just got myself my first m///.estroil blue(the colour i wanted)44k.bmw history and now with a clunking noise! the car seemed spot on ,on test drive but as i got it home(300 miles!) i noticed at low speeds,changing out of gear a noise coming from the back end(worse when cornering i think).as i parked up i have noticed a small oil leak at rear of car.i dont know what the part is but its in the middle of car slightly towards the back.metal with fins.any ideas?or anymore info i could give to find the answer?
any help would be much appricated as i am gutted!
I think that will be the limited slip differential and, if leaking, could well be low on oil. Did you buy the car privately or from a dealer? In either case, I would suggest taking it to your nearest dealer for a check.
i bought it private.chance you take i guess.
thanks for link to site.from what it looks like by pics is the final drive?if you look under car from rear its the first thing you see,right in the middle between left and right wheel.pretty much directly under the boot.i can see oil dripping from it.what sort of problems could this cause?
the car has a warranty similar i think to the ones you mention ie not bmw.it has 9 months left and needs to be transfered over to me but even though car has full bmw history with last service less than 5k ago ,there are no stamps in warranty book.fingers crossed i can still use it(warranty).im just hoping it not serious or expensive!
That sounds like play in the diff. It's really common on z3s (i'm sure others will confirm) and from what i'm told more-so on M cars since the diff is not really up to the job on the earlier cars.
You'll probably find that if you drive the car at 20-30 mph in traffic, you can 'cause' the clunk by dipping and dropping the clutch quickly.
- the sound is a bit of a 'shunt' in the drive train - right?
Not mega serious (it shouldn't break). If bought fromb a dealer, get 'em to change the diff. They'll tell you that all Zs drive that way. Tell them Boll*cks.
If a private purchase, i'd just live with it. You will learn to drive in a way that minimises it.
thanks chris.yes its exactly like you described "a shunt in the drivechain".ill get it in to a garage to confirm but as long as i know i can get the car there ok ,im a little happier hopefully get the warranty transfered in case i do need to claim.just out of curiosity ,how much are diffs?
Diffs are V. expensive, but quite often can be sourced 2nd hand (say from a Z that's been tightly wrapped around a tree). I think that 2nd hand - maybe 600 - 700 pounds.
One thing that can (sometimes) help, is to change the proshaft coupling (joins the back end to the from end). Over time, these get 'play' in them which makes the 'shunt' seem even worse. I think that this is approx 70 quid (mine was on a 3 series though...)
Seriously, mine did this for years and was fine. I think it's worth speaking to an independent specialist, just to get them to drive it and advise. My specialist advised me that 'it would never break' - and it didn't.
did yours leak oil?just wondering what will happen if it has no oil in it at all?its booked in to a specialist next tues.its going to be a long week with car just sat in garage.but better safe than sorry.apart from noise was there any other signs? vibration,wobble,worse on corners etc?
the car seemed spot on ,on test drive but as i got it home(300 miles!) i noticed at low speeds,changing out of gear a noise coming from the back end(worse when cornering i think).as i parked up i have noticed a small oil leak at rear of car.i dont know what the part is but its in the middle of car slightly towards the back.metal with fins.any ideas?or anymore info i could give to find the answer?
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hopefully get the warranty transfered in case i do need to claim.just out of curiosity ,how much are diffs?
