Okay, so I take my car in for some warranty work, one of the issues I took it in for was a popping sound from the passenger rear when going over bumps. No problem, I think, it's pretty common (at least on e36 verts) for the RSM to go bad, and that's all it sounds like anyway.

So I took it in, and the next day they call and tell me "its done".. I ask them "what did you fix?" and they tell me "oh I'm not sure, I'll call you back"...

This goes on back and forth for a couple days and they call me a couple days later and tell me that my car has taken bad suspension damage and needs "extensive suspension work", ask for them to elaborate (while crapping my pants) and once again... "I'll call you back".... Anyway long story short...

The guy calls back, starts listing off all this stuff in the front suspension that's bad.. ALL OF THESE PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND ARE NEW w/ LESS THEN 2000 MILES AGO... AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN!!

He tells my my control arms are bad (which THE VERY SAME DELAER REPLACED IN JANUARY), he tells me my front struts are bad, and a bunch of other stuff I already have replaced. Then I ask him "That's fine and dandy but what's causing the popping sound in the REAR PASSENGER SIDE of my suspension" He does not have an answer, tells me he'll call me back again... Basically he told me that no matter what they find, I'll have to pay for it cuz they're going to deny the warranty. Then they come back and tell me my car has been "airborne" at some point. He also says my shock towers are "convex" from having the car be airborne. What a crock of ****... He says they need to be repaired because the car will never be aligned.. Then I tell him that my car aligns perfectly fine because when I had the shocks replaced in JANUARY they aligned the car without any incident!!!


What should I do? I know they're lying through their teeth!! I CERTAINLY have not caused the car to go airborne... What's more is I know for fact the parts they name as bad are brand new cuz I BOUGHT THEM, put them in a BOX and sent them to my mechanic to replace, which he did.. (Good friend of mine).. What's funny is they still don't even know why the right rear of the car is popping because they've been too busy looking at the front of my car when the sound is in the rear....I know its not the subframe cuz i crawled underneath it myself and checked before I took it in.... :mad You would think the car would have all sorts of dents and scrapes underneath if it had been AIRBORNE, but having have been under the car, I havent seen anything of the sort. I'm SO UPSET :mad :mad :mad

What can I do at this point? I want to take it to another $tealership and get a second opinion, but anything they document is available to all BMW dealers, right? I'm thinking about taking legal action (I work for a medium sized law firm), but I dont even know what to tell them! They are drawing up an "estimate" as I type this...Help guys! what should I do?

Will other dealers have the same crap these guys have documented on file in their computer? I really want to get a second opinion...

other BMW dealers cannot see your service records at a particular dealership (they haven't documented this as a warantee fix yet, I assume). Call BMW NA, explain the situation, and go to a better dealership in the area that won't blow smoke up your a$$.

But I'm sure they document denied stuff too, you know? So that other dealers will know?

I dunno :( im so stressed about this.


other BMW dealers cannot see your service records at a particular dealership (they haven't documented this as a warantee fix yet, I assume). Call BMW NA, explain the situation, and go to a better dealership in the area that won't blow smoke up your a$$.

they might document it, but other dealerships cannnot see your service records and cannot look them up. The only central database is at BMW NA, and the dealership would have to call there specifically to ask what has been documented. When I moved, my new dealership had to call BMWNA to get my service records from the previous dealership (they had to ask my permission before they could access those records).

someone correct me if I'm wrong here; doesn't the early production E46 have a defect in the strut tower area where the metal buckles do to a poor design?

sounds like you may have a similiar problem that the dealer is trying to weasel out of covering. call up your regional rep, if you need the number call bmw NA and get results.

themadhatter i believe is right!

You know what? Its funny cuz the rep keeps saying "your shock towers are in a convex shape...blah blah blah" so maybe I do have some production fault?? I know sure as HELL what they're saying is bullshit...

My car's production date is 4/01


Edit: Does anyone have any more information on this? Any BMW TSBs or such? Campaign numbers?? anything... I'm so steaming mad right now

Take the car back from that dealer. TODAY. Go from there.

Call BMW NA, tell them what's up. Get the number of a better rated dealer, go to them. Keep doing this until someone fixes it.

Well the thing is there really isnt anything wrong with the front of the car. The numbnuts dealer says the front end of the car can't be aligned the way it is! Its aligned FINE!!! I had it done by an independent shop when I got my wheels. They didnt say ANYTHING about a problem.

I'm waiting for them to call back, I'll demand to have them TAKE ME to my car and show me exactly what they are talking about.



Take the car back from that dealer. TODAY. Go from there.

Call BMW NA, tell them what's up. Get the number of a better rated dealer, go to them. Keep doing this until someone fixes it.

definitly call BMWNA. those reps are very helpful where as the stealers try to screw you. I would also tell the dealer that you intend to sue them, because you should. Get all that money back from the initial replacement of all of those parts.

I get the sinking feeling one of the dumbasses at the dealer took my car for a joy ride, got a little too happy and caused the car to go airborne. The service advisor I'm dealing with has been getting ever so dodgy with questions. Today when I called he tells me the struts are bad. I tell him I replaced them with new ones in January, then he says no no the shock mounts.. I say the car aligns fine, what do you mean they are bad? Then he just says "look, if it drives fine, then don't fix it" I tell him "I never EVEN TOLD YOU THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE FRONT END OF MY CAR! I BROUGHT IT IN FOR THE BACK"...He's so dodgy. So I ask him again what's wrong with the back and he tells me "I'll call you back again"....This is the 4th time he's done that... I was also having them change out the radio because one of the buttons isnt working. He keeps telling me the shipment of the radio has been delayed... yet again.

I think some ass went on a joy ride and did some damage, now what they're doing is stalling me while they fix as little as possible while trying to pin the blame on me because they have on document my spinout incident (which I mind you was minor and only on the LEFT side of the car)... So since they have that on file, they can blame the rest of the damage on that.

This make sense too because I stated my clutch was not engaging right, which would require a test drive to confirm. Maybe the guy that took it out had a little too much fun..

What should I do? I dont want to start playing the blame game without cold hard proof. Should I pay a surprise visit up there and see what they're doing? The guy is being ever so dodgy




definitly call BMWNA. those reps are very helpful where as the stealers try to screw you. I would also tell the dealer that you intend to sue them, because you should. Get all that money back from the initial replacement of all of those parts.

what dealership is this? cutter? carver? pacific? center?

X BMW.. @#$$@#$@#@#$#@ they just closed. Tomorrow I'm going to show up unannoucned and demand for my car back.... How can i make sure they didnt cause any damage?


what dealership is this? cutter? carver? pacific? center?

Pacific BMW.. @#$$@#$@#@#$#@ they just closed. Tomorrow I'm going to show up unannoucned and demand for my car back.... How can i make sure they didnt cause any damage?
wow, thats the closest one to my new house... looks like i WONT be going there...

the only way you can be sure, is to talk another mechanic into going with you, i guess?

dude they SUCK! their parts dept is okay but their service is a bunch of retards..I dont know what possessed me to take it to them

I get nothing but incompetence from them.



wow, thats the closest one to my new house... looks like i WONT be going there...

the only way you can be sure, is to talk another mechanic into going with you, i guess?

dude they SUCK! their parts dept is okay but their service is a bunch of retards..I dont know what possessed me to take it to them

I get nothing but incompetence from them.
well, their parts dept. is lame in that you can get really good prices, as long as you're not local :confused

wtf is up with that?

so you have to say you're from arizona or some sht and make up a reason you'll be in LA to just pick up the parts but get the out of area price.

I think you should call BMW NA early tomorrow morning, state the problem, say that you are going to the dealership and picking up your car and ask them to call another dealership to take care of the damage. Be very calm and don't talk about the spinout incident, and say that the dealership is trying to talk you into things that you don't need and are afraid that your car was damaged during a joy ride. It's going to be your word over the dealership's (BMW has your $, and they will be looking out for your best interest). Good luck.

Try doing a search on technical service bulletins or recalls --I know there is a website that has been posted several times that lists all the TSB's and recalls for a particular car.

It might be a subscription service but if you can go into your dealer with a printout of a recall/TSB it might help you in your negotiations.

bmw,na wants your repeat business as a purchaser, not specific to any dealer.

they place a huge importance on that 5 point scale to judge/review your service advisor and shop. call them and tell them about your problem, they will not be very happy and will most likely assit you in getting the problem dealt with and the dealer dealt with.

but i'd take it somewhere else to have fixed

when i went to get my pixel fix done, the dealer here in NJ was able to see what work was done on my BMW from Peabody, MA. it's all coded and if the dealer has the time for you, they'll print it out and translate it.

when i went to get my pixel fix done, the dealer here in NJ was able to see what work was done on my BMW from Peabody, MA. it's all coded and if the dealer has the time for you, they'll print it out and translate it.
not all of them do, i used to get my car worked on at both SF and concord bmw- the two could not communicate.

when i moved down here, i was told if i wanted my service records, they would print them but that the dealers in socal could not access them from a computer

i know you need to vent, but i don't know if we are getting the entire story. sometimes, members here conveniently leave out important details in the story.

If I were you, and I was innocent, I would've been on the phone with BMW NA as soon as I started suspecting foul play.

Serious dude, that's the whole story. If I wanted to leave out convienent details why would I mention my spinout incident? They're trying to screw me and they know it.

I think what I'm going to do is this: I'm going to pay a suprise visit tomorrow, pick up my car regarless of what's left to be done to it. Get it looked at and then call BMW NA..

This is BS...

I'll keep you guys posted.

i know you need to vent, but i don't know if we are getting the entire story. sometimes, members here conveniently leave out important details in the story.

If I were you, and I was innocent, I would've been on the phone with BMW NA as soon as I started suspecting foul play.

watch the language

well, their parts dept. is lame in that you can get really good prices, as long as you're not local :confused

wtf is up with that?

so you have to say you're from arizona or some sht and make up a reason you'll be in LA to just pick up the parts but get the out of area price.

wow..ok

One helpful note to everyone in the future is to note the exact mileage on your odometer when you get out of the car at the repair shop. Then when you go in and see the mileage on it, you can easily see whether they drove 1 mile for diagnosis, or 10 miles for fun. Heck, everyone has camera phones these days, you could even just snap a picture really quick.

Best of luck getting your problem resolved.

Regarding the TSB, BMW did issue a TSB for a clunk - below is the TSB number and description

3320003 SEP 03 Suspension - Clunking Noise Over Bumps

If anybody on here has an alldata.com subscription, you can view the full text there, or you can go to the dealer and ask to see it there.

watch the language

Sorry madhatter.. Was just kinda angry at the moment.

They wrote down the mileage on the invoice. It is a matter of going back and comparing them. I can't wait to make the suprise visit today. You know what' seven more shady? The service writer calls me yesterday

Serv: "Did you get my fax?"
Me: "what fax?"
Serv: "the estimate bill I sent on Friday"
Me: "no..... how much is it?"
Serv: "Its for 4900"
Me: "What the hell? What is that supposed to cover? 4 bent rims and tires? comon, that's rediculous"
Serv: "no suspension components... I'll fax it"

I wait 30 mins.. No faxes.. I call him back and he says "Welll I didnt fax is because I wanted to go over it again to make sure it's accurate.. I'll call you tomorrow"


:mad


Thanks for the TSB! I'll bring that up when I see them today. I am also taking a camera and a voice recorder to capture some of these shenanigans on tape to document it.

have you called BMW,NA yet?

have you called BMW,NA yet?


No.. should I call now or after I go up there?

i would have called the first time it was suggested.

i would have called the first time it was suggested.

Well I did, but it was closed last night when I called.. I'll call right now.

Well I did, but it was closed last night when I called.. I'll call right now.
good plan, see what they say

did you authorize any of the charges for the repairs that they did?

Get your car out now and go to another shop or dealership.Find your rear problem.Have the front checked out as a 2nd opinion.Also call Bureau of Automotive Repair 800-952-5210 for Cali residents.

did you authorize any of the charges for the repairs that they did?

They [the dealer] wont even give me a straight estimate for me to authorize anything. Its been "I'll call you back" for ANY question I raise.

I will be getting my car out today after work.


I called BMW NA.. You want to know their response? "Sorry we're not a judge or a Jury... You will have to either take it to another dealer for a second opinion or work with the management of the dealer you're at, but I can notate the account with this information for future reference"

After explaining the whole story to her. She basically shrugged it off and said sorry. We're only here to explain to you what is or is not under warranty and help you in situations where the dealer is not calling you at all and etc..

I declined the notation because when I asked, she wasnt going to notate me suspecting foul play. she was going to notate "customer has complain that vehicle has popping sound coming from rear of car"... Total BS...

Well looks like I'm just going to have to get the car back and take it elsewhere, right after I get it back I'll have to take it somewhere and get under it myself and take a look around.


I will NEVER EVER use X BMW ever again.

Once again call Bureau of Automotive Repair 800-952-5210 for Cali residents.It is their JOB to help consumers.

ask to speak to a manager at BMWNA and say that you never authorized the charges and will not be paying for the repairs.

ask to speak to a manager at BMWNA and say that you never authorized the charges and will not be paying for the repairs.

I don't think they have actually done any work? He hasn't authorized anything, the most they can charge him is the diagnosis.

Call BMWNA back and ask to speak to a manager.

Once again call Bureau of Automotive Repair 800-952-5210 for Cali residents.It is their JOB to help consumers.
do this, now

hello all, for the thread starter...I briefly went over the thread, and it seems that I may have encountered something similar in my 04 M3, right after I bought it.

It was a loud and extremely annoying noise while going over small imperfections in the road, however as it went on longer, it just became more constant, even on smooth surfaces. I also noticed it sometimes it would not occur over large potholes, etc. However, I guess the deciding factor is that mine was more of a "TICK" noise, not a popping noise exactly...however, these could be so close that we could just comprehend them differently...To me it sounded like someone crushing a time can or something....kinda metallic sounding to me.

I took it to the first dealer, they told me to remove the rear headrests....(car was 2 weeks old..kthxbye)

Took it to the next dealer, they kept it until about 2 pm, said it was fixed....got the car out of the driveway, turned around and walked right back in...they hadn't done shit..told them I would rather not leave it overnight, so would bring it the next day.

Next day, same deal....claim they fixed it...said it was coming from my rear deck and the rear glass, picked up the car, and came right back...told them that I would be there again first thing in the morning...I literally had to make a scene a few times here.

The next day, they let their "Service Supervisor" or whatever they call him...i.e the only one who gives a f*** about his job in the dealership to ride with me. He notices the noise, but has no clue...says he will get on it immediately.

He does. I get the car back at 2pm or so and have been problem free since. Also, completely under warranty. He said that what was making the noise was the "locking mechanism" in the rear passenger side panel...I don't know what that means, as it is a coupe, but what I do know is that it worked. I hope this helps, and best of luck to you.

Dave

and cliffs notes...

Had similar problem new car brought it to several dealers no luck bring it back to one dealer each morning until they give me head mechanic he fixes it says it was rear door locking mechanism behind rear side panel i have no idea what that means but it is fixed now kthnxbye.

Dave

Wait.. I haven't... nor will I pay for anything to be repaired. They havent give me an written "estimate" of the damages... Nor are we at a point where I even know what's wrong with the car to even authorize a repair. They just keep naming off parts and scaring me with "the car has been damaged"...

I hope BMW NA isnt goign to use my call to deny future warranty...

I am goign to pick up the car before I do anything else, because anything I do before that point is nothing but accusations. Before I pick it up, I'm going to DEMAND they show me what the hell they are talking about (which they denied when I asked them before... for insurance reasons they cant take me out back they said....) They wont even let me speak to the mechanic or anyone else that can TELL me what's wrong exactly.

I'm going to sleep on this, till I go down there to see the car later today... I can scream till I'm blue in the face but it seems like without a second opinion or evidence, no one wants to listen.





ask to speak to a manager at BMWNA and say that you never authorized the charges and will not be paying for the repairs.

Well, the popping noise is ever so slight, and is only if im going over bumps or potholes. The suspension is tight on the car, no problems there and I know for fact that my subframe is still fully intact and clean as a whistle. So its probably a sway bar bushing, shock mount, shock or something of the sort.




hello all, for the thread starter...I briefly went over the thread, and it seems that I may have encountered something similar in my 04 M3, right after I bought it.

It was a loud and extremely annoying noise while going over small imperfections in the road, however as it went on longer, it just became more constant, even on smooth surfaces. I also noticed it sometimes it would not occur over large potholes, etc. However, I guess the deciding factor is that mine was more of a "TICK" noise, not a popping noise exactly...however, these could be so close that we could just comprehend them differently...To me it sounded like someone crushing a time can or something....kinda metallic sounding to me.

I took it to the first dealer, they told me to remove the rear headrests....(car was 2 weeks old..kthxbye)

Took it to the next dealer, they kept it until about 2 pm, said it was fixed....got the car out of the driveway, turned around and walked right back in...they hadn't done shit..told them I would rather not leave it overnight, so would bring it the next day.

Next day, same deal....claim they fixed it...said it was coming from my rear deck and the rear glass, picked up the car, and came right back...told them that I would be there again first thing in the morning...I literally had to make a scene a few times here.

The next day, they let their "Service Supervisor" or whatever they call him...i.e the only one who gives a f*** about his job in the dealership to ride with me. He notices the noise, but has no clue...says he will get on it immediately.

He does. I get the car back at 2pm or so and have been problem free since. Also, completely under warranty. He said that what was making the noise was the "locking mechanism" in the rear passenger side panel...I don't know what that means, as it is a coupe, but what I do know is that it worked. I hope this helps, and best of luck to you.

Dave

pick it up calmly, speak to the service manager, and say that you are very dissapointed and will be informing BMWNA about their unprofessional actions.

for insurance reasons they cant take me out back they said....) They wont even let me speak to the mechanic or anyone else that can TELL me what's wrong exactly.

That is complete BS.

Yeah. As long as I'm calm and logical, I will cut through their BS..

I just made an appt with Long beach BMW. hopefully they will be more professional. They were last time.

I mean how hard is it? You take your car in for X problem. They call you back and tell you the cause and fix it...



pick it up calmly, speak to the service manager, and say that you are very dissapointed and will be informing BMWNA about their unprofessional actions.

It is usually not wise to publically state the name of the dealer until the whole ordeal has been taken care of.

I had a rear suspension noise problem as well on my old E46 328i (1/99 build) The car was out of warranty but there was severe damage to the rear subframe (not my fault), BMW NA and my dealer worked together to fix the car in "good faith" (an almost $2500 repair to replace the whole rear subframe and control arms mind you) Talk to the Service Manager, the SA usually are only there to handle oil changes and Inspections and don't know crap about what's wrong.

I asked a SA (a hot 22 year old blond chick) about what was included in the Inspection II for my M5 and she had no clue.

It also helps if you are a repeat customer, we have bought 4 BMWs from them and serviced 8 over the past 10 years. I'm thankful for CUNNINGHAM BMW here in San Diego, CA.

someone correct me if I'm wrong here; doesn't the early production E46 have a defect in the strut tower area where the metal buckles do to a poor design?

sounds like you may have a similiar problem that the dealer is trying to weasel out of covering. call up your regional rep, if you need the number call bmw NA and get results.



Can anyone get me this TSB? I just brought it up in conversation and they were like what? No... no such thing...

Update: I searched Alldata for all early production e46s... no such luck. Anyone have anything on ETK? or TIS?

BMW does not let Alldata post the full TSB.
Here is the Alldata listing:
http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:YE1AX4kBJ8QJ:www.alldata.com/TSB/06/0306A151.html+3320003+TSB&hl=en&start=2

Yeah as I just found out... But alldata is really cool! I called the guy and explained to him my situation. He totally sympathized emailed me a copy of the TSBs I needed.

Basically that TSB you posted was cuz the rear springs are apt to break. I bet you that's what the popping noise is from. I'll print the TSB and take it to the $tealer today.


BMW does not let Alldata post the full TSB.
Here is the Alldata listing:
http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:YE1AX4kBJ8QJ:www.alldata.com/TSB/06/0306A151.html+3320003+TSB&hl=en&start=2

So after getting into a yelling fight with a rep down there I had previously taken the car to in January.. I told them to SHOW me the damage they are talking about.

They lined my car up to a 2003 e46 cabrio and told me to look....On the 2003, the shock tower was flat... on my 2001, the shock tower is a convex shape...

They claim THAT is the damage! they said it is caused from my car going airborne!! What a crock of crap!! if my car had gone airborne the whole floorpan would be jacked! Also the shock towers would be asymmetrical right? One would be bent one way,and the other in a different way.

My question is... Are the shock mounts and front suspension different in the slightest bit on a 2001 model year and a 2003 model year? Are they blowing smoke up my ass or is it really damage? I havent been able to look up part numbers, but off hand does anyone know if they changed anything in the suspension between years? I will post pics later when my headache goes away..

And of all things, the service advisor I quarreling with was yelling at me back saying "YOU GAVE ME A LOW REVIEW ON MY SURVEY AND COST ME MONEY THE LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE!! Why did you do that? You bought a damaged car and you're blaming us with your problems..blah blah blah"

obviously I did that cuz i got CRAP SERVICE AND MY CAR ISNT REALLY DAMAGED!!!

Okay.. So there are the pictures... 2001.jpg is my car and 2003.jpg is the one they were comparing it to.

Doesnt it look more like a design change then damage? And if it WAS damaged, the damage wouldnt be symmetrical. Both sides look identical.

Yours is definately not normal.

The 3 bolts on the strut should be parallel with each other, yours are splayed.

It still doesn't explain why they didn't diagnose the problem in the REAR of your car.

Edit:
Both sides would be symmetrical if they recieved the same overload, like if it had been on a lift that broke and dropped the car from 10 feet in the air or something, not necessarily been airborne from driving.

Yeah.. It could be true.. I will get a second opinion.. You should see the sh!t they wrote up on my service ticket. I had said my gas pedal responds slowly because of the DBW and they wrote "no problems found, could be caused by several other damages to car"

what the hell does the suspension have to do with drive by wire?

I don't know! Im so sick of this. I hate this dealer. I'm starting to hate the damn car too.


They basically denied everything i took the car in to fix.. The only thing they fixed was a window rattle and my tape player was broken.. So what did they replace the tape player with??? "BMW BUSINESS MINIDISC"

And they stratched my HVAC controls putting it in. When I brought that up they said "it was there before"

the dealer does sound totally shady, esspecially bitching about his last service review you gave him?

does he think thats going to help you give him a better survey this time????

but... that strut does look different... i have an '00 and mine is straight/flat... you woulnt be able to fit a strut bar on yours- it does look damaged.

did you have that checked when you bought the car? i remember you only recently acquired that vert, right?

the dealer does sound totally shady, esspecially bitching about his last service review you gave him?

does he think thats going to help you give him a better survey this time????

but... that strut does look different... i have an '00 and mine is straight/flat... you woulnt be able to fit a strut bar on yours- it does look damaged.

did you have that checked when you bought the car? i remember you only recently acquired that vert, right?


Yeah 3 different mechanics have seen the car, one of which replaced the struts and aligned it.. none of them made any mention of the strut towers being screwed. I'm begining to think you guys are right. I made a pic request on e46 fanatics and took a look at some others, and while others look similar, the bolt aligment is off.. GRRRRRRR


Yeah.. I wont name any names, but the current service advisor I have is at least more sympathetic then the last one. I should give this guy a 5 just to spite the other guy! I nearly knocked his ass out last night I was so mad (the former service adviser who was bitching at me).

where did you take the car to this time?

Yeah 3 different mechanics have seen the car, one of which replaced the struts and aligned it.. none of them made any mention of the strut towers being screwed. I'm begining to think you guys are right. I made a pic request on e46 fanatics and took a look at some others, and while others look similar, the bolt aligment is off.. GRRRRRRR


Yeah.. I wont name any names, but the current service advisor I have is at least more sympathetic then the last one. I should give this guy a 5 just to spite the other guy! I nearly knocked his ass out last night I was so mad (the former service adviser who was bitching at me).

If the mechanic replaced the struts, he would have HAD to see this... Maybe the damage happened at that shop?

If the mechanic replaced the struts, he would have HAD to see this... Maybe the damage happened at that shop?


Yeah, my own personal (non dealership) mechanic replaced the struts. HE said there were no problems. I will call him again to confirm.


You can take ths sturts out without removing the mounts right? How would he know if he didnt remove the mounts?

Yeah, my own personal (non dealership) mechanic replaced the struts. HE said there were no problems. I will call him again to confirm.


You can take ths sturts out without removing the mounts right? How would he know if he didnt remove the mounts?

I think you have to remove them from the car, then remove the plates from form the Strut.

I think you have to remove them from the car, then remove the plates from form the Strut.


I'm pretty sure you can just unbolt the strut rod from the mount. The only time you replace the mounts is if they are bad. There's a gigantor bolt in the middle of the mount that holds the strut on. If you take it off the strut (provided it has been disconnected from the steering knuckle) comes right out...

I'm pretty sure you can just unbolt the strut rod from the mount. The only time you replace the mounts is if they are bad. There's a gigantor bolt in the middle of the mount that holds the strut on. If you take it off the strut (provided it has been disconnected from the steering knuckle) comes right out...
Yeah, but you have to look right at the strut mounts to remove said gigantor bolt.
http://e46m3performance.com/installs/strut-top/strut_top-4.jpg

True.. Very true.. But even I didnt notice it till it was compared to another e46. Point being, unless he had taken out the mount, put in another mount that was straight (and wouldnt fit), I dont think he would have noticed.

And the other thing is, the car is aliigned fine.. the same guy that did my struts aligned it and said its aligned fine.. The car doesnt pull one way or another.

Couple o questions:

1. You slayed the guy on a previous survey so I am assuming you had a really bad experience the first time you were there? Why'd you take it back?

2. Did they ever tell you about the noise in the rear? Did they make you pay diagnosis?

3. Is their building flamable? :evil2

Dude I LOVE your avatar!!!

Anyway,

Yeah, I slayed the guy at the $tealership cuz he sucked, but I work full time and live in Glendale so I thought I would just take there cuz its close and figured I'd give it to a different rep... Boy I should have thought twice

No they didnt make me pay anything for diagnosis, but they are blaming the rear on the shock being "bent".... If the shock housin was bent, wouldnt the shock just refuse to compress after a certain point (because it would hit the bent part?) :confused I mentioned the TSB and they said they dont deal with alldata. I said "ITS YOUR TSB NUMBER"... their answer? "sorry"

3. Anything is flammable given the right temperature..

Well...I'm on a little vacation in Florida, but I decided when I get back. there's one way to settle this once and for all. I'm going to take my car to a reputable body shop, have them put the car on a frame machine and also inspect every square inch of the suspension. IF there is damage, I'll take action accordingly, if there isnt, I'm going to stick it to the dealer and give them the bill for the inspection....Among other things...

Anything ever come of this situation?

yeah, i'm curious too.

yeah, i'm curious too.


Wow its been a while. Yeah actually the problem got resolved. I wrote their management a very long detail explaining everything. They did nothing... Long story short, I went and got my car back, it drove perfectly fine.


I drove it over to Santa Monica BMW and explained to them the popping noise I was hearing from the rear suspension. They called me back the next day and told me it was a STRIPPED BOLT on the rear suspension brace. They re-threaded it and put the bolt in. That was it. Problem was solved. 3 weeks of agony, fighting and playing the blame game with the first dealership and It turns out the problem I originally took the car in for was just a stripped bolt.

Later I took it to a body shop and they had a good look and told me the car had never been airborne. They said if the car had an impact as Pacific BMW described in their work order, the car would have been not on the road. Just as I thought.

Anyway, I work for a medium sized law firm. I spoke to one of the attorneys here and was goign to sue the dealership but I decided to just get on with my life since I didnt have the time nor patience to deal with their dumbasses.

I drive the car daily.

congrats on it working out ok. :D

Wow its been a while. Yeah actually the problem got resolved. I wrote their management a very long detail explaining everything. They did nothing... Long story short, I went and got my car back, it drove perfectly fine.
I drove it over to Santa Monica BMW and explained to them the popping noise I was hearing from the rear suspension. They called me back the next day and told me it was a STRIPPED BOLT on the rear suspension brace. They re-threaded it and put the bolt in. That was it. Problem was solved. 3 weeks of agony, fighting and playing the blame game with the first dealership and It turns out the problem I originally took the car in for was just a stripped bolt.
Later I took it to a body shop and they had a good look and told me the car had never been airborne. They said if the car had an impact as Pacific BMW described in their work order, the car would have been not on the road. Just as I thought.
Anyway, I work for a medium sized law firm. I spoke to one of the attorneys here and was goign to sue the dealership but I decided to just get on with my life since I didnt have the time nor patience to deal with their dumbasses.
I drive the car daily.

you should have a letter from a lawyer write to them for record keeping purposes. if anything should happen down the line (you don't know if they added any info to the BMW national database about your car), you're covered. nothing threating, just a prod saying you (the client) is seeking monetary compensation for the 3 weeks you (the client) was without a car and the emotional stress this has caused (which it seems like it has since you posted here and we're mad as all hell about it).

Good call on the follow up letter.