What is this spring thing???

I just took my X in for inspection on Friday (12/11), and I was informed that both of my rear coil springs are broken as well. Dealer wants $760 to replace. I'm not happy about this/can't figure out what type of impact would be needed to break this, and I usually avoid harsh roads and potholes like it's my job!

What year and how many miles? If you are just a little out of warranty, BMW can still offer a one-time out of warranty coverage for something like this. There is a thread somewhere with info on the service bulletin for this.

Double post

I just checked my Wife's 2004 X-3 and the rear passanger side spring is broken in the exact same place as Jupitor2. I have 93,000 miles so I can understand if the springs have lost some of their effectiveness, but I don't think they should break.

Still under an extended 100k warranty so I'm gonna take it in and see what they say. It just seems like a defect...

Originally Posted by Mystic1

What year and how many miles? If you are just a little out of warranty, BMW can still offer a one-time out of warranty coverage for something like this. There is a thread somewhere with info on the service bulletin for this.

'04 93,000 miles.

Huh. Good to know. I can't see how springs can just break like that, though. I mean - I used to drive my Jeep Liberty offroad pretty rough and no broken springs (other things broke ).

I hope it was just a bad batch of springs from the manufacturer. Very weird.

Is there any possibility these weren't OEM/someone put aftermarket springs in there? They might have selected wrong springrate/height etc. trying to make it look :all sporty-like".

Originally Posted by T1T2GRE

Huh. Good to know. I can't see how springs can just break like that, though. I mean - I used to drive my Jeep Liberty offroad pretty rough and no broken springs (other things broke ).

I hope it was just a bad batch of springs from the manufacturer. Very weird.

Is there any possibility these weren't OEM/someone put aftermarket springs in there? They might have selected wrong springrate/height etc. trying to make it look :all sporty-like".

Regarding my "X", the ride height/stance appears to be congruent with others (though I haven't actually measured anything). When I purchased the car, it was a previously leased vehicle with 60K on the clock, so I doubt that the springs were aftermarket (although anything's possible).

If you google "BMW broken springs" you will find that broken rear springs were being discussed on E46 forums quite a bit, and affected M3's and Z4's too.

This all started before the very first X3 rolled off the productin line.
There is mention of a new and improved spring in 2003, but some found that it broke too so was no better than the older one.
Some owners decided to go with name-brand aftermarket springs to solve the problem once and for all.

No consensus on whether the springs always break in the same place, or, if it is just the tip it does not affect anything.

Just had the first MOT on my X3 2.0d M Sport (it was registered on 21/12/06) and both rear springs were broken . the car has only covered 34,00miles all on road. Fortunately I renewed the warranty which expired the day before!

Without extreme, hard usage, a coil spring should not break into two pieces. If this problem is surfacing in numerous cars, it indicates a manufacturing or design defect.

Originally Posted by enamoured

Hmm... could this be the cause of clunk I get every now and then...? I will be looking in there this evening.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=392399

OKay, now it's officially confirmed. My X3's spring has broken down too. Just driving back from office, I heard a loud metallic cling like something has fallen from car on road, immediately pulled off road and the driver behind me pointed to the fallen off spring. The part looks exactly same as pic posted by OP. Called dealership, they advised to get car flat bedded to them. Called BMW assistance and they are sending a tow truck in. Fortunately it happened when I was close to home on a low speed road, could have happened on highway and I would have never known what fell off. Checked the CPO document and coil spring is covered under it. Let's see. Another thing to watch for other X3 owners.

Originally Posted by enamoured

Another thing to watch for other X3 owners.

Definitely. I read a recent article in a German mag that specifically mentioned broken rear springs being common on early models.

Looking at number of people who have reported it here, it does look like a common problem.

Have to say the dealership and BMW response was great on this one. Tow truck arrived on time and my SA called in to acknowledge that car has reached them. She called again after couple of hours to tell me that both rear springs need replacement and the parts will cost $1067.50, I had to remind her that car is a CPO. She checked and called back again to tell me that it is covered. I asked for a loaner and they have all loaners booked till March 15th, they can get me a rental but apparently I will have to pay for insurance and gas on it. Not bad, but I can get my brother-in-law's car so I passed on it. It should be done by Tuesday.

Originally Posted by enamoured

.... the parts will cost $1067.50, I had to remind her that car is a CPO. She checked and called back again to tell me that it is covered.

Phew! Glad that worked out O.K.

Even allowing for Cdn. pricing, those $500 springs better be better than the originals.

Not sure if everyone gets the same audible indication when that pigtail breaks.

Which is why you were unaware the other one had already gone.

Must check mine sometime.

If they are broken, without CPO protection, I will have to order through Tischer:

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...layCatalogid=0

Yeah, the quote did make me smile though. I remembered helping 06BMWX3 helping out finding lowest price for these springs on this very forum and the price was in range of 140-200 from various resources. Dealer quoted me almost thrice, but thankfully CPO covers it. Having said that, in past (almost) 2 years that I have owned this car if I didn't have warranty I would have spent close to 7-8 k on maintenance, assuming I get it done from dealer. I had sunroof cassette go bad (3.5k), driver side seat leatherette cracking (1k), brake pads + rotor replaced (~1k), passenger seat replaced under recall, low gear holding program applied to car (150), and now the coil springs (1.5k). Except the brakes all other things point to poor quality in either material or engineering.

The car is back with new rear coil springs. Had to pay $50 CPO deductible + tax.

We should probably have a sticky thread titled X3 buying guide and put all these frequently failing this such as vapor barrier, window regulator, coil spring, sun roof, dead bluetooth etc in there.

Originally Posted by enamoured

We should probably have a sticky thread titled X3 buying guide and put all these frequently failing this such as vapor barrier, window regulator, coil spring, sun roof, dead bluetooth etc in there.

+1

Call it Known weak areas, Common problem areas or something like that. This forum's getting kind of big to quickly search out and find all the nuggets that are hidden in threads that sometimes started out on a different topic.

Another thing to check on my newly bought 04. I won't be surprised if they are broken.

Originally Posted by enamoured

The car is back with new rear coil springs. Had to pay $50 CPO deductible + tax.

We should probably have a sticky thread titled X3 buying guide and put all these frequently failing this such as vapor barrier, window regulator, coil spring, sun roof, dead bluetooth etc in there.

good idea!

OKay an update... the clunk I used to get once in a while became a routine on right turns into curb with spring replacement (like you are turning into a drive way from road). So since February (when the springs were replaced) I had them take a look at it again and again, of course they could not reproduce it, they even charged me once for it ($65). This time around I asked for shop foreman to drive with me again and told them that I want to take him to a longer test drive to area where I know it always makes the sound rather than looking around for a similar area around their dealership. Took foreman out, and he could hear the clunk, said it's definitely the spring and that I am not some insane person who keeps hearing things. I was away for 3 days so had my car dropped to them and they replaced right side spring (33-53-3-413-184), spring pad lower (33-53-1-094-518) and spring pad (33-53-1-136-385), all under warranty. The foreman even wrote a hand note behind the invoice that he drove the car himself on same area after repair and the sound is now gone. I drove the car once there yesterday and did not hear anything. Hopefully it's gone for good now.

I was going to buy an 05 X3 3.0 and when they did the safety (one of the requirements here in Ontario before transferring to a new owner) the springs were both broken. And according to the dealership this very common to older version of X3. Ended of buying a CPO 07 X3 3.0 SI.

Originally Posted by enamoured

... and they replaced right side spring (33-53-3-413-184), spring pad lower (33-53-1-094-518) and spring pad (33-53-1-136-385), all under warranty.

So that was one of the front springs, not your recently replaced rear ones by the sound of it.

I suppose the front ones are less likely to break,
but as it is the same part no. as the rears, a manufacturing fault will show up there eventually.

Too bad your warranty didn't allow them to do the front left side as well, while they were at it.

At least front springs are visible when parked so you can keep an eye out for any signs of breakage, if a clunk doesn't get to you first.

The back springs are only visible when the car is jacked up, I believe?

And depending on where the break is, you may, or may not get a visual clue like sitting unevenly when parked.

I imagine BMW or Magna-Steyr had more than one supplier for springs,
which would explain why some owners of early models luck out on this and don't get a broken pig-tail.
(Same might apply to premature failure of transfer cases, diffs., wheel bearings, etc. -
or there might be only one supplier who periodically shipped bad batches.)

It was actually the same rear right side spring. Sorry, I should have been specific.

Our 2004 X3 just broke a left rear spring. It has 93k miles and the CPO warranty just ended last month. I thought about getting it covered under BMW's goodwill program, but decided to get aftermarket springs (Eibach) and replace the shocks (Bilstein) at the same time since they've never been replaced. I just thought I'd add our's to the growing thread since this seems to be a common issue.

Originally Posted by chagrin

Our 2004 X3 just broke a left rear spring. It has 93k miles and the CPO warranty just ended last month. I thought about getting it covered under BMW's goodwill program, but decided to get aftermarket springs (Eibach) and replace the shocks (Bilstein) at the same time since they've never been replaced. I just thought I'd add our's to the growing thread since this seems to be a common issue.

chagrin, how do you like the Eibach springs and Bilstein shock combination?
I'm contemplating doing something similar and am interested in how the ride is now?
A lot less body roll? How is it over bumps? Any abnoraml tire wear?
Also, did you go Bilstein HD shocks? or Bilstein Sports? Thanks!