I didn't post this before but anyway consider this a public service announcement.
Please, PLEASE have your connecting rod bearings checked on your next service.
At worst you'll see that they're fine and no harm done, only some extra labour costs... If not fine you'll probably be saved loads of grief by having it fixed before it causes more damage like mine did..
Some history. My M Coupe is a UK bought BMW Approved Used 2006 car which I purchased in 2009 with 24-25000 miles and subsequently imported to CY. It's now on about 65-66000 miles, has had all the necessary services and in fact has had them more frequently than strictly required during my ownership as I used to track the car about 3-4 times a year and generally took it on plenty of spirited drives. It has caused me several (unrelated) problems so far but I didn't mind that much. I always paid whatever necessary to have it in 100% condition as soon as something bad happened.
In mid July of this year I took it in for some minor problems, I wanted the brakes re-bled because I felt the brake pedal a bit spongy after the brake master cylinder replacement in early June (one of the problems mentioned earlier) and because my passenger side mirror (the glass part) fell off and I wanted it stuck back on properly!
It was in there for a couple of weeks because I was unable to pick it up due to work and other commitments, anyway I picked the car up from the shop, they didn't even charge me for the trouble as I'd brought in my own brake fluid, and headed back home. 30 minutes of perfectly normal highway driving later I came to a large tunnel. Me being me I decided to make a pull to high revs to hear that glorious straight six bounce off the tunnel walls. I rev-match down to 2nd gear and floor it. 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 RPM then hit a soft limiter at 6500! That's odd I thought! All of a sudden the engine started sounding very gruff and the engine response went out the window, then loud mechanical engine noises started coming out of the front... Damn... There was a highway exit just then and I stopped to call the mechanic.. I then very slowly made my way back to the garage and it's been there since.
The reason for such a long wait for the diagnose is a combination of the traditional summer holiday season in Cyprus being July/August (there's also a public holiday in mid August) and because my mechanic was right in the process of moving to larger premises...
Anyway they checked it out a couple of days ago and then gave me the bad news. Some of the rod bearings have spun and damaged both the rods and the crankshaft beyond salvaging. He said that the problem must've been going on for some time but we all missed it because the bearings never made any noise before, that because it was a 2006 car (in 2004 there was a bearings recall) he thought it didn't go through bearings as the earlier engines and because we always looked after it so good (frequent oil changes etc) he'd never thought that it would just go like that... I asked if the running of the car after the problem appeared (those 30-40min it took to get it back to him) is what made it unsalvageable and he said no. They told me that usually on cars with scored crankshafts they grind/polish the crankshaft down as necessary to smooth and even it and then fit 0.25mm (correct this?) oversized rod bearings. My crank is too scored for this, they brought in the turner and he measured with a micrometer and said they cant do it on mine.
The options they gave me are: 1) get new crankshaft, connecting rods (BMW sells them as a kit of all six), new rod bearings and bolts. 2) get used crankshaft which we won't know if it'll fit with oversized bearings or not unless it's here to be measured, used rods, new oversized or not bearings and bolts. 3) get a used engine and refurbish it with new bearings and bolts.
Option 1 will cost more than €5000, hence it's out of the question. Options 2 and 3 am now in the process of researching.. I've found a used crankshaft and rods on eBay and have asked my mechanic to check out the ads and tell me his opinion. He's also found a couple of possibilities for engines to buy and are waiting on the price/availability etc.
Basically my engine is fucked and must now pay a shitload of money to fix it.
TLDR version (Too Long Didn't Read)
2006 car with 66000 miles, some track driving, spun bearings all of sudden with damaged rods and crankshaft. Costs a bunch to fix. GET YOURS CHECKED!!
Please, PLEASE have your connecting rod bearings checked on your next service.
At worst you'll see that they're fine and no harm done, only some extra labour costs... If not fine you'll probably be saved loads of grief by having it fixed before it causes more damage like mine did..
Some history. My M Coupe is a UK bought BMW Approved Used 2006 car which I purchased in 2009 with 24-25000 miles and subsequently imported to CY. It's now on about 65-66000 miles, has had all the necessary services and in fact has had them more frequently than strictly required during my ownership as I used to track the car about 3-4 times a year and generally took it on plenty of spirited drives. It has caused me several (unrelated) problems so far but I didn't mind that much. I always paid whatever necessary to have it in 100% condition as soon as something bad happened.
In mid July of this year I took it in for some minor problems, I wanted the brakes re-bled because I felt the brake pedal a bit spongy after the brake master cylinder replacement in early June (one of the problems mentioned earlier) and because my passenger side mirror (the glass part) fell off and I wanted it stuck back on properly!
It was in there for a couple of weeks because I was unable to pick it up due to work and other commitments, anyway I picked the car up from the shop, they didn't even charge me for the trouble as I'd brought in my own brake fluid, and headed back home. 30 minutes of perfectly normal highway driving later I came to a large tunnel. Me being me I decided to make a pull to high revs to hear that glorious straight six bounce off the tunnel walls. I rev-match down to 2nd gear and floor it. 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 RPM then hit a soft limiter at 6500! That's odd I thought! All of a sudden the engine started sounding very gruff and the engine response went out the window, then loud mechanical engine noises started coming out of the front... Damn... There was a highway exit just then and I stopped to call the mechanic.. I then very slowly made my way back to the garage and it's been there since.
The reason for such a long wait for the diagnose is a combination of the traditional summer holiday season in Cyprus being July/August (there's also a public holiday in mid August) and because my mechanic was right in the process of moving to larger premises...
Anyway they checked it out a couple of days ago and then gave me the bad news. Some of the rod bearings have spun and damaged both the rods and the crankshaft beyond salvaging. He said that the problem must've been going on for some time but we all missed it because the bearings never made any noise before, that because it was a 2006 car (in 2004 there was a bearings recall) he thought it didn't go through bearings as the earlier engines and because we always looked after it so good (frequent oil changes etc) he'd never thought that it would just go like that... I asked if the running of the car after the problem appeared (those 30-40min it took to get it back to him) is what made it unsalvageable and he said no. They told me that usually on cars with scored crankshafts they grind/polish the crankshaft down as necessary to smooth and even it and then fit 0.25mm (correct this?) oversized rod bearings. My crank is too scored for this, they brought in the turner and he measured with a micrometer and said they cant do it on mine.
The options they gave me are: 1) get new crankshaft, connecting rods (BMW sells them as a kit of all six), new rod bearings and bolts. 2) get used crankshaft which we won't know if it'll fit with oversized bearings or not unless it's here to be measured, used rods, new oversized or not bearings and bolts. 3) get a used engine and refurbish it with new bearings and bolts.
Option 1 will cost more than €5000, hence it's out of the question. Options 2 and 3 am now in the process of researching.. I've found a used crankshaft and rods on eBay and have asked my mechanic to check out the ads and tell me his opinion. He's also found a couple of possibilities for engines to buy and are waiting on the price/availability etc.
Basically my engine is fucked and must now pay a shitload of money to fix it.
TLDR version (Too Long Didn't Read)
2006 car with 66000 miles, some track driving, spun bearings all of sudden with damaged rods and crankshaft. Costs a bunch to fix. GET YOURS CHECKED!!
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