# HELP - Second time I need to replace front bumper undercarriage!!



## shelblake (Aug 1, 2004)

Hi,

I need some advice and want to hear others' opinions. I recently parked over a very small, innocuous-looking pylon, and when I backed up, it scraped and pulled. The entire undercarriage on the right side of the front bumper come undone, nearly taking off the entire front bumper! Now, whenever I drive it, small pieces of black plastic fall off and get stuck under the wheel base, and I have had to tape up the majority of the lower portion of the bumper just to keep it from falling off! The mud flap has completely disappeared, and of the course the turn signal light has detached and blown off as well.

This is the second time this has happened in six months. The first time, I got my insurance to pay most of the $3000 cost to repair, except for my deductible, but I cannot see them doing this again! My husband is so frustrated that he is thinking of trading in the Bimmer on something more dependable!

I love my car (nicknamed Buffy) and I don't want to get rid of her. Any suggestions on how one can prevent doing this again and maybe a link to an inexpensive method to repair this? Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks for your responses.

ShelB


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## HW (Dec 24, 2001)

never heard of this happening before. did they repair it properly the first time? :dunno: have you been hitting the space divider when parking into stalls? those coupe bumpers are too low for those.


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## RKT BMR (Sep 7, 2002)

I feel for you. I have to say I've never heard of this happening before.

The hard truth about this is that the car is not to blame. It is a low-profile vehicle, so there isn't much clearance all around. That's the nature of a high-performance vehicle; it's a necessary part of the physics that results in the incredible handling of a BMW.

So, with a car like this, you have to adjust your perceptions of how much clearance you have in the front. It's not much, and as you've discovered, it is often (more so than not) less than the height of typical parking space concrete wheelstops, curbs, etc. Most of us learn this hard lesson simply by scraping the painted underside of the front bumper a few times, cursing, and then adjusting. You've got to make this adjustment too.

If you can't, then perhaps a BMW, and low-profile cars generally, aren't for you.


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## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

Back in the days of my misguided youth, there was an automotive accessory called a "curb feeler", designed specifically for people who had a hard time judging the distance to the curb. It looked like a short (6" or so) antenna with a screw-clamp on one end.The clamp fastened under the rocker panel (usually one near the front wheel & one near the back), and the feelers stuck out about 5 or 6 inches, giving a clearly audible (scraping) sound when you were too close....low-tech but effective. Perhaps this idea could be applied to your front spoiler? Try Pep Boys or other auto stores for the feelers.

Regards,
Bob


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## 330soon2b (May 30, 2004)

ShelB you are not helping stereo types.  sorry, poor attempt at humor. I don't have any solutions and haven't heard of this problem before. I empathize with your saddness over the damage. all i can say is that you need to be more aware of your surroundings. good luck


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## shelblake (Aug 1, 2004)

Hi, all, and thanks for listening. I think that Fast Bob has some good advice; I am going to the Auto Zone to find this "feeler" tomorrow! I also think HW has a very good point, which is maybe that shop didn't repair it correctly the first time! I think I will go have a talk with them and see why it didn't last very long.

As far as not being a good judge of distance, that is not true; in fact, oftentimes the bumper ends up clearing the curb or pylon entirely when parking, only for someone else to get into the car that was not in the car when parked, weighing it down, and then the severe scraping and damage occurs. I love, however, the lowness of the vehicle and the manuevering and ultimate driving sensation that I get.

I am committed to Buffy; this is my third 3 series and I love my Bimmers! No matter what my hubby might say, I would never give Buffy up, unless it was to upgrade Buffy to the new 6 series!

Anyway, thanks a lot for listing and the commiseration.

ShelB :thumbup:


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## TLudwig (Mar 30, 2004)

ShelB, when I first bought my coupe a couple of weeks ago, I figured I'd have a HUGE problem doing exactly what you describe. With the ZHP package, the front of my car is SO low to the ground. My old car was not nearly as low to the ground, and even so, I would occasionally catch the front lip on curbs, parking stops, etc. Since I've gotten the new car, however, I've been EXTREMELY careful about parking far short of potentially dangerous curbs et al. Once you get in the habit of thinking about it, it becomes second nature.

Fast Bob, I know exactly what you're talking about with those feeler things. I saw them all the time especially on Mercedes and those old Ford station wagons.

As far as fixing your current "accident," I'm sorry to say that there's not going to be a cheap way to do it. In fact, you probably want to get it fixed ASAP because if the bumper is being held on mostly by tape, that can be dangerous and it could cause further damage to your frent end if it completely detaches.


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## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

shelblake said:


> I am committed to Buffy; this is my third 3 series and I love my Bimmers! No matter what my hubby might say, I would never give Buffy up, unless it was to upgrade Buffy to the new 6 series!
> =========================================
> 
> Now THAT`S the true BMW spirit!
> ...


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