Heartbreak in Houston

[dpiette]

So I was driving west on Alabama, just at Spur 527 - a route I have taken hundreds of times before - and I straddle a man hole cover. That particular man-hole cover is not particularly high.

But as I go over it, I hear WHAM!!!

And everything just goes to hell.

I limp home (about six blocks) just as it is obvious that the oil pan has a hole it in (Yes, the lights all came on about a block from where I stopped)

The good news is that GEICO has been great (so far) as has BMW assist and Advantage Midtown.

I just hope that I dd not damage the engine.

Breaks my heart! I don't even have 5,000 miles on the car.

I went back to the site, and I would have straddled that man hole cover again. All I can see is that there was a chunk of concrete that was sitting catty-whampus on the street.

Pictures? Oh yeah:

[Draper]

Bummer. Just before a long weekend too.

[Suprane]

Holy crap. That must have been one serious piece of concrete. Sorry to hear this.
I would think your engine is fine provided you did'nt drive with oil depletion warning.

[I M STIG]

Holy hell! That looks pretty damn bad. I doubt anything happened to your engine, but I'm more glad that you're okay. Just think if you had hit it with your tires...

[1sikbmr]

that is terrible. Hope you get everything sorted out and she is as good as new soon.

[KIS]

I frequently drive on W. Alabama near the spur. Driving in Houston is quite the experience. Approximately 2 years ago I was driving a Maserati on 59 near S. Shepherd at night and ran over something that had apparently fallen off a truck which caused the passenger front tire to leave the ground. Airbags on passenger side deployed and suspension, oil pan, as well as many other items on the car were destroyed. Over $20,000 of damage. On a positive note all was repaired and life went on, even though at that moment I was a bit unhappy.

[donovan]

Mark this comment:

Its to bad that the oil pan has to be so close to the ground... and cant have a seperate pump refiltering it up to the engine so it can be up higher.

Next invention comment over.

[lve2xlr8]

Originally Posted by donovan

Mark this comment:

Its to bad that the oil pan has to be so close to the ground... and cant have a seperate pump refiltering it up to the engine so it can be up higher.

Next invention comment over.

Whoa this almost sounds like it would provide better lubrication at extreme cornering and allow the mass of the motor to be dropped a little more! Genius

[spdy330]

Wow that is horrible. I would contact the city where this happened and show them the photos of what their city streets did to your car.

[donovan]

Originally Posted by lve2xlr8

Whoa this almost sounds like it would provide better lubrication at extreme cornering and allow the mass of the motor to be dropped a little more! Genius

I certainly am not a BMW engineer lol...perhaps you sir are..?

[positiveions]

OP, I feel your pain. I hit a piece of a metal one time on the FWY while I was driving my MKII GTI; ripped the oil pan in half. Right away I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw oil just shooting out the back. Shut the car off and pulled over. Luckily, nothing happened to the motor. Just needed a new oil pan.
Best of luck to you

[rye m3]

Chances are good you can take that to the town and make them pay for it. Even in NY people get the city to pay for bent wheels if you bend one in a pothole.

[dpiette]

I have not heard of anyone getting the city to pay, here. Anyone else in Houston?

GEICO is being very civil about this, but they have not yet made their appraisal. That will happen Tuesday or Wednesday. All the auto adjusters are in Dallas because of the hail storm they had.

I am hopeful, and thanks for all the comments. I will post an update when I get more information.

[Legion5]

Ouch, another guy had a similar thing happen and there was something like $50k of damage because the engine ran without oil

[M3maniac20]

I'm sorry bro. As you know, Houstons roads suck. Judging by the houses it looks like you are near the medical center on holcombe (im down there quite freaquentley). I can't stand how narrow those lanes are, not to mention the potholes.

Good luck on the repairs

[CAPSGOD]

Ouch Good luck w. insurance.

Originally Posted by spdy330

I would contact the city where this happened and show them the photos of what their city streets did to your car.

Houston doesn't give a crap..

[rbk1115]

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hope it gets fixed soon!

[JCtx]

Man, that's bad. So it was a manhole cover or a piece of concrete? And were you distracted that didn't see it? I can't see how you can hit something stationary that big while paying attention . But that's how we learn painful lessons, unfortunately. I also thought I could make it over light snow (freak storm) with the PS2s, and also learned a painful lesson . Anyway, I also don't understand what hit the engine if that big a$$ metal cover is there to protect it. But glad GEICO is taking care of that. Good luck.

[m3keash]

I'm nauseated just looking at it.

[dpiette]

Originally Posted by M3maniac20

I'm sorry bro. As you know, Houstons roads suck. Judging by the houses it looks like you are near the medical center on holcombe (im down there quite freaquentley). I can't stand how narrow those lanes are, not to mention the potholes.

Good luck on the repairs

In the Montrose.

Some of the worst streets in the city.

[dpiette]

Here is the pothole.

Now marked by the City of Houston.

I put my camera case down to try and show that there is a dip to the left of the manhole cover. I guess that when my right tire when into that dip, it dropped the car far enough to catch the chunk of concrete.

[DCC]

Originally Posted by dpiette

Here is the pothole.

Now marked by the City of Houston.

I put my camera case down to try and show that there is a dip to the left of the manhole cover. I guess that when my right tire when into that dip, it dropped the car far enough to catch the chunk of concrete.

I'm sorry to hear about your incident. Based on the pictures you posted, it does appear that the loose pieces of concrete hit your oil pan as you went through the 'dip'.
It probably would have been fine if the loose chunks of concrete were not there sticking up over the manhole cover...
Its amazing what Houston does with all its tax dollars given the overall pathetic conditions of the streets within the city. There is simply no accountability.