535d - anyone have problems with a non-genuine lower arm

[RedRobert]

Hi

I am getting conflicting reports from various people.

I have a 2005 535d and recently replaced bushings etc on the front to tidy up a few rattles. I also replaced the front right lower arm so that all bushings etc were done. Problem is, it's a non-genuine arm as BMW did not have the one in stock when I have the work done.

There is now a bad noise coming from the front right that has gone progressively worse since the arm was put in (only noticied a few days after the work was done). I't like a creaking noise that even is there at about 1 mph, only when I press the brake, and only going forwards, not backwards.

I brought the car to my mechanic and he says the discs are gone - I don't believe that based on what I can hear and feel.

I brought it to BMW last Friday and they said that I need to replace the lower arm with a genuine one as that is where the noise is coming from!!

I spoke to the guys who supplied me the non-genuine arm who say that it's not he arm at all (they did not inspect the car though).

Has anyone had similar experience or could offer me some advice? A new arm in BMW is gonna cost around £350 I'd say and I'd rather not outlay that if it's not the problem???

Thanks
Ronan

[phelix]

Spray some slippery stuff onto the bushes to see if it changes or goes away. Did the shop do the final tightening with the car's weight on the wheels and/or use anti-seize or grease as appropriate? Can you try bouncing the front end up and down to see if that recreates the noise?

[RedRobert]

phelix said:

Spray some slippery stuff onto the bushes to see if it changes or goes away. Did the shop do the final tightening with the car's weight on the wheels and/or use anti-seize or grease as appropriate? Can you try bouncing the front end up and down to see if that recreates the noise?

Have already sprayed about half a tin of WD40 onto it. No better. No noise either when you bounce the front end up and down??

[MarkwG]

RedRobert said:

it's a non-genuine arm

- hi - do you know which manufacturer? Non-genuine may just mean a different box without BMW written on it, in which case the dealer is talking tripe.

[RedRobert]

MarkwG said:

RedRobert said:

it's a non-genuine arm

- hi - do you know which manufacturer? Non-genuine may just mean a different box without BMW written on it, in which case the dealer is talking tripe.

Don't know. It was bought from an aftermarket shop.

[stockhatcher]

RedRobert said:

MarkwG said:

RedRobert said:

it's a non-genuine arm

- hi - do you know which manufacturer? Non-genuine may just mean a different box without BMW written on it, in which case the dealer is talking tripe.

Don't know. It was bought from an aftermarket shop.

how much did you pay for it. if a gen arm is £350 which surely must include fitting?, and you've not specified a make , then you've got yourself a copy or counterfeit part. you'll find that it is about half the weigth of a genuine item ,and about as much use as a wooden one.

if you have your negotiating boots on, you could probably get 10% off from a main dealer, otherwise you need to specify a lemsforder arm which is oe equivalent from the likes of partco, eurocarparts. i think the retail price would be about £75 IIRC.

[RedRobert]

stockhatcher said:

RedRobert said:

MarkwG said:

RedRobert said:

it's a non-genuine arm

- hi - do you know which manufacturer? Non-genuine may just mean a different box without BMW written on it, in which case the dealer is talking tripe.

Don't know. It was bought from an aftermarket shop.

how much did you pay for it. if a gen arm is £350 which surely must include fitting?, and you've not specified a make , then you've got yourself a copy or counterfeit part. you'll find that it is about half the weigth of a genuine item ,and about as much use as a wooden one.

if you have your negotiating boots on, you could probably get 10% off from a main dealer, otherwise you need to specify a lemsforder arm which is oe equivalent from the likes of partco, eurocarparts. i think the retail price would be about £75 IIRC.

The arm I got was £100 from M&L Autoparts (retailer) in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. A Genuine arm in BMW is £215. They looked identical and weighed the same as I compared the both when I picked up the aftermarket one.

Could there be something else wrong and not the arm???

[MarkwG]

RedRobert said:

Could there be something else wrong and not the arm???

- could well be: why was the previous one replaced, damage or wear? Either could mean damage elsewhere that wasn't spotted at the time. Grabbing brakes could prduce a similar effect. I'd ring the place you got that one from, & ask them to tell you who makes the ones they supply. If it's Lemsforder, they're a BMW OE supplier anyway, which makes the dealers position weaker. It could be an early failure of that component, or maybe a fitting fault. Some more research to do I'm afraid. Noises are a pig to trace.

[Neil.D]

Never skimp on parts.

Buy the BMW one and have it fitted and put it down to a lesson learnt. BMW's are never cheap to maintain, I swallowed that pill many years ago.

[RedRobert]

Well

After various ideas on what was wrong, both from BMW and others (went to 3 differt BMW garages and they all gave me different diagnisos!), and the fact that it was getting worse, I ended up putting all new genuine BMW discs and pads on the car.

Problem sorted. Not cheap though!!

Ró