ouch: car broke down heading home from vacation

[attack eagle]

Well the touring finally let me down.

Or maybe i let it down.

I forgot to check on the idler pulley and tensioner before leaving...

About 130 miles after leaving my parent's house while 2 miles into a scenic detour thru Vickburg Memorial Park, the tensioner pulley said "See ya!" to the tensioner arm. Luckily I was doing about 10 mph and immediately knew what happened, instead of thinking it was a pot hole and continuing to blaze down the free way at 80+ mph

Mind you I'm 1000 miles from home, 2+ hours from my "local" repair shop and parents place, 40+ miles from the nearest dealer... with a 5 month old baby and 3 year old in 80+ degree heat. In the middle of the driving tour of a civil war battlefield miles from A/c and restrooms.

It could have been worse.

But even then after the estimate...
225 labor,
around 100 for the part
140 for the tow (paid)
and I still need to pay about $160 in gas to get home...20 hours with 0 stops because bmw is taking everything I had left on the CC.

And we will be at least 2 days late in getting home and getting back to work... vacation time ends today and I haven't left.

It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.




I just have to keep telling myself that.

But my son did get to pee on a civil war cannon.

[ryan roopnarine]

i had my tensioner wheel fall off pretty close to home. a new arm bolt and $23 tensioner wheel later and everything was good. it might be something i replace at inspection IIs from now on.

[Elekta]

I'm sure the wife had a few words for your money pit.

sorry bout that bro

[attack eagle]

actually my wife has been great.

I just feel bad because I checked the upper tensioner pulley but never thought to check the lower one on the tensioner arm.

If not I'd be HOME right now, instead of a couple of hours from starting my trip (again) waiting for my dad to bring the bimmer home with him from Jackson (he was already over there today doing visitation at the area hospitals.) so we can repack the car and head out, yet again.

[E34-520iSE]

I had a water pump pulley wheel shear off a while back. I still can't figure out why it happened. There were 3 bolts left in-situ, and they were all tight. I'd be devastated if your plight happened to me, as I have a young kid too. I hope you get it fixed and get back on the road again soon.

ATB,

Shaun M


Well the touring finally let me down.

Or maybe i let it down.

I forgot to check on the idler pulley and tensioner before leaving...

About 130 miles after leaving my parent's house while 2 miles into a scenic detour thru Vickburg Memorial Park, the tensioner pulley said "See ya!" to the tensioner arm. Luckily I was doing about 10 mph and immediately knew what happened, instead of thinking it was a pot hole and continuing to blaze down the free way at 80+ mph

Mind you I'm 1000 miles from home, 2+ hours from my "local" repair shop and parents place, 40+ miles from the nearest dealer... with a 5 month old baby and 3 year old in 80+ degree heat. In the middle of the driving tour of a civil war battlefield miles from A/c and restrooms.

It could have been worse.

But even then after the estimate...
225 labor,
around 100 for the part
140 for the tow (paid)
and I still need to pay about $160 in gas to get home...20 hours with 0 stops because bmw is taking everything I had left on the CC.

And we will be at least 2 days late in getting home and getting back to work... vacation time ends today and I haven't left.

It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.
It could have been worse.




I just have to keep telling myself that.

But my son did get to pee on a civil war cannon.

[Elekta]

The worst preventable 530 incident ever recorded is a bad install of hydrolic hoses for power steering and such arcing on the alternator during a hard right turn and cooking the battery under a baby seat. I cooked mine in the first month of ownership and never took it to an unknown shop ever again. Luckily no one was in the car when it happened to me, and I bitched enough that he replaced the battery and hot leads, but the smell, the smoke, and the near fire under the hood is enough to make you go Japanese for sure. Thankfully I got over it.

best

geoff

[Alexlind123]

The worst preventable 530 incident ever recorded is a bad install of hydrolic hoses for power steering and such arcing on the alternator during a hard right turn and cooking the battery under a baby seat. I cooked mine in the first month of ownership and never took it to an unknown shop ever again. Luckily no one was in the car when it happened to me, and I bitched enough that he replaced the battery and hot leads, but the smell, the smoke, and the near fire under the hood is enough to make you go Japanese for sure. Thankfully I got over it.

best

geoff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8n8yTxrGtc

[attack eagle]

home safe... of course the friend who was supposed to care for may cat and my son's kitten apparently never came over (I've been gone 11 days now) so my son's kitten was damn near dead from hunger as was mine. Nary a call from him or any of my other "friends" who are his housemates and even coworkers.
And I am no longer welcome over at the shop because I went over there to confront him about it. No loss in my book.

There is a three car shop (with a lift and airtools!) be hind the home of the master mechanic at the BMw dealership that i can use for free... and help him work on his DSM