Frustrations!

[graan13]

Hi all,

So... Last week going home in dense traffic between Atterbury and Rigel on the freeway I get prented with a broken roof rafter - boxed in I have nowhere to go but manged to dodge slightly and went over it with the left side wheels. Subsequently I need to rebalance tyres which were due anyhow, no damage as such other than left rear tyre has a slight bubble in inside wall. Take it for said balancing and wheel alignment - wheel nut lock key has grown legs. Have to go to Menlyn bmw for them to use their master keys of which they have 3 sets. Its not the spline type but the flower design key. Not one of theirs fits although they are missing one or two. This morning go to Leo Hasse in Hatfield, they try also, not one fits - they are missing one. They phone Fountains who have the one Hatfield are missing so decide to pop there. As leaving Hatfield - start car and suddenely no steering and burning rubber smell. Technician says open bonnet to which I obliged.... says oh dear.... your main vibration damper has sheared! so long story short - he recons around 8k!!! :skit: No choice but to leave car there as there is no chance of trying to drive and doing more damage....

Luckily it did not happen whilst on the road as I could of ending up binning the car or using some one elses car to stop against!!!

Moral of the story - dont let your lock nut key out of your sights...

 

[MikeR]

:thumbdo: bad news man, hope u get sorted out and find the wheel nut key

 

[ChefDJ]

I actually want to get a spare lock nut key and keep it at home in the safe, for this very reason of it going missing.

Sorry for the woes bro :sorry:

 

[Blert]

Feel your pain.

not the same path

but the Saturday i went to the car wash. meet two people i have not spoken to in a long time (dodgy guys, this should say why i havnt seen them in a while) but in anycase the next day i needed to tow a buddy as his car hit a bearing knock and didnt wanna damage the motor further, just to find my tow hook is missing :YesNo::YesNo::YesNo:

so my tow hook and lock nut i guard with my life

 

[kilotango]

hmmm yeah.. i've been through this once a few years ago... had to drill the bolts out. was a pain in the ass, and took a while.. but can be done.

 

[graan13]

I actually want to get a spare lock nut key and keep it at home in the safe, for this very reason of it going missing.

Sorry for the woes bro :sorry:

They tell me the flower type is not for resale - only the dealer can order for their own purposes....! I find that strange...??? So if you want to replace you can only do so with the spline type and its around R1600-00 for a set with 2 keys!!! soundslike a fishy story to me.

Just had a call from Leo Hasse - the vibration damper R7000.00, then the alternator pulley is "worn out" the belts are worn out according to them, car had a service 2 weeks ago at Evo 2 in Kyalami and they checked everything and said they are fine, also front pad warnining of 9ookm but they checked them and said there is a good 10k kms on them still, discs are ok. Leo says the front discs are shot as well as the pads and need replacing! so without discs and pads they want R16k!!!

Makes one wonder.....dealers or specialists that will only advise on replacing when its needed??

 

[Waseem 333i]

Certain things i don't bother with dealers. They are just ridiculous with prices on some things. I dont have that much faith in bmw oem either. I mean R7k for that pulley and it will only last 100k km. Other make cars don't have this issue.

 

[graan13]

Interesting: reconfirm with Evo 2 and they have a fit about what I am being told to replace. They say BS.... they checked all belts and were 100%, yes used but nothing wrong with them or noisey pulleys.

Tell BMW to sharpen there pencils and they come back and say - we can do the vibration damper and will do 2 belts under "good will". Quote now not R16.5k but at R8460..00!

:facepalm:

 

[Waseem 333i]

Thats a good price. They will also change the nut or bolts (depending which car you have). To me that looks almost cost price for all the parts. It can be done cheaper with non oem pulley but that means going elsewhere.

 

[graan13]

Thats a good price. They will also change the nut or bolts (depending which car you have). To me that looks almost cost price for all the parts. It can be done cheaper with non oem pulley but that means going elsewhere.

Yeah, said they must go ahead at that price, I know the damper is expensive to start with - but just shows - the dealers do try to replace things that dont need doing - when out of motorplan that is, when its in, they very schloop about doing such.
Only reason car is there is that it could'nt steer without being the incredible hulk behind the wheel and it happened in their car park so did not have to get a break-down service to flat bed it.

 

[Lizzard]

Shoot!!! Sorry to hear.

When are you getting the car back , did they tell you. Maybe take a picture of the wheel nut and see if any of us cant help you figure out which nut it is that you need, mean the number.

 

[graan13]

So long story short conclusion....

Ended up getting the car back from Leo Haesse yesterday. I have to admit they were great - did the job of replacing the vibration damper pulley and replaced 2 v belts free! Instead of initial R16k quote the bill ended up at R8k. They called Club in Fountains to find out if there was a complete set of master keys which was confirmed. Went through and they came out and got the lock nuts out for me. I bought 4 normal bolts for the interim. The flower design I have is '49" what ever that means - just a number code I suppose.
Take the car to have wheel balancing and alignment done which was already paid for at R500.00 at Tiger in Menlyn. The one rear tyre which was on longer than the other 3 is going past the tread indicators and the other that hit the plank on the highway has a massive bubble on the inside. Side wall is so soft in that area, it feels as though you can put your finger through it. Decide to take it off to inspect the inside. The guys are floored that it hasn't burst, there is a tear on the inside about 5" long and about the width of a cigarette! So basically have to replace 2 tyres. They are run flats and the fronts are still 90% so stay with the same tyre for the rears (hate having different brands around the car). Another R8k later for 2 tyres!!!

2 days and basically R17k later!!

 

[Lizzard]

Damn.. that sucks. Sorry to hear.

Tell me what size did you put onto the rear and how much did they charge you for the tyres? Presume it was at Tiger wheel and tyre if you say tiger.

One of my rears got damaged and although i still believe it was due to their technician's mishandling i have to replace this tyre soon. Both the inside wheel and outside wheel, on outside of the tyre the tread is torn. Not directly opposite each other.

Have to replace 255x35x18's

But sorry about this price you paid in 2 days, wow

 

[graan13]

Damn.. that sucks. Sorry to hear.

Tell me what size did you put onto the rear and how much did they charge you for the tyres? Presume it was at Tiger wheel and tyre if you say tiger.

One of my rears got damaged and although i still believe it was due to their technician's mishandling i have to replace this tyre soon. Both the inside wheel and outside wheel, on outside of the tyre the tread is torn. Not directly opposite each other.

Have to replace 255x35x18's

But sorry about this price you paid in 2 days, wow

Thanks mate, its a bum way to spend money on repairs!

My rears and fronts are the same 245/40/18. Some reason the e60 Msports never had narrow/wide set up as per the other models. They wanted R4720/per tyre prior to vat etc, told them to sharpen pencil, eventually fitted/vat etc came to R8500 for both!!!

 

[sash]

the e60's had narrow / wides as optional. Only seen one other e60 msport with the optional spider alloys.