335xi pulls to right

mhannis · 08-20-2015, 09:41 AM

Hi,

Looking for some feedback from the community. One of the 335xi's I have has developed an issue where it pulls to the right. When I brought the car into the dealer I had mentioned that there was oil under the front passenger side wheel.(I showed them a picture from my garage) This made me assume the strut was leaking. Additionally I mentioned that the pull to the right was a bit odd because it tends to happen when I hit bumps even subtle ones. The wheel almost feels loose and then the car will pull to the right side. I ended up taking a ride with the shop foremen he acknowledged the pull and indicated that they would check the suspension. A couple of hours later I got a call that everything was fine with the suspension, struts were dry and that an alignment should be performed to resolve the issue. I agreed and had the alignment performed. When the results of the alignment came back it showed that prior to the alignment everything was within specification except the Total Toe which was positive 36 minutes. Total Toe was corrected to specification but doing so added additional cross camber from -6 minutes to -16 minutes. This is still well within specification. When I took the car out of the dealership it immediately started pulling the right, although slight and not horrible it was still happening. I called the dealer back and was asked to bring the car in the next. The next morning I took another ride with the shop foreman. This time he indicated that he thought the steering was fine and was within specification. At that point I asked for the alignment to be performed again to try to adjust the camber to remove any cross camber. The dealership performed a realignment but was still not able to remove the cross camber claiming that they have little ability to change camber on the F30. Not sure if this is true. The camber in question is -38 minutes on left side and -22 minutes on the right. Spec is -22 and -19 according to the alignment read out. After this second alignment the car still pulls to the right. The dealer says they can't do anything and that I need to wait for the BMW factory rep and have him drive the car in 2-3 weeks. Also car is completely stock.

Wondering if anyone else has run into an issue like this? And if a strut not rebounding properly could cause what I'm describing.

Thanks
-Mark

daob_svk · 08-31-2015, 09:06 AM

mine pulls to the right when I let go of the steering wheel, dealer say that its normal

Krelle · 09-01-2015, 06:36 AM

It's not the camber. I have tried many set up's and no pulling was observed.

Did they check the front dampers?
How about the right bearing? Increased resistance here will make the car pull slightly to the right. In 300 km you will be able to hear this as well.

Does it pull continiously or is it periodically?
/Krelle

mhannis · 09-01-2015, 07:25 AM

Hi Krelle - Pulling happens mostly when going over a bump or dip in the road. I told them I think its the strut a ton of times but they don't believe me. Even though there is oil on the floor of my garage under that tire. They didn't say anything about looking at the bearing.

Here is the updated story:
Late last week I the factory rep was able to look at the car. He indicated that something was wrong. They attempted swapping the front tires which did nothing. Then they updated the steering software which again did nothing. Then they made multiple adjustments to the steering rack which again did nothing. Apparently at that point measurements were made and sent to BMW. The next day I got a call from the service manager and they had swapped my rims and tires with ones from a loaner car. Indication was that this fixed the issue and that I should come drive the car with the shop foreman. Went down right away and test drove the car and of course the issue was still there. At that point I asked for like the 50th time to have the front strut replaced. Since there is an oil spot under where that tire sits in my garage I have a good feeling that is the cause of the problem. BMWNA has approved replacing the strut. Just waiting for it to come in at this point. Once installed I'll post my results.

Krelle · 09-01-2015, 10:14 AM

Hi Mhannis,
Good news. Wonder why they as professionals haven't been looking at that corner before. Especially when you guided in that direction.
Looking forward to hearing about the outcome.

mhannis · 09-08-2015, 07:48 PM

Latest update: Dealer replaced the front passenger strut and the call still pulls. They indicated that there is nothing more that they can do and that I should talk to BMW NA. Called BMW NA and they indicated that I need to work with the dealer to have a PUMA case opened. Called the dealer to find that a PUMA case has already been opened. Called back BMW NA and left a message that the case has been opened. Waiting to hear back. I'm sure there will be a lot more run around until something gets done. Hopefully BMW NA makes things right.

DJ Rocc · 09-09-2015, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhannis

Latest update: Dealer replaced the front passenger strut and the call still pulls. They indicated that there is nothing more that they can do and that I should talk to BMW NA. Called BMW NA and they indicated that I need to work with the dealer to have a PUMA case opened. Called the dealer to find that a PUMA case has already been opened. Called back BMW NA and left a message that the case has been opened. Waiting to hear back. I'm sure there will be a lot more run around until something gets done. Hopefully BMW NA makes things right.

i have just gotten out of the shop 3 times, and BMW Service don't seem to be able to correct my issue which is similar to yours, slight pull to the right!! They even. Messed up my steering center so when the car is going straight the steering wheel is off center. I hope they fix it today. Any update on yours?

Polo08816 · 09-09-2015, 08:57 AM

Are you sure you have all the CV axles? Perhaps you ordered the car with the One Wheel Drive Option Package from the factory.

DJ Rocc · 09-09-2015, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polo08816

Are you sure you have all the CV axles? Perhaps you ordered the car with the One Wheel Drive Option Package from the factory.

LOL sure! Funny. Had the car over a year now. So I would know if I had the One Wheel Drive Option.

LOL LOL

casualDIYer · 09-09-2015, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhannis

Latest update: Dealer replaced the front passenger strut and the call still pulls. They indicated that there is nothing more that they can do and that I should talk to BMW NA. Called BMW NA and they indicated that I need to work with the dealer to have a PUMA case opened. Called the dealer to find that a PUMA case has already been opened. Called back BMW NA and left a message that the case has been opened. Waiting to hear back. I'm sure there will be a lot more run around until something gets done. Hopefully BMW NA makes things right.

Sounds like your 'X' drive is missing something. Maybe it's a 'Y' drive now.

Polo08816 · 09-09-2015, 05:09 PM

Perhaps one of the brake calipers is stuck/seized.

Try removing the brakes and test driving the car to see if it is still pulling to the right.

Aalders · 09-10-2015, 07:53 PM

Mine also pulls to the right. I thought i was crazy.... ill make sure i bring it up with the dealer next week when i go in for a oil change

mhannis · 09-11-2015, 04:28 PM

So now the dealer is telling BMW NA customer service that the reason for the pull is due to non run flat tires and that they swapped them and there was no issue. Funny part is they had me drive the car when they did the swap and the car still pulled to the right. Not sure why the dealer is playing games. I've left the service director a voicemail about this. Additionally, why did these tires not have any issue for the last 12k miles. This is beyond frustrating. The plan was to pick up an M4 next year... Not so sure about that anymore.

casualDIYer · 09-14-2015, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhannis

So now the dealer is telling BMW NA customer service that the reason for the pull is due to non run flat tires and that they swapped them and there was no issue. Funny part is they had me drive the car when they did the swap and the car still pulled to the right. Not sure why the dealer is playing games. I've left the service director a voicemail about this. Additionally, why did these tires not have any issue for the last 12k miles. This is beyond frustrating. The plan was to pick up an M4 next year... Not so sure about that anymore.

Keep kicking his a$$. Is there a Moron Dealer of the Year award? Maybe yours is a contender but some on this forum have described some pretty stiff competition for that award.

Oh, the tires did it? No. It was that pack of gum in glove box.

mhannis · 09-15-2015, 02:52 PM

Still working on getting this handled. I have posted a negative review at dealerrater and on the dealerships facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/bmwwestgerman/reviews)

Hopefully, this gets some attention. I'll keep everyone posted.

medlyleeds · 08-25-2019, 08:01 PM

Hi. Did you ever get this sorted? I'm having a similar problem with mine and can't seem to find a solution

mhannis · 08-25-2019, 08:32 PM

Dealers alignment machine had an issue. Funny that they took like 2 months to figure it out and told me I was crazy a lot of times. Once the alignment machine was fixed and my car was realigned everything was good.

anotheran · 08-26-2019, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhannis

Dealers alignment machine had an issue. Funny that they took like 2 months to figure it out and told me I was crazy a lot of times. Once the alignment machine was fixed and my car was realigned everything was good.

I wonder how many other cars they messed up. And surprising more ppl didn’t complain

SoCalCarGuy · 08-26-2019, 10:33 AM

love the revived 4 year old thread!

anotheran · 08-26-2019, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoCalCarGuy

love the revived 4 year old thread!

Love that there’s finally closure

cfm56d7b · 08-29-2019, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhannis

Dealers alignment machine had an issue. Funny that they took like 2 months to figure it out and told me I was crazy a lot of times. Once the alignment machine was fixed and my car was realigned everything was good.

Thanks for sharing. Knowing the root cause is very satisfying.

08-20-2015, 09:41 AM	#1
mhannis Private First Class 51 Rep 104 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: PA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW M340i xDrive [0.00] 2022 BMW M3 [0.00]	335xi pulls to right - Dealer can't fix Hi, Looking for some feedback from the community. One of the 335xi's I have has developed an issue where it pulls to the right. When I brought the car into the dealer I had mentioned that there was oil under the front passenger side wheel.(I showed them a picture from my garage) This made me assume the strut was leaking. Additionally I mentioned that the pull to the right was a bit odd because it tends to happen when I hit bumps even subtle ones. The wheel almost feels loose and then the car will pull to the right side. I ended up taking a ride with the shop foremen he acknowledged the pull and indicated that they would check the suspension. A couple of hours later I got a call that everything was fine with the suspension, struts were dry and that an alignment should be performed to resolve the issue. I agreed and had the alignment performed. When the results of the alignment came back it showed that prior to the alignment everything was within specification except the Total Toe which was positive 36 minutes. Total Toe was corrected to specification but doing so added additional cross camber from -6 minutes to -16 minutes. This is still well within specification. When I took the car out of the dealership it immediately started pulling the right, although slight and not horrible it was still happening. I called the dealer back and was asked to bring the car in the next. The next morning I took another ride with the shop foreman. This time he indicated that he thought the steering was fine and was within specification. At that point I asked for the alignment to be performed again to try to adjust the camber to remove any cross camber. The dealership performed a realignment but was still not able to remove the cross camber claiming that they have little ability to change camber on the F30. Not sure if this is true. The camber in question is -38 minutes on left side and -22 minutes on the right. Spec is -22 and -19 according to the alignment read out. After this second alignment the car still pulls to the right. The dealer says they can't do anything and that I need to wait for the BMW factory rep and have him drive the car in 2-3 weeks. Also car is completely stock. Wondering if anyone else has run into an issue like this? And if a strut not rebounding properly could cause what I'm describing. Thanks -Mark
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08-31-2015, 09:06 AM	#2
daob_svk New Member 26 Rep 23 Posts Drives: BMW 435i xdrive Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: EU iTrader: (0)	mine pulls to the right when I let go of the steering wheel, dealer say that its normal
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09-01-2015, 06:36 AM	#3
Krelle Captain 90 Rep 648 Posts Drives: M2C Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Denmark iTrader: (0)	It's not the camber. I have tried many set up's and no pulling was observed. Did they check the front dampers? How about the right bearing? Increased resistance here will make the car pull slightly to the right. In 300 km you will be able to hear this as well. Does it pull continiously or is it periodically? /Krelle __________________ Ist der Motor kalt, Gib ihn sechs ein halb.....
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09-01-2015, 07:25 AM	#4
mhannis Private First Class 51 Rep 104 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: PA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW M340i xDrive [0.00] 2022 BMW M3 [0.00]	Hi Krelle - Pulling happens mostly when going over a bump or dip in the road. I told them I think its the strut a ton of times but they don't believe me. Even though there is oil on the floor of my garage under that tire. They didn't say anything about looking at the bearing. Here is the updated story: Late last week I the factory rep was able to look at the car. He indicated that something was wrong. They attempted swapping the front tires which did nothing. Then they updated the steering software which again did nothing. Then they made multiple adjustments to the steering rack which again did nothing. Apparently at that point measurements were made and sent to BMW. The next day I got a call from the service manager and they had swapped my rims and tires with ones from a loaner car. Indication was that this fixed the issue and that I should come drive the car with the shop foreman. Went down right away and test drove the car and of course the issue was still there. At that point I asked for like the 50th time to have the front strut replaced. Since there is an oil spot under where that tire sits in my garage I have a good feeling that is the cause of the problem. BMWNA has approved replacing the strut. Just waiting for it to come in at this point. Once installed I'll post my results.
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09-01-2015, 10:14 AM	#5
Krelle Captain 90 Rep 648 Posts Drives: M2C Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Denmark iTrader: (0)	Hi Mhannis, Good news. Wonder why they as professionals haven't been looking at that corner before. Especially when you guided in that direction. Looking forward to hearing about the outcome. __________________ Ist der Motor kalt, Gib ihn sechs ein halb.....
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09-08-2015, 07:48 PM	#6
mhannis Private First Class 51 Rep 104 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: PA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW M340i xDrive [0.00] 2022 BMW M3 [0.00]	Latest update: Dealer replaced the front passenger strut and the call still pulls. They indicated that there is nothing more that they can do and that I should talk to BMW NA. Called BMW NA and they indicated that I need to work with the dealer to have a PUMA case opened. Called the dealer to find that a PUMA case has already been opened. Called back BMW NA and left a message that the case has been opened. Waiting to hear back. I'm sure there will be a lot more run around until something gets done. Hopefully BMW NA makes things right.
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09-09-2015, 08:57 AM	#8
Polo08816 Brigadier General 1613 Rep 3,952 Posts Drives: 2014 335i M Sport Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD iTrader: (0)	Are you sure you have all the CV axles? Perhaps you ordered the car with the One Wheel Drive Option Package from the factory.
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09-09-2015, 05:09 PM	#11
Polo08816 Brigadier General 1613 Rep 3,952 Posts Drives: 2014 335i M Sport Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MD iTrader: (0)	Perhaps one of the brake calipers is stuck/seized. Try removing the brakes and test driving the car to see if it is still pulling to the right.
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09-10-2015, 07:53 PM	#12
Aalders New Member 7 Rep 25 Posts Drives: 335ix GT Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Germany iTrader: (0)	Mine also pulls to the right. I thought i was crazy.... ill make sure i bring it up with the dealer next week when i go in for a oil change
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09-11-2015, 04:28 PM	#13
mhannis Private First Class 51 Rep 104 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: PA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW M340i xDrive [0.00] 2022 BMW M3 [0.00]	So now the dealer is telling BMW NA customer service that the reason for the pull is due to non run flat tires and that they swapped them and there was no issue. Funny part is they had me drive the car when they did the swap and the car still pulled to the right. Not sure why the dealer is playing games. I've left the service director a voicemail about this. Additionally, why did these tires not have any issue for the last 12k miles. This is beyond frustrating. The plan was to pick up an M4 next year... Not so sure about that anymore.
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09-15-2015, 02:52 PM	#15
mhannis Private First Class 51 Rep 104 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: PA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW M340i xDrive [0.00] 2022 BMW M3 [0.00]	Still working on getting this handled. I have posted a negative review at dealerrater and on the dealerships facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/bmwwestgerman/reviews) Hopefully, this gets some attention. I'll keep everyone posted.
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08-25-2019, 08:01 PM	#16
medlyleeds New Member 6 Rep 27 Posts Drives: G20 320D x-drive Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Leeds iTrader: (0)	Hi. Did you ever get this sorted? I'm having a similar problem with mine and can't seem to find a solution
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08-25-2019, 08:32 PM	#17
mhannis Private First Class 51 Rep 104 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: PA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2022 BMW M340i xDrive [0.00] 2022 BMW M3 [0.00]	Dealers alignment machine had an issue. Funny that they took like 2 months to figure it out and told me I was crazy a lot of times. Once the alignment machine was fixed and my car was realigned everything was good.
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08-26-2019, 10:33 AM	#19
SoCalCarGuy First Lieutenant 132 Rep 345 Posts Drives: 2019 440ix cpe + 2018 x4 m40i Join Date: Mar 2019 Location: LA, CA iTrader: (0)	love the revived 4 year old thread!
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