Working on my son's bmw

[pontiacgp]

I was giving my son a hand with his 335xi the other day. Needed to change the lower steering shaft. I broke the plastic cover that's at the base of the shaft and sits on the input shaft of the steering rack. I went to the dealer and expected to pay lots of $$$ for the plastic piece but the parts guy told me I had to buy the rack to get that part. I jumped at that and ordered up a rack at a $1,000+ to get the $5 plastic piece...it's an easy part to break so I wonder if the service department changes the rack if they break the plastic piece.

I sent an email to BMW and it looks like they are going to dig up the part for me. 🙂

 

[307 Regal]

3 series BMW's are pretty cool cars. My sister's fiance is on his second one now. But it's reasons like yours that I'd be afraid to own one without a good job. 😳 Even parts for the older E36 are still expensive.

 

[tc1959]

A BMW driver went into the local garage and asked the staff for a seven-hundred-ten. They all looked at each other and another customer asked, what is a seven-hundred-ten?"

He replied, "You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one."
The other customer asked "What does this 'seven-hundred-ten' do?". He replied that he did not know, but this piece had always been there.

The mechanic gave him a piece of paper and a pen and asked him to draw what the piece looked like. The BMW driver drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710.

The mechanic then took him over to another car which had its bonnet up and asked, "is there a 710 on this car?"

He pointed and said, "Of course, its right there."

The mechanic turned the 710 half way round and the penny dropped

 

[307 Regal]

and the penny dropped

Ya lost me.

P.S. I do get the 710 part.

 

[pontiacgp]

and the penny dropped

Ya lost me.

P.S. I do get the 710 part.

the penny dropped in a British term...

 

[pontiacgp]

BMW got back to me and they do not sell the plastic part separately...

they suggested a scrap yard or the dealership if they have a defecting rack unit that they have removed....the part is circled

 

[307 Regal]

BMW got back to me and they do not sell the plastic part separately...

they suggested a scrap yard or the dealership if they have a defecting rack unit that they have removed....the part is circled

Well that's a bummer. Hopefully you can find a good yard with one. I broke the little plastic latch for the lid of my Century's fold-down center compartment/armrest and the last yard I went to said I'd have to buy an entire front bench. :|

the penny dropped is a British term...

I'm gonna have to look up the back story to that phrase. lol

 

[pontiacgp]

I hope he never damages a wheel stud, it's an all wheel drive car so I guess we'd have to change the drive train....I gave that example to BMW

 

[tc1959]

If you lose the gas cap do you have to buy another body ?

 

[Hoopty_Mike]

I hope he never damages a wheel stud, it's an all wheel drive car so I guess we'd have to change the drive train....I gave that example to BMW

BMW already thought of that, remember they use wheel bolts and not studs n lugs