Uncategorised

BMW 1 Series 5-door (E87) in production from 2004

Front & Rear Suspension

Praised for its go-kart like handling, early models of the 5-door (E87) were criticised for having a harsh ride and BMW modified suspension settings in April 2005. Revised settings for front and rear dampers, front bump stops, the front anti roll bar, rear top mount and the rear coil-springs improved ride quality significantly. Mechanics need to pay particular attention to these changes because these components work together and fitting incorrectly matched parts can ruin handling and comfort levels and lead to customer dissatisfaction.

When the BMW 1 Series was launched back it 2004, it became the smallest and cheapest model to be manufactured by BMW. It was launched at a lower entry point, making BMW more accessible to the market place, but it still held the prestige of being a “BMW”. Therefore, Euro Car Parts have aligned their braking offering for the BMW 1 Series accordingly. There is a choice of Pagid, Eicher, Textar, Ate and Bosch brands available on the shelf. With ABS Sensors, brake hydraulics, cables and brake friction in their product portfolio, Euro Car Parts truly have the offerings available that will meet the requirements from all corners of the aftermarket for the BMW 1 Series.

Inside Line – BMW 1 Series to 2011

1. A problem that mainly affected 2007 models. Power steering fluid can leak from the rack seals, which causes the rack gaiters to fill with fluid and ultimately the steering rack to fail.

2. On the 118D and 120D models, the Dual Mass Flywheel can sometimes fail, resulting in clutch judder.

3. The 2004 – 2006, 116i and 118i engines have timing chains that have been prone to jumping a tooth. To fix, technicians need to fit a new chain with an anti skip bracket.

4. A number of cars built between May and July 2008 had airbag problems. The faulty crimping of the component parts of the airbag wiring harness and seatbelt tensioner were found to be causing the problem.

No major issues – The starter fitted to Diesel models is a Heavy Duty Stop/Start unit and this does put greater load on the battery/charging systems. It is therefore important to check the OE numbers to make sure the correct unit is supplied and fitted when replacing the Starter Motor.

A few notes about the BMW 1-series (2004-2011 ):

Engine Oil

For this particular series, BMW list only one or two specifications for engine oil which should be covered by Comma Longlife 5W30 or Syner Z 5W30 for the later cars.

With service intervals of up to 18,500 miles, supplying the customer with a top up pack and reminding them that they should be checking the engine oil regularly (see handbook for guidance) might also be prudent here. A quick check before you change might be a good way of reinforcing the importance of top up to the customer. Combined with longer service intervals and the increased use of sensitive components like turbochargers, a smaller sump size makes checking your oil more critical than ever before.

1 and 3 series cars built between 4 and 14 March 2006 can be susceptible to Brake servo failure, another VOSA recall. The sealing ring may have not been lubricated correctly at fitting, which leads to excessive wear and in some cases the seal to fall into the servo. Initially noticeable as a hissing noise in cabin from the pedal area, possibly leading to a loss of braking assistance. Fahren recommends replacing the servo unit which overcomes the issue.

Notes:

Information for your pre 2011 BMW 1 Series is listed below:

The top Cambiare seller for the 1 series is a pencil coil. Technicians looking to identify a misfire or poor stating should look here first. While there may be a temptation just to replace the faulty coil, the rest are likely to have covered the same mileage and will be in similar condition. Cambiare recommends that all of the coils are replaced at the same time to prevent a similar failure soon after.

[caption id="attachment_2984" align="alignright" width="300" caption="ECP to start doing collision repair parts"][/caption]

Euro Car Parts (ECP) has opened its third national distribution centre (NDC), as it looks to future proof the business.

The new Bonehill facility situated in Tamworth, Staffordshire has been created to help with ECP’s push towards 165 branches across the UK by the end of 2014.

On 2.0CDTI Diesel Models the Starter Motor can fail due to DMF/Clutch dust resulting in the Starter Motor being stuck in the engaged position. The same engine suffers a VERY common issue with Alternator pulley collapsing or seizing due to the TVD (Torsional Vibrational Damper) rubber insert degrading or breaking up, the causes major excessive load on the belt system from the Crank pulley, which is where the TVD is situated behind. We supply with every Alternator supplied to this application, and this is of course reciprocated in greater detail on our website. This one is a MAJOR issue we advise thorough checking of the TVD and belts system if a noisy alternator or pulley failure has occurred– if you need further information let me know.

Sven Nielsen, Technical Director from MEYLE, says the following difficulties may arise with the Vauxhall Insignia:

Damaged glow plugs

Problem:

Cold starting problems due to damaged glow plugs.

MEYLE-Solution (614 860 0011)

MEYLE offers high-quality glow plugs (614 860 0011) designed to provide great durability even at sub-zero temperatures. Using a latest-generation Kanthal wire ensures rapid temperature generation in the combustion chamber and offers exceptionally long service life. In addition, MEYLE glow plugs start glowing at the tip, then voltage is reduced. This allows the engine to start faster while going easy on the battery and the environment.