subframe failures: master techs, please help!

[peterkulesza]

guys:

recent article in the roundel (about the turner motorsports 330ipp) highlighted the subframe problems. i have done my investigations, and indeed they are COMMON.

this is shit, obviously. the roundel article indicated that there is an epoxy foam quick fix for this, and that there has been a service bulletin issued to dealers.

well, i called 5 of them in maryland, and they say they know nothing. i strongly suspect that i am being snowed by folks who think balljoints are a household appliance.

master techs: please help, perhaps a pdf of the bulletin??

peter

[zibby]

So you saying , you got something like that ?

[miztuhdan]

Please do a search. There was a great post about subframe issues on this forum and in this category.

[peterkulesza]

i did do a search. all it reveals (from this forum), is what we know already, that the cars break.

we need a copy of the bulletin. then we can pursue this more aggressively.

my car is fine so far, but according to my investigations:

1. subframes break in all manner, such that there is no evidence of specific a "weak-spot".
2. they break on cars as new as 25,000 miles. no pattern there either.
3. there also seems to be no relation to track time.

since the roundel claims there is a very easy fix, i want to do this prophylactically, even if bmw will not reimburse me. i think a catastrophic subframe failure at 90 mph can cost me my life.

pk

[miztuhdan]

Yeah I should get mine checked soon

[peterkulesza]

yeah, if it is broken (unlikely, you WOULD know), bmw will fix it.

otherwise, the problem though is:

the turner motorsports reinforcement kit is free (like $100 or something). to do the instal, takes about 15 hours if you hit no snages, so $2000 minimum.

the epoxide shit likely takes 15 minutes, and 24 hours to harden. epoxide resin itself is probably $30, max. only thing is, i do not know who can do it yet. zibby?? anyone??

[AZ325Ci]

if you do not have subframe damage yet, I would recommend getting the Subframe reinforcement kit from Turner.

Yes, BMW will repair it for you, if you are still under warranty. There have been several reports from other BMW owners that because they were out of warranty, they had to fork up the cost. You can try and get BMWNA involved, some have been successful and some haven't.