posted 04-08-2002 06:24 PM            

It sounds like as if the fan-belt is loose and is hitting against something. Cus it does that "clank"ing sound. Sounds like something rotating is screwed up.

posted 04-09-2002 08:17 PM              

quote:

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Originally posted by bbj:
Update:
Had the car towed to the dealer today. Two technicians, who looked at it, concluded that it sounds like there is a problem with the rod in the engine. So, the dealer has requested a rep from BMW NA to come in later this week who is going to confrim this.

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Sorry to hear you may have a rod problem. What's up with these engines???

posted 04-14-2002 01:47 PM            

Forget about giving me a car until this is being worked on. But the dealer said he needs authorization from BMW NA that this will be covered under the warranty and they will pay for the expenses. The dealer kept on assuring me that I don’t need to worry about it, it’s probably totally covered under the warranty. But the way the things are going, it sounds like they’ll try to put the blame on me. Or trying real hard to find something where I can be blamed for something. I don’t drive hard; I think the computer reading will show that also. But even then, this thing is starting to bother me..

ITSME123,
my car is 02 year. I had the car serviced after the initial 1,200 miles, just like the manual says. Once they did that, the service indicator on the dash was reset to read service required after 15,000 miles. I have confirmed with 3 other dealers about the 15,000 miles service-reset. They all said that it is correct and that BMW uses these “new synthetic” oils and they are suppose to last that long. Right now I have a little over 9,000 miles on it altogether. I didn’t hear about a dealer bulletin, did anyone else, should they not contact us by mail or by phone..?

BASSAM98,
Dude sorry to hear about your car. Why isn’t BMW covering it under warranty? What did they tell you about your car that you have done? Are they saying you did something and it was your fault that caused the engine to blow up like that?

posted 04-16-2002 03:51 PM            

Another update:
Talked with the service manager today and he hasn't opened up the car yet. The service rep is not in my "village" so the dealer doesn't want to open the car, cus he says the engine is way too new for him to just jump right in. the rep from BMW has to be there to diagnose what happened.

when I asked him what may have caused this, he said either not enough lubrication or maybe over revving. but right away he acknowledged that over revving shouldn't be possible since its a SMG engine. he said he's still waiting from BMW NA to hear back on the DME reading to find out what it was..

about the rental, he said that he's figuring something out. when he asked me how many miles do I drive, I told him about 900 per week, which is not counting the driving for fun..

Question for you all:
my car is on a lease to buy option. my monthly payments are kinda high (over $1,100). I have not been able to drive my car for last week and once they figure out a problem they said it'll take another 1-2 maybe 3 weeks to fix it. so, I'm looking at about 2-4 weeks of not being able to drive my M3. should I complain about this and demand to not pay for this month, since I didn't drive my M3 (obviously assuming if I don't drive my car for a month) regardless whether they give me a loaner.. does that make sense to you?

basam98,
well, nuts and bolts didn't fly out, but the engine was making the rattling sound. just like it would if something is screwed in the pistons..
about over revving, well,
1st of all, I don't think I over revved the engine. I'll admit, I've driven it real fast, over 140MPH, but not in 4th gear, if that's what they were wondering..
2nd, over revving engine shouldn't be much possible with the f%$#&#! SMG !!! the electronic and/or computer system should've prevented the "over revving" of the engine.. what good is a computer in the "ultimate driving machine" if it doesn't know how to protect itself..
3rd, its almost a sports car, even if the engine was over revved, not saying I did, the engine should be built to compensate for that stupidity (assuming over revving was done for a little while)..

posted 04-18-2002 02:10 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by bassam98:
bbj
I am collecting names of M3 owners who had an engine problem, in which BMWNA claims that you have over-reved the engine. I have cases of M3s With the SMG option that had that problem even though the system does not allow you to over rev. I have heard that ratteling sound that you are talking about in my M3. Let us know what your dealer told you. Best of Luck.

[This message has been edited by bassam98 (edited 04-16-2002).]

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Well, I'll update you with what the dealer tells me once he figures out what to say. From the looks of it, I wouldn't be surprised if they come back and tell me the same story that they told you. But my dealer has been on my side from the begining saying it's nothing that should be worring about, and that its probably covered by the warranty.

posted 04-18-2002 08:37 PM            

Someone started another thread about why the engines could be having problems. In that thread the technician explained that "the space under the bearings attached at the bottom of the rods was very tight (0.4mm)" When I told that to the service manager at my dealer, he questioned me where did I hear that and kind of agreed to that statement.

So, from the sounds of it, it all looks good for my car's warranty work. But the question still remains, if this will happen again. Because if the there's not enough spacing for the oil to lubricate the area, it can, and probably will, happen again. So, if that was the case and I was BMW and I knew about this, I would fix the engine with enough spacing and replace the engines in cars that had this problem. Or if/when it happens again, and my cumulative number of days that this car was in the shop goes over 30 days, I can argue that this car is a lemon (California law).

posted 04-19-2002 07:26 PM            

BMW will fix anything and everything that is wrong with the engine, not limiting to rod, bearings and crankshaft. Basically anything that looks even suspicious will be replaced. Only the master Technician (mechanic), who has been with BMW for 20+ years, will work on my car. It will take another 1 to 1 1/2 weeks to fully fix the car. The parts will have to come from Germany. And it should take about 3-4 days to install those parts and confirm everything is working right.

The DME came back and it read the following:
8,400 -----------> Max RPM
13 ---------------> Number of seconds at which max RPM was held
122 MPH -----> Max speed

Q. When I questioned how could 8,400 RPM for 13 seconds be even possible? (The guy couldn't figure out why the rev limiter didn't kick in and held the revs at 8,000)
A. The DME gives you an idea, but you can't fully trust it. He said he'll give me a copy of the DME reading when he gets the DME back. There's no need to replace the DME because its just a computer counter, they'll just reset it.

Q. When I asked do they know what the problem was:
A. "No. We'll have a better clue when they 'open' it totally." I don't know what that means !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought they just opened the damn thing. "Even after we open it, we may still not know what may have caused it, sometimes, its hard to figure out what's wrong"

Q. Lets say, if we don't figure out what went wrong, can it happen again?
A. We're guessing it was caused by the a faulty part, the bearing. Or another guess is the oil didn't lubricate enough. We'll have a better idea once we open it. I can't say it won't happen again, but it's highly unlikely. Because it's highly unlikely that we'll get another same faulty part.

In my opinion:
1st thing,
I'm screwed for having to settle with a problematic engine..

2nd thing,
If the DME just gives an IDEA of the numbers, then what the hell is the use of it? And if the DME only records the max rev "at one time" is kinda stupid, someone could've revved it before I got the car. It really should record the top 30-50 revs exactly and dates, times and speeds at those revs. AND another one to record the top speeds or speed trends, or how long was a car kept at a certain speed, in what gear.

3rd thing,
The current version of DME is totally inaccurate. I don't think I revved over 8,000 and I defiantly know I went over 122MPH !!!

I'm getting an auto 323 tomorrow as a loaner. In conclusion he added, the reason why it took so long was because they wanted the BMW expert/rep to have enough time to think what is the best way to do the things right.

------------------------------------

posted 04-19-2002 08:14 PM              

quote:

---

Originally posted by bbj:
Update April 19th, 2002.

The DME came back and it read the following:
8,400 -----------> Max RPM
13 ---------------> Number of seconds at which max RPM was held
122 MPH -----> Max speed

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posted 04-20-2002 06:13 AM              

FYI, I own a Toyota Celica GT Turbocharged (10PSI), I lose to new M3's by 2-4 cars, and my car is an automatic ($17000 for the car plus $8k in mods).......I beat previous gen M3's easily (yes, manuals).

also, I purchased a Haltech ECU, and I'm looking for a manual tranmission to get the car into the 12's at 15psi running normal 93 octane gas!!!!!

Sorry if reading this was a waste of your time, but I know you'll enjoy my site
www.tld.net/users/mendez

I know it isn't an M3 but I'm only 19 so I'm happy for now.

later

posted 04-20-2002 09:24 AM            

With this in mind, I find it hard to believe that the Germans built something, after years in development, that won't live up to specifications. 8000 RPM is the redline... 7900 RPM is as far as the driver should push the car.

Opinions?

posted 04-20-2002 10:05 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Speedi:
I I find it hard to believe that the Germans built something, after years in development, that won't live up to specifications.

---

So do I. How much money do you think BMW makes on a car when they have to replace an engine under warranty?

I had a bad bearing in a Ducati ST4 and the motor seized the first time I gave it serious throttle 1 mile after the 1,500 mile break-in. I asked for a new motor but they told me it would take longer than repairing the one in my bike. After replacing a rod, bearing, piston and a few valves, the motor ran just fine. I would feel comfortable with a qualified mechanic rebuilding a motor for me.

I have 1,500 miles on my M3 and asked the service manager if I could take it to 7,000 rpm. He said I should wait. I then asked whether it was OK to rev it to 7,000 and shift. He said that was fine but I shouldn't run it continually at 7,000 rpm yet. He also said the motor should be ready for 8,000 rpm between 2,000 and 2,500 miles. I asked these questions since the owner's manual isn't very specific about how quickly you can increase rpm after the initial 1,250 break-in period and threads like this one make me extra cautious.

It is clear to me that accelerating and shifting at 8,000 rpm is different than running the car at 8,000 rpm for extended periods. I am sure that there are some bad engine parts causing problems but I would also bet that some of these problems are caused by owners who run the car to redline at 1,251 miles and leave it there.

It seems like BMW stands behind their products and replaces engines or authorizes extensive repairs when necessary under warranty and is acting responsibly when problems do arise. While I will be a bit more cautious breaking-in the motor, I will not hesitate to accelerate quickly and drive fast. I never saw the need to run any motor at redline for extended periods and don’t intend to do it with this one.

posted 04-21-2002 02:56 PM              

Don't worry, they reamed him enough for being so stupid. People that live near him confirm seeing him drive, doing donuts, crusing near 8,000 rpm.

You best protection is to treat it like you would anything else you pay 50+ grand for. It's not invincible, it's made by people in factorys, not by the gods in their foundry.

Check your oil level at least every 500 miles, I check mine everytime I stop for gas and I have 2 quarts of 10-W60 in the trunk. Forget what the computer says, change the oil every 5,000 miles. Also, have them check the oil filter to see how dirty it is.

posted 04-22-2002 07:30 AM            

I suppose I should also check the oil level each time I stop for fuel.

Thus far, 450 miles, the car has been wonderful. Of course, I cringe riding down GA400, though, as there seems to be more than the normal amount of road debris these days with all of the lame construction occuring around town (Atlanta).

posted 04-22-2002 08:59 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Speedi:
Thus far, 450 miles, the car has been wonderful. Of course, I cringe riding down GA400, though, as there seems to be more than the normal amount of road debris these days with all of the lame construction occuring around town (Atlanta).

- Speedi

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posted 04-22-2002 09:58 AM            

The color looks MUCH better in person.

- Speedi

posted 04-22-2002 03:13 PM            

After reading what your thoughts are, here, I wanted to make sure I'm getting what I should be getting. So, I called up the dealer in WI, that someone had mentioned earlier, who dealt with the same issue as mine. Basically he told me that at first they replaced the crank, rod, bearing and few other things. When they gave it back to the customer, soon the problem happened again. I guess, by that time the regional manager was involved in this issue. The BMW regional service manager said that they should've replaced the motor instead of just fixing those parts.

Then I spoke with my dealer and told him what happened at the WI dealer and I would like a new engine installed in my car. Even at that point he said that he hasn't heard of anything like this, but if I want a new motor installed in there, that they would do it. Last time when the BMW NA expert was over at my dealer, he had authorized the service manager at the dealership to get a new engine if he sees fit. Or if that's what the customer wants.

I guess since I hadn't "really" asked for a new engine he wasn't going to recommend it until the engine totally broke. Now since I did ask for a new engine, he right away said "OK."

posted 04-22-2002 04:47 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Speedi:
Nope. I am Alpine White. I have seen the LSB one near/at Windward though. Looks good.

The color looks MUCH better in person.

- Speedi

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posted 04-22-2002 09:55 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gravedgr:
Cool...that means 3 M3's in the immediate area, all different colors. We ought to get together (if I can ever find this guy again) when mine arrives and get some pictures!

---

Sounds like a plan to me. Let me know when/where. Maybe like the North Point Mall parking lot or something?

I apologize to all who know nothing of where we're talking about.

posted 04-24-2002 01:26 AM              

I have a 2002 M3 Maunal that BMW said I overreved to 8493 for 1.9 secs, and becuase of that, BMW North America says that it is my fault and they do not have to cover it.

However I know that I never overreved mine and so I sine your car supposedly cannot be overreved by the transmission, and it still says that I am beginning to think there is a problem with the Rev limiter or even the computer itself. If you do not wish to post your email, then you can just email me at TNGiscool@aol.com

posted 04-25-2002 02:20 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Speedi:
Sounds like a plan to me. Let me know when/where. Maybe like the North Point Mall parking lot or something?

I apologize to all who know nothing of where we're talking about.

- Speedi

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posted 04-26-2002 09:10 PM            

I saw the bearing that had spun. First time I had seen it. I wonder if I could take a picture of it and post it here, I doubt it..

Saw the new engine also. Someone had mentioned there were new changes (adjustments based on experience) that were done to the new engines so I wanted to find out the built-date of it, but I couldn’t find it in the engines documentation or the box it was contained in, or on the engine. None of the technicians knew it either. One of the sheets in the engine had a date of April 11, 2002. That date I had assumed was the date it was shipped into US, since it had the Ontario address on it. So if April 11th was when it was shipped to US, I assume the engine was built fairly recently. Sometime in March I hope. I’ll ask the “expert” on it. Does anyone know if such a thing exists? If so, where can I find the built-date of the engine?

I also saw the “DME.” When I asked for a photocopy of it (so I can post it on this forum), the technician said it maybe BMW sensitive material, for it I would have to talk to the service manager on it (who wasn’t even there when I went in the shop). All the text on it was in German. Just like what the service manger had told me the DME did read:
8460 RPM, 13.2 sec, 209Km (I’m writing from memory now, but still these numbers are very close, if not exact, to the one’s on the printout).

When I was there, about 4 technicians were explaining the stuff to me. At first their tone, way of talking, implied that the spun bearing was caused because I had really really really over revved it They also kept saying “we were told to replace the engine, so we are.” One of the technician totally was with me on this, because he kept saying that these readings shouldn’t be possible with the SMG, if so, then there’s something wrong with the SMG’s computer.

I’m not sure how many people have seen the hydraulics unit that maintains the clutch, but I saw that too. To me it wasn’t all that impressive, at least the looks of it. It looked very simple in configuration. But I guess the computer behind it is what is important.

When I spoke with the service manager on Wednesday, he said that they got the engine on that day and will start to work on it. When I went in today and asked the same question to the technicians he said the engine was brought in just today. Someone’s lying to me, I wonder what are they hiding and why.. hhmmmm

After today’s visit to the shop, I’m wondering why is BMW replacing my engine?

posted 04-27-2002 01:13 AM            

BTW, I was at the drag strip a few weeks ago and a guy had his new LSB M3 out there and made some runs. Luckily, I had brought my video cam, and got a few of his runs on video. I have some space to post on the web, and I will hopefully have it up soon. Let me know if anyone is interested and I will post a thread with the link.

posted 05-02-2002 05:20 PM            

Can you please list the questions that you think I should ask him?

1) Why was my engine replaced (I still don't know why did BMW replace my engine)?
2) Is this a common Problem among E46 M3s?
3) If there is something internally in BMW, about a faulty engine, would he deliberately be hiding it from it's customers (I'll ask just for the records)?

.... what else..?