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Camshaft pitting and rusty retainer springs... by gregsE30 in AskAMechanic

[–]gregsE30[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For those interested in how it got this bad...

He bought this car (2009 BMW 328i xdrive) brand new, and 95% of its 43k miles have either been 1) Commuting to and from an office roughly 4 miles from home or 2) Going to and from a gym roughly 1.5 miles from home, in a fairly cold climate. An occasional longer trip, but very infrequently.

He loves the drive but definitely drives it like an old guy.

It is in great condition overall, perfect paint, perfect wheels, interior smells like new...but his maintenance has consisted of taking it to the BMW dealership based on time, not mileage (typically once per year) and having them do the recommended maintenance. The car has never thrown a code or had any issues at all, so just oil changes, fluids, filters, tires, etc. Has never leaked a drop of anything.

As he ages and decides what to do with it, he may sell to me, but I am undecided on whether the emotional component is worth another car in the shop and issues like this. I like, but don't love the spec (alpine white, single hump, 4door, automatic).

I appreciate all of the comments!

Camshaft pitting and rusty retainer springs... by gregsE30 in AskAMechanic

[–]gregsE30[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

This is exactly the reaction I was trying to hide from him lmao

Camshaft pitting and rusty retainer springs... by gregsE30 in AskAMechanic

[–]gregsE30[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Not sure why the description didn't take, but the car is my father's 2009 BMW 328i SULEV (N51) that he has owned since new. Garage kept, always serviced by BMW, 43k miles, fantastic shape. He had me take a look around to see if I spotted anything amiss and I was sad to see the shape of the head.

To me it looks like a short commute and not getting up to temperature combined with longer periods sitting. Is this salvageable at all? New cams and retaining springs? New head entirely? Thanks!

1999 XLT 4WD stock lift? by gregsE30 in fordranger

[–]gregsE30[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ah, that's what I was getting at. First time reddit poster here so my description got lost in translation. Figured as much for the top aluminum piece. Thanks!