My First Car - 2006 BMW 530I - The End

[jjjkr20]

Please go get an alignment and fix your suspension. Seriously.

I would have had one back when I bought the tires but my dad completely over looked that so now I'm thinking to do it once I get another set. Unless it is that important in which case I'll get it done before hand.

 

[Doog]

I would have had one back when I bought the tires but my dad completely over looked that so now I'm thinking to do it once I get another set. Unless it is that important in which case I'll get it done before hand.

Considering that your tires already had some wear on them, and now they've been subjected to uneven wear from your car's camber, it'd be in your best interests to get that alignment done as soon as possible. You'll absolutely want to do it before you get new tires, too, unless you want your new tires to accrue some weird wear from your current camber beforehand.

But seriously, not only is it safer to fix your alignment so that your tires can wear evenly, but it'll also save you money in the long run, since your tires will last longer.

 

[jjjkr20]

Considering that your tires already had some wear on them, and now they've been subjected to uneven wear from your car's camber, it'd be in your best interests to get that alignment done as soon as possible. You'll absolutely want to do it before you get new tires, too, unless you want your new tires to accrue some weird wear from your current camber beforehand.

But seriously, not only is it safer to fix your alignment so that your tires can wear evenly, but it'll also save you money in the long run, since your tires will last longer.

Well my current tires are already about spent, just a little till the metal shows. So I don't assume it'll be very beneficial to the current set but can I keep the alignment after I get new tires? I was under the impression you get an alignment every new set which is what held me back from getting one now with the tires so worn.

 

[Doog]

Well my current tires are already about spent, just a little till the metal shows. So I don't assume it'll be very beneficial to the current set but can I keep the alignment after I get new tires? I was under the impression you get an alignment every new set which is what held me back from getting one now with the tires so worn.

I was making my suggestion based off the notion that your tires were already pretty worn (which you've confirmed), so there's nothing that can be - or should be, really - done to save them. I think you misinterpreted what I said, though; I was just saying that you'll definitely want to have your alignment fixed before you put those new tires on. As for getting alignments with each set, you don't have to worry about it if the tires coming off your car don't show any signs of uneven wear, but that's definitely not the case here.

 

[jjjkr20]

I was making my suggestion based off the notion that your tires were already pretty worn (which you've confirmed), so there's nothing that can be - or should be, really - done to save them. I think you misinterpreted what I said, though; I was just saying that you'll definitely want to have your alignment fixed before you put those new tires on. As for getting alignments with each set, you don't have to worry about it if the tires coming off your car don't show any signs of uneven wear, but that's definitely not the case here.

Alright I think I understand now I'll get the alignment done fairly soon followed by a new set of tires, which will hopefully last longer than 5 months, and I should be set after that.

 

[Ronald6]

An old suspension that rides improperly can cause an alignment to be.. umm... un-aligned. This will cause excessive wear on your tyres and cause you to go through your tyres much quicker. A bad alignment can cause you to go through your tyres easily twice as fast as you should, if not faster.

I'm having this problem on my car. The money I was going to spend on new struts/coilovers I spent on new tyres twice as soon as I should have. And if I don't replace the struts soon I'll have to replace the tyres again. Proper maintenance can save you money in the long run.

You do not need a new alignment every time you get new tyres.

 

[Crash]

You don't need an alignment every time you get new tires.

It really is that important. Not only will bad alignment destroy the lifespan of a tire, which are already expensive enough as they are, but you are also possibly adding additional wear on other suspension components, and it can compromise the safety of the vehicle since the suspension system isn't operating within the normal design parameters.

If it was a tiny bit off, sure, maybe you have a bit of time, but your case looks to be way off. Unless you're doing burnouts everywhere or driving a set of very high performance summer tires, you should not be seeing a 5 month tire life.

 

[jjjkr20]

Alright I've made an appointment with Firestone for four new Bridgestone Potenza tires at a grand total of $600 which seems reasonable, however that does not include and alignment so I'll just go straight to BMW to get that done and everything will be fine and dandy.

 

[motortrend]

Alright I've made an appointment with Firestone for four new Bridgestone Potenza tires at a grand total of $600 which seems reasonable, however that does not include and alignment so I'll just go straight to BMW to get that done and everything will be fine and dandy.

Check how much they charge at BMW for an alignment. My local dealership charges $100+ which is insane for an alignment. My specialist mechanic charges $80 which is reasonable for a Porsche but for our cars $50 is way more reasonable which is about what I pay for an alignment and track prep shop to align mine.

 

[jjjkr20]

Check how much they charge at BMW for an alignment. My local dealership charges $100+ which is insane for an alignment. My specialist mechanic charges $80 which is reasonable for a Porsche but for our cars $50 is way more reasonable which is about what I pay for an alignment and track prep shop to align mine.

Well Firestone doesn't do alignments on bmws due to some weight thing and 2 other shops I went to said 80 so I'll just go ahead and get it done at the dealer I think.

 

[ildd]

I had my car aligned after getting new rear shocks and the charge was $100. That was their flat rate. They usually work on AMG's, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley etc so I know it's a little higher than normal.

 

[jjjkr20]

So at the dealer I work at I talked to a former alignment tech and apparently the weight done for BMWs really does nothing, or at least nothing substantial, so I'll just get an alignment there and it'll only cost me $65 so even better plus I can get it done whilst I work so I don't lose anytime, it's great.

 

[jjjkr20]

It's been awhile so lets get some up dates going.

My tires are doing good 5000 miles after the alignment as well I plasti-dipped the wheels.

Meanwhile a bulb burned out so i easily replaced that for $3 and 15 minutes of my time.

Assembly before removal.

Only took a couple clips and a plug to remove.

The bad bulb, easily screwed out.

Reassembled.

Fixed

And now i'm dealing with a misfire on cylinder #3. Suspected fuel injector.

So that's where I'm at now, I'm planning on verifying the engine code since my dad couldn't very well remember what they told him. Beyond that I'll probably start moving plugs around trying to isolate the problem. Fun times.

 

[jjjkr20]

Went to auto zone was told it was a spark plug, replaced the spark plugs, wasn't the spark plugs. I'll probably get it properly diagnosed on Monday then see where to go from there.

 

[Parker]

Went to auto zone was told it was a spark plug, replaced the spark plugs, wasn't the spark plugs. I'll probably get it properly diagnosed on Monday then see where to go from there.

Did you have AutoZone hook up their code reader to the car? If not, they can do it for free and they should be able to tell you exactly what the code means and what it needs in order to fix it.

 

[jjjkr20]

Did you have AutoZone hook up their code reader to the car? If not, they can do it for free and they should be able to tell you exactly what the code means and what it needs in order to fix it.

Yeah they checked with the obd2 scan tool and it told them misfire on 3, spark plug. However they didn't tell me a code just what it was.

 

[Parker]

Yeah they checked with the obd2 scan tool and it told them misfire on 3, spark plug. However they didn't tell me a code just what it was.

Ah, okay. Your post made it seem like you just told them what was happening and they suggested spark plugs.

If you have the time, I'd take it back up there, have them scan it again and have them tell you what code the car is throwing. Write it down and then search the interwebs (Google, BMW forums) for people with the same code and see what they did to fix it.

 

[jjjkr20]

Ah, okay. Your post made it seem like you just told them what was happening and they suggested spark plugs.

If you have the time, I'd take it back up there, have them scan it again and have them tell you what code the car is throwing. Write it down and then search the interwebs (Google, BMW forums) for people with the same code and see what they did to fix it.

When my dad got it scanned they gave him a code startin with p30 after some searching I think it was a p3002, a fuel rail issue too little pressure or so.

 

[Crash]

Autozone will be able to read all the generic OBD II codes, but they may not be able to read specific BMW codes that will give you more detailed information. I recommend finding a shop or someone with a BMW code reader to see if you can get anymore specific codes.

 

[jjjkr20]

Autozone will be able to read all the generic OBD II codes, but they may not be able to read specific BMW codes that will give you more detailed information. I recommend finding a shop or someone with a BMW code reader to see if you can get anymore specific codes.

I'm pretty my dad did take it to a place with a bmw specific tool but just couldn't remember the code.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Swap coils between Cyl 3 and any other cylinder, see if the misfire moves with it. If so, coil. They're generally more failure prone than fuel injectors.

 

[jjjkr20]

Swap coils between Cyl 3 and any other cylinder, see if the misfire moves with it. If so, coil. They're generally more failure prone than fuel injectors.

I didn't think to swap coils but so how do I check and make sure the misfire moved around? Swap the coils and drive back to auto zone? Sounds excessive but I guess if I have to.

 

[jjjkr20]

So it was the coil, it's since been fixed and the car is running great, but not really the shop i took it too notified me i have oil in my coolant probably cause by my oil filter gasket leak, according to him and to replace it would be ~300$ and with that they'll flush the coolant system and replace all the coolant, fix the leak and check for any others.

So good deal? Some advice would be nice.

 

[Ronald6]

You asked for it...

1: Call other shops in your area to get more quotes for repair cost. Might be a good idea to take it to another shop and get it checked out (like the old, "Hay Doc, can I get a second opinion?"). Some shops will do an inspection for free just hoping to get more business. Take it to one of those but don't tell them what's wrong. If they don't mention the problem look for their reaction when you tell them what you thought they should have found.

2: You might find a shop that will do it for half as much, but would you trust that shop? Sometimes it's best to pay slightly more than others charge in order to get better work. "You get what you pay for."

Good luck.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

It's been awhile so lets get some up dates going.

My tires are doing good 5000 miles after the alignment as well I plasti-dipped the wheels.

Meanwhile a bulb burned out so i easily replaced that for $3 and 15 minutes of my time.

Assembly before removal.

Only took a couple clips and a plug to remove.

The bad bulb, easily screwed out.

Reassembled.

Fixed

And now i'm dealing with a misfire on cylinder #3. Suspected fuel injector.

So that's where I'm at now, I'm planning on verifying the engine code since my dad couldn't very well remember what they told him. Beyond that I'll probably start moving plugs around trying to isolate the problem. Fun times.

This thread honestly made me cringe after seeing how long you drove without getting an alignment. Even after you bought a new set of tires. We suggested it a year ago and could have saved you a lot of money. Oh well glad you finally got an alignment but as a learning lesson for anyone reading this, make sure you get an alignment any time you see the tire wear like he had. I usually suggest getting an alignment after each set of new tires. The alignment is only about $50-$70 and can save you hundreds of dollars in tire replacement. Plus its not safe driving with an alignment that bad. Means less tire tread is on the ground.

I do like the look of the black plastic dipped wheels. The black wheels look a lot better IMO.