front end collision repair

ProblematicBMW · 04-01-2023, 05:07 AM

E92 S65 DCT 155k second owner, front end collision. it was my fault and no one else was involved. my insurance is also liability only. dont ask me why. im going to repair myself, so here is a record of my progress. the collision happened between the corner of a building and between the front badge and the headlight on the drivers side. i came in at about 25mph, collapsing the bumper, hood, oil cooler, power steering cooler, radiator, and fan from what i can tell without taking anything off. only dash light is low coolant after driving two blocks. there is heavy oil and coolant mixing, milky oil cap and thick white exhaust smoke. so a rebuild is likely to happen. luckly i rebuild 500kw tt natural gas generators as part of my job, so building motors is nothing new, but i also dont want to go in more than twice

any expiriences or s65 repair manuals would be greatly appreciated. im also looking for used parts. thanks.

Update:
i drained the oil and there was barely any coolant, and the filter didn't have any flakes in it. it might be the oil filter housing but idk it might have just been cold when i moved it off the towing truck. i will get the cooling systems replaced with the exception of the trans cooler and run it, see what happens then.

rjsiciliano · 04-01-2023, 10:28 AM

I am not knowledgeable enough on this topic to comment but good luck OP. This sounds like it might be more than it’s worth.

askme · 04-06-2023, 02:48 PM

Just here for moral support. I just went through the same on the rear (much easier). Replaced everything in the back. Some things I found helpful:

Get all the parts diagrams you can and look for the little stuff (clips, brackets, etc.) that you might not be thinking about.

My local BMW specialist salvage was great letting me know what cars they had coming in. This allowed me to get both color matched items as well as getting them to throw in little things like wiring harnesses once they knew I was taking a bunch of things.

May not help you, but I had my insurance do a full estimate for me. They provided me with full materials and labor for OEM. this gave me every part number, OEM pricing, effort estimates, etc. all of which helped me plan.

What I screwed up the most was the frame work. I do not have tools or experience in straightening the frame. It wasn't bad, and doesn't seem to affect anything, but I was didn't really do a good job on that front.

04-01-2023, 05:07 AM	#1
ProblematicBMW New Member 2 Rep 14 Posts Drives: 2009 E92 335i & M3 DCT Join Date: Feb 2022 Location: Bay Area iTrader: (0)	front end collision repair E92 S65 DCT 155k second owner, front end collision. it was my fault and no one else was involved. my insurance is also liability only. dont ask me why. im going to repair myself, so here is a record of my progress. the collision happened between the corner of a building and between the front badge and the headlight on the drivers side. i came in at about 25mph, collapsing the bumper, hood, oil cooler, power steering cooler, radiator, and fan from what i can tell without taking anything off. only dash light is low coolant after driving two blocks. there is heavy oil and coolant mixing, milky oil cap and thick white exhaust smoke. so a rebuild is likely to happen. luckly i rebuild 500kw tt natural gas generators as part of my job, so building motors is nothing new, but i also dont want to go in more than twice any expiriences or s65 repair manuals would be greatly appreciated. im also looking for used parts. thanks. Update: i drained the oil and there was barely any coolant, and the filter didn't have any flakes in it. it might be the oil filter housing but idk it might have just been cold when i moved it off the towing truck. i will get the cooling systems replaced with the exception of the trans cooler and run it, see what happens then. Last edited by ProblematicBMW; 04-09-2023 at 08:04 PM..
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04-01-2023, 10:28 AM	#2
rjsiciliano Second Lieutenant 159 Rep 270 Posts Drives: 2013 MW e92 M3 ZCP Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Orlando, Florida iTrader: (1)	I am not knowledgeable enough on this topic to comment but good luck OP. This sounds like it might be more than it’s worth.
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04-06-2023, 02:48 PM	#3
askme Private First Class 82 Rep 137 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW M3 Vert E93 Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Wilmington iTrader: (0)	Just here for moral support. I just went through the same on the rear (much easier). Replaced everything in the back. Some things I found helpful: Get all the parts diagrams you can and look for the little stuff (clips, brackets, etc.) that you might not be thinking about. My local BMW specialist salvage was great letting me know what cars they had coming in. This allowed me to get both color matched items as well as getting them to throw in little things like wiring harnesses once they knew I was taking a bunch of things. May not help you, but I had my insurance do a full estimate for me. They provided me with full materials and labor for OEM. this gave me every part number, OEM pricing, effort estimates, etc. all of which helped me plan. What I screwed up the most was the frame work. I do not have tools or experience in straightening the frame. It wasn't bad, and doesn't seem to affect anything, but I was didn't really do a good job on that front.
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