Rear Diff - Help Please

[Chaser]

Hello all,

I am hoping you guys can help me find a cheaper solution to my latest problem.

I have a M3 (E46) 73k miles and have just been informed that my offside rear diff bearing is showing excessive play and the whole diff requires replacing at a total cost of £2300.

I am going to have trouble paying that off as only 3 months ago I had a similar bill for other work that was required.

So, my query is this: Are there cheaper ways to resolve this i.e. can I take it to any transmission specialists who will replace the bearing in question?

I am in Solihull... does anyone have any ideas please.

[Rich H]

Replacing the diff is the usual dealer approach. I would recommend taking it to a specialist and seeing if they can advise other action. Failing that, they can probably do the work a lot cheaper.

Thorney Motorsports have a great reputation, but probably a good distance from you.

[haworthp]

You could try here: http://www.motorgearltd.com

[haworthp]

You could try here: http://www.motorgearltd.com

[ASBO]

//M diffs are bombproof. I've never heard of one failing under normal use.

I suspect you're being taken for a ride. Go to a specialist and get a second opinion.

Are you sure it's not jsut the output/input shaft seals that are leaking, or is the diff making funny noises?

Edited by ASBO on Thursday 7th August 10:56

[E30M3SE]

Speak to Will at Kent Transmissions.

[Chaser]

Thanks for your replies guys.


I will look into taking it to a specialist and see what they say.

The background to the problem is that the diff seals leaked .. I took it to the dealer who replaced the seals and ever since that the car has been vibrating. I have tried to escalate as it was not vibrating before I took it to the dealer so I believe it’s a direct result of the work they carried out. Unfortunately due to personal problems I did not get straight back to them and have left it 2 months! So its my word against theirs at this point.

[ASBO]

Chaser said:

Thanks for your replies guys.


I will look into taking it to a specialist and see what they say.

The background to the problem is that the diff seals leaked .. I took it to the dealer who replaced the seals and ever since that the car has been vibrating. I have tried to escalate as it was not vibrating before I took it to the dealer so I believe it’s a direct result of the work they carried out. Unfortunately due to personal problems I did not get straight back to them and have left it 2 months! So its my word against theirs at this point.

Vibration could be anything but I should think it's unrelated to the diff, unless it's making noises too.

I've never trusted a BMW mechanic ever since the day one asked me what the 'VANOS' was.... (yes really)

Is the diff still leaking? Perhaps they've not installed the drive-shafts properly. Either that, or some young monkety has taken it out and ragged it to within an inch of its life and damaged something (another reason I wont touch a dealership with a barge pole).

[Chaser]

ASBO said:

Chaser said:

Thanks for your replies guys.


I will look into taking it to a specialist and see what they say.

The background to the problem is that the diff seals leaked .. I took it to the dealer who replaced the seals and ever since that the car has been vibrating. I have tried to escalate as it was not vibrating before I took it to the dealer so I believe it’s a direct result of the work they carried out. Unfortunately due to personal problems I did not get straight back to them and have left it 2 months! So its my word against theirs at this point.

Vibration could be anything but I should think it's unrelated to the diff, unless it's making noises too.

I've never trusted a BMW mechanic ever since the day one asked me what the 'VANOS' was.... (yes really)

Is the diff still leaking? Perhaps they've not installed the drive-shafts properly. Either that, or some young monkety has taken it out and ragged it to within an inch of its life and damaged something (another reason I wont touch a dealership with a barge pole).

I don’t trust them either!! The diff is not making a noise and they are no longer leaking. Its interesting that you mention bad installation of drive shafts as the specialist I have just spoken to has said the very same thing!!
I am taking it to him tomorrow so he can have a look at but am feeling more positive now that I don’t have to part with £2300!!

Thanks for everyone’s help. If it does turn out to be a bad job I will be progressing further with BMW HQ….

[andye30m3]

it really annoys me that a dealer can say a bearing has play in it so we'll replace a £2300 component. I also find it hard to believe the number of people who are happy to pay these sorts of bills rather than look into what the actual problem is.

I'm in the position that my vanos isn't working properly which i'm fairly sure is down to solenoid failure but i know full well if i took it to bmw they'd look at it for 5 minutes and conclude that it requires a new £2k vanos unit.

[ASBO]

andye30m3 said:

it really annoys me that a dealer can say a bearing has play in it so we'll replace a £2300 component. I also find it hard to believe the number of people who are happy to pay these sorts of bills rather than look into what the actual problem is.

I'm in the position that my vanos isn't working properly which i'm fairly sure is down to solenoid failure but i know full well if i took it to bmw they'd look at it for 5 minutes and conclude that it requires a new £2k vanos unit.

Which in 99% of cases it doesn't.

I wonder if it's just BMW GB that are a buch of thieving gypsies or whether they're all the same world wide.

Love the product. Hate the service.

[Chaser]

Hiya,

Right an update on my adventure today. I took it to AutoTech in Warwick, they were so so helpful. The diff does need replacing, however he is convinced that the damage is a result of the work undertaken by BM.

I will be writing to BMW this week explaining how unhappy I am with their lack of technical capability and utterly crap customer service!!
Anyway bottom line is that AutoTech are doing the work for circa £900 rather than £2300 (quite a difference!!)

Thanks all