And so the problems start...

[the eldest boy]

:support: OK guys, your expert advice please. Forgive me for the amatuer terminology but i'm a complete novice here.

X Service have just called me to say that, having previously given the car the "all clear", they have noticed some problems while doing the oil change.

Firstly, he says there is bad damage to the "centre coupling"? He mentioned "shafts" and "bearing" (or perhaps shaft bearing?) and the "prop" and "rubber" and says that the damage can be attributed to wear and tear but that it will need replacing at a cost of around 1500aed.

Secondly, he said that the was a minor leak in the oil sump, but that, if i wanted, i could wait on that one because it's not too bad. He also mentioned something to do with the steering in that same conversation...are the two linked?

I really would have no idea what these repairs are, but i'm putting my faith in X and assuming that they would only do work that was required. To be fair, they've been really, really helpful to me and they said that they could show me the old damaged parts of i wanted.

So, can anyone offer shed some light on what these problems are? Are they common? Would i notice a difference in performace because of these issues? Is that price about right? Should i call back and get further confirmation...but then, even if i did, i still wouldn't really understand...i'm CONFUSED! :huh:

Any help would be greatly appreciated so i can rest-assured that i'm not being ripped off...

:thanks2::thanks2::thanks2:

[Bruno]

Changing a central bearing and a drive shaft flex disk (rubber) won’t yield any power increase. It makes the car smoother, hence improving drivability. Regarding the oil leak, I’m not so sure where the leak is coming from, but it seems that you are referring to the oil pump of the power steering? Which also doesn’t increase performance when fixed.

[the eldest boy]

Changing a central bearing and a drive shaft flex disk (rubber) won’t yield any power increase. It makes the car smoother, hence improving drivability.

Thanks for the post Bruno. This is what i had hoped. When i took the car down to X i said that it sounded and felt a bit rough and the ride wasn't as smooth as it had been (especially in the lower gears). Hopefully this repair will correct that problem...

[SSense]

Keep us updated how it feels once you get the car back.. :)

[Ayham]

Now is your chance to become an expert Phil...Whatever you're told needs attention, research!

I know that X Service guys are cool and only do quality work when needed. You're in good hands.

[RAFiK]

I passed by X yesterday n while i was in..i heard a car revving and it had RASP !! my eyes started scanning the area looking for possible suspects and TADA!! there was ur car and some guy was moving it from one jack to another :P:P ....

Most of us had our cars fixed at X-Service... and believe me its BMW Paradise (In knowledge) sometimes its hell (Price Quotations) :D:D but at the end of the day you'll guarantee the car will be running healthier than before :)

[the eldest boy]

I passed by X yesterday n while i was in..i heard a car revving and it had RASP !! my eyes started scanning the area looking for possible suspects and TADA!! there was ur car and some guy was moving it from one jack to another :P:P ....

Most of us had our cars fixed at X-Service... and believe me its BMW Paradise (In knowledge) sometimes its hell (Price Quotations) :D:D but at the end of the day you'll guarantee the car will be running healthier than before :)

Well, as far as i know, it's "just" a stock E46 M3 exhaust on my car so that's what you heard! Thanks for the compliment, that's cheered me up! :D

One of the things i'd noticed about the car was that the rasping sound seemed to be coming from below the drivers door (a separate noise than the one coming from the exhaust). This is what lead me to believe that there might be a hole or some damage to the left-side undercarriage as the sound was coming from that strange position, it just seemed out of place. However, i'm not an expert, so perhaps that's normal - is it? The guys at X have checked the undercarriage and said it's fine so i'm happy to just enjoy the noise now, where ever it might be coming from!

[the eldest boy]

Oh, and one other question for you guys. While i was at X, the guy who booked the car in said that they'd had an E46 M3 in that had been tuned-up to 750bhp, at a cost of 70,000aed. Is that true? Do we know of this car?!?! Is that even possible?

[ahmad.alkhalil]

Oh, and one other question for you guys. While i was at X, the guy who booked the car in said that they'd had an E46 M3 in that had been tuned-up to 750bhp, at a cost of 70,000aed. Is that true? Do we know of this car?!?! Is that even possible?

750bhp?!!!??!??! DAAAAAAAYYYYMMMMMM!

[Ayham]

Yes, it's got an HPF Turbo...

[Bruno]

Oh, and one other question for you guys. While i was at X, the guy who booked the car in said that they'd had an E46 M3 in that had been tuned-up to 750bhp, at a cost of 70,000aed. Is that true? Do we know of this car?!?! Is that even possible?

yes he is a member with us... if you can read this start posting lol :) btw the owner is a knowledge base for forced induction modifications so beware :bow:

[Haissam]

i'm not so sure about x-service as the guys above.. last time they wanted to change someone's noisy diff when all it needed was an oil change! luckily the guy posted here seeking help & we showed him the right way ;)

but in your case the issues seem normal & you shouldn't worry that much.. also the raspy exhaust is normal for an M3 :)

and regarding that HPF turbo M3, if anyone got more info pls post in the chat thread! i'm interested :D

[the eldest boy]

OK guys, i collected the car from X Service last night. Let me share with you wat they did, and what i think of the results;

Services:

Oil Service 175aed
Replace centre bearing and centre coupling 800aed
Fix +ve SMG paddle, refix undercarriage protection cover 250aed
Interior Clean (inc. engine bay) 250aed

Parts:

Engine Oli Castrol Edge Sport 10W60 450aed
Ol1 Filter (is that supposed to be Oil filter) 70aed
Universal Joint 476aed
Drive Shart Centre Mounting 400aed
Consumables 79aed

Total Cost 2,950aed

Now, i don't really know what thee parts do, but Bruno previously posted that i might notice a smooter ride, and this is certainly the case. Most noticable in the lower gears (well, in 1st really), the car is a lot smoother through the acceleration, which is great because it had been a bit erratic and a bit jumpy.

Now, after Ghoonk's advice, i told the guys not to touch the exterior bodywork when they did the detailing (apart form to give it a quick wash) and so the only cleaned the alloys, interior and the engine bay. For this, they charged me only 250aed, as opposed to 650aed, which is the cost including the bodywork. I must say that, in my opinion, they've done a great job, i'm really pleased. The engine bay (i will post pictures tonight) is immaculate, not just on the surface and parts you can see, but in every nook and cranny. I've had my fingers in there and 98% of the surfaces are gleaming, and only in the "very hard to reach parts" does there remain a tiny amount of grime. The alloy wheels are immaculate, though to be honest i do need them refurbished because there some funny stains on there that just won't shift...i think it's from when they put the new tyres on, some liquid or paste got on the rims, dried, attracted a load of dust and crap and i just can't get it off at all. But like i say, they've done a great job with the alloys, even running my fingers round the back of the rim shows no brake dust so they've been very thorough.

The interior is looking great, but then again, it was looking great before it went in there. It's hard to assess how good a job X have done. The leatehr has obviously been cleaned and polished (or whatever). It's glowing a slightly brighter shade of red now and it squeeks when you sit down! The dash and consoles are all very clean, but no cleaner really than if you were to spend 20 minutes doing it yourself. I mean, how well can you clean a bit of plastic?

Like i said, i only had the engine, wheels and interior done because of concerns about threament of the bodywork. For 250aed, this is a steal...i'd happliy have paid that for the engine bay alone.

Sorry for the slightly limp review, but i'm just a layman really, a simple fellow. I can't spot the intricate differences that ghoonk can (can anyone?!?!) but i am able to understand what i think is a good job, and what represents value for money to the average man. To sum up,

PS - one downside i just remembered. They called me at around 1pm to say that the car was finished and ready for collection. Of course, X don't have a proper car park, just a sandy/dusty bit of land in front of the shop. My car sat on in that area from 1-5pm, and of course by the time i collected it the bodywork was thick with dust and exhaust fumes from the Al Quos traffic! Not really X's fault, and not a major issue, but still annoying all the same.

[SSense]

Castrol Edge 10W 60 is the right oil for M cars and NOT Edge Sport ! How come they used Edge Sport for your engine

[the eldest boy]

Erm, :dunno:

Is that "bad" or just "not as good"?