair of new front wheels, I'll happily invest in them, because it's now very clear that despite having driven the car every day (and in the process covered nearly 100k miles in it) and thinking it a tight example, several of its suspension components had deteriorated badly without me being aware of it. Each step of the expensive and drawn out process has wrought an improvement in how the car feels and behaves.
Strangely enough, with all the new components fitted, the car feels so tight, the suspension actually feels too stiff again now ! ! I have to say, it does handle sweetly now and I feel almost duty bound to go the extra mile to sort the final bit of vibration out.
It has been a fantastic car, it's never let me down (now that's tempting fate . . . . .) It's a superb car to climb into at the end of a long day even with a long journey in prospect. Even making "sensible progress", it returns 475-525 mpg.
What has become very clear is just how inept most dealerships are, both at diagnosing issues and at listening to what the customer tells them the problem is.
As someone highlighted, they're all too happy to see higher mileage cars as a cash cow, and had I had the time when Dealer 1 informed me the rear pads and discs were U/S (along with the mysteriously self destructing handbrake shoes) I would have happily replaced them myself, but it was "easier" just to let them carry out the work.
IIRC I did actually supply them with a set of Pagid rear pads (purchased from ECP) when I took the car in, but they refused to fit them, stating that they wouldn't be able to provide any warranty with the work. When I returned them to ECP for a credit, they said that was now the main dealers typical modus operandi.
Under normal circumstances I'd have the car serviced by a decent indy, but as the car is still under warranty at 122K, it feels "safer" to have the car serviced by the dealer network. Maybe the way forward is to let them do the servicing, but have any other work carried out by a decent Indy ? any recommendations in the Midlands ?
I'll keep you informed as to the results of the next "installment".
Once again, thanks for all your input.
It's a wheel balancer not a geo (Hunter Road Force) but one that uses a hydraulic roller to simulate the tyre on the road amd check for anything out of true. Please try it before anything else. A very good machine that picked up my issue after a couple of conventional balancers had said all was well and had started looking at the suspension.
drmark said:
RichardM5 said:
Try and find somewhere with a Hunter GSP9700 Road Force balancing machine. http://www.balancemycar.co.uk/ If you get vibrations and are reasonably sure that the suspension components are OK then a Road Force Balancing machine will not only balance the wheel very accurately, but will also show you if the wheel or tyre are out of round while under load.
This Slippy. My money would be on duff wheel (s) and the Hunter Road Force is the only thing that can defintely rule that out - as I have learned to my cost. Suffice to say I wish I had started with a Road Force check. Alternatively swap all wheels for a known good set and see what happens. A BMW of that mileage is unlikley to have straight wheels if they are 18s or bigger. My F11 has 4 buckled wheels after 30k and I am careful. Cheap investigation if you can find one locally - nothing to lose, and potentially a lot to gain.
If normal and not the wheels, then Chris F would be my next stop.
Good luck.
Ironicially you mentioned Pristine Wheels in Milton Keynes, who DO have a hunter machine (used to belong to Monfish Performance) BUT they dont do a road force balance by default, except for very large or high end wheels. You have to explicity request a rf balance.
But be prepared for the balaning guy to tell you that he cant get them within spec - essentially rendering your tyres scrap if you are not prepared to live with it.
It would appear that hitting pot holes damages the carcass, which throws the RF balance way out. But he said even brand new tyres can fail a RF balance (in which case they can reject them back to the supplier)
Locknut said:
Slippydiff said:
It has been a fantastic car... it returns 475-525 mpg.
Wow, more than 6,000 miles to a tankfull! I'm not surprised you have become emotionally attached and want to keep it.
It was late(ish), and it'd been a long day . . . .
Smart arse
Sounds like a Hunter Road force balance it shall be then, thanks again, will report back once I've found someone with the correct machine and the requisite skill to use it.
Edited by Slippydiff on Sunday 11th August 16:52
Vibrations....I hate them. I swear blind 9/10 tyre places cannot balance wheels for toffee !!. Unfortunately you need to go through a process of elimination. You need to establish if the tyres / wheels are true. Best way is to swap with another car. Any piston head members happy to assist ? Once you know its not wheels / tyres you can move up the suspension. Sounds like you have done most of this already so my bet would be wheels / tyres. Finally consider mechanical e.g. propshaft etc. However like others I have sold cars for less..........
If its any consolation I have just bought two new tyres for a 5 gt from what I consider to be 'the best' tyre shop. Balancing was crap. 75 - 85 wobble. Took to BMW garage on Friday. They re balanced and all is good again.
If its any consolation I have just bought two new tyres for a 5 gt from what I consider to be 'the best' tyre shop. Balancing was crap. 75 - 85 wobble. Took to BMW garage on Friday. They re balanced and all is good again.
Vibrations....I hate them. I swear blind 9/10 tyre places cannot balance wheels for toffee !!. Unfortunately you need to go through a process of elimination. You need to establish if the tyres / wheels are true. Best way is to swap with another car. Any piston head members happy to assist ? Once you know its not wheels / tyres you can move up the suspension. Sounds like you have done most of this already so my bet would be wheels / tyres. Finally consider mechanical e.g. propshaft etc. However like others I have sold cars for less..........
If its any consolation I have just bought two new tyres for a 5 gt from what I consider to be 'the best' tyre shop. Balancing was crap. 75 - 85 wobble. Took to BMW garage on Friday. They re balanced and all is good again.
If its any consolation I have just bought two new tyres for a 5 gt from what I consider to be 'the best' tyre shop. Balancing was crap. 75 - 85 wobble. Took to BMW garage on Friday. They re balanced and all is good again.
Vibrations....I hate them. I swear blind 9/10 tyre places cannot balance wheels for toffee !!. Unfortunately you need to go through a process of elimination. You need to establish if the tyres / wheels are true. Best way is to swap with another car. Any piston head members happy to assist ? Once you know its not wheels / tyres you can move up the suspension. Sounds like you have done most of this already so my bet would be wheels / tyres. Finally consider mechanical e.g. propshaft etc. However like others I have sold cars for less..........
If its any consolation I have just bought two new tyres for a 5 gt from what I consider to be 'the best' tyre shop. Balancing was crap. 75 - 85 wobble. Took to BMW garage on Friday. They re balanced and all is good again.
If its any consolation I have just bought two new tyres for a 5 gt from what I consider to be 'the best' tyre shop. Balancing was crap. 75 - 85 wobble. Took to BMW garage on Friday. They re balanced and all is good again.
Under normal circumstances I'd have the car serviced by a decent indy, but as the car is still under warranty at 122K, it feels "safer" to have the car serviced by the dealer network. Maybe the way forward is to let them do the servicing, but have any other work carried out by a decent Indy ? any recommendations in the Midlands ?
SlippyDiff
I don't know whereabouts you are in the Midlands,but this company,based just outside Birmingham, is great-highly recommended and about to move to larger premises in the vicinity.
My car is also under warranty,but is regularly serviced by the below Indy using OEM products.Due to extremely poor service from Sytner Oldbury,it won't be back there,but should I need to claim on the warranty at a different main dealer,nothing is affected.
http://www.stourbridgeautomotive.co.uk/page/bmw_se...
SlippyDiff
I don't know whereabouts you are in the Midlands,but this company,based just outside Birmingham, is great-highly recommended and about to move to larger premises in the vicinity.
My car is also under warranty,but is regularly serviced by the below Indy using OEM products.Due to extremely poor service from Sytner Oldbury,it won't be back there,but should I need to claim on the warranty at a different main dealer,nothing is affected.
http://www.stourbridgeautomotive.co.uk/page/bmw_se...
Billyray911 said:
Under normal circumstances I'd have the car serviced by a decent indy, but as the car is still under warranty at 122K, it feels "safer" to have the car serviced by the dealer network. Maybe the way forward is to let them do the servicing, but have any other work carried out by a decent Indy ? any recommendations in the Midlands ?
SlippyDiff
I don't know whereabouts you are in the Midlands,but this company,based just outside Birmingham, is great-highly recommended and about to move to larger premises in the vicinity.
My car is also under warranty,but is regularly serviced by the below Indy using OEM products.Due to extremely poor service from Sytner Oldbury,it won't be back there,but should I need to claim on the warranty at a different main dealer,nothing is affected.
http://www.stourbridgeautomotive.co.uk/page/bmw_se...
Bl**dy marvellous SlippyDiff
I don't know whereabouts you are in the Midlands,but this company,based just outside Birmingham, is great-highly recommended and about to move to larger premises in the vicinity.
My car is also under warranty,but is regularly serviced by the below Indy using OEM products.Due to extremely poor service from Sytner Oldbury,it won't be back there,but should I need to claim on the warranty at a different main dealer,nothing is affected.
http://www.stourbridgeautomotive.co.uk/page/bmw_se...
Approx 25-30 mins away (and the right side of the Midlands) Thankyou
Before you change the wheels, have you considered changing the wheels from one side of the car to the other and seeing if there's a change in the vibration?
If there's no change, either both wheels are equally fudged or they're both fine.
Are the wheels on your car staggered (wider at rear)? If not, you could try rotating them across all four corners and see if there's any change.
If there's no change, either both wheels are equally fudged or they're both fine.
Are the wheels on your car staggered (wider at rear)? If not, you could try rotating them across all four corners and see if there's any change.
It's great picking up a new BMW but its not great visiting one of there service centres. Their full of BS, when your waiting its like one big Jackanory story time listening to them talking to customers telling them this and that should be changed when its perfectly okay. They seriously piss me off. I am glad I carry on saving and drive a normal car at times, specially after reading threads like this.
throt said:
It's great picking up a new BMW but its not great visiting one of there service centres. Their full of BS, when your waiting its like one big Jackanory story time listening to them talking to customers telling them this and that should be changed when its perfectly okay. They seriously piss me off. I am glad I carry on saving and drive a normal car at times, specially after reading threads like this.
Don't read the security thread in this forum then, it'll make your blood boil. Vladimir said:
Agreed but a major sticking point for many is the lack of a courtesy car!
My steering rack had a problem recently. It was on its way out (This is a 2012 E92 320d) during a long motorway journey. The power steering worked but instead of turning smoothly it turned on notches. So imagine doing that at 80 mph. Then it failed completely. I had to wait a week before they even looked at it and another week for the part. I didnt get a courtesy car and they didn't give a f
k. For two weeks I drove about with those 19" runflats without power steering. If I had of crashed i wouldn't have been insured. I got a courtesy bus to work. Then booked one back. But it didnt turn up and the driver had finished for the day and I had to pay £20 for a taxi to get back to the dealership.
To top it off they also damaged my car door but how could I prove that?! And my steering wheel is now out of line.
f
king wkers. My parents have driven mercs for the past 15 years and they have been FLAWLESS! Reliable in most cases except for minor issues which BTW they fix asap and give you a car. Or they will drive you about. If they were a little more interesting at a price a 24 year old could afford Id have one but frankly a C class sport is too grown up for me.
The dealers I bought the car from couldnt give a s
t if I lived or died. The dealership that did the warranty work couldnt care either. Ill never buy a BMW again. Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff