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BMW 5-Series Maintenance and Repair

2734 messages,  Last post on Mar 25, 2013 at 4:00 PM

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What is this discussion about? BMW 5 Series, Electrical, Engine, Sedan, Wagon

    
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Messages Page 221 of 274

#2201 of 2734 control arm bushings cracked & leaking by bluegirl5

Nov 05, 2008 (10:45 am)

I have a 2002 BMW 525i with 24,000 miles. I recently purchased 4 new tires. After the tires were installed I found my steering wheel shaking violently when I went over some holes in the road at very low speeds. It doesn't happen often. I brought my car back to the tire place and after inspection they told me that I had front lower control arm bushings that were cracked & leaking and that I also had leaking rear control arm bushings. My question is how common is this on a low mileage car? Also is it better to get the bushings removed & replaced or the whole arm replaced? Most important is this a safety issue?

#2202 of 2734 Re: control arm bushings cracked & leaking [bluegirl5] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 05, 2008 (4:29 pm)

Replying to: bluegirl5 (Nov 05, 2008 10:45 am)
I don't think a control arm bushing can "leak". That sounds very odd.
 
So you're saying that:
 
a) the car did not shake whatsoever, at any time, prior to the new tires?
 
b) that as soon as the new tires were put on, this violent shaking happened?
 
If that's what you experienced, I think your tire shop doesn't know what they are doing.
 
I'd take it somewhere else to check for a bent wheel, loose lug nuts, or some lift damage.
 
BUT...if the shaking occurred before the new tires, then I'd have to say that these control arm bushings would have to be pretty wiped out to do that....it's plausible but I'd sure get a second opinion on that.
 
Safety? Sure, any violent wheel shake is an immediate safety concern.
 
So you're job is to get some better information, with PROOF that you can see.

#2203 of 2734 Re: control arm bushings cracked & leaking [Mr_Shiftright] by bluegirl5

Nov 05, 2008 (5:07 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Nov 05, 2008 4:29 pm)
No, the car never shook before the tires were changed. It happens only rarely. I just became concerned because it is violent. It's only happened at very slow speeds. What is lift damage? I mainly wanted to find out if other 525 owners have had this experience on a car with low mileage.

#2204 of 2734 Re: control arm bushings cracked & leaking [bluegirl5] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 05, 2008 (5:51 pm)

Replying to: bluegirl5 (Nov 05, 2008 5:07 pm)
Lift damage means that when they lifted the car to change the tires, they put the lift arm in the wrong place and damaged something in the steering or suspension. That's why I'd like someone else to look at it.
 
I think they bent a wheel or something, or maybe there's a tire way way out of balance.
 
It makes no sense that the car would not shake going in to a garage at 9 am and shake violently at 5 pm.
 
Uh-uh. Something is not right here, given what you have presented to us.

#2205 of 2734 Re: control arm bushings cracked & leaking [Mr_Shiftright] by roadburner

Nov 06, 2008 (4:42 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Nov 05, 2008 4:29 pm)
I don't think a control arm bushing can "leak". That sounds very odd.
 
 
Those bushing can leak on an E39, as they are liquid filled. And they can also cause the problems described, though they may not be the culprit in this situation. More than a few owners on the Yahoo E39 group have encountered that exact failure.

#2206 of 2734 Re: control arm bushings cracked & leaking [roadburner] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 06, 2008 (5:34 pm)

Replying to: roadburner (Nov 06, 2008 4:42 pm)
Oh you mean the 'tension strut'? Maybe we are talking about different things here.
 
ANYWAY---if that's what we mean, then a distant bell is going off in my head, you are correct, those things leak and cause a shake if you do some hard braking (was my rememberence of it).
 
But gee, such low miles! I'm surprised, but I don't work on these cars everyday, so...
 
ANYWAY AGAIN -- if that's what we are talking about, then I don't think the car is in danger, no.

#2207 of 2734 Re: control arm bushings cracked & leaking [Mr_Shiftright] by roadburner

Nov 06, 2008 (7:30 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Nov 06, 2008 5:34 pm)
Yes, "tension strut" is the correct term, but almost no one other than BMW techs call them that. I'll bet that the guys at the OP's tire shop think that a tension strut is some kind of dance...

#2208 of 2734 Re: control arm bushings cracked & leaking [roadburner] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 07, 2008 (11:13 am)

Replying to: roadburner (Nov 06, 2008 7:30 pm)
No, no that dance is called the McPherson Strut! You need a kilt to do it properly.

#2209 of 2734 Re: 99 528I overheating? [roadburner] by millsman0511

Nov 11, 2008 (9:08 am)

Replying to: roadburner (Nov 05, 2008 1:29 pm)
Would that (not bleeding the system right?) cause the coolant level to change or go down? I can tell when my coolant is low cause the heat starts blowing out cooler air. But what i've been doin is turn the key to the last click b for starting and opening the resv. tank? Is that a good way to fill up the radiotor? But once i fill it up the hot air comes back? Do you also think changin the thersmsitat and water pump would be a good idea, to prevent any thing else? Being that the water pump still has the plastic pepeller? ( thanks for the response earlier)

#2210 of 2734 Re: 99 528I overheating? [millsman0511] by roadburner

Nov 12, 2008 (1:51 pm)

Replying to: millsman0511 (Nov 11, 2008 9:08 am)
There is a specific procedure for bleeding the cooling system in your car. You need to take it to a shop that knows how to do it. If your car is nearing-or past 60000 miles it's a good idea to replace the thermostat, thermostat housing, and waterpump. And refill the system with a 50/50 mix of BMW coolant and distilled water only.

Messages Page 221 of 274

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