Well, this just happened... [Spoiler: Blown Engine]

[aussiem3]

Originally Posted by ellekz

It's the 30th today. My lawyer received a funny fax from the other's party lawyer this morning.
It basically says "We're happy to tell you the repairs have successfully been done. You can pick up the car from the dealership on October 7. See ya."
Uhhh... what? They're jerking me around now. My lawyer said to just go pick up the car on the 7th and not say or sign anything and then we'll just f*ck them up in court (or something to that effect ).
Oh and he also said I can use the car then until all is settled in court. For every 1,000km I use the car (~1,600 miles), the dealer has the right to pay me back 125 EUR less (~$160). So at least I'll have a car for the next 5 months (hopefully).

So if the car has been fixed, why Oct. 7. Go and pick up the car today ... I bet it hasn't been fixed. They are toying with you, like all bloody car dealers. Along with judges and lawyers, car dealers will be next in line to go to hell first.

[ellekz]

Hey guys,

After several more letters between both parties' lawyers, the dealer didn't go for the "return my money" option. So I've picked up the car on Oct 7 and had it registered to me, because I really needed a car and since I'm probably gonna keep this one for the next half year, my lawyer said it's fine to drive it like it was mine (well, it IS mine).

The dealer had the engine replaced with a used engine. So far everything is okay engine-wise.
I asked them what was going on with the old engine. They said a "piston rod" (I don't really know the English words for it, so I'm just using a dictionary for this one) shot a hole through something (can't remember what, maybe the block). They said they don't really know what caused it, but figured it was probably due to bad maintenance from the previous owner or something. I'm no expert, but it sounds like the cause of bad rod bearings?

For now I'm happy I finally have a car and can focus more on my job again, at least until the court date. I'm gonna have the car inspected on Oct 21 in a shop of a racing team that specializes in M cars, to make sure it's safe to drive and maybe tell me more about what might've been damaged before from the crash.
What I've noticed is that the car yesterday started to make weird noises from the front axle when turning the steering wheel further than usually while driving (e.g. for parking). It's multiple sounds... mostly it's a metallic grinding noise and sometimes there's even a knock, like something snapping out of place and then back in. Sounds really unhealthy. But only when parking. Hopefully it's not a big deal though.

[rcracin]

New problem seems power steering related. They probably did a rush job on reassembly.

[ridin135]

Originally Posted by ellekz

Hey guys,

After several more letters between both parties' lawyers, the dealer didn't go for the "return my money" option. So I've picked up the car on Oct 7 and had it registered to me, because I really needed a car and since I'm probably gonna keep this one for the next half year, my lawyer said it's fine to drive it like it was mine (well, it IS mine).

The dealer had the engine replaced with a used engine. So far everything is okay engine-wise.
I asked them what was going on with the old engine. They said a "piston rod" (I don't really know the English words for it, so I'm just using a dictionary for this one) shot a hole through something (can't remember what, maybe the block). They said they don't really know what caused it, but figured it was probably due to bad maintenance from the previous owner or something. I'm no expert, but it sounds like the cause of bad rod bearings?

For now I'm happy I finally have a car and can focus more on my job again, at least until the court date. I'm gonna have the car inspected on Oct 21 in a shop of a racing team that specializes in M cars, to make sure it's safe to drive and maybe tell me more about what might've been damaged before from the crash.
What I've noticed is that the car yesterday started to make weird noises from the front axle when turning the steering wheel further than usually while driving (e.g. for parking). It's multiple sounds... mostly it's a metallic grinding noise and sometimes there's even a knock, like something snapping out of place and then back in. Sounds really unhealthy. But only when parking. Hopefully it's not a big deal though.

Glad you got your car back, hopefully you can enjoy it now. I had the exact same sound from my 2013 M3 that I bought new so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

[ellekz]

Originally Posted by ridin135

I had the exact same sound from my 2013 M3 that I bought new so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Really? That's weird, because I went to BMW yesterday to ask how much updating the DCT software would cost. While I was there I asked them to remove the front plate holder and screw the license plate directly into the bumper and put caps on the bolts so they're "hidden" (they do that every day, I'd screw it up and probably put the license plate off center ). The service guy took my car to the back and when he came back and got out he immediately pointed out the weird steering sound and said it sounds highly unusual and that I should definitely have it checked. Funny enough, he also asked if the car had been damaged, even though I didn't mention anything about either to him.

[ellekz]

Originally Posted by rcracin

New problem seems power steering related. They probably did a rush job on reassembly.

Is the power steering something they definitely had to have touched to swap the engine? If so, I should probably get the dealer to fix it.

[W Cole]

Originally Posted by ellekz

Is the power steering something they definitely had to have touched to swap the engine? If so, I should probably get the dealer to fix it.

Yes

[JamesM3M5]

Could just be low on fluid. Pulling the engine does require draining and disconnecting the PS pipes.

Anyway, glad you got a satisfactory replacement!

Couple of tips to all S65 owners:

You must push in the clutch pedal to start the engine, which puts a thrust load on the crankshaft. There is, of course, no oil circulating during cranking, so this causes extra wear on the half-sized thrust bearing shell. Why BMW changed to half a thrust bearing on all these newer motors is beyond me. So pushing the clutch pedal in during startup isn't good for the crankshaft main thrust bearing. Had a customer receive a new S65 from the dealer (under warranty) due to excessive crank walk.

1) Keep your clutch pedal down time as short as possible at all times - sitting at lights, releasing immediately after startup, etc - especially if you have a heavier effort aftermarket clutch.

2) Use something better than Castrol TWS. It's crap - carbon/varnish buildup, excessively high viscosity causing internal engine damage when cold, and a number of engine failures due to bearing damage. Motul 15W50 shows so much less cam wear, bearing wear, and varnish buildup on S54, S62, S65, both street and race.

BMW has been using lead-free bearings, and they are much less tolerant to oiling issues. Even stage 1 tuned N20s are grenading with rods and bits of piston sticking out of the block. Use a better oil. Most of you guys are outside warranty anyway, so you can use whatever oil you want.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by ellekz

Is the power steering something they definitely had to have touched to swap the engine? If so, I should probably get the dealer to fix it.

Yes, and take your car back to that thief !

[pbonsalb]

What do you think about Mobil 1 0W40?

[kawasaki00]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

What do you think about Mobil 1 0W40?

This has been covered 7000 times

[pbonsalb]

Was curious about the perspective from the guy who just posted and seems to know a lot about oil. No harm in that. I have M1 10W40 in my car, with new bearings.

[Denk]

Absolutely gut wrenching situation. I now feel OK with curb rash on an HRE...it could always be worse, case in point. Best of luck amigo.

[CurbBender'90]

I apologize to hear this tragedy took place to your dream car, within 2 hours at that. When you got to the part about all the errors popping up and the white smoke I CRINGED. I can't stand hearing bad things about this beautiful S65. Hope the outcome is in your favor and the legal fees don't pile up, hate you had this bad experience with something so good.

[ellekz]

Hey guys, I just wanted to chime in with some quick facts of what happened so far, followed by something unbelievable.

So as everyone in this thread knows, I bought the car in August and 2 hours later the engine blew (rod bearings) at ~150mph (250kph) on the German Autobahn.
The dealer replaced the engine with a used one (they claimed the used engine had about the same mileage as mine, ~45,000mi (75,000km)) and about 6 weeks(!) later I finally get the car back.
On the first evening I noticed the car's steering makes clunking noises when trying to park and it's warmed up. Dealer again took the car in and replaced the (not sure what they're called in English) steering rods and the control arms, which of course took them 3.5 weeks.
The car didn't drive straight after that, I had it fixed on my own, because I didn't wanna be without a car again for several weeks.
After that, everything was mostly was fine. The engine sometimes ate up a lot of oil (0.5L on 500km), but during some periods it didn't. There was no pattern on why it fluctuated like that.

Now to the funny part Yesterday.. engine warmed up and at approx. 210°F (100°C), oil level is at exactly the middle between Min and Max. After driving it for a while and then a little more "sportier" driving for less than 5 minutes, I lift off the gas pedal and let the car roll for a couple of seconds and then made a stop to make a u-turn. Right at the moment when the car came to a standstill, the iDrive display said something about "Engine malfunction" and "reduced engine power". So I decide to make a left turn into the side alley instead of making that u-turn. Well, at that moment I knew what happened - loud metallic hammering noises came from the engine bay when I tried to drive. I barely made it off that intersection and stopped the car immediately when it was safe.

Here's a video of that noise:

I'm no expert, but this surely sounds like a loose rod hitting the engine block, i.e. a rod bearing failed. Can you guys believe it? What are the chances of having two engines die on you because of rod bearings??

My motorcycle is in a hibernation garage until spring. I now have to take the f*cking bus again

Edit:
I also tried to take a photo of the engine, because in the lower corner of the block it looked really wet, probably oil leaking.

[TommyLights]

Originally Posted by ellekz

Hey guys, I just wanted to chime in with some quick facts of what happened so far, followed by something unbelievable.

So as everyone in this thread knows, I bought the car in August and 2 hours later the engine blew (rod bearings) at ~150mph (250kph) on the German Autobahn.
The dealer replaced the engine with a used one (they claimed the used engine had about the same mileage as mine, ~45,000mi (75,000km)) and about 6 weeks(!) later I finally get the car back.
On the first evening I noticed the car's steering makes clunking noises when trying to park and it's warmed up. Dealer again took the car in and replaced the (not sure what they're called in English) steering rods and the control arms, which of course took them 3.5 weeks.
The car didn't drive straight after that, I had it fixed on my own, because I didn't wanna be without a car again for several weeks.
After that, everything was mostly was fine. The engine sometimes ate up a lot of oil (0.5L on 500km), but during some periods it didn't. There was no pattern on why it fluctuated like that.

Now to the funny part Yesterday.. engine warmed up and at approx. 210°F (100°C), oil level is at exactly the middle between Min and Max. After driving it for a while and then a little more "sportier" driving for less than 5 minutes, I lift off the gas pedal and let the car roll for a couple of seconds and then made a stop to make a u-turn. Right at the moment when the car came to a standstill, the iDrive display said something about "Engine malfunction" and "reduced engine power". So I decide to make a left turn into the side alley instead of making that u-turn. Well, at that moment I knew what happened - loud metallic hammering noises came from the engine bay when I tried to drive. I barely made it off that intersection and stopped the car immediately when it was safe.

Here's a video of that noise:

I'm no expert, but this surely sounds like a loose rod hitting the engine block, i.e. a rod bearing failed. Can you guys believe it? What are the chances of having two engines die on you because of rod bearings??

My motorcycle is in a hibernation garage until spring. I now have to take the f*cking bus again

Edit:
I also tried to take a photo of the engine, because in the lower corner of the block it looked really wet, probably oil leaking.

Are you kidding me???????

[ellekz]

Originally Posted by Tomz_M3

Are you kidding me???????

If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't have believed it myself

[marksae]

When the dealer replaced the engine, did they replace the oil cooler as well? The only thing I can think of is that debris from the previous engine failure got into the oil cooling lines and oil cooler. If the oil cooler was clogged, it may have caused oil starvation w/ the replacement motor, resulting in the current failure. Good luck on getting this fixed again.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by ellekz

Hey guys, I just wanted to chime in with some quick facts of what happened so far, followed by something unbelievable.

So as everyone in this thread knows, I bought the car in August and 2 hours later the engine blew (rod bearings) at ~150mph (250kph) on the German Autobahn.
The dealer replaced the engine with a used one (they claimed the used engine had about the same mileage as mine, ~45,000mi (75,000km)) and about 6 weeks(!) later I finally get the car back.
On the first evening I noticed the car's steering makes clunking noises when trying to park and it's warmed up. Dealer again took the car in and replaced the (not sure what they're called in English) steering rods and the control arms, which of course took them 3.5 weeks.
The car didn't drive straight after that, I had it fixed on my own, because I didn't wanna be without a car again for several weeks.
After that, everything was mostly was fine. The engine sometimes ate up a lot of oil (0.5L on 500km), but during some periods it didn't. There was no pattern on why it fluctuated like that.

Now to the funny part Yesterday.. engine warmed up and at approx. 210°F (100°C), oil level is at exactly the middle between Min and Max. After driving it for a while and then a little more "sportier" driving for less than 5 minutes, I lift off the gas pedal and let the car roll for a couple of seconds and then made a stop to make a u-turn. Right at the moment when the car came to a standstill, the iDrive display said something about "Engine malfunction" and "reduced engine power". So I decide to make a left turn into the side alley instead of making that u-turn. Well, at that moment I knew what happened - loud metallic hammering noises came from the engine bay when I tried to drive. I barely made it off that intersection and stopped the car immediately when it was safe.

Here's a video of that noise:

I'm no expert, but this surely sounds like a loose rod hitting the engine block, i.e. a rod bearing failed. Can you guys believe it? What are the chances of having two engines die on you because of rod bearings??

My motorcycle is in a hibernation garage until spring. I now have to take the f*cking bus again

Edit:
I also tried to take a photo of the engine, because in the lower corner of the block it looked really wet, probably oil leaking.

OHHH ..NO ?!?! "5H1T !!! NOT AGAIN" !!!
I know from my source that there were double (2X) bearing failures on the same car , and this is the proof for it !!! ( Yep some had it twice) !
Damn I feel realy sorry about your luck , actualy 2 times !
Personal I would make a new thread for this catastrophe !
Also THX for your PM's about the Oem. exhaust mod .
So what's next with this disaster ? And can you count on some warranty ?

[Irishace]

This is awful, I am really sorry to hear this. I wish the best of luck.

[ellekz]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

So what's next with this disaster ? And can you count on some warranty ?

Well, by law the dealer has to fix this issue (unless he can prove it was my fault or something). I called the dealer yesterday but unfortunately the whole dealership moved from Berlin to Bavaria, which makes this logistically a little bit more complicated. He couldn't provide me with a solution yet, to be fair it was the Friday afternoon. I'm hoping next week they're gonna send their own tow truck all the way from Bavaria to pick the car up (I had the car towed to BMW, it's waiting in their parking lot for them to come pick it up next week).

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by ellekz

Well, by law the dealer has to fix this issue (unless he can prove it was my fault or something). I called the dealer yesterday but unfortunately the whole dealership moved from Berlin to Bavaria, which makes this logistically a little bit more complicated. He couldn't provide me with a solution yet, to be fair it was the Friday afternoon. I'm hoping next week they're gonna send their own tow truck all the way from Bavaria to pick the car up (I had the car towed to BMW, it's waiting in their parking lot for them to come pick it up next week).

Ohhh...man !
Please keep us updated .