Oil Cooler Busted/under carriage issue **Update: Another member with similar damage**

[RocketBoots]

I also thought a metal mesh would be a good solution. Protection and cooling. Doesn't even have to be the strongest, most stiff thing in the world either; just enough to act as a sacrificial barrier that can be easily replaced.

[Padfan9]

Originally Posted by Lups

Dude this was in no way meant against you. I think the neutral issue is weird in general, your complaint is completely logical to me, and makes me happy to have a manual.

I was trying to say that all over the forum you can read posts where people demand answers instead of being nice to the people who deal with shitheads like me all day long. I couldn't take what they do, so they have my sympathies, but as said above, I understand your points very well, and it's a shame the real issues are buried under a pile of shit.

I have said this before, I don't do sneaky bitchiness, so if I had meant this against you, you would know.

Are you referring to me?

Looks like the undercarriage isn't as strong as we all thought?

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by HadiF82

Very true.
[...] This is my daily too so Ill have to be extra careful. Good thing I didnt order the KW HAS spring kit

I don't know if I would call this a design flaw, or a feature, but the fact is that we have a large (tranny?) oil cooler sitting horizontally at the lowest point underneath the engine. It is an invitation for oil cooler to become the plow that clears road debris. Some of which will be hard, pointy, and prone to poking through the said oil cooler.

My first concern is going agro during a DE, or bouncing off a curb on track, never mind hitting something on the road - it's just too easy to introduce that oil cooler to an immovable object !

Originally Posted by HadiF82

I'm actually more pissed about how hard it was to tow. It definitely answered the question as to if ill buy this car after the lease is up.

Actually, there is a trick to releasing DCT into neutral mode manually. Unfortunately, it is not in the M3 manual. Evidently, neither truck drivers (no surprise), nor BMW dealer techs (sadly, no surprise either) are familiar with it, but here is the link to the threads that discuss towing with DCT:
http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1052180
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=739983

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[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by Padfan9

Are you referring to me?

Looks like the undercarriage isn't as strong as we all thought?

Sounds like his subframe is fine. And his control arms.

Not really analogous to your situation. And not indicative of a systemic problem.

[MFNATIK]

What we really need is the guy with the SO M4 to come back on this forum and detail what his damage was from jumping the curb. Sadly his story would be the most revealing and believable since we have indisputable video proof of what a real hard front impact to that undercarriage area would entail. Not saying that OPs story isn't believable, its just we don't really know what he hit to cause that kind of damage.

[edwinm3]

OP hope you can get this sorted out quick but trying to start it up after that?

[991brothers]

Originally Posted by MFNATIK

What we really need is the guy with the SO M4 to come back on this forum and detail what his damage was from jumping the curb. Sadly his story would be the most revealing and believable since we have indisputable video proof of what a real hard front impact to that undercarriage area would entail. Not saying that OPs story isn't believable, its just we don't really know what he hit to cause that kind of damage.

His damage is pretty bad. Suspension is the worse thing IMO you can damage

Originally Posted by edwinm3

OP hope you can get this sorted out quick but trying to start it up after that?

Tell me how was I supposed to put it in neutral to get it on the flatbed?

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

Sorry about your bad luck!! I disagree that this is a design flaw or that building a car like a tank so it can withstand anything is the right answer. If whatever hit your cooler had hit in the red circle in the picture below, it wouldn't have mattered if the piece was plastic, aluminum, or titanium. Any car has vulnerabilities, no matter how well engineered, and that does not equate to design flaws.

Totally agree with this - I worked in an engineering org for 10 years and the equation is basically this: if the force is strong enough to bend the metal into whatever the metal is protecting, then put lightweight protection there and either make the system redundant, self-healing, or fail-mode it. In this case, fail mode.

Whatever you hit looks like it levered up into your radiator and like SakhirM4 says, short of 1/4" steel plate you were screwed.

We can't ask for lightweight AND bulletproof. High performance cars are complicated and built for speed - that makes them more vulnerable to failure than a Civic.

It's a choice every M4 buyer should make eyes-wide-open before they buy one.

[edwinm3]

Originally Posted by HadiF82

Tell me how was I supposed to put it in neutral to get it on the flatbed?

Tow truck picks it up from the rear, can't they?

[Blksnowflake]

Originally Posted by edwinm3

Tow truck picks it up from the rear, can't they?

This doesn't sound at all like a good idea. I could see the front get massacred.
I've used 2008/09 7 series with auto transmissions and they had a tab hidden deep under the dash on the left side, you had to get on your knees to reach it, that you pulled and it put the car in neutral and allowed steering. I guess these newer cars have nothing at all similar hidden somewhere.
I checked my M3 and that cupholder trick is a no-go. The cup holder area thingy is not something that seems to move without feeling like I'm going to break something.

[Boss330]

Originally Posted by HadiF82

His damage is pretty bad. Suspension is the worse thing IMO you can damage

Do you have more specific info on his damage?

[Maxis]

How to keep the roads clean ,,,,,

[karussell]

this is just bad luck. you hit probably typical debris in southern california that falls off work trucks. piece of roof, flashing. hell i had to avoid hitting a ladder that flew off a truck. it could have been a lot worse. Just think whatever you hit if it was your tire instead could have ended up totaling the car. don't put any screens or guards in front or below that radiator. entire bottom of the car just like everything else was designed to optimize driving dynamics and efficiency.

[991brothers]

Originally Posted by edwinm3

Tow truck picks it up from the rear, can't they?

They can but the manual from the car says it has to be on a flatbed.

[991brothers]

[991brothers]

In case you were wondering what was the part to cause all of this:

Oil Cooler/ Oil Filter

[aus]

Get some downpipes on before that engine goes it.

.

[991brothers]

Originally Posted by aus

Get some downpipes on before that engine goes it.

.

Thats funny cause my friend just texted me saying the same thing.

ill have to see which ones i want

[Merli]

Second crate engine replacement due to what should have been a routine repair job...

I don't know about you guys, but this is very concerning to me for multiple reasons.

[YMB_F80]

Originally Posted by Merli

Second crate engine replacement due to what should have been a routine repair job...

I don't know about you guys, but this is very concerning to me for multiple reasons.

Not very concerning unless you Money shift, or hit something on the road dead on and managed to kill the oil cooler. What I am surprised about is the little bump on the road the other day that I SCRAPED MY WHOLE OIL PAN ON. All it left was a pretty roughed up bolt on one side. Boy I was lucky!!

[Falafel Combo]

#sketchystorybro

#padfanclub9

#idideverythingrightbutmycarblewupanyway

[Merli]

Originally Posted by Victorwu120

Not very concerning unless you Money shift, or hit something on the road dead on and managed to kill the oil cooler. What I am surprised about is the little bump on the road the other day that I SCRAPED MY WHOLE OIL PAN ON. All it left was a pretty roughed up bolt on one side. Boy I was lucky!!

That's not what concerns me... It's the fact that these engines seem to be completely unrepairable by the dealership mechanics.