I'm not certain about your dealer's claim about the mounting points of the control arms. However, vibrations could indicate that your wheels need to be balanced.
Good Luck.
Good Luck.
-
BimmerFest Mobile App is now available on iOS & Android, Learn More
Is my dealer a liar?
I had my dealer change my wheels (winter to summer) the other day. During the same visit my dealer also replaced the front control arms, as they claimed that a developing, but very small slip in the bushings was under way. This was done on warrenty.
After picking up the car I noticed that it behaved strangely on the highway. The car was pulling slightly to the right. It turned out that they had mounted my rear wheels (245) on one side of the car and the front wheels (225) on the other - despite clear marking on the tires sating "Rotation>>>". Sigh!
I drove back to the dealer and told the to correct the problem, so they did. Naturally they where quite embarrased.
I now have moderate vibrations in the steering wheel at 120 km/h. I instantly suspected that misalignment of the wheel was the cause, so I asked the dealer how they where able to align the car with 245 on one side and 225 on the other. Dealer said that alignment of the wheels is not required after changing control arms, as the arm rests on fixed point.
However my car is still shakey at high speeds. It did not do this before. What to do?
Is realignment really not required after changing control arms - I would think so.
Thanks.
JSE
After picking up the car I noticed that it behaved strangely on the highway. The car was pulling slightly to the right. It turned out that they had mounted my rear wheels (245) on one side of the car and the front wheels (225) on the other - despite clear marking on the tires sating "Rotation>>>". Sigh!
I drove back to the dealer and told the to correct the problem, so they did. Naturally they where quite embarrased.
I now have moderate vibrations in the steering wheel at 120 km/h. I instantly suspected that misalignment of the wheel was the cause, so I asked the dealer how they where able to align the car with 245 on one side and 225 on the other. Dealer said that alignment of the wheels is not required after changing control arms, as the arm rests on fixed point.
However my car is still shakey at high speeds. It did not do this before. What to do?
Is realignment really not required after changing control arms - I would think so.
Thanks.
JSE
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
Absolute lie....
The warranty labor package for the control arm replacement includes payment for an alignment. That wouldn't be smart business to get the money and not do the work! BMWNA says that an alignment has to be done, so they should do it.
Usually, BMW is telling dealers NOT to align the car to save money (such as all 2002 models with the new strut mount recall) but in this case they recommend it.
You were lied to. Insist that they align your car.
The warranty labor package for the control arm replacement includes payment for an alignment. That wouldn't be smart business to get the money and not do the work! BMWNA says that an alignment has to be done, so they should do it.
Usually, BMW is telling dealers NOT to align the car to save money (such as all 2002 models with the new strut mount recall) but in this case they recommend it.
You were lied to. Insist that they align your car.
I was looking at the ETK (BMW Parts Catalog) and the control arms are mounted by 2 rather large bolts, as are the control arm brackets with bushings.
My dealer failed to do an alignment when they updated my control arm brackets with bushings. I guess it doesn't matter much now since a new retrofit steering rack must be installed in my car.
My dealer failed to do an alignment when they updated my control arm brackets with bushings. I guess it doesn't matter much now since a new retrofit steering rack must be installed in my car.
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
BimmerFest BMW Forum
A forum community dedicated to BMW owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about Bimmerfest events, production numbers, programming, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! Bringing the BMW community together.
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
