Do you think it needs an alignment or new tires? Is that something they can detect fairly easy or is this going to be one of those things that are impossible to find?
Lots of variables here... Is the vibration vehicle speed dependent? Engine speed dependent? Does it happen on acceleration/coasting/braking?
It should be an easy call; my guess is that the RFTs are getting noisier as they reach the end of their useful life. When those dreadful Michelin TRX tires on my M6 wore down they sounded exactly as if a wheel bearing was going out.
BMW has an extremely involved method for checking alignment that includes placing weights passenger compartment to simulate a typical vehicle load, so go to the dealer or else choose an alignment shop that knows BMWs.
Less common at your vehicle mileage-but possible-is a worn guibo or center driveshaft bearing, both of which are easy fixes(when I was a tech advisor for the ///M Register I actually talked a couple of guys through the procedure on an E28 M5 over the phone).
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
GM can be a real enigma it seems. Some of their stuff is not too bad. What shocks is how some models within the same overall brand name can be be just so universally bad
After spending a day checking out cars of varying price levels the other day, I can honestly say I saw more insanity at the Ford/Lincoln dealership than I did at the Chev/Buick/Caddy joint. And that's just with touchy feely stuff in and around the car interior, trunk and under the hood.. In a Ford F150, one of the glaring items missing was a left foot dead pedal. Only 6 footers+ would maybe not miss it. And this was on a really loaded fancy type (so-called) 4 dr p/u. But hey, if I liked everything else about the truck, at least that item is one that can be fairly easily fabricated after the fact....but a guy shouldn't have to..
Don't get me wrong - I do like GM, supported the bailout, yada yada. There's a long line of Buicks in the family and I'm in a losing chase with my nephew who's pushing 300,000 miles in his Avalanche vs 187k in my Nissan.
And they are a huge influence here in Michigan, even in my little town, which as about as far from Detroit as you can get. My in-law's SO has a nephew from here who's a big shot with them, and I just met a neighbor ~3 blocks way and his son and daughter-in-law are both engineers down in Pontiac. I hope they are sending remittances home. :-)
In other news, my mechanic took a look at my timing belt today and says the belt was a "half-tooth" off on the front cog. He moved it, checked all the alignment dots using his camera and said that little adjustment made all the difference in the world to him about how the van drove. No charge for the callback.
I was going to leave it with him for a few days to check everything else out and do the transmission fluid etc. but he said drive it and see how it felt to me first. So I'm going to do that and take it back Wednesday. Hate not to throw some more work his way since he seems to be good and honest, and I know he gives a lot of work away. And if it keeps running good, I can convince me wife to keep it in the garage and at least hit 200k on it. :shades:
Interesting about the miles on his Avalanche..be neat to hear more specifics as to parts replaced/maintenance performed to get there. Is he on original untouched auto tranny? Any wheel bearing or other type drivetrain re and re's?
Boy that represents a LOT of gas Be a good candidate for a small diesel in that thing..a motor like the 2.1 in a GLK would power the Avy just fine.
V6 - three cogs? Maybe it was really off by a third of a tooth.
I'll have to quiz my nephew. He has had his share of issues with it, but he's driven the heck out of too, including some long distance towing (contractor for a while). He's helping set up a new auto supplier down in Chattanooga and working 16 hour days so I haven't heard much from him lately. I do know the last big expense was brakes all around.
He loves it and was bummed to learn that it's been discontinued.
Cardoc, thanks for trying to help me out. I honestly don't know what they are using. It's a lease and on free provided service. If I owned the car, I may do a little experimentation and switch oils, etc but I'm not worried about it. If anything fails, its on their dime regardless.
I did find it funny the dealer said to change it at 3-4K miles and don't let the OLM get below 20%. I guess they are aware the DI 3.6 is tough on the oil
Bought my LaCrosse in November. Just went out to check the oil. First time I opened the hood. 3500 miles --- oil is clean and right on the mark. Computer says 65 percent. Haven't change my own oil in 23 years.
Aside from your interpreted (by me) sarcastic thank you, there are other reasons I have taken on my own maintenance chores. Since doing so I have no longer had drain plugs stripped, and further, I have also not had some of the very issues of discussion here in the last few posts. Furthermore, I get to be a bit more intimate with my car while I am doing the work on it. ya want an example? I could give you quite a few but maybe one you might be able to relate to would suffice, as I know you have indicated a degree of mechanical ability yourself...I get to see if I have a CV boot starting to crack. Fast paced oil change guys don't take the time to see such heads-up details.
Well, this is what GM says at that GMdexos.com site:
"To ensure you are using the recommemded oil for your GM car, choose authentic, licensed dexos™ oils. dexos™ is an exclusive trademark of General Motors. Only those oils displaying the green or blue dexos™ trademark and icon on the front label have been certified and licensed by GM as meeting the demanding performance requirements and stringent quality standards of the dexos™ specification."
That's my bolding. Don't use their "labeled" oil and you risk a warranty claim denial.
Lots of legalese, mumbo-jumbo talk in that quote, and even some non-English, as well. Note: It doesn't say other oils aren't acceptable, only that Dexos labeled oils have been certified and licensed by GM. That's a big difference than saying only GM's oil meets the specifications.
Still, If a company such as Pennzoil or Valvoline had a label stating it met the Dexos specifications, I don't really think GM would be too interested in debating whether or not their oil was up to the task. I doubt it would be in GM's best interest to deny such a cliam in that circumstance. I can just see the evening national news carrying such a story. You think there are GM bashers out there now, well, just wait and see them crawl out of the woodwork!
Now, if its a no-name brand sold down at the Qwickie-Mart, all bets are off.
That's their misspelling of "recommemded" btw. They can't even proof their webpage and we're supposed to trust their oil?
What could I possibly add to that comment that already hasn't been stated already?
This is what BMW states on their web-site regarding oils/service...
Required maintenance work or services should be performed for your vehicle by your authorized BMW center.
BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is recommended for scheduled engine oil changes.
BMW High Performance SAE 5W-30 Synthetic Oil* (BMW part number 07 51 0 017 866)
Should that be interpreted to mean only BMW service centers will be acceptable for servicing a BMW? That only BMW oil is acceptable?
Read a little further down, and it says...
If you need to add oil between oil changes and BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is unavailable, you may top up the oil level with one of the following approved synthetic oils. For information on checking your engine oil level refer to your vehicle's Owner's Manual.
The oils listed below meet BMW's Long-life rating and are acceptable for use in BMW Passenger vehicles and SAVs in the US market with gasoline engines.
BMW Long-life rating LL-01 Approved Synthetic Oils for the US Market:
Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30
Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40
Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30
Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30
That additional info seems to indicate that non-BMW oil is also suitable, but it conflicts with the first part above.
My only point is that there's a difference between "should be used" and "must be used".
Once in awhile I get the urge to buy another set of ramps and a drain pan and start crawling around under my cars again but hen I'll get a "reminder" like that post you left reminding me of what a PITA it is.
We have two CRV's and yes, that is a miserable filter to change. I have all of the necessary tools but the thought of getting burnt, cut or drenched in oil as I did for many years isn't something I want to do anymore.
I do hope you are using quality filters and are replacing the crush washer every time.
Thanks Gimme, Roadburner, Isell, for the information on the possible small vibration I am experiencing. I am going out on a highway tomorrow and see what it feels like.
If it is doing it I'll see if my BMW dealer can take a look at it.
While I still do my own oil changes, I hear what you're saying. There's lots of stuff I used to do myself that I'm more than happy to pay someone else to do now, and I'm also confident the day will come when I also farm out the oil changes, too.
Yes, I'm using the Honda filter, but the crush washer doesn't get replaced each time. I'm having a great deja vu (memory) of that very discussion on a bike thread we had years ago. We really got into it (the details of metalurgy etc etc) but if I go there here wit hso many of those details I'm gonna expose a potential conflict with my OCD conflicting with my common sense.. haha, Suffice to say I go into every action I perform with a good healthy level of self-discipline/common sense (which fortunately I have a decent level of...self-determined of course and there are some things that really is excessive.. That said...ya gotta know how to torque and what is really happening during the 'squish factor' each time....and even whether you are dealing with a steel pan or aluminum, thread size and count of the plug......etc etc - this one could go on quite a while lol Cheers..
Pennzoil has a licensed dexos product, they have other 5W30s that are not. Valvoline does not have a dexos product and they make claims like meets the engine protection requirements of dexos. What about the other requirements?
It's not likely to be alignment related. In years gone by when power steering wasn't common and neither was rack and pinion, the cars used very little caster. If the alignment changed and you ended up with negative caster, you could get a wheel shimmy (think shopping cart) and many people attributed that sensation as a vibration.
Tire balance issues generally get worse as the speed increases. A bad tire/shifted belt will vibrate at highway speeds, but you will feel the car be pushed side to side at low speeds too.
Driveline vibrations normally have harmonics and you will notice the vibration may be there at one speed, almost disappear as you go faster until the next phase where it will return, and then disappear again until you go fast enough for the next phase. Driveline vibrations are not felt in the steering wheel, wheel and tire issues on the front axle will be felt in the wheel.
I'm surprised you are asking Steve that question. He and shiftright have a very impressive command of English and all the grammar that that entails...something that the best spell check in the world can't fix for ya.
to too two there their they're your you're (one of yours even tho you refused my offered help for your blog ages ago) (just think of the ' as an are..you are they're they are etc .. the your indicates possession insure ensure compliment complement etc etc etcfreakin eterra, cuz after all we're talking the English language...it is the toughest to grasp with all of its many options.
That said, doc...you're very literate all the same..
haha..I had to edit cuz I saw I had a ' in it's many options..should be its many options...I make mistakes all the time too.. its is possession it's is of course it is..too funny...I better shut up now, lol
I'm surprised you are asking Steve that question. He and shiftright have a very impressive command of English and all the grammar that that entails...something that the best spell check in the world can't fix for ya.
Glass houses. I can't tell you how many times I've written a response, done a spell check on it, and then when I see it posted have to edit the heck out of it because of how much the spell checker missed.
your you're
Old habits are hard to break, and writing for me is still a work in progress.
Valvoline does not have a dexos product and they make claims like meets the engine protection requirements of dexos. What about the other requirements?
Just for the record, I simply grabbed those 2 names from my memory and didn't intend to suggest either brand was a suitable Dexos substitute. They are both big names in the lubrication industry, and that's why I used them.
But I'm curious about your Valvoline comment above. Exactly what is the wording of the claim that their product meets the protection requirements of Dexos?
We both know their are all sorts of ways companies can attempt to subvert reality.
Edit: I did find the following article on Valvoline and Dexos name licensing...
You can tell that you are never satisfied though with basically your work and your writing. I've seen it..you indicate an ongoing guest for knowledge...although if it's something you specialize in, you defend with the best of them, haha...and hey..that said, and so you should..
The your you're thing...if you're anything like me, it is how I learn to break old habits...when some sort of issue is made of it. I find if I get a chance to use the right form right away, that helps a lot to spot the new knowledge curve from then on. The more you spot it, the quicker that old habit can be broken.
I speak from personal experience...I have a good friend who will sometimes point out if I have ignorantly coined a neoterism. As in..I used to to say exorborant (not a word) when what I meant was exorbitant. Another was the word vacuous. I used to say vacumous (not a word) until an internet friend informed me of my ignorance. To this day I remember both those and have broken the habit successfully.
That old saying about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks? Anyone who believes that has never owned a good ol' dog..
IE10 has a pretty good spell checker built in. Then if it still looks wrong, I use the one here. Mostly I rely on the IE one because it underlines suspect words on the fly. I wouldn't have noticed the GMdexos typo but IE underscored it after I pasted the language here.
What I wind up doing is editing and then not reading what finally gets posted and miss a lot that way. And yeah, the mistakes seem more common as I've aged. But these days with all the texting, everyone is fluent in chat typo anyway so it's really not a big deal.
If I worked at Jiffy Lube, I'd be the guy that left the oil cap off. Or worse.
I first got onto the internet and started participating in automotive forums back in 97. My writing skills were pretty much non-existent. I never could write with a pen/pencil and really still can't. I didn't learn how to type back in my schools days either and that has something to do with the frustration that catching and correcting errors caused. Today's PC's as imperfect as the spell checkers and grammer assistants are has helped me learn to do things that I could only wish I could have accomplished back in my high school days.
One of the neatest things is how typing on one page in one font, and then pasting the text into a second to proof read it allows me to see and correct mistakes. It's almost like someone else wrote it when I see it in the second font. For important documents I'll use something like Microsoft word which as you said underscores and occasionally auto-corrects misspelled words. I do like the grammer assistant built into it but on occasion still get frustrated trying to make it happy with a sentence or two. Even so I've said it before, I cannot do with a pen today what I can with a keyboard. Had there been computers like this back in the seventies, I wouldn't be fixing cars for a living today because I would have been able to make it onto college and gotten the aerospace engineering degree that I wanted to have. But I couldn't write well enough, nor fast enough and no-one ever tried to figure out why. My 750 in math SAT's could have gotten me in almost anywhere, the 460 on the verbal score was what they based their decisions on. The fact that I never did any homework had my teachers thinking that I was just being lazy. I was too smart for something to be wrong. Unedited, no spell checker used on this response, just straight typed and single word corrections from bad key strikes.
Tire balance issues generally get worse as the speed increases. wheel and tire issues on the front axle will be felt in the wheel.
Thanks, good information. I'll take it out on the highway and see what happens. I think it happens only at higher speeds and it seemed to be from about 50 to 70 mph at least.
I don't like when things go wrong with the car ever, but, I really don't like the things that are hard to define. A broken muffler, at least you know what is wrong right away...it's this unknown stuff that I don't like.
Interesting idea about the font pasting; makes sense. You can always tell when someone uses Word to draft a post - many of the punctuation marks get messed up from Word's coding when the post gets pasted.
At least we don't have to worry about humouring our neighbour Gimme, and getting stuffed in the boot.
If KhanAdademy had been around when I was a kid, I wouldn't have flunked algebra. Twice. He needs to add a module there for auto repair.
I picked the time. Are you suggesting that given doc's comment to Steve about this site's spell check, I was out of line? I interpreted his comment as suggesting that the people who run and/or monitor the site, think the spell check was good enough, when in fact I merely pointed out that a spell check can only do so much. I also used the opportunity to turn it into a lesson, which, of all people on this forum, he should be able to relate to cuz he loves to teach. Usually people who love to teach, also love to learn. So I took one opportunity to help him break the habit of just one of his regular faux pas. He teaches to kids. Kids, whom we want to be representative of our nation. I say if you're gonna propagate, then do it as accurately as you can. If the right place isn't in a school, then where else is it? Rarely do I ever go there..I don't go there with you even though I see that you said you were an editor for Reader's Digest.
I guess I am an odd sort of personality, because I like to know even if the person informing me does so with grace or not. I remember the day a guy pointed out to me I was typing insure when I meant ensure. In my head I was thinking of it with the e, but typed it with the i. He thought he was successful in embarrassing me in front of other fellow users, but he couldn't have been more wrong. I used his 'help' to my advantage and don't think I ever misspelt ensure again. There are ways of informing a fellow internet user of something that might help them, and then there are other ways that are used with the intent to embarrass or attempt to make a fool of them, and I thought I did a fairly good job at being as diplomatic as possible in this particular circumstance. I'm confident that he did not take offense to what and how I pointed it out.
What did sorta rain on it though was your basically suggesting that I used poor judgement in this case and was the ignorant one. Your comment about "Depends on how, where and when it is done" is absolutely right-on. I thought it was painfully obvious I was trying to be truly helpful. Can you say the same about your ignorant remark? Or was the intent to make me the embarrassed one on a different level? If I wanted to be ignorant (using the word the way you used it) I could point out that that is another of many misused words.
Ya know? When I went there last night I really did wonder if someone was going to come along and try to turn it into something it wasn't. Sure enough, internet will never fail ya..
Never fails on forums that the one pointing out an error makes a typo in their post. Present company accepted of coarse. Time to get back to cars eh and head over to Grammar and the Peeves that Pet It for word talk, before Shifty starts throwing sockets at us.
FWIW the your, you're thing is something that I have been trying to correct for a long time. I always have to remind myself to not use the contraction to try and remember which way it should be. So instead of "you're" I will normally write it out as "you are". I recognized what you were trying to do with that one line in your response. The rest of it might as well have been written in another language and will take me a while to go through.
When we get done editing for words spelled wrongly or used incorrectly, we can always start working on having correct punctuation, keeping the same person or voice, and maintaining the tense of the verbs within a paragraph.
One of my pet peeves is incorrect parallelism within multiple parts such as the 3-part predicate in my previous sentence. :sick:
There was a theory that if you put 1,000 monkeys in a room with 1,000 computers, and gave them in infinite amount of time, eventually they would randomly type the entire works of Shakespeare correctly.
The internet, however, has proven this theory untrue. :P
If you find the Edmunds forum occasionally lacking in the finer points of grammar, you really need to visit Yahoo Answers sometime. You'll come back here thinking you are a non-credit observer at a University of Oxford lecture.
Your comment about "Depends on how, where and when it is done" is absolutely right-on.
I wasn't criticizing you at all, it was the furthest thing from my mind. You were fine, and I agree, it is a good thing to learn from our mistakes and there is a nice way to point out an error, and you did that. I am just saying if it is done too much or at the wrong time - say in front of a group of people in real life, not on the internet - it isn't being done for the right reasons. And, it isn't nice if it is done too much...which I have seen on other sites (I know, I am not supposed to start a sentence with "and").
I don't mind at all if you point out an error I may make, I like the chance to learn from it, but it has to be done in a respectful way-which I know you would do, we all make mistakes - I just didn't want posters to get hung up on being criticized for grammatical errors.
If you don't mine me asking. Has anything transpired since asking about your vibration problem? I noticed a nice number of responses with a few having an extreme amount of details.
There is a short story named, Inflexible Logic, where a scientist has the monkeys start typing and they type nothing but complete works, without a comma out of place... It drives his friend and fellow scientist so nuts, that he shoots all the monkeys.... and, as the last one is dying, it types out....
"UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Chapte..." Then he, too, was dead.
One of my favorite short stories, from when I was growing up...
Thanks for that driver.. I guess I was sorta hoping that when doc replied and didn't seem offended (although wasn't sure about the glass houses comment? cuz, as already confessed I know I screw up too) it was going to be dropped from that point. I didn't think I had been too abrasive or anything in the way I said it. For a while though I had started to second guess myself and was starting to feel badly a bit..(that might have spurred a bit of the defensiveness later) wanting to offend was the farthest from my mind, and I thank you for elaborating and confirming that I had done it in a fairly quiet way. As for starting with 'And', haha I do that all the time...I think I took the ball and ran with it when I read off some site..grammarbook maybe? forget..but that apparent 'rules' (ugh) are becoming more relaxed with that sorta thing. I certainly don't want to come across as some kinda usageaster, cuz I know I break many grammar in terms of sentence structure, order, the whole ball of wax. I guess to cover that at times I exercise a little epexegesis. Boy..Edmunds doesn't like that one, lol...or maybe it's the Mac? (the addition of words to clarify meaning) Some of what I have learned has been self-taught so in one way I can relate to what doc was saying about his ability to communicate with the written (typed) word better since he got a computer. The difference for me is a I can write too but good luck deciphering my hand writing. It used to be fairly legible, but since the PC, it's gotten worse every year I think.
I once read this somewhere: "English is one of the most 'irregular' of the common languages. That means that it's difficult to learn because there are so few structural rules, and because the few that exist are broken constantly in unpredictable ways."
Anyway..I didn't plan to engage in any logomachy here..And I didn't mean to elaborate here on this mechanic's forum. Mainly I wanted to express appreciation tho for your reply.
Hoobooy... I'm having a deja vu again..haha,,must be your influence here driver..thinking of a few exchanges way back in the early 60000's in the Frontlines with Richard and someone. That was some great reading.. lol
Driver, you could try something kind of low tech like rubbing the tires with your hand around the circumference. If it feels smoother counter clockwise than clockwise, it could be cupping. You can compare to the tires on your other car in the same way.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Comments
Lots of variables here...
Is the vibration vehicle speed dependent?
Engine speed dependent?
Does it happen on acceleration/coasting/braking?
It should be an easy call; my guess is that the RFTs are getting noisier as they reach the end of their useful life. When those dreadful Michelin TRX tires on my M6 wore down they sounded exactly as if a wheel bearing was going out.
BMW has an extremely involved method for checking alignment that includes placing weights passenger compartment to simulate a typical vehicle load, so go to the dealer or else choose an alignment shop that knows BMWs.
Less common at your vehicle mileage-but possible-is a worn guibo or center driveshaft bearing, both of which are easy fixes(when I was a tech advisor for the ///M Register I actually talked a couple of guys through the procedure on an E28 M5 over the phone).
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
GM: Mark of Excellence...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
It's probably wheel balance. If you feel it in the steering wheel it's from the front tires. If you feel it in the seat of your pants, it's the rears.
You may have lost a wheel weight. Just make sure you take it to a good shop with the right equipment.
After spending a day checking out cars of varying price levels the other day, I can honestly say I saw more insanity at the Ford/Lincoln dealership than I did at the Chev/Buick/Caddy joint. And that's just with touchy feely stuff in and around the car interior, trunk and under the hood.. In a Ford F150, one of the glaring items missing was a left foot dead pedal. Only 6 footers+ would maybe not miss it. And this was on a really loaded fancy type (so-called) 4 dr p/u. But hey, if I liked everything else about the truck, at least that item is one that can be fairly easily fabricated after the fact....but a guy shouldn't have to..
Don't get me wrong - I do like GM, supported the bailout, yada yada. There's a long line of Buicks in the family and I'm in a losing chase with my nephew who's pushing 300,000 miles in his Avalanche vs 187k in my Nissan.
And they are a huge influence here in Michigan, even in my little town, which as about as far from Detroit as you can get. My in-law's SO has a nephew from here who's a big shot with them, and I just met a neighbor ~3 blocks way and his son and daughter-in-law are both engineers down in Pontiac. I hope they are sending remittances home. :-)
In other news, my mechanic took a look at my timing belt today and says the belt was a "half-tooth" off on the front cog. He moved it, checked all the alignment dots using his camera and said that little adjustment made all the difference in the world to him about how the van drove. No charge for the callback.
I was going to leave it with him for a few days to check everything else out and do the transmission fluid etc. but he said drive it and see how it felt to me first. So I'm going to do that and take it back Wednesday. Hate not to throw some more work his way since he seems to be good and honest, and I know he gives a lot of work away. And if it keeps running good, I can convince me wife to keep it in the garage and at least hit 200k on it. :shades:
Boy that represents a LOT of gas
I'll have to quiz my nephew. He has had his share of issues with it, but he's driven the heck out of too, including some long distance towing (contractor for a while). He's helping set up a new auto supplier down in Chattanooga and working 16 hour days so I haven't heard much from him lately. I do know the last big expense was brakes all around.
He loves it and was bummed to learn that it's been discontinued.
That's great though overall if the vacations miles haven't hurt it any. Sounds like a good guy.
Cardoc, thanks for trying to help me out. I honestly don't know what they are using. It's a lease and on
freeprovided service. If I owned the car, I may do a little experimentation and switch oils, etc but I'm not worried about it. If anything fails, its on their dime regardless.I did find it funny the dealer said to change it at 3-4K miles and don't let the OLM get below 20%. I guess they are aware the DI 3.6 is tough on the oil
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
Aside from your interpreted (by me) sarcastic thank you, there are other reasons I have taken on my own maintenance chores. Since doing so I have no longer had drain plugs stripped, and further, I have also not had some of the very issues of discussion here in the last few posts. Furthermore, I get to be a bit more intimate with my car while I am doing the work on it. ya want an example? I could give you quite a few but maybe one you might be able to relate to would suffice, as I know you have indicated a degree of mechanical ability yourself...I get to see if I have a CV boot starting to crack. Fast paced oil change guys don't take the time to see such heads-up details.
"To ensure you are using the recommemded oil for your GM car, choose authentic, licensed dexos™ oils. dexos™ is an exclusive trademark of General Motors. Only those oils displaying the green or blue dexos™ trademark and icon on the front label have been certified and licensed by GM as meeting the demanding performance requirements and stringent quality standards of the dexos™ specification."
That's my bolding. Don't use their "labeled" oil and you risk a warranty claim denial.
Lots of legalese, mumbo-jumbo talk in that quote, and even some non-English, as well. Note: It doesn't say other oils aren't acceptable, only that Dexos labeled oils have been certified and licensed by GM. That's a big difference than saying only GM's oil meets the specifications.
Still, If a company such as Pennzoil or Valvoline had a label stating it met the Dexos specifications, I don't really think GM would be too interested in debating whether or not their oil was up to the task. I doubt it would be in GM's best interest to deny such a cliam in that circumstance. I can just see the evening national news carrying such a story. You think there are GM bashers out there now, well, just wait and see them crawl out of the woodwork!
Now, if its a no-name brand sold down at the Qwickie-Mart, all bets are off.
That's their misspelling of "recommemded" btw. They can't even proof their webpage and we're supposed to trust their oil?
What could I possibly add to that comment that already hasn't been stated already?
Required maintenance work or services should be performed for your vehicle by your authorized BMW center.
BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is recommended for scheduled engine oil changes.
BMW High Performance SAE 5W-30 Synthetic Oil* (BMW part number 07 51 0 017 866)
Should that be interpreted to mean only BMW service centers will be acceptable for servicing a BMW? That only BMW oil is acceptable?
Read a little further down, and it says...
If you need to add oil between oil changes and BMW High Performance Synthetic Oil is unavailable, you may top up the oil level with one of the following approved synthetic oils. For information on checking your engine oil level refer to your vehicle's Owner's Manual.
The oils listed below meet BMW's Long-life rating and are acceptable for use in BMW Passenger vehicles and SAVs in the US market with gasoline engines.
BMW Long-life rating LL-01 Approved Synthetic Oils for the US Market:
Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30
Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40
Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30
Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30
That additional info seems to indicate that non-BMW oil is also suitable, but it conflicts with the first part above.
My only point is that there's a difference between "should be used" and "must be used".
Once in awhile I get the urge to buy another set of ramps and a drain pan and start crawling around under my cars again but hen I'll get a "reminder" like that post you left reminding me of what a PITA it is.
We have two CRV's and yes, that is a miserable filter to change. I have all of the necessary tools but the thought of getting burnt, cut or drenched in oil as I did for many years isn't something I want to do anymore.
I do hope you are using quality filters and are replacing the crush washer every time.
I pay the bucks and have the dealer do it.
If it is doing it I'll see if my BMW dealer can take a look at it.
It's was good to get that feedback.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
While I still do my own oil changes, I hear what you're saying. There's lots of stuff I used to do myself that I'm more than happy to pay someone else to do now, and I'm also confident the day will come when I also farm out the oil changes, too.
:thumb up:
Yes, I'm using the Honda filter, but the crush washer doesn't get replaced each time. I'm having a great deja vu (memory) of that very discussion on a bike thread we had years ago. We really got into it (the details of metalurgy etc etc) but if I go there here wit hso many of those details I'm gonna expose a potential conflict with my OCD conflicting with my common sense.. haha, Suffice to say I go into every action I perform with a good healthy level of self-discipline/common sense (which fortunately I have a decent level of...self-determined of course
That said...ya gotta know how to torque and what is really happening during the
'squish factor' each time....and even whether you are dealing with a steel pan or aluminum, thread size and count of the plug......etc etc - this one could go on quite a while lol
Cheers..
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart
What does it mean when they still quote out of date specs?
http://www.valvoline.com/pdf/premium_conventional.pdf
Yea that spelling is bad, but have you really tested the spell checker on this site?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Tire balance issues generally get worse as the speed increases. A bad tire/shifted belt will vibrate at highway speeds, but you will feel the car be pushed side to side at low speeds too.
Driveline vibrations normally have harmonics and you will notice the vibration may be there at one speed, almost disappear as you go faster until the next phase where it will return, and then disappear again until you go fast enough for the next phase. Driveline vibrations are not felt in the steering wheel, wheel and tire issues on the front axle will be felt in the wheel.
to too two
there their they're
your you're (one of yours even tho you refused my offered help for your blog ages ago) (just think of the ' as an are..you are they're they are etc .. the your indicates possession
insure ensure
compliment complement
etc etc etcfreakin eterra, cuz after all we're talking the English language...it is the toughest to grasp with all of its many options.
That said, doc...you're very literate all the same..
haha..I had to edit cuz I saw I had a ' in it's many options..should be its many options...I make mistakes all the time too..
its is possession it's is of course it is..too funny...I better shut up now, lol
Glass houses. I can't tell you how many times I've written a response, done a spell check on it, and then when I see it posted have to edit the heck out of it because of how much the spell checker missed.
your you're
Old habits are hard to break, and writing for me is still a work in progress.
Just for the record, I simply grabbed those 2 names from my memory and didn't intend to suggest either brand was a suitable Dexos substitute. They are both big names in the lubrication industry, and that's why I used them.
But I'm curious about your Valvoline comment above. Exactly what is the wording of the claim that their product meets the protection requirements of Dexos?
We both know their are all sorts of ways companies can attempt to subvert reality.
Edit: I did find the following article on Valvoline and Dexos name licensing...
http://www.imakenews.com/lubritec/e_article001782799.cfm?x=b11,0,w
The your you're thing...if you're anything like me, it is how I learn to break old habits...when some sort of issue is made of it. I find if I get a chance to use the right form right away, that helps a lot to spot the new knowledge curve from then on. The more you spot it, the quicker that old habit can be broken.
I speak from personal experience...I have a good friend who will sometimes point out if I have ignorantly coined a neoterism. As in..I used to to say exorborant (not a word) when what I meant was exorbitant. Another was the word vacuous. I used to say vacumous (not a word) until an internet friend informed me of my ignorance. To this day I remember both those and have broken the habit successfully.
That old saying about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks? Anyone who believes that has never owned a good ol' dog..
IE10 has a pretty good spell checker built in. Then if it still looks wrong, I use the one here. Mostly I rely on the IE one because it underlines suspect words on the fly. I wouldn't have noticed the GMdexos typo but IE underscored it after I pasted the language here.
What I wind up doing is editing and then not reading what finally gets posted and miss a lot that way. And yeah, the mistakes seem more common as I've aged. But these days with all the texting, everyone is fluent in chat typo anyway so it's really not a big deal.
If I worked at Jiffy Lube, I'd be the guy that left the oil cap off. Or worse.
One of the neatest things is how typing on one page in one font, and then pasting the text into a second to proof read it allows me to see and correct mistakes. It's almost like someone else wrote it when I see it in the second font. For important documents I'll use something like Microsoft word which as you said underscores and occasionally auto-corrects misspelled words. I do like the grammer assistant built into it but on occasion still get frustrated trying to make it happy with a sentence or two. Even so I've said it before, I cannot do with a pen today what I can with a keyboard. Had there been computers like this back in the seventies, I wouldn't be fixing cars for a living today because I would have been able to make it onto college and gotten the aerospace engineering degree that I wanted to have. But I couldn't write well enough, nor fast enough and no-one ever tried to figure out why. My 750 in math SAT's could have gotten me in almost anywhere, the 460 on the verbal score was what they based their decisions on. The fact that I never did any homework had my teachers thinking that I was just being lazy. I was too smart for something to be wrong. Unedited, no spell checker used on this response, just straight typed and single word corrections from bad key strikes.
wheel and tire issues on the front axle will be felt in the wheel.
Thanks, good information. I'll take it out on the highway and see what happens. I think it happens only at higher speeds and it seemed to be from about 50 to 70 mph at least.
I don't like when things go wrong with the car ever, but, I really don't like the things that are hard to define. A broken muffler, at least you know what is wrong right away...it's this unknown stuff that I don't like.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It is sometimes more ignorant to point out someone's grammatical mistakes...than to have made the mistake. Depends on how, where and when it is done.
The best thing to do (unless someone is trying to be truly helpful) is just to keep moving on, few of us are that perfect.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
At least we don't have to worry about humouring our neighbour Gimme, and getting stuffed in the boot.
If KhanAdademy had been around when I was a kid, I wouldn't have flunked algebra. Twice. He needs to add a module there for auto repair.
I got A's and B's in the maths and sciences, including Trig and Calculus, and never did any homework.
Rarely do I ever go there..I don't go there with you even though I see that you said you were an editor for Reader's Digest.
I guess I am an odd sort of personality, because I like to know even if the person informing me does so with grace or not. I remember the day a guy pointed out to me I was typing insure when I meant ensure. In my head I was thinking of it with the e, but typed it with the i. He thought he was successful in embarrassing me in front of other fellow users, but he couldn't have been more wrong. I used his 'help' to my advantage and don't think I ever misspelt ensure again. There are ways of informing a fellow internet user of something that might help them, and then there are other ways that are used with the intent to embarrass or attempt to make a fool of them, and I thought I did a fairly good job at being as diplomatic as possible in this particular circumstance. I'm confident that he did not take offense to what and how I pointed it out.
What did sorta rain on it though was your basically suggesting that I used poor judgement in this case and was the ignorant one. Your comment about "Depends on how, where and when it is done" is absolutely right-on. I thought it was painfully obvious I was trying to be truly helpful. Can you say the same about your ignorant remark? Or was the intent to make me the embarrassed one on a different level? If I wanted to be ignorant (using the word the way you used it) I could point out that that is another of many misused words.
Ya know? When I went there last night I really did wonder if someone was going to come along and try to turn it into something it wasn't. Sure enough, internet will never fail ya..
(Speckie is a good speller add-in btw).
One of my pet peeves is incorrect parallelism within multiple parts such as the 3-part predicate in my previous sentence. :sick:
So much to work on, and so little time.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
fo' Realz. (WSJ)
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The internet, however, has proven this theory untrue. :P
If you find the Edmunds forum occasionally lacking in the finer points of grammar, you really need to visit Yahoo Answers sometime. You'll come back here thinking you are a non-credit observer at a University of Oxford lecture.
I wasn't criticizing you at all, it was the furthest thing from my mind. You were fine, and I agree, it is a good thing to learn from our mistakes and there is a nice way to point out an error, and you did that. I am just saying if it is done too much or at the wrong time - say in front of a group of people in real life, not on the internet - it isn't being done for the right reasons. And, it isn't nice if it is done too much...which I have seen on other sites (I know, I am not supposed to start a sentence with "and").
I don't mind at all if you point out an error I may make, I like the chance to learn from it, but it has to be done in a respectful way-which I know you would do, we all make mistakes - I just didn't want posters to get hung up on being criticized for grammatical errors.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
"UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Chapte..." Then he, too, was dead.
One of my favorite short stories, from when I was growing up...
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Some of what I have learned has been self-taught so in one way I can relate to what doc was saying about his ability to communicate with the written (typed) word better since he got a computer. The difference for me is a I can write too but good luck deciphering my hand writing. It used to be fairly legible, but since the PC, it's gotten worse every year I think.
I once read this somewhere: "English is one of the most 'irregular' of the common languages. That means that it's difficult to learn because there are so few structural rules, and because the few that exist are broken constantly in unpredictable ways."
Anyway..I didn't plan to engage in any logomachy here..And I didn't mean to elaborate here on this mechanic's forum. Mainly I wanted to express appreciation tho for your reply.
Hoobooy... I'm having a deja vu again..haha,,must be your influence here driver..thinking of a few exchanges way back in the early 60000's in the Frontlines with Richard and someone. That was some great reading.. lol
If it feels smoother counter clockwise than clockwise, it could be cupping.
You can compare to the tires on your other car in the same way.