Why this is about the people, not the cars. A shoutout to DeansBimmer

admranger · 11-07-2018, 09:40 PM

Background: I bought my first BMW in 1994 and joined the BMW CCA a short time after that. Many of my best friends I met through the club. I became a forum reader and made contacts via threads and have made new friends, some virtual, some in person.

The cars bring us together, sometimes in agreement, sometimes in disagreement. I’ve learned a ton and hope I’ve helped some folks along the way.

Why am I writing this? On Thursday, October 25th, my wife, 2 saber-toothed rescue shelties, and I took off on our relocation drive from Alexandria, VA to Lubbock, TX. We left around 3pm due to the movers taking longer than expected to load and get the heck out of the townhouse. Our stop for the night was Oak Ridge, TN. Just east of the TN line on Interstate 81, I hear the dreaded knocking coming from my 2011 E90M3 engine compartment. I’d replaced the rod bearings so I figured it was the mains and I’d just bought a new S65... A sinking start to the journey. My wife and dogs were behind me in our 2016 X5 40e. We pulled off in a small VA town and awaited our tow truck (AAA platinum membership finally paying off). We arrived at our hotel in Oak Ridge well after midnight. I had to start the car to position it after dropping off the roll away. Tow truck driver said: “rod bearings are shot on your BMW, sir.” Scheiss. Maybe I made an install error?

While waiting for the tow truck I already had a plan in place. We’d tow the M3 to deansbimmer shop, 2 days away. We’d been planning to stop there and pick up a new undertray since we were driving through anyway. I contacted deansbimmer and let him know the situation and he agreed to get me into his shop late on a Saturday night. This relieved the stress of “what do I do now? for me.

Off to U-Haul in the morning to pick up a car carrier to tow “a Miata”. Didn’t want to get caught out in a “that’s too heavy to tow” situation at U-Haul. Bought some heavy duty ratchet straps to anchor the rear wheels down instead of using their chains to tie to the rear “frame” down.

X5 is a towing beast. Never faultered or slowed down on the grades in TN. Gas mileage between 14-15mpg (normally gets ~21-22 on highway) all while maintaining the speed limit in cruise control.

I rented a car to transfer all the crap I was carrying in the M3 and made the drop off at deansbimmer. We settled in for the night at our hotel and drove to Lubbock the next day. Monday we got word that my fears were just that as it turned out to be the AC compressor, not rod or main bearings!

I flew to Dallas last Saturday, ubered to the massive cars and coffee event to meet up with deansbimmer. Picked up my car (with new undertray, belts, and AC compressor) and had an uneventful drive to Lubbock.

Without this community, my stress level would have been so much worse. Knowing I had a competent shop to take the car to and having a calm person on the other end of my frantic texts made a difficult situation pretty easy. deansbimmer went out of his way to get me access to his shop well outside of business hours for drop off as well as pick up. Class act all the way!

A huge thanks to deansbimmer! A new friend I’ve met and yet another example of why it’s about the people, not the cars. The cars are just what brings us together, not what defines us.

///Mbitions · 11-07-2018, 10:52 PM

Man sounds like such a pain in the ass! Really happy for you it turned out ok in the end. The knowledgeable people on this forum offering free advice is astounding, but because of deans active participation on the forums it comes full circle for his business. Love it

roastbeef · 11-07-2018, 11:42 PM

Jeez, even the tow truck driver knew we had rod bearing problems?

aus · 11-07-2018, 11:50 PM

Great to hear these kinds of stories.
Didn't you just move to Virginia??

Looks like COTA is a 6 hr drive for you now.
.

StripclubDJ · 11-08-2018, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roastbeef

Jeez, even the tow truck driver knew we had rod bearing problems?

Lmao

Teufel_Hunden · 11-08-2018, 07:02 AM

Glad it worked out for you and not bearing related.

Powashiftin · 11-08-2018, 07:25 AM

Wait, so what was the issue ?

SYT_Shadow · 11-08-2018, 07:46 AM

Deansbimmer is a great asset to this community! Glad it was not your rod bearings

New2Roundel · 11-08-2018, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powashiftin

Wait, so what was the issue ?

AC compressor

deansbimmer · 11-08-2018, 08:14 AM

Thanks for posting, Kirk. It was great to meet you, work on your minty E90, and hear the story of your euro delivery. Very cool history on your M3!

Quote:

Wait, so what was the issue ?

The A/C compressor bearing had failed which creates a racket very similar to engine bearing knock. We just replaced the compressor and he was back on the road!

nrubenstein · 11-08-2018, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deansbimmer

Thanks for posting, Kirk. It was great to meet you, work on your minty E90, and hear the story of your euro delivery. Very cool history on your M3!

The A/C compressor bearing had failed which creates a racket very similar to engine bearing knock. We just replaced the compressor and he was back on the road!

Happened to an acquaintance as well. Amazing racket from the compressor.

Richbot · 11-08-2018, 08:51 AM

Wow.

Also, good to know I shouldn't immediately strike a match and walk away if I hear a knocking noise, lol

DBLANCO · 11-08-2018, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richbot

Wow.

Also, good to know I shouldn't immediately strike a match and walk away if I hear a knocking noise, lol

My thoughts exactly!

StripclubDJ · 11-08-2018, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richbot

Wow.

Also, good to know I shouldn't immediately strike a match and walk away if I hear a knocking noise, lol

Underrated post

///M Power-Belgium · 11-08-2018, 10:50 AM

I always love a happy end !

inTgr8r · 11-08-2018, 11:04 AM

Great post!
I couldn't agree more, that its all about the people.
I've been around here since '06 with the purchase of my first BMW and the number of friendships that have developed over the years is truly amazing.

....who says only porcupines drive BMW

admranger · 11-08-2018, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richbot

Wow.

Also, good to know I shouldn't immediately strike a match and walk away if I hear a knocking noise, lol

I can neither confirm nor deny that those thoughts crossed my mind...

BayE30 · 11-08-2018, 11:47 AM

I have had nothing but good experiences with Deansbimmer, all the way back to my r3vlimited days when he purchased my E30 coilover and RPI BBK setup from me. Always classy and full of great information.

admranger · 11-08-2018, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus

Great to hear these kinds of stories.
Didn't you just move to Virginia??

Looks like COTA is a 6 hr drive for you now.
.

Yes. The joys of signing a mobility agreement.

I’ve done the drive to COTA through Lubbock before as I stayed in Lubbock on my way back to Vegas. It’s a nice town.

aus · 11-08-2018, 12:34 PM

Did you drive your car from Vegas to Austin? I really want a car transport to bring the car there and back so I can do COTA some day.
Do you still have the E46 M3?
.

xander_g · 11-08-2018, 12:56 PM

Couldn't agree more with the OP, it's all about the people.

I had the pleasure of interacting with deansbimmer yesterday. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

sojirovs · 11-08-2018, 03:49 PM

Glad to hear you got the issue fixed so quickly.
I had my stuff done at his shop, and I think I found my forever shop.
It's fortunate to have him in my area because there hasn't been good options.

11-07-2018, 09:40 PM	#1
admranger Retired Curmudgeon 2985 Rep 4,047 Posts Drives: ‘19 X3M40i, ‘18 m550i Join Date: May 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV iTrader: (1)	Why this is about the people, not the cars. A shoutout to DeansBimmer Background: I bought my first BMW in 1994 and joined the BMW CCA a short time after that. Many of my best friends I met through the club. I became a forum reader and made contacts via threads and have made new friends, some virtual, some in person. The cars bring us together, sometimes in agreement, sometimes in disagreement. I’ve learned a ton and hope I’ve helped some folks along the way. Why am I writing this? On Thursday, October 25th, my wife, 2 saber-toothed rescue shelties, and I took off on our relocation drive from Alexandria, VA to Lubbock, TX. We left around 3pm due to the movers taking longer than expected to load and get the heck out of the townhouse. Our stop for the night was Oak Ridge, TN. Just east of the TN line on Interstate 81, I hear the dreaded knocking coming from my 2011 E90M3 engine compartment. I’d replaced the rod bearings so I figured it was the mains and I’d just bought a new S65... A sinking start to the journey. My wife and dogs were behind me in our 2016 X5 40e. We pulled off in a small VA town and awaited our tow truck (AAA platinum membership finally paying off). We arrived at our hotel in Oak Ridge well after midnight. I had to start the car to position it after dropping off the roll away. Tow truck driver said: “rod bearings are shot on your BMW, sir.” Scheiss. Maybe I made an install error? While waiting for the tow truck I already had a plan in place. We’d tow the M3 to deansbimmer shop, 2 days away. We’d been planning to stop there and pick up a new undertray since we were driving through anyway. I contacted deansbimmer and let him know the situation and he agreed to get me into his shop late on a Saturday night. This relieved the stress of “what do I do now? for me. Off to U-Haul in the morning to pick up a car carrier to tow “a Miata”. Didn’t want to get caught out in a “that’s too heavy to tow” situation at U-Haul. Bought some heavy duty ratchet straps to anchor the rear wheels down instead of using their chains to tie to the rear “frame” down. X5 is a towing beast. Never faultered or slowed down on the grades in TN. Gas mileage between 14-15mpg (normally gets ~21-22 on highway) all while maintaining the speed limit in cruise control. I rented a car to transfer all the crap I was carrying in the M3 and made the drop off at deansbimmer. We settled in for the night at our hotel and drove to Lubbock the next day. Monday we got word that my fears were just that as it turned out to be the AC compressor, not rod or main bearings! I flew to Dallas last Saturday, ubered to the massive cars and coffee event to meet up with deansbimmer. Picked up my car (with new undertray, belts, and AC compressor) and had an uneventful drive to Lubbock. Without this community, my stress level would have been so much worse. Knowing I had a competent shop to take the car to and having a calm person on the other end of my frantic texts made a difficult situation pretty easy. deansbimmer went out of his way to get me access to his shop well outside of business hours for drop off as well as pick up. Class act all the way! A huge thanks to deansbimmer! A new friend I’ve met and yet another example of why it’s about the people, not the cars. The cars are just what brings us together, not what defines us. __________________ '19 X3 M40 Carbon Black/Oyster, '23 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Summit, Past BMWs: '18 M550i, '18 330 GT, '16 X5 40e, '11 E90M3, '06 X5 4.4, '03 330i ZHP, '02 M3, '97 Z3 2.8, '95 M3 (2x), '94 530i (manual), '92 525i (manual), '88 M3, '87 325iS Last edited by admranger; 11-09-2018 at 12:44 PM..
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11-07-2018, 10:52 PM	#2
///Mbitions First Lieutenant 136 Rep 304 Posts Drives: 11 e92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	Man sounds like such a pain in the ass! Really happy for you it turned out ok in the end. The knowledgeable people on this forum offering free advice is astounding, but because of deans active participation on the forums it comes full circle for his business. Love it
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11-07-2018, 11:42 PM	#3
roastbeef Lieutenant General 11586 Rep 12,726 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (4)	Jeez, even the tow truck driver knew we had rod bearing problems? __________________ Instagram; @roastbeefmike
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11-07-2018, 11:50 PM	#4
aus Major General 892 Rep 9,032 Posts Drives: Odysse Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seal Beach, CA iTrader: (10)	Great to hear these kinds of stories. Didn't you just move to Virginia?? Looks like COTA is a 6 hr drive for you now. . __________________ Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by some of the top engineers in the world because some guys sponsored by a company told you it's "better??" But when you ask the same guy about tracking, "oh no, I have a kid now" or "I just detailed my car." or "i just got new tires."
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11-08-2018, 07:02 AM	#6
Teufel_Hunden Banned 8355 Rep 2,963 Posts Drives: 2013 M3 6MT LMB ZCP Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Maryland iTrader: (3)	Glad it worked out for you and not bearing related.
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11-08-2018, 07:25 AM	#7
Powashiftin Captain 171 Rep 957 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: NJ iTrader: (2)	Wait, so what was the issue ?
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11-08-2018, 07:46 AM	#8
SYT_Shadow ///M Powered for Life 11483 Rep 10,329 Posts Drives: E90M/E92M/M4GTS/M4GT4/X5M Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Greenwich, CT iTrader: (2)	Deansbimmer is a great asset to this community! Glad it was not your rod bearings __________________ DIY: S65 Rod Bearings E9X PFC Z54 BBK on F8X BK harness bar + seats: fit 6 tires in an M3 do88 Cooling Goodies GTS Twins: GTMore project
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11-08-2018, 08:51 AM	#12
Richbot Major General 2760 Rep 5,483 Posts Drives: Jerez Black E90 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: STL iTrader: (5)	Wow. Also, good to know I shouldn't immediately strike a match and walk away if I hear a knocking noise, lol __________________
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11-08-2018, 10:50 AM	#15
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11-08-2018, 11:04 AM	#16
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2432 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	Great post! I couldn't agree more, that its all about the people. I've been around here since '06 with the purchase of my first BMW and the number of friendships that have developed over the years is truly amazing. ....who says only porcupines drive BMW __________________ '21 M2C Hockenheim Silver '18 718 Cayman S Lava Orange (sold) '13 E92 M3 Santorini Blue (sold) '07 Z4 M Coupe Alpine White (sold)
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11-08-2018, 11:47 AM	#18
BayE30 Lieutenant Colonel 1341 Rep 1,881 Posts Drives: 2011.75 E90 M3 ZCP Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (5)	I have had nothing but good experiences with Deansbimmer, all the way back to my r3vlimited days when he purchased my E30 coilover and RPI BBK setup from me. Always classy and full of great information. __________________ I am never able to post pictures on forums, all my pics are on IG @baye30 https://www.instagram.com/baye30/ Current Garage - [2011 E90 M3 ZCP] [2005 E53 X5 3.0 Sport] [1988 E30 325IS 24V]
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11-08-2018, 12:34 PM	#20
aus Major General 892 Rep 9,032 Posts Drives: Odysse Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seal Beach, CA iTrader: (10)	Did you drive your car from Vegas to Austin? I really want a car transport to bring the car there and back so I can do COTA some day. Do you still have the E46 M3? . __________________ Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by some of the top engineers in the world because some guys sponsored by a company told you it's "better??" But when you ask the same guy about tracking, "oh no, I have a kid now" or "I just detailed my car." or "i just got new tires."
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11-08-2018, 12:56 PM	#21
xander_g Major 996 Rep 1,126 Posts Drives: G30 M550i Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Toronto iTrader: (2) Garage List 2018 BMW M550i Xdrive [0.00]	Couldn't agree more with the OP, it's all about the people. I had the pleasure of interacting with deansbimmer yesterday. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
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11-08-2018, 03:49 PM	#22
sojirovs Private 13 Rep 57 Posts Drives: '13 zcp m3, 04 s2000 Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: dallas, texas iTrader: (0)	Glad to hear you got the issue fixed so quickly. I had my stuff done at his shop, and I think I found my forever shop. It's fortunate to have him in my area because there hasn't been good options.
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