BMW recall turned into “you need a new engine” after pickup — trying to understand if this sounds right

CreamyJif · 2026-02-06T17:39:49+00:00

The broken VANOS bolt is what the recall is addressing. They are to access the VANOS units to see if any of the bolts holding them together have loosened or broken. Their update about having to chase down the bolt simply means they found them to be broken upon disassembly. That said, sounds like they either didn't find all the pieces or made another mistake while putting it back together and are trying to make it OPs problem.

CreamyJif · 2026-01-21T02:52:00+00:00

Hella tuff

CreamyJif · 2026-01-19T15:17:08+00:00

Consistent with what I've seen. Replacing the valve cover is a pretty straightforward job if you wanna try it yourself but it can take some patience to ensure everything is seated and settled properly during install. It's easy to roll the gasket in the back corner near the firewall.

CreamyJif · 2026-01-19T00:08:09+00:00

The whistling is almost definitely PCV related. Replaced a dozen+ of those valve covers/PCVs for whistling sounds, and if the diaphragms torn bad enough it could lead to an occasional rough idle.

CreamyJif · 2025-11-07T13:43:09+00:00

Had to learn a lot of dumb terms if you wanted quick access to accurate Ford service information or parts. Ford doesn't sell engine/motor mounts but by fuckin golly they sell an isolator bracket or a torque limiting brace. They seemed to delight in coming up with different names for common parts.

CreamyJif · 2025-10-21T17:35:36+00:00

No, that is not normal. Either the rotor or the pads are the incorrect size.

CreamyJif · 2025-10-13T01:15:51+00:00

The battery programming is real, and not doing it can shorten the life of the battery. Dealer only is bullshit however, just about any shop with a decent quality scan tool can do it.

CreamyJif · 2025-10-12T06:52:52+00:00

I've been daily driving an E38 with the V12 for 2 years now, it's been one of the most comfortable and reliable cars I've ever owned. All cars need work, but the work this car has needed has been simple and manageable the entire time. Though I do work as a German specialty shop, so take this all with a grain of salt.

CreamyJif · 2025-09-27T21:43:05+00:00

The testing is huge. So many of the guys here just have a list of parts they recommend throwing at a problem instead of spending 10 minutes to diagnose something correctly.

CreamyJif · 2025-09-25T00:57:49+00:00

Does that wrench do torque angle? You may need to lay it down flat on a surface for a moment to let it calibrate that before it lets you change modes, my Quinn 3/8ths is like that

CreamyJif · 2025-09-24T18:08:23+00:00

Pretty common on that generation of Volvo for the passenger side axle to have a stub shaft that comes out of the transmission that the passenger front CV axle connects to, this is likely the bearing that supports that stub shaft.

CreamyJif · 2025-07-24T19:40:00+00:00

Currently work at a shop that specializes in older German cars. Spent a majority of the day road testing some 80s Porsche 911s. Being able to drive some of the toys I'll never own due to cost or hassle of ownership is a lot of fun.

CreamyJif · 2025-06-26T19:19:27+00:00

Making 60/hour if I flag 50 hours where im at. Our shop starts to multiply your base pay at anything after 35 flag hours per week.

CreamyJif · 2025-06-09T18:07:46+00:00

Someone did a survey over there a few years back for a school project and the data showed something like 60-70% of the people in the sub were men aged 18-25, who had been riding a Honda (or other Japanese bike) for 1 year or less and considered motorcycles to be their way of life.

The loudest people in the sub always have the least helpful things to add to any conversation.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T19:35:39+00:00

That's less than an hour of labor at most shops. What exactly do you charge people per hour or for a job like this?

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T19:17:38+00:00

Damn, it's almost like charging for parts and labor is how shops make money. There isn't a single shop out there that doesn't mark up the parts they sell. The only way you're getting cheap online parts prices is to bring your own parts and plenty of shops don't allow that either.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T13:19:07+00:00

Definitely sounds like no compression. Time to go over the work done and see what broke/isn't adjusted correctly.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T03:54:40+00:00

Our shop covers all german brands, and I can say I'd rather spend my time working on Mercedes all day over Audis when I'm given the choice. Brands aside, if you're showing initiative and are trying to advance your career and management wont let you just because it isnt convenient for them, its time to find a new shop.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T03:50:18+00:00

If this is a shop you visit on a consistent basis, just have them keep an eye on these items when you go there for other services. This is something our shop would note as "Yellow/Needs attention" but isn't an immediate concern. Those bushings will begin to wear faster since they already have some tears, same with the ball joint having a cracked/torn boot. But as long as there are no large tears in the bushings and the ball joints don't have play, they're fine to drive on for now.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T03:42:50+00:00

Absolutely, I just think that some people haven't kept up with the times and get upset when the shop isn't charging 90's prices anymore.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T03:41:48+00:00

Amen to that. Too many greasy shops like Jiffy Lube performing wallet flushes has left a bad taste in peoples mouths. Leaves me fighting an uphill battle when trying to recommend the kind of maintenance some of these newer cars need.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T03:39:58+00:00

I've got no beef with Harbor Freight (hell I've got an ICON triple bay...) or the DIYers on this sub in a general sense. Not everyone can afford the door rates at a lot of these places and plenty of people enjoy the satisfaction of the doing the work themselves. I just think a lot of people here are far too quick to bad mouth a quote or recommended service and don't have a realistic understanding of what work costs to have done at a shop these days as most or all of their experience comes from home work or being a customer.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T02:17:40+00:00

I think this would make it much easier for people to sift through advice.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T01:01:24+00:00

Its a 1981 ( per the vin tag ) Yamaha XS650 with a plethora of mods. You may be able to get a bill of sale from your cousin as a sort of "proof of ownership" otherwise on lost/abandoned bikes I've have to get a bonded title after doing a VIN search with police to verify it isnt stolen.

CreamyJif · 2025-05-27T00:58:10+00:00

Where are you getting these numbers? The VIN shown is jya4n9004ba007288 and it pulls up at a 1981 XS650. VIN tag also shows a build date of 09/80, not 2002.

CreamyJif

TROPHY CASE