More ute questions for the mechanic types...

[Smitty]

I did the rear (and front ) wheel bearings on my daughters 325 M3 BMW

a 325 M3? that i'd like to see..
I figure you mean..325i..E36... not m3

not knowing a lot about the BMW model range.....so from memory, the body plate (under the bonnet) says 325,
the only badges it has (on the bum and on the front guards) say......... M 3(with red and blue stripes)
and the door sill plates have M3 molded in

but
as I found out, that is all useless anyway!
....you need the whole bloody 18 or 20 digit VIN when buying genuine parts
otherwise BMW parts ppl scratch their heads and say..I can't help you
we need the VIN

and her BMW is a PITA, a 'funny' car..coz BMW had to import the radiator from Germany (when the old one died)
coz its a special (if you believe the parts ppl)..plus I HAD to return the old radiator to a BMW dealer
and the same thing with the battery and front disc rotors (all special import).... and VERY EXXY
eg..1 disc rotor about $340 +GST...EACH

my suggestion- stay away from Bimmers


cheers
Smitty

[aggerz]

Its true that you need the full VIN to order parts accurately, but that is becomming increasingly common across many manfacturers and at the end of they day they are only trying to help you get the right part for yoru car. I'd say with 100% confidence that someone just whacked the M3 badges on in the hope people wouldn't notice the difference, (bit like the HSV boys in the executives, and FPV XT falcons) They are vastly different cars though, if the car really was an M3 you would not be complaining about the cost, you would be absolutely howling about the cost!:)

I had a BMW, I have a mate who lives and breathes BMW's and I now own a Porsche so we are all struck by the german-car disease, I think they hold up far better than domestic cars, yes they are more expensive to buy parts for but the parts are higher quality and last longer.. so sure you can buy cheaper less quality parts for your hypothetical commodore but just replace them twice as often so its a trade off.
Of course also keep in mind that too often people buy a cheaper trashed example of a euro-car and then it breaks and is expensive to fix - who's fault is that.. the manufacturers?? (not saying yours is a pile of crap, just speaking generally about the people who complain of the costs) Fortunately my circle of friends contains a very competant and trustworthy mechanic who happens to run a BMW/Porsche etc workshop.

Unless you are short on time don't go through the dealer, they will always be super expensive, find out who the OEM manufacturer for the part was and buy direct from them.. much cheaper. If you ever need a point in the direction to find to find better priced parts give me a holler.

btw you were very brave to do the bearings so job well done.

Anyway sorry to get off topic... back to the ute!

[Neka79]

i reckon when i was an apprentice mech (97- lasted 3 months and quit) i did bearings a few times...

id rather pay and have sum bugger do it while im at work...that way i dont have to do it on me day off...

yea..im lazy too..and since u reckon $800 seems fair, ill book it in...

[Barrabob]

when you say it thumps and clunks going around corners is that the diff making noises or do you need to top up your transmission???

Difs tend to whine and it gets louder with revs anyway if you are prepared to part with the dollars it will be fixed in no time.

On the buses i used to get a center from the wrecker and hand it to the mechanic ...about 400 for a good one and the pull the axles out and put in the new center takes a couple of hours and that gets you going for another 500000kms.

[aardvark]

I think they hold up far better than domestic cars

Agreed... At this point in time I am happy to say I will never buy another Australian built car again (unless it's a mid 70's muscle car).

I got sick of gearboxes blowing up, doors dropping, glove boxes falling out, aircons not working etc etc etc.

In the 100 odd thousand km's i've owned my Foreste I've never had a major problem. The check engine light comes on now and then but it seems to go away when I use premium fuel. That's about the extent of it.

Before that, I put 100,000 km on a Daihatsu Charade and only ever had to replace a rear shock.

[Smitty]

On the buses i used to get a center from the wrecker and hand it to the mechanic ...about 400 for a good one and the pull the axles out and put in the new center takes a couple of hours and that gets you going for another 500000kms.

you can't do that on the use..the ute's diff is a salisbury type with the centre nonremovable
yes you can do axle bearings...piece a cake coz its a solid axle (not IRS)
but diff bearings..?? yuk bastard of a job... and the hardest part is
a) undoing the pinion nut
b) re-setting the pinion when ya done
c) NOT over - tightening the pinion nut when ya done (do that and you start again )

cheers
Smitty

[Strika]

I think they hold up far better than domestic cars

Agreed... At this point in time I am happy to say I will never buy another Australian built car again (unless it's a mid 70's muscle car).

I got sick of gearboxes blowing up, doors dropping, glove boxes falling out, aircons not working etc etc etc.

In the 100 odd thousand km's i've owned my Foreste I've never had a major problem. The check engine light comes on now and then but it seems to go away when I use premium fuel. That's about the extent of it.

Before that, I put 100,000 km on a Daihatsu Charade and only ever had to replace a rear shock.

Here is an interesting statistic...........worldwide, here are the top few manufacturers in terms of lowest amounts of breakdowns per cars sold!

1. Porsche
2. Lexus
3.Hyundai/Kia
4.Toyota

[Smitty]

Here is an interesting statistic...........worldwide, here are the top few manufacturers in terms of lowest amounts of breakdowns per cars sold!

1. Porsche
2. Lexus
3.Hyundai/Kia
4.Toyota

interesting Marty

btw...bet the Kia owners in the class action here (over 3,500 of them) don't agree with those ratings

oh
where is RollsRoyce?


cheers
Smitty

[Shaman]

Here is an interesting statistic...........worldwide, here are the top few manufacturers in terms of lowest amounts of breakdowns per cars sold!

1. Porsche
2. Lexus
3.Hyundai/Kia
4.Toyota

interesting Marty

btw...bet the Kia owners in the class action here (over 3,500 of them) don't agree with those ratings

oh
where is RollsRoyce?


cheers
Smitty

Plus 0.00000000000001% of the population ACTUALLY own a Porsche, so per capita there are going to be SFA breakdowns... that being said, they're precision-designed and made German pieces of machinery... they're expensive for a reason

What's this about a Kia class action?

[Strika]

Here is an interesting statistic...........worldwide, here are the top few manufacturers in terms of lowest amounts of breakdowns per cars sold!

1. Porsche
2. Lexus
3.Hyundai/Kia
4.Toyota

interesting Marty

btw...bet the Kia owners in the class action here (over 3,500 of them) don't agree with those ratings

oh
where is RollsRoyce?


cheers
Smitty

Plus 0.00000000000001% of the population ACTUALLY own a Porsche, so per capita there are going to be SFA breakdowns... that being said, they're precision-designed and made German pieces of machinery... they're expensive for a reason

What's this about a Kia class action?

It was faults per 100 vehicles sold. SO the figures are valid comparisons. Porsche surprised me too.Lexus/Toyota didn't.

As for the class action, I know nothing of this , however I could imagine it may be either early carnival or early Preggio/K2700 owners! Both had some reliability issues with engines. However, a few years back, Hyundai bought Kia, hence all the latest product is Hyundai technology based, and for all the negatives you can say about hyundai's they are in reality one ofthe most reliable brands in the world currently.

[Shaman]

I can vouch for the Hyundai reliability - a friend has owned a 97 Excel since new and never had one (!!) issue with it.

Toyota doesn't surprise me anyway.... anyone see that Top Gear where they demolished a building with a hilux on top of it? ... then DROVE it away

Most indestructible cars ever: Red toyota corolla hatch

[Smitty]

What's this about a Kia class action?

been in the paper...on the Teev (saw an bit of Today tonight)

some more here -
http://www.motorsm.com/complaints/updat ... sp?aid=845" target="_blank" target="_blank

http://www.carsurvey.org/viewcomments_review_68609.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Barrabob]

What I was trying to get to with my last post was if the transmission fluid is low in your gearbox and you go around a corner at a reasonable speed the fluid sloshes up the side of the gearbox away from the pickup and the effect is a slipping gearbox accompanied by a thump in the diff when the oil can flow again...I have driven a few poorly maintained fleetcars in my time and thought this may have been what Neka is on about.

fark it...ill get them to do all the bearings...

the tranny slip was sumthin i suspect- its not a slip like when u change gear, its when u go to take off from stanstill theres a feel that it isnt hooking up at the back end.... thats what made me think he could be right...

as Scotty said- when i go round corners it DOES thump and clunk..it was Greeny (decent mechanical knowledge) who suggested i check rear wheel bearings...my mechanic said he reckons there stuffed, and he also reckons while its apart he should change the diff bearings too...

could be barking up the wrong tree though.

There is a heap of kia diesel vans about the place preggio I think they are but after reading about the petrol vans I think it requires a recall and fix the things.

[Neka79]

new car is sitting in the garage...pics to come..ute gotta go now...

[Shaman]

You'd better be driving that new beastie in to soccer tonight!

What is it?