Broken Springs - List (add yourself if you've been affected)

My '07 2.O SE has just had its first MOT today (30k) Failed miserably - both rear springs gone and leaking exhaust manifold. Fortunately both replaced under warranty.
Car still with dealer and dismantled due to clutch judder I have recently noticed. Dealer has sent report to BMW so awaiting to see if this problem will also be covered under warranty - here's hoping! To be continued............... And I'm missing my 100% reliable MR2!

And the result..........clutch replaced by dealer under warranty. Hopefully this problem was caused by the previous owner and not down to poor build/ design. Time will tell :?
 
Both my rear springs were found to be broken when the car was serviced last week. £164 for the relacement springs from BMW. Z4 3.0i 2003/53 60400 Miles.
 
replaced both rear coils a few weeks ago
2004 3.0i 66k
one spring was detected broken ,when replacing both i found the other one broken too this onen had been broken for a while longer!

NOW TRYING TO GET BMW REFUND SOME OF THE COSTS .

i think they should as this is indeed a well known problem with te z and other models.
 
:trampoline:

:o

Ha ha, Me too! '03 2.5, N/S/R one went sometime before MOT yesterday at 16800 miles! -Is that a record?

Just got it replaced by local Indy -£120 incl. fitting. Just waiting for the N/S one to go now........

Aren't us drivers of older cars just wasting time trying to get compen from BMW?

How many broken springs on here now? Anyone add up?
 
Me too, offside only at 37,000 miles.
My understanding is that this has become a frequent problem because the lower end of the spring is no longer flattened off to allow the spring to sit on the entire final turn. As a consequence load is borne by only the spring tip, increasing stresses within the lower turns of the spring and precipitating early failure. Clearly this is a design flaw, but unfortunately one which is common to many European car manufacturers. BMW suggested to me that the rear springs should be regarded as "consumable items" comparable with discs and pads.
 
54000km on the clock and still have original springs. Starting to think I don't drive my Zed hard enough :driving:
(that or they are broken and im too dumb to realise)
 
Autoazure
2003 3.0 Roadster at 55K OSR spring required replacement. This is apparently a common with most vehicles these days due to the increase in traffic calming measures - fault certainly not restricted to the Z4. Happens to mercs as well!
 
Gremlin500 said:
:trampoline:

:o

Ha ha, Me too! '03 2.5, N/S/R one went sometime before MOT yesterday at 16800 miles! -Is that a record?

Just got it replaced by local Indy -£120 incl. fitting. Just waiting for the N/S one to go now........

Aren't us drivers of older cars just wasting time trying to get compen from BMW?

How many broken springs on here now? Anyone add up?
Click to expand...

B*gger! never thought I'd be quoting myself on here! the other side just went two weeks later!

As a qualified mechanical engineer, I am very interested, not to say concerned about this and the implications for road safety.

QUESTION (Assuming other makes dont have the same degree of problems as BMW re volume of broken springs)

What is the relationship between run flat tyres and broken springs?

i.e. could it be the spring stresses were made in error using a calculation originally made for non-RFT tyres, but now with much stiffer sidewalls, the springs are being overstressed? Clearly the springs are either inferior quality, or being overstressed. 2 failures at less than 17000 miles in a car driven mostly in city driving by 2 female owners is laughable, never mind ultimate driving machine.

Any response from BMW?


:x
 
Gremlin500 said:
....As a qualified mechanical engineer.....
Click to expand...

Gremlin500, look at the pic that Z4//MMY posted earlier in this thread and tell me what you think? From my wandering the various forums, it appears that failed springs are much more common in regions that are generally cold/wet compared to those that are dry/warm. Z4//MMY's picture shows how the spring's cross-section narrows on one side. I wonder if corrosion in this thin area develops stress risers which ultimately result in the spring's failure. It seems that most if not all failures appear in the same area, a region exposed to gravel/stones sitting in the spring perch. Whatever the reasoning weight/ride quality, this may be a poor design and/or materials problem.
 
Incompatible said:
Gremlin500 said:
....As a qualified mechanical engineer.....
Click to expand...

Gremlin500, look at the pic that Z4//MMY posted earlier in this thread and tell me what you think? From my wandering the various forums, it appears that failed springs are much more common in regions that are generally cold/wet compared to those that are dry/warm. Z4//MMY's picture shows how the spring's cross-section narrows on one side. I wonder if corrosion in this thin area develops stress risers which ultimately result in the spring's failure. It seems that most if not all failures appear in the same area, a region exposed to gravel/stones sitting in the spring perch. Whatever the reasoning weight/ride quality, this may be a poor design and/or materials problem.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, it just looks like fatigue to me, obviously you would need to examine a significant sample to reach a clear verdict, but from what is seen here, they mostly seem to go in the same area at 1-1/2 turns from the bottom, where the spring is protected from flying debris to some extent by the bottom cup. IMHO I don't think so many of us could have been driving around with stones in our springs, and there would tend to be more N/S failures than O/S. Re cold climates I'm not a metallurgist, but some steels do become more brittle at low temperatures, so more prone to failure that's not surprising. Both my springs had no signs of impact damage or external corrosion. Puzzling as to why it doesn't seem to be mileage related though, you would think more miles=more bumps=broken springs.
 
Gremlin500 said:
Hmmm, it just looks like fatigue to me, obviously you would need to examine a significant sample to reach a clear verdict, but from what is seen here, they mostly seem to go in the same area at 1-1/2 turns from the bottom, where the spring is protected from flying debris to some extent by the bottom cup. IMHO I don't think so many of us could have been driving around with stones in our springs, and there would tend to be more N/S failures than O/S. Re cold climates I'm not a metallurgist, but some steels do become more brittle at low temperatures, so more prone to failure that's not surprising. Both my springs had no signs of impact damage or external corrosion. Puzzling as to why it doesn't seem to be mileage related though, you would think more miles=more bumps=broken springs.
Click to expand...
Thanks
 
Incompatible said:
... it appears that failed springs are much more common in regions that are generally cold/wet compared to those that are dry/warm...
Click to expand...
aaawwww sh*t

(he cries out from Manchester) :/
 
drivers side rear having bouth replaced at the same time lucky the car is still under warranty the car is an 03 38k
 
Tweed said:
Incompatible said:
... it appears that failed springs are much more common in regions that are generally cold/wet compared to those that are dry/warm...
Click to expand...
aaawwww sh*t

(he cries out from Manchester) :/
Click to expand...
If you think about it (to make matters worse) :fuelfire: it seems the question really is: When will they break? as opposed to If they will break?
 
add me to the list ....2.5i Z4 2005 at about 20,500 miles replaced OSR spring and garage advised replacing both.......told them to swivel on it just the one thanks, also put my wife on a very strict diet :thumbsup:...............by the way we had just got in the car on a very frozen morning during last winter then CRACK .....I hear tell the springs can be more at risk in frozen weather
 
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