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View Full Version : BMW Mechanic in Orange County, looking for advice



Fried_Chicken
02-24-2014, 09:14 PM
A little bit of background:
So about a year ago I hit a pole while driving backwards out of a long street (San Francisco).
The pole impacted my rear wheel with enough force to destroy the alignment on the car (the ESP and DSC both shut themselves off), and bend the wheel itself.

Since then I've had it aligned in a shop, and tried to do an alignment myself. Even still, the alignment is so far off that the car has eaten 2 tires, and the 2 new ones are already pushing the limit.

So I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and have the car properly aligned. I don't have the time or tools to replace the rear trailing arm and do a proper alignment, but I'm still weary about going to a shop to have it fixed (and have my wallet gouged).

I found a shop called "Coast Motor Werk BMW & MINI Cooper Specialists".
I talked to the guy on the phone, he made a good impression, but having never been there, I'm still weary.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/coast-motor-werk-bmw-and-mini-cooper-specialists-irvine#query:bmw%20repair

The price quoted for just an alignment is $200. He says that he aligns the car from the hubs rather than the wheels, and claims this is how BMW does it. Does this bear any truth?
This excludes any parts/labor costs (new trailing arm) that I might accrue, and the repair could take up to 2 alignments to be done right.


Anyway, is there anything in particular I should look out for?
ecstuning (http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330i-M54_3.0L/Search/SiteSearch/Trailing_Arm/ES57754/) lists the part at $580. This repair shop doesn't install customer supplied parts. If they are as good as they say they are, what kind of markup can I expect from them?


I'm sorry if this isn't the appropriate place to ask this, but before I lay down $1.5k I wanted to check with the family first.

JKO_ZHP
02-25-2014, 12:08 AM
They left a business card on my windshield a while ago when I was in Brea. I already had and still have an independent shop that I go to, but asked around about them anyways since the card caught my eye (it had an E60 M5 on it!) and I had never heard about them.
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=920529
From what I hear, most people who go that leave happy have deep pockets. It ain't cheap, but they do get the job done. Those who aren't happy are usually those who know the price is hefty and end up DIY'ing or taking their business elsewhere.

I would recommend giving Jackson a call over at N&J Auto: http://www.yelp.com/biz/n-and-j-auto-south-el-monte
It's a ways off, but he's been in business for over 20 years and has the lowest prices you will ever find. He's the reason a college student like me was able to keep my BMW well-maintained over the years without breaking the bank.

As for what the guy said, it could be true. I just remember my guy saying that the legitimate way that dealerships do it is by leaving weights in the seats, and then doing the alignment to simulate the road/load conditions while driving, or something along those lines. Complicated and expensive.

Fried_Chicken
02-25-2014, 08:16 PM
Thanks for the advice JKO,
I contacted Jackson but his alignment machine is out of service.
I went ahead and filed a claim with my insurance, this looks to be a very extensive job. I have to get a new wheel, likely new trailing arm, possibly a new control arm, and a new bumper.