Safety Inspection: For everyone's sake!

[infurno]

I can see how a serious mechanical failure can cause a problem.

One of my engine mounts on my E28 was bad. Every once in a while the engine would tip and pull the throttle cable. The car would randomly floor itself and the best you could do is flip it to neutral or cut power.

One of the worst failures happened on my E34 when the bolts on the bottom of the boot under the shock came loose on my way home after replacing front end parts. You can blame me for that if you like. Have no idea what happened, I checked everything 4 or 5 times before hitting the road. Worst case? I could have lost the wheel and mowed down someone walking on the side of the road, or a head on collision on oncoming traffic.

IMHO the biggest risk of mechanical failure is human error on a DIY or even professional repair. Not properly installing parts, forgetting to tighten bolts, ect...

I drive 1 hour and 30 min to work every day now for 5 years, and thats not including classes. I have never had an accident my fault or not.

Im not suggesting thats impressive or anything but I would say 70% of driving safely is being aware of your surrounding's. Knowing who is to the left, right, and behind you at all times. Not only check when you signal to turn.

The other 30% is knowing how to handle your car. What do you do if your slipping on ice, slush, snow? A hot wet road? Its important to know how to expect and handle the situations and how to restore control. Under controlled situations I practice so that if one day im sliding towards a group of kids I wont panic and know what to do. Recovering form a 360 spin is fun too

Finally you can never underestimate the stupidity of other people on the road. Don't expect them to see you coming, to yeild, or stay in between the lines.


Driver error or not, every time you start your car it could be the last time. If its not a failure on your end, it could be someone else.

[Ross]

I think everyone gets your point, I do and agree.
The intent of the OP was to remind people to inspect thier cars.
Lets have some of the pros chime in here with stories of what is on the road being driven by totally oblivious drivers.
Certainly driver error is the #1 cause, but an unsafe vehicle only compounds the problem. Vince's point about underinflation is a good example.
Most if not all of us bought our cars used and some recently, most without any idea of service history I'd guess. No harm in an inspection.

[BMWCCA1]

Sorry for the long re-quote. If the forum software kept them in the right order I wouldn't feel compelled to do this:

Eyeballing a bad shock? Okay so you catch only one bad shock out of 100 shocks. Bounce test? You will catch zero on modern cars. So tell me, if I show you 10 cars out there... 5 I know has bad shocks on all 4 corners because I have personnally took them apart and put back on... You will find nothing wrong with 10 cars on parking lot. Oh... you want to look for tire cuppings? Nope, won't find any either.

When you drive it, you probably might catch 3 of them. Why? Because you would know from your personal experience. Now what about the other 99 drivers? Maybe some might catch 1 or 2.... but majority of them wouldn't know.

You sound like I demands everyone to spend money to replace all unnecessary parts per your opinion... No... I am saying to check them... or have someone check them.... Cost them nothing to check... a little time... a little time getting to know your car a bit better. So why do you object to a simple check? Yes, it is your time involved... but then again, that is your choice.

Wife tells you something is wrong and yet you choose to ignore her car? Even 30 years... doesn't matter... you are doing a calculated risk assessment on probabilty that your wife might lose control of her car... You speculated that since she beat you in racing that she would have the best chances to avert such problem. That's your choice... You thought of that the car is well maintained by your trusted mechanic or you yourself that zero chance of anything goes wrong with it... at least major problem.

I'm not saying you shouldn't check your car. I'm saying there's very little you can check yourself with the car sitting in the driveway other than tire pressures and most don't even do that. If you continue to drive a car that exhibits a problem, you get what you deserve. I did not say I ignored my wife's concerns. I said I didn't believe them . . . until I drove the car and saw what she meant. In one case it was a brake master cylinder sticking with the brakes held on so much she couldn't climb a hill. When I got there, it had released. We swapped cars and it took a week for the problem to exhibit itself. When it did I saw immediately what she had been telling me. I replaced the master cylinder and it's been fine for 100k ever since.

So what about those examples of the two list members who got in accidents because of failed parts? Do you have those specifics? You made the original point about inspecting our cars in conjunction with reporting an accident involving an E34. There's no evidence presented in the news story that there was any mechanical failure. Some of the examples used here show that maybe some owners aren't capable of inspecting their own cars. I don't even know what this means:

One of the worst failures happened on my E34 when the bolts on the bottom of the boot under the shock came loose on my way home after replacing front end parts.

Bolts on the bottom of the boot under the shock . . . on the front? WTF does that even mean?

Sure, there's never anything wrong with checking your car's components for condition. But my point assumes we're all driving BMWs and, other than faulty repairs or negligent repairs, I've never seen a BMW in an accident because of a defective part. It's usually driver error, so work on that, too. Granted, the E34 was recalled for throttle cables. I think I remember this was on the automatic M50 cars only and it was the kick-down cables to the tranny. I could be wrong, it was almost fifteen-years ago. When it happened to me, before the recall, I just shut off the engine. It hadn't floored the throttle, either, since it only sticks and doesn't go wide-open, unless it happens to stick when you put your foot to the floor. It felt like the cruise-control didn't shut off. That would certainly be a problem on the track, and I'm glad some of you mentioned it in this thread. Regardless, knowing what you're doing keeps the problem from causing an accident.

I sold Audi during the unintended-acceleration years. All driver error. Short people turning around to look behind and hitting the wrong pedal. Usually on starting out from their own garages. Sometimes they were in D and thought they were in R. Always automatics. Somehow I thought this group on this forum were smarter than that. Sure, check your car; what of it you're capable of. But if you really believe bad shocks on your E34 makes you less safe than a stock, new, American car, or can cause an accident, then you probably don't know what a bad shock feels like. And what, exactly, did you find on the "5 I know has bad shocks on all 4 corners because I have personnally took them apart and put back on" Are you psychic? Were you laying-on hands? And why did you, the safety Nazi here, put them back on at all? Again, if anyone believes a split ball-joint boot or disintegrating Trac-Links (that's the actual dog-bone name from BMW) is the cause of your accident, I'll challenge the assessment. Sure, replace a joint with a broken boot because it will lose its lubricant over time. But anyone who's ever driven their BMW when a worn ball joint or tie-rod end actually came apart, please let me know. I'd like to use you in an experiment on brains being disconnected from the body.

Check all you want. But have it done by someone who knows what they're doing. Better still if they can communicate to you what they're looking for so you can tell yourself. But if you don't take a pro-active approach to your car, you're more likely to get ripped off then to become an accident victim. These are well-made cars. They don't come apart without feedback. We'll never hear if the lady in the Turnpike accident had her kids buckled in properly, was talking on a cell phone, or had a seizure. Her child died and it was ina BMW. That's all the press wants to tell you, particularly in the community in which BMW NA has their offices. And you all perpetuate the scare tactics here. There's a big difference between saying "The car went out of control" and "the driver lost control of the vehicle". In this case at least the reporters chose the latter term.

[repenttokyo]

this thread has become completely ridiculous. comments like this:

But if you really believe bad shocks on your E34 makes you less safe than a stock, new, American car, or can cause an accident, then you probably don't know what a bad shock feels like.

why don't you get off your high German horse and realise how asinine you sound. You are right, this entire board is populated by mechanical numbskulls who have absolutely no understanding of how a car works. Keep spitting out your BMW-dogma, it cracks me up every time I read your posts.

"If you really believe that an American fighter jet can outperform an E34 with cardboard wings and a homeade afterburner, then you probably don't know what flying feels like".

"If you really believe that an E34 couldn't perform lifesaving surgery any better than a fully trained American doctor, then you probably don't know what real surgery feels like."

"If you really believe an E34 with bad shocks can't give you a better BJ than a brand-new American car, then you probably don't know what bad shocks feel like."

[BMWCCA1]

why don't you get off your high German horse and realise how asinine you sound. You are right, this entire board is populated by mechanical numbskulls who have absolutely no understanding of how a car works. Keep spitting out your BMW-dogma, it cracks me up every time I read your posts.

Thanks for your cogent contribution. Might it just have been easier to answer the question? Here, try this: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

[Morgenster]

I think everyone gets your point, I do and agree.
The intent of the OP was to remind people to inspect thier cars.
Lets have some of the pros chime in here with stories of what is on the road being driven by totally oblivious drivers.
Certainly driver error is the #1 cause, but an unsafe vehicle only compounds the problem. Vince's point about underinflation is a good example.
Most if not all of us bought our cars used and some recently, most without any idea of service history I'd guess. No harm in an inspection.

Nearly 20% of roadgoing vehicles fail inspection yearly here (Belgium). But our inspections are painstakingly thorough and everything gets tested yearly. It made me cringe to see mine up on a shock and harsh movement simulator getting shaken about to check the sturdyness of the suspension components, but I'm glad they check it so thoroughly here.
Our roadworthiness inspections check all safety items from brakes to suspension, steering, shocks and seatbelts, as well as chassis and bodyshell corrosion. I failed my inspection last year on account of a worn dustboot on one of the lower control arms in front. I'm surprised inspections are so lax in other countries and it would explain why there's so many foreighn licenseplates on our roads.

[repenttokyo]

Thanks for your cogent contribution. Might it just have been easier to answer the question? Here, try this: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

nice, I see you are also familiar with years-old internet memes. Is there anything you CAN'T teach us?

[Tiger]

Ask Bimmer Nut Ed about the accident. He did a fund raiser for the family. The kid I remember was early 20's and he was driving along the highway and for some reason, the car veered out of control and oncoming traffic from behind or front (don't remember) killed him. Not weather related. I think this was in 2003.

The one about the coming out of the ramp onto the highway... I think this was around 2004 or 5... It may have been weather related but still accident right out of the highway ramp with no traffic is also quite unusual. This was on a weekend in the early morning... I don't know if I can find this thread... Our forum thread only goes back 2004... I was member since inception of 2001.

[BMWCCA1]

The kid I remember was early 20's and he was driving along the highway and for some reason, the car veered out of control and oncoming traffic from behind or front (don't remember) killed him. Not weather related. I think this was in 2003.

The one about the coming out of the ramp onto the highway... I think this was around 2004 or 5... It may have been weather related but still accident right out of the highway ramp with no traffic is also quite unusual. This was on a weekend in the early morning...

Weekend? Early morning? Was there a party involved? So, you have no facts to support that either accident was caused by a mechanical failure, right? "For some reason" and "quite unusual" doesn't cut it. Ask any cop or accident investigator.

I ran off the road once and into the trees——with no damage to myself, my passenger, or the BMW 1600. Why? Because I was driving too fast for my skill level. I also flipped my Mom's MGB-GT end-over-end back around 1969. Now I wasn't ticketed because the cop took pity on me with the car still upside-down in the ditch and pointed out the very worn bias-ply tires. Truth was I was going too fast and showing off for my passenger and didn't have a clue about driving a car properly when I was 16. I had never taken the time to learn the car's limits. Luckily I lived to admit it so no one would blame the poor car!

[attack eagle]

Dogbone or offical name is rear pittman arm is located at the rear wheel... in front of rear wheel. Someone actually post a real cool video on the location and how bad his was... complete loss of bushing.

If you look at your sway bar link at the rear wheel, it looks just like that but much larger and are mounted horizontally... 22mm bolts holding that thing.

I don't run dogbones.

well actually I take that back... I run ONE dogbone on one side because it is part of the anti hop link on one side...

I might burn the bushings out of them and put them back on... maybe even squirt some window weld in them as a substitute bushing this year... After all, I now that I have enough power and gear to spin both 245s in the wet axle tramp is more of an issue than it has been for the last year.

what I won't do is buy new ones to replace them or just put them on "because".

Where is the link to the article, pictures of the car or scene? I want to see whazzup if you were so moved by it to start a new thread.


This is much ado about nothing IMO.

It isnt a new e34 safetly/recall item/problem. Might have been age/ condition/maintenance or Driver error.
I wasn't there and I didn't inspect the car, and I don't even get to see accident photos to make my own determinations since no link was provided. Neither was the OP, or anyone else.

I certainly hope that on an enthusiast forum it should not require seeing a fatal accident in your model of car to remind you to keep the car maintained...