[Burr001]

So this past Saturday while driving in NJ, felt some vibration in the floor and coming to a red light pulled over to see if anything was loose. Didn't see anything and took off after it turned green and boom loud clunking. Pulled over coasting into a parking lot again and it didn't want to go forward or reverse.

Crawled under and didn't see anything, so I started reverting all my tunes to factory in prep to have it towed to nearest dealer.

BMW roadside came in 30 mins and sent me an uber since I can't ride in the flatbed. happy the dealer got me a loaner no questions asked and off I went.

After inspection they sent me a video of the rear of the driveshaft seperated from the rear diff. Sorry to say its not covered as the tech advised this issue was because of the mods on my x3..lol.

Happy to say parts ordered and came in 2 days and I'm picking it up tommorow.

I asked what is the highest torque rating the driveshaft can handle and of course they don't know. Nor do they want to confirm.

Anyway it is what it is and some forum members here have seen when the x3 was rear ended a few months ago, so me hooning it around may have caused the driveshaft to weaken to the point of failure.

I would have had it towed home and done the work myself but the down time would have costed me more than paying the dealer.

as per tech "VERIFIED CONCERN. CONCERN IS DUE TO DRIVESHAFT BEING SEPARAT ED FROM FLANGE AT REAR DIFFERENTIAL. DRIVESHAFT IS INTERNALL Y SEPARATED AND NOT REPAIRABLE. REPLACED DRIVESHAFT AND ASSO CIATED HARDWARE. TESTED OPERATION AND VERIFIED VEHICLE IS OP ERATING AS DESIGNED AFTER REPAIRS. ADVISED - FAILURE IS DUE TO 3RD PARTY/AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS CONTRIBUTING TO EXCEE DED TORQUE VALUE LIMITATIONS/RATINGS OF DRIVESHAFT. POTENTIA L PREMATURE DAMAGE MAY HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED TO DIFFERENTIAL AS NO INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED IN REGARDS TO WHETHER VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN OR ATTEMPTED TO BE DRIVEN WITH FAILURE CONCERN HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIG NED AFTER REPAIRS - NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED AFTER REPAIRS."

I told them I wanted to keep the damage parts so I can inspect it better, so hopefully I will have better pics to upload. So now that BMW has flagged my SAV, time for more mods...lol

[ASAP]

Did you ever consistently launch the car hard?

[Rottweiler]

My money says this was a complication due to that accident. Your car is modded but it’s not over the top like a couple guys on here I can think of

abbike18 comes to mind

[Burr001]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Did you ever consistently launch the car hard?

No, only a few times when tuning my JB4 but that was months ago. Although I drive hard, XHP stage 3 tune, but again the driveshaft could have had damage and that was back in April.

[abbike18]

What mods do you have? And can you link to a thread with the crash pics?

If these drive shafts were weak then I think we would see more failures. Esp if you weren't launching it.

My bet is that the crash shocked that weak spot on the drive shaft and started something.

[Burr001]

Originally Posted by abbike18

What mods do you have? And can you link to a thread with the crash pics?

If these drive shafts were weak then I think we would see more failures. Esp if you weren't launching it.

My bet is that the crash shocked that weak spot on the drive shaft and started something.

https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showt...ht=res+exhaust the only pic I have atm can't seem to find the rest, but after the hit, transmisson fault came up but cleared after I restarted and didn't think anything of it. I was on the brakes just when I got hit, so maybe the driveshaft may have binded before the flange or something of the sort. but from the pic I took off the video shows it ripped just before the flange, but again I told them I wanted to keep the damaged parts for me to inspect.

JB4 map 6 E30 tune
AA dp,
XHP stg 3
exhaust, intake blah blah...
No major upgrades as far as turbo or DME unlock.....YET!!

[jsh139]

Damn, sorry to hear this. You’re in surprisingly good spirits though. Time for a DME unlock and custom tune I think!

[Burr001]

Originally Posted by jsh139

Damn, sorry to hear this. You’re in surprisingly good spirits though. Time for a DME unlock and custom tune I think!

I knew what I was getting into when I started modding this thing, I've been into cars for a long time and knew the hazards. Pay to play...lol, but now knowing that BMW flagged my x3, I will be looking into a new intake manifold, turbo and an unlock.

repairs..LOL business expense and I'll write this off.

I'm just happy I was able to get to my nephew's basketball game.

[g11hoonigan]

Originally Posted by Rottweiler

My money says this was a complication due to that accident. Your car is modded but it’s not over the top like a couple guys on here I can think of

abbike18 comes to mind

My money is on those LED lights in the pano roof that made his car way too heavy

[Rottweiler]

Originally Posted by jsh139

Damn, sorry to hear this. You’re in surprisingly good spirits though. Time for a DME unlock and custom tune I think!

You’re an instigator is what you are my friend

[Burr001]

Originally Posted by Rottweiler

You’re an instigator is what you are my friend

already have my eye on this thing of beauty.

https://www.amsperformance.com/produ...take-manifold/

[Burr001]

Originally Posted by abbike18

What mods do you have? And can you link to a thread with the crash pics?

If these drive shafts were weak then I think we would see more failures. Esp if you weren't launching it.

My bet is that the crash shocked that weak spot on the drive shaft and started something.

forgot to add I just installed PS4 AS last week from the stock Bridgestone's so the added traction didn't help the faulty shaft.?.

[Burr001]

I also found this once hp starts going up

https://www.jxbperformance.com/produ...arrier-upgrade

JXB Driveshaft Center Support Bearing Carrier Upgrade

[abbike18]

Weird the hit doesn't look so bad. I'd be surprised if it actually damaged the shaft.

Thinking you just got unlucky here...have fun missing further now

[borderwave2]

Burr, how much did the dealer charge to replace the driveshaft?

[suby01]

Dang broski. Sucks sorry to hear.

WELCOME TO THE NO WARRANTY CLUB!

There is no way this was due to your mods. You have basic bolt ons on a b58.
You either had a defective part from the factory. Or, yes, part of your accident was that it worsened this part causing it to eventually fail.

Really the dealer can say it was due to your mods for anything. Even if you only had aftermarket wheels. "different diameter" caused it. Again. Your fault. Even though let's say your wheels are actually lighter than oem ones.

Questions. Did they tell you what mods they found that caused these high TQ #s? Obviously they see your bolt ons and they can read your dme for any JB4 coding. But curious if you got technical with them?

Did they mention anything about tuning or DME coding?

You flashed it back to stock after if broke, were you running E30?

Hopefully It gets properly sorted and you mod it now how you always wanted and now avoid the dealer to avoid DME lockouts.

Luckily you weren't FEMTO unlocked because they would have flashed you back to stock. And you would be spending $$$
Again just to get back to where you were. Ask me how I know.

[suby01]

Originally Posted by borderwave2

Burr, how much did the dealer charge to replace the driveshaft?

Tree fiddy is the going rate for these.

[bbb83]

Originally Posted by suby01

Tree fiddy is the going rate for these.

Hey, do you still have an e63? I'm wanting to get one before the commies make everything battery/electric. How are you liking yours? Any major issues?

[Burr001]

Originally Posted by abbike18

Weird the hit doesn't look so bad. I'd be surprised if it actually damaged the shaft.

Thinking you just got unlucky here...have fun missing further now

TBH the hit wasn't that bad, mostly cosmetic...

Originally Posted by borderwave2

Burr, how much did the dealer charge to replace the driveshaft?

All in 3200.00 with tax-
Labor-1,076.00
Parts 1,942.39
BM26-10-8-680-320 DRIVE SHAFT AUTOMAT
BM33-12-7-607-158 REPAIR KIT INSERT N
BM13-90-7-952-841 TORX SCREW
BM26-11-7-523-709 HEX BOLT
BM26-11-7-523-708 HEX BOLT
BM22-32-6-760-945 HEX BOLT WITH WASHE

Anyway I knew I can save on parts/labor if I had done the work myself, but I wouldn't have been able to get it done in a week's time and no loaner. So in this case that's how I justified the price, 1000 for labor and I'm not the one sweating balls, sure.

For shits and giggles I asked for a quote to tranny flush (1800.00)and transfer case (600.00) Diff fluid change rear( 500.00) and I said no to all of it.

Originally Posted by suby01

Dang broski. Sucks sorry to hear.

WELCOME TO THE NO WARRANTY CLUB!

There is no way this was due to your mods. You have basic bolt ons on a b58.
You either had a defective part from the factory. Or, yes, part of your accident was that it worsened this part causing it to eventually fail.

Really the dealer can say it was due to your mods for anything. Even if you only had aftermarket wheels. "different diameter" caused it. Again. Your fault. Even though let's say your wheels are actually lighter than oem ones.

Questions. Did they tell you what mods they found that caused these high TQ #s? Obviously they see your bolt ons and they can read your dme for any JB4 coding. But curious if you got technical with them?

Did they mention anything about tuning or DME coding?

You flashed it back to stock after if broke, were you running E30?

Hopefully It gets properly sorted and you mod it now how you always wanted and now avoid the dealer to avoid DME lockouts.

Luckily you weren't FEMTO unlocked because they would have flashed you back to stock. And you would be spending $$$
Again just to get back to where you were. Ask me how I know.

So just got back home from NJ and I had flashed everything back in the lot in front of service. It feels awesome again and no vibrations.

So I didn't try arguing that much about my mods, I knew it was gonna be a battle no matter what proof I/they had. In the tech video as he walked around my X3 on the lift and just kept pointing at non BMW parts etc..even my Oil CC was pointed out.

That morning I had to fill up on 93 and my reading was at E13-15 but they didn't mention anything about it. I also told them to not update anything and they didn't. But when I asked for the old parts, the didn't have it or it has to go back as a core. I thought it wasn't repairable as stated in the bill, but it was just moot trying to get explanations, but overall they handled the biggest problem very well.

It was a sat morning and I knew service is only doing oil changes and BS since small staff. Anyway service manager came out and said all his loaners were accounted for Monday morning, but said he'll give me one anyway.

[abbike18]

Originally Posted by Burr001

For shits and giggles I asked for a quote to tranny flush (1800.00)and transfer case (600.00) Diff fluid change rear( 500.00) and I said no to all of it.

LMAO! I did all of that for about $300 (also add front diff) in about 6 hours.

[Burr001]

Originally Posted by suby01

Dang broski. Sucks sorry to hear.

WELCOME TO THE NO WARRANTY CLUB!

[COM40]

Originally Posted by Burr001

Anyway I knew I can save on parts/labor if I had done the work myself, but I wouldn't have been able to get it done in a week's time and no loaner. So in this case that's how I justified the price, 1000 for labor and I'm not the one sweating balls, sure.

Probably not a fun job either without a lift.

Personally I think it's well worth $1k to save a day (or quite possibly more) or laying on your back.