MOT - with advisories :(

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idej_z4

Senior member
I decided to take my E86 to Peter Van De Veer for my MOT - they are a local(ish) BMW specialist after asking them 'do YOU do MOTs'.

At 3pm today I rang them to see how it was going...they informed me that car was down at the MOT garage...so they don't do MOTs, somebody else does them for them.

When they came back to me, he said it had 2 advisories for the bushes and arms on both sides at the front. I was aware from my recent wheel alignment that they were not great so this wasn't a surprise. I asked them the cost to get it fixed. They said that the arms had gone as well so they would need full replacements. The cost, £500. I told them I would need to go on the forum and check before I had the work done - after that he started to change his story. He said, 'well you only need the full arms because the bushes are just as much cost to get them off as new arms'.

Now, I'm no expert, but the bushes are about £40 each so how they could cost nearly £400 in labour to replace I do not know.

When I read the MOT certificate it actually says 'bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive moment' - which says to me they're not great but don't necessarily needing replacing.

I also have a squeaky back brake which I asked them to look into. The response I got was this: 'we can't see anything wrong with them, but they're just cheap brakes and discs - to get rid of the squeak you'll have to replace all 4 discs and put new pads on all of them, which will cost £700'. Firstly I've never heard of squeaky brakes costing £700 to fix - plus I can get some drilled ones and decent pads for less than that!

Anyway, not really happy with my experience.

I am aware that the bushes need replacing, and I might as well do the arms at the same time. So my question is, how much should I expect to be paying for the kit (seen one on eBay for around £240) and can anyone help me replace them? I've seen on YouTube its not a massive job, but I would just like to do it with someone who has done it before. Either that, or can anyone recommend a local garage who won't rip me off.

Thanks in advance!
 
Sounds like a load of shite, go somewhere else for a second opinion. Ask if they do mots on site, theyll have a registered mot certificate in the office with names of approved testers.
 
I would imagine he's talking about the labour costing about as much. I.e once the bushes are off it's about the same labour to whip the arms off, so if they need doing then you may as well. Although that shouldn't mean you just do them irrespective of condition :roll: I was quoted £500 for bushes and arms supply and fit which I thought (regrettably) sounded about right. I chose to decline the offer as I had no symptoms leading me to replace them (was detected during insp 2).

Squeaky brakes might just need a strip, clean and copper grease. Wouldn't buy the new brake claim at all, unless there is obvious scoring.

If you do need them, I think I got my brembo brakes for around £300 for the complete set and was £200ish to fit from memory, maybe £150. It was low enough for me not to give my weekend up for. But I just took it to any old MOT station. Make sure whoever does it properly adjusts the handbrake.
 
Marc-j said:
I would imagine he's talking about the labour costing about as much. I.e once the bushes are off it's about the same labour to whip the arms off, so if they need doing then you may as well. Although that shouldn't mean you just do them irrespective of condition :roll: I was quoted £500 for bushes and arms supply and fit which I thought (regrettably) sounded about right. I chose to decline the offer as I had no symptoms leading me to replace them (was detected during insp 2).

Squeaky brakes might just need a strip, clean and copper grease. Wouldn't buy the new brake claim at all, unless there is obvious scoring.

If you do need them, I think I got my brembo brakes for around £300 for the complete set and was £200ish to fit from memory, maybe £150. It was low enough for me not to give my weekend up for. But I just took it to any old MOT station. Make sure whoever does it properly adjusts the handbrake.
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Thanks for this. Have you not had your bushes done then? It's the front rears I need doing so going to take to my local garage and ask them for a cost just to do the bushes.
 
I haven't had the bushes done. Like I said I don't feel any symptoms which would help justify that £500 spend to me :rofl: it's not an easy job to do on the drive though, the hub can be very difficult to separate from the arm. Even the lollipop bushes can be challenging, check out this link http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/BMW_Z4M/119-SUSPEN-Front_Control_Arm_Bushing/119-SUSPEN-Front_Control_Arm_Bushing.htm which also contains many other great how to's
 
Bushes sounds expensive. In fact it all sounds expensive.

The advisory sounds like just an advisory. I don't think it's a show stopper. Was it a fail??

I'd just replace the whole arm for what it's worth. Meyle are well known ones. Buy and get an indie to fit (I couldn't be bothered trying to get the Zed in the air to fit myself).

For the discs and pads? Don't think they need doing. They're not excessively worn (disc or pad) otherwise would have been flagged in MOT. When you say its squeaky, under what circumstances? Maybe handbrake cable needs adjusting? Or new handbrake shoes? (Not that these actually wear out enough to warrant replacing, but may be attributing to the squeak?)
 
kis said:
Bushes sounds expensive. In fact it all sounds expensive.

The advisory sounds like just an advisory. I don't think it's a show stopper. Was it a fail??

I'd just replace the whole arm for what it's worth. Meyle are well known ones. Buy and get an indie to fit (I couldn't be bothered trying to get the Zed in the air to fit myself).

For the discs and pads? Don't think they need doing. They're not excessively worn (disc or pad) otherwise would have been flagged in MOT. When you say its squeaky, under what circumstances? Maybe handbrake cable needs adjusting? Or new handbrake shoes? (Not that these actually wear out enough to warrant replacing, but may be attributing to the squeak?)
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Thanks for this. A couple of really interesting thoughts. On the bushes it wasnt a fail, in fact, testing It myself and there is only a small amount of play. The urgency to get them done would only be if I was selling which I'm not.

On the brakes...when I'm driving with the window down it sounds like the brakes are rubbing on the discs. A bit like when a mountain bike brakes run on the rim of the wheel - could this be my handbrake? TBH my handbrake isn't great, but I always thought that was a 'feature' of owning a Z.
 
Marc-j said:
I haven't had the bushes done. Like I said I don't feel any symptoms which would help justify that £500 spend to me :rofl: it's not an easy job to do on the drive though, the hub can be very difficult to separate from the arm. Even the lollipop bushes can be challenging, check out this link http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/BMW_Z4M/119-SUSPEN-Front_Control_Arm_Bushing/119-SUSPEN-Front_Control_Arm_Bushing.htm which also contains many other great how to's
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Thanks for the links :)
 
So replace bushes / arms at your leisure over summer.

For squeak maybe it's the dust shield? A lot of them corrode? Then rub?
Alternatively I'd take the brakes apart and chamfer the edges of he pads. Also some crap pads never come with backing. I can't remember what the technical term is but effectively it's a bit of rubber which keeps the pad firmly seated in the brake, so it doesn't wobble about. I've heard this helps with brake squeaks? Then when re installing apply a coat of copper grease.

I'd go down that route before spending bucks on new discs and pads all round.
 
Its a £250ish job all in at a half decent indy , i had the same done on my first E86
Parts similar to these iirc
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUSPENSION-CONTROL-ARM-SET-KIT-LINKS-BMW-3-SERIES-E46-Z4-E85-FRONT-AXLE-NEW-/111248610217?hash=item19e6ef13a9:g:8MwAAOSw-0xYae8w

I have heard good things about that indy but it seems if the bad guys don't get you , the good guys will :cry:
 
mr wilks said:
Its a £250ish job all in at a half decent indy , i had the same done on my first E86
Parts similar to these iirc
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUSPENSION-CONTROL-ARM-SET-KIT-LINKS-BMW-3-SERIES-E46-Z4-E85-FRONT-AXLE-NEW-/111248610217?hash=item19e6ef13a9:g:8MwAAOSw-0xYae8w

I have heard good things about that indy but it seems if the bad guys don't get you , the good guys will :cry:
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Maybe they just see me coming. :wink: thanks for the link BTW.
 
My front arms were advisories for two years, finally got them done this year. Steering less twitchy at speed now.
 
I charge far less than 250 for this job! Quite straightforward tbh.
Strip and clean rear brakes, including handbrake shoes. Should sort that squeak out.
Don't pay stupid money for these jobs.

Andy.
 
andyfanshawe said:
I charge far less than 250 for this job! Quite straightforward tbh.
Strip and clean rear brakes, including handbrake shoes. Should sort that squeak out.
Don't pay stupid money for these jobs.

Andy.
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I see you're in Chesterfield Andy (which is around an hour away from me). When you say you charge far less than £250 for the job, do you mean the bushes or the brakes? I might be interested in bringing it over some time.
 
dhobbs said:
My front arms were advisories for two years, finally got them done this year. Steering less twitchy at speed now.
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Interesting...wasn't aware you could have advisories over 2 MOTs. I don't really have any issues with twitchiness at speed. Only time I notice it is when I brake really (really) hard at speed it feels a bit wobbly.
 
Like anything I guess, you can reduce the cost by buying cheaper parts. A single half decent control arm will set you back around £100. The lollipop bushes £50ish each I think. Considering the impact suspension has on drivability and if yours has the M sport suspension I would personally avoid the cheaper end of the market.
 
idej_jedi said:
Interesting...wasn't aware you could have advisories over 2 MOTs.
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Can have advisories over multiple MOTs.

After all, some cars on here will only cover a few thousand miles a year, so things like 'surface corrosion on brake discs' will be there every year unless they do some decent braking to clear them off just before the MOT :poke:
 
Marc-j said:
Like anything I guess, you can reduce the cost by buying cheaper parts. A single half decent control arm will set you back around £100. The lollipop bushes £50ish each I think. Considering the impact suspension has on drivability and if yours has the M sport suspension I would personally avoid the cheaper end of the market.
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Cheaper than that, got a set of Meyle HD control arms, lollipop bushes (pre-fit to the new wishbones too, to save a job) and drop links in a set from eBay for £205.

Seems Meyle and Lemforder are the two brands recommended for this sort of thing, too?

Even got two Meyle hats thrown in the box too :rofl:
 
idej_jedi said:
dhobbs said:
My front arms were advisories for two years, finally got them done this year. Steering less twitchy at speed now.
Click to expand...

Interesting...wasn't aware you could have advisories over 2 MOTs. I don't really have any issues with twitchiness at speed. Only time I notice it is when I brake really (really) hard at speed it feels a bit wobbly.
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I do 10,000 miles a year and they still just issued an advisory. 3rd year I didn't take a chance and got them done.
 
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