Understeer in E46, is something wrong?

  • Thread starter Thread starter NVP
  • Start date Start date
NVP said:
Hmmm... after a quick google reading up on KDS I'm think £110 isn't too bad a price to pay. May just ask them to do it so I can be sure that my tracking and everything is legit once again.
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I got a full four wheel alignment a couple of weeks after i got mine - cost around 90 quid i think. Definitely worth it for peace of mind - even though i didn't really feel much difference.
 
Was that from BMW or somewhere else? Was it with a Hunter? It seems Hunter machines are to the BMW spec (or BMW use Hunter machines themselves). Yeah I think I'll just pay the £110, as the saying goes "you can't put a price on peace of mind".

(Not sure if that's a saying or a song or whatever but it makes a good point)
 
So they kept it overnight to do the alignment and have just performed the MOT... it failed :(

They say my rear tyres are illegal too even thought the tyre place who changed my fronts said they were fine.

They said not only do my front brake pads need changing but also my rears and both sets of discs as the discs are on their minimun wear :confused:

They also said my power steering fluid needs topping up and i need another litre of oil?!! Considering I just had inspection II a couple months ago I can't see how they could have become low already?! :confused:

I feel like I am getting scammed as the tyres should be OK and the discs seem fine as braking is exactly as it has always been, or is my ignorance biasing my opinion?

Looks like it's going to be an expensive month for my car :(
 
So you need 2 x rear discs, 2 x rear pads, 1 x front pads and 2 x new rear tyres?

Have you had a look at these yourself? Are they in need of replacement?

BTW, your engine uses *about* a litre of oil every 1000-2000 miles - which is normally about....2 months driving.
 
Rear tyres looked fine to me but as we have seen previously my observation skills aren't that great. The guy who replaced my fronts said the backs were legal though, and that was only a week ago.

The front pads definitly need replacing as even the tyre guy told me they were very minimal. I have not checked the rears or any discs but I have a feeling my rear pads could need replacing judging by the wear of the fronts.
 
Ok, so chances are you do need all of this working doing...

P.s. post a close up picture up of both of your rear tyres and we'll decide :D
 
NVP said:
They say my rear tyres are illegal too even thought the tyre place who changed my fronts said they were fine.
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The law is very specific about tyre wear and MOT testing stations have a triangle shaped device to measure the tread rather than a quick visual inspection. It is unlikely therefore that they are legal and have been failed anyway. That said, if your tyres are worn to the extent that there is confusion as to whether they are legal, its time for new tyres anyway, surely?

They said not only do my front brake pads need changing but also my rears and both sets of discs as the discs are on their minimun wear :confused:
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If they've actually failed the car on the MOT for this rather than simply whacking it down as an advisory or a recommendation I'd be inclined to think perhaps they are right.

They also said my power steering fluid needs topping up and i need another litre of oil?!! Considering I just had inspection II a couple months ago I can't see how they could have become low already?! :confused:
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You will have a PAS fluid leak somewhere I imagine, probably from the base of the reservoir. As for oil, M54 engines use oil - some as much as a litre every 1000 miles. It is therefore entirely possible it needs topping up a couple of months after a service.

I feel like I am getting scammed as the tyres should be OK and the discs seem fine as braking is exactly as it has always been, or is my ignorance biasing my opinion?
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If it makes you feel better then get a second opinion but even the dodgiest of MOT centres wont fail a car for illegal tyres if they have stacks of tread left, perhaps they are slightly overzealous but that doesnt change the fact it needs new tyres.

Looks like it's going to be an expensive month for my car :(
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Thats the thing with these. People don't realise how quickly the bits and bobs add up. Mine is costing me a grand next month as well, sigh.
 
they must be down to the steel belts then. steel belts dont offer a lot of friction on UK roads. (FACT: proven by this thread)
 
they must be down to the belts if its time to change as its only a small woopsie to let them get that far from what weve seen in this thread
 
Thanks for the advice guys, I have asked them to change the brake discs and pads and top up the steering fluid, I will top up the oil myself.

Tyres, they only have RE040s at £200 each but I can get RE050As fitted for £180 each so they've said take it today, fit them over the weekend and bring it back for a free MOT re-test early next week which should work out ok for me. :)

So basically it's £428 for all pads n discs, £54 for the MOT, £110 for the KDS and £10 for power steering fluid. Then 2x £180 for the tyres somewhere else... At least my car will feel like new after all of this :D


I was suspicious about the power steering before this as I could hear a slight hissing sound while the car is stationary but the sound stopped when I turned the steering wheel which lead me to suspect there was a leak of some sort but I wasn't really sure. What's the best action to take to resolve this issue? Find a decent indie to fix it up? Or get BMW to sort it now? Should it have been picked up during Insp. II?
 
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