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HELP!! I think im being played by my mechanic!

11K views 53 replies 26 participants last post by  Lestat_ 
#1 ·
Alright guys and girls here is the story, last week I went to the drag strip with my E46 M3, during one of my passes something broke on the rear on the car. It turns out a mount bolt broke, but the car was also making some funny noises and wasent driving right. Well the past few days I have been dropping by the shop I towed the car to to check up on it and see the progress. Well yesterday I dropped by and I was told the bolt was fixed and to take it for a drive, ok I said.

I get into the car and start it, it immediately dies. I start it again and it dies right away again. This isnt right, the car has never done this to me before. Mechanic tells me start it again and give it some gas, it stayed running but was running VERY, VERY rough. Sounded like it was misfiring and cutting in and out. The car could not revv, my foot could be flat to the floor and it would not revv higher than 2000 or so RPM. I told him I refuse to drive the car like this because when I towed the car to the shop it was running smooth, has never died on me. Mechanic tells me its only because the car is on a cold start, I respond to him that cannot be the case. I have let the car sit for days at a time, start it and go with no problems. Hell even before I had it towed to the shop the car was sitting in my cold gargae for 5 straight days and when I started it to move it out of the garage to get towed it still ran smooth as butter. No trouble staying running, has never died, never was misfiring, was always smooth. He tells me its only running like that because they reset the cars computer and it was relearning itself. The car continues to stay running like that so he plugs a computer scanner into the car to see whats going on. Tells me that the O2 sensor codes are comming up and to let him get the car in the air to see whats going on and that he will call me. I tell him check the axel shaft because I thought maybe thats where the rear end noise is comming from. I never recieved a call so about a 1/2 hr before they closed up for the day I called them to get the progress. I was told they were not able to go over the car again and to check back tommorow.

So fast foward til tommorow which is now today, about 15 mins ago. I go by the shop and was told they still have not diagnosed the rear end problem, but have discovered that my car needed O2 sensors and he went ahead and ordered them in. I keep repeating myself over and over, the car has never ran that rough, has never misfired, car has never ran rough. I tell him again and again, I cannot see how all of a sudden since I dropped the car there that it needs new O2s. That was not an issue what-so-ever going into the shop, now that its there convienitly I need O2s?? This seemed to kind of annoy the mechanic abit, he tells me that they are computer controlled cars and that it is very possible that all of a sudden the O2s both did fail simitaniously. That they did nothing to cause it, that it must of just "happened." He was comparing it to buying a TV, saying how one day it will work then all of a sudden it can just stop working. I keep on my story and telling him the car did not need O2s going in for repair, that I needed a rear end issue fixed, now that its there under their care the car is running like total and complete ****, I did not cause this. He tells me again and again that its just a coincidence that it just happened while under their care, that they did nothing to cause it. Also that if I keep comming at him like that to just take the car and get it towed somewhere else that he doesnt want my business. I apologize and tell him he just has to see where im comming from, that this is a new, (and surely not cheap issues) that just so happened to come up after the car was dropped there.


Soooooo what do I do???? I feel like I am being played and dont know how to properly handle this situation, please guys give me some ANSWERS!!!
 
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#2 ·
Alright heres an update:

The rear end related noise is from a blown axelshaft, $400-500.

The O2 sensors, $170 EACH?!?!? Gimmi a break wait til I get this bill I am going to refuse to pay on those O2s, THE CAR DID NOT NEED THEM WHEN I BROUGHT IT THERE. I did not ask him to reset the computer, I did not ask him to mess with the O2s, I did not ask him to order in new O2s.

Only things I asked to have done were to fix the rear end problem, and get the light that came on the dash after it broke cleared. Thats it.
 
#3 ·
BOTTOM LINE IS, CAR WENT IN FOR REPAIR WITH A REAR PROBLEM AND A RED ! ON THE DASH, THAT IS ALL.

Upon checking on the progress of the car it was discovered by me that it was running like complete ****, it could not be driven, it barely wanted to stay running. THIS IS NOT A RESULT OF WHAT IT WAS TOWED THERE FOR. The car had NEVER been like this EVER anytime I started or drove it. Within 2 days of being under their "care" the car now runs like trash and I am on the line for these additional repairs that were not originally needed. Mechanic tried to play it off as a coincidence, that stuff like that just happens with these cars. Nothing he did caused it.

Very shady to me again because what are the chances that this just so "happened" coincidentially. Noone has ever touched under the car in my ownership until I brought it to the repair shop. That is the very first time a mechanic has had his hands and head under my car aside from a pre purchase inspection before I bought it.

VERY VERY strange to me how this just "happened" after car was brought there and they attempted to work on it, because Gods honest truth it was nothing like that upon dropping it off....now im supposed to pay an additional $350 ontop of whatever else needs fixing??? Something shady is going on here..
 
#4 · (Edited)
It's a hostage situation. Just pay up if the ransom is not too high. The misfire was just a spark plug or ignition coil that they either messed with or died. The longer you leave the car with them, the more sh*t they can do to it. Unless you are planning to send the lawyers in, I suggest you get the hostage out ASAP. Cheap electronic/eletrical sensor/parts supplied by a typical joe blow's garage will be bad for you as BMW's required BMW parts to work correctly.
 
#11 ·
The shop that my car is at is Euro Tech in Pen Argyl, PA. The light on my dash that was on was what I came to find out the tire pressure sensor. The "horseshoe with an !" on the lower right hand corner of the dashboard. That light can be manually turned on and off with the DSC button and Sport mode button, on that column.

The car was broken when I towed it to the shop, but it ran butter smooth. No hesitations, no trouble starting and running, no problem revving. This started happening 2 days after I dropped the car at Euro Tech and went to check up on it.


I hear MAF's in these cars go all the time....do you think he may have messed with that and is trying to con me into new O2s??? Believe me when I say it was not like this upon dropping off, not the slightest bit.
 
#14 ·
I'm a little confused...you drag raced the car and broke a mount...but it also was running poorly at that point?

Not knowing anything at all about your level of maintenance, it's certainly possible that the racing that broke some mount bolt (you know which one?) might have done other things.

But, I understand your skepticism about the O2 sensors, so me...I think I would have just asked them to hold on that for a bit while you check things out with your internet friends.

Get codes read by this mech and to get your car back...am thinking you should just tell him you don't have any money...and need to save up and work on it yourself.

Then, get codes, report back...and start searching regionals for recommended mechanic.

He may not be as much playing you as not as smart as you'd like a mechanic to be...or he may be and you may be wrong. Something might have happened coincidental to the race...and you said that something was funny with it otherwise. The mechanic was supposed to find something wrong with it besides the bolt...or no?

Anyway...could just be an SAP hose...maybe somehow got loose? An incident that caused a bolt to break, might have had other consequences in the rear like with gas...kinked feed from tank? Sounds fuel related...so I'd start with good flashlight...and if your car starts and stays running...I think it's best to drive it out of there...coz it sounds like you already showed signs of lack of trust to him...rightfully or not...so you really don't want this guy working on your car, I'm afraid...think you know that.

You don't happen to have a Peake code reader, do you?

Oh, also, is drag racing something you do all the time...or was this a first? Are you missing a cylinder, or just overall crappy running?

Your car may very well have had O2 codes, just because of something else.

Oh, and best two little tricks around...disconnect battery for a half an hour...less might work (I'd heard 5 mins from some around here)...and try just resetting things to life off the drag strip again...and if no joy from that...disconnect the maf and see if car runs smoother. If it does, then clean maf...and through away your oiled aftermarket filter that maybe you'd freshly cleaned for the race, but maybe a little too aggressive with the oil or something? Not casting stones...just theories, OP.

I don't know that you have as much cause for your suspicion as you do...and I'm a particularly suspicious person myself! Any one of the guys above that tried to help with a guess might be right, so you could take car and just replace the plugs and coils as someone guessed might be the cause...or get car, get codes, clear codes, drive car, get codes...report here...some here know tons...actually amazing what some fanatics bring to the table!

Doug
 
#16 ·
There was a guy who posted a video a while back about his experance at the race track with his M3, he wound up blowing an axle too. These cars are NOT meant to be raced. they are high preformance cars known for there great handling & there outrageous high end stablitly & speed on the Autobahn. Hopefully the lesson for you is NOT to drag race.You kind of caused this situation yourself. Pay the guy & consider it an expensive lesson learned.
 
#18 ·
I love getting help from the forums, usually they the people on here are alot more knowledgeable obviously because its strictly for a certain type of car!

Upon drag racing the car it ran flawlessly, the SES light WAS on but has been on since day 1 of my ownership. This was my first time ever drag racing my M3, it broke as I was about to make my 3rd pass down the track. Upon breaking the car still started and ran fine. Was not running rough the slightest bit, I could just visually see something broken under the car. When I tried to drive the car around it made some clunking noises comming from the back which is now determined to be a blown axel.

What broke is pictured here:



It was determined to be bolt # 17 pictured here:

 
#19 ·
After breaking the car the car sat in my cold garage for 5 days, from Wednesday til Monday morning. When the tow truck got to my house I started the car with no problems, it idled fine and was not hesitating.

When I went down to check on my car in the shop 2 days after I dropped the car off is when it was discovered to be running bad.
 
#21 ·
I would ask him to specify what he meant by "reset" the cars computer...was it just that he cleared the SES light? Did he do it with a proper tool or by shorting wires together ?!

Good luck.
 
#23 ·
You've made up your mind that the shop is screwing you, so why bother to ask? The more you post the more plausible it seems to me that the shop is being honest. Based on what I've read, I'd absolutely want to hear the shop's side before jumping to any conclusions.

- You've let the car sit for an extended period of time, you've started it a number of times without warming it up or letting the battery charge. Low voltage could easily cause weird running problems.
- The S54 motor doesn't have hydraulic lifters (if it did, stuck lifters could explain the poor running), but it's not out of the realm of possibility that you've diluted the oil enough to effect compression (and thus running).
- Who knows how many times you or the shop started the car and ran it for a short period of time.
- If the shop broke a MAF, they'd end up losing money by getting you to pay for some new oxygen sensors.
- You admit that the MIL has been on since you've had the car INDICATING A PROBLEM. The code could very easily have been oxygen sensor related, and not related to why the car is running rough... or the car could have adapted to the problem somewhat and is just running rough because the adaptations have been cleared
- You raced the car with the MIL on, not knowing why the MIL is on, and you can't see the harm in doing so? Right.
- The E46 M3 is notorious for poor cold running characteristics. Go look at the Car & Driver long-term review. They have an irrational attraction to the BMW 3 series and STILL whined about having the car repeatably stall on the first start of the day.
- If the shop were trying to rip you off, I'm sure they'd find a way to charge you more than $170 for an oxygen sensor (or two). $170 barely covers the retail cost for *one*, so they weren't likely even charging you labor for that. Maybe they don't know their way around an E46 M3, I dunno.
- You didn't mention which oxygen sensor(s) were replaced.

Look, if I were the tech and I had a customer randomly throwing accusations around like you are I'd push the car into the street and tell the customer to go tow the car elsewhere. That you didn't even own up to having the MIL on at first, and that you raced it with something wrong casts a large shadow of doubt on your credibility as far as I'm concerned.

Doug's right tho, if you don't trust the shop, go elsewhere. Nothing they do will make you happy and everything will be their fault. It won't end well.
 
#24 ·
so, you were drag racing your car. You had a CEL on. They replaced your axle shaft. They checked the cause of your CEL, and it happens to be O2 sensors. Now you're saying that there was no problem with the car other than the CEL and that the CEL couldn't possibly have been caused by the O2 sensors.

huh...
 
#25 ·
Take it to a dealer who can properly diagnose the problem and has worked on your car many many times and knows it inside and out. Since you don't appear to have deep pockets to pay for expensive repairs, let alone a O2 sensor or two, maybe think twice about drag racing. Don't you ever watch Pinks on TV? Cars break when put under tremendous pressure...like drag racing. Hmmm...guessing you are under 30 yrs old.
 
#26 ·
Yes I am under 30 years old, and I dont think you guys are fully hearing my point. I dropped the car off there with a blown axel and the horseshoe ! on the dash. I wanted the axel fixed and that light gone since it came on only after car broke. Even though the axel was blown the car still ran like butter the night it broke and upon dropping it off at the shop, it did not start roughing up until being at the shop a day or 2...and guess what, when it was running rough all those lights were STILL on! So even if they reset the comp, it obviously just made it worse.
 
#29 · (Edited)
Yes I am under 30 years old, and I dont think you guys are fully hearing my point. I dropped the car off there with a blown axle and the horseshoe ! on the dash. I wanted the axle fixed and that light gone since it came on only after car broke. Even though the axle was blown the car still ran like butter the night it broke and upon dropping it off at the shop. It did not start roughing up until being at the shop a day or 2...and guess what, when it was running rough all those lights were STILL on! So even if they reset the comp, it obviously just made it worse.
I don't think you're getting our point: you drove the piss out of your car with the MIL on, broke something, didn't drive it for a while, took it to the shop, and now it's not running well.

That's not enough to conclude that the shop is ripping you off, but there's certainly enough evidence to conclude you *may* have ****ed something up yourself.

Edit: fixed the quote.
 
#27 ·
Op, your car was running great until u dragged, broke axle n had it towed. I understand u don't want to think that using your car as dragster had anything to do with it, but u see why some of us think maybe your use of car had something to do with it? You didn't drive with no axle, so you may have created an issue beyond that, that u were unaware of...just saying.
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