[porsche959]

Some OE parts, while on the surface seem to be nice affordable replacements, have given me a shitty experience. Are OEM parts the best?

For example:

• Sachs OE shocks and struts suck ass after about 10k miles. Feels like a shitty 15 year old Corolla.
• Any OE pvc/ccv part feels cheaper than its OEM counterpart and does not fit correctly
• Akebono brake pads/Zimmerman rotors, less brake dust than OEM, but after 10k miles, starting to get a groaning sound. My OEM pads with 100k miles didn’t make this noise

Are most OE parts shit?

What’s even more fucked up is, if you google “are Sachs struts good e90post” you’ll see multiple positive thread posts. So you think, hey that’s nice! Then you buy them and install them, 10k miles later, it feels like a Prius on its last legs, so you google “do Sachs struts suck?” And you find out the truth about $50 struts. Maybe you get what you pay for you cheap fuck.

[TunafishE93]

I don't do the whole OEM/OE thing. I use cheap seals and no name parts. I use house oils and fluids. Slowly the BMW logos are disappearing from the car.

As far as mileage thru all the crap cars I have owned over the year, the cheap no name parts have been acceptable for the most part.

For me the best parts are the ones that keep money in my pocket. I have to admit that the 30 plus cars I have owned, I never changed a spring/strut/shock. I have changed many brake pads/rotors but never owned a car long enough to do it twice.

[porsche959]

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

I don't do the whole OEM/OE thing. I use cheap seals and no name parts. I use house oils and fluids. Slowly the BMW logos are disappearing from the car.

As far as mileage thru all the crap cars I have owned over the year, the cheap no name parts have been acceptable for the most part.

For me the best parts are the ones that keep money in my pocket. I have to admit that the 30 plus cars I have owned, I never changed a spring/strut/shock. I have changed many brake pads/rotors but never owned a car long enough to do it twice.

Do you sell your car before 100k miles? Or just live with the shitty ride quality?

[mecheng77]

The great thing about European cars is you can get OEM parts with the BMW / Volvo logo. Pelican parts lists the OEM and I call my Euro parts guy and he gets the exact brand I want.

I always go OEM, they are quite affordable if you shop smart and I don't want to do the job again in a few years.

I've had nothing but great experience with Sachs shocks, I just did my wifes Volvo with 200,000km only because the shock mount failed, but the shocks were in perfect condition and the roads near us can be bad. I have 120,000km on my BMW Sachs shocks and they are perfect and the stupid boot does not seal properly.

[ryan stewart]

I tend to go OEM but not OE...

AKA I find who made the factory part and get the unbranded version. And on secondary parts Im even looking at aftermarket because they quality of the OE stuff has DEFINITELY declined. I had to get a gas cap poste haste and went to the dealer. The new one is cheap garbage compared to what came with the car originally, has a BMW part # but feels like something youd find on the rack at autozone. And the door seals now have bare rubber inners instead of the velvet flocking, etc.

Annoying as hell you cant actually get original quality anymore.

[TunafishE93]

I only have 60k on this BMW.. I live with the shitty ride.. I have had much worst.. Had a Mazda B2200 that had the front springs cut and rear diff bolted to frame, now that was a crap ride. Got the truck that way and sold it that way.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

I tend to go OEM but not OE...

AKA I find who made the factory part and get the unbranded version. And on secondary parts Im even looking at aftermarket because they quality of the OE stuff has DEFINITELY declined. I had to get a gas cap poste haste and went to the dealer. The new one is cheap garbage compared to what came with the car originally, has a BMW part # but feels like something youd find on the rack at autozone. And the door seals now have bare rubber inners instead of the velvet flocking, etc.

Annoying as hell you cant actually get original quality anymore.

Then that is OE and not OEM. You have both terms confused.

OE is the part that is litereally the same on the car but with no BMW brand, usually like 30% or more cheaper.

OEM would be a high quality brand that does OE parts for some case but in this case it is not the OE for that specefic part.

And I disagree. OE parts are always one of the best option. Aftermarket tends to suck. You have no basis of reliability on them. If the original valve cover lasted me 100k miles and physically the plastic feels much more stout than the aftermarket one I doubt the aftermarket is going to last as much.

[TunafishE93]

Well you have no basis to say aftermarket won't last longer than OEM/OE, your "doubt" is not a fact. Its your opinion and your money, spend it as suited.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

Well you have no basis to say aftermarket won't last longer than OEM/OE, your "doubt" is not a fact. Its your opinion and your money, spend it as suited.

Actually it's the opposite, I have all the proof that I know OE last 100k km, I've yet to seen any posts or information that a aftermarket valve cover has lasted 100k km.

If I can see that then I'll change my mind as I should.

[mainbearing]

Agreed with OP. BWM uses a lot of shitty parts. GM 6L45 is one example. Mahle gaskets that leak like a sieve another. Some of it I think is inexperienced shitty engineers who probably never worked on cars before they got the jobs in a country with well developed public transit systems.

OE vs OEM:


"There is normally confusion between OEM and OE parts. Original Equipment parts are from a company that design, manufacturer parts. The company may own the design, but the manufacturing of the parts are subcontracted to another company.

This is where Mercedes, Volvo and Scania contract the part to fit their specifications and design to other manufacturers like Behr or SACHS. That OE part is then packaged and labelled with the Mercedes, Volvo and Scania logo on them. OE parts have the same quality of OEM parts but are more affordable as your not paying for a brand name."

https://www.whitesdiesels.com.au/wha...rmarket-parts/

(Looks like some wording problems in the last sensense there. I think they meant OEM are cheaper than OE but with the same quality.) Therefore I used a lot of "OEM" parts. I do not see a reason for OE if there are OEM replacements or even aftermarket parts for it.

[TunafishE93]

Well I got my car with valve cover leak at 59k miles so there's "proof" that it doesn't last 100k km.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

Well I got my car with valve cover leak at 59k miles so there's "proof" that it doesn't last 100k km.

59k miles is about 100k km.

And you shouldn't based your data on only one sample. The average millage for valve cover is about that millage if you search on it. I mentioned for my car but that's my bad, I meant compared to everyone who reported on it.

[TunafishE93]

Well when I get to 120k miles I will let you know how my ebay special valve cover gaskets are holding up... That will have to wait about six years though ..

[freakystyly]

My valve cover hasn't been replaced and probably wont ever need to be since it's magnesium.. you can thank BMW for their plastic "upgraded design".

[mainbearing]

I think there were a lot of cost cutting that went on in 07.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by TunafishE93

Well when I get to 120k miles I will let you know how my ebay special valve cover gaskets are holding up... That will have to wait about six years though ..

Yeah that's the thing, it's gonna take a while.

What brand is your ebay valve cover though? Is it Uro parts, if it is then that would be an acceptable part to me in my book but still not worth imo.

[TunafishE93]

This is the set I got..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Valve-Gaske...d-666ec74dedab

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Then that is OE and not OEM. You have both terms confused.

OE is the part that is litereally the same on the car but with no BMW brand, usually like 30% or more cheaper.

OEM would be a high quality brand that does OE parts for some case but in this case it is not the OE for that specefic part.

And I disagree. OE parts are always one of the best option. Aftermarket tends to suck. You have no basis of reliability on them. If the original valve cover lasted me 100k miles and physically the plastic feels much more stout than the aftermarket one I doubt the aftermarket is going to last as much.

Well, whatever the wording, doesnt matter. And Im not talking about aftermarket like the option 4 lines down. Im talking about the company that actually makes the part for BMW but doesnt put the BMW logo on it.

For example Jurid for the brake pads. The pads I put on were identical (the shape and coloring of the pad material even) to the ones I took off. They even had a cast landing where the BMW logo and part number would be stamped. It just wasnt stamped, that was the only difference, a BMW logo and part number not being stamped on the oval flat casting. And for that its half as much.

Same for linkages, Lemfoerder has been making that stuff for BMW as long as Ive known, at least since the E30. Same thing, for the tie rod on the collar there is a flat spot. If that flat spot has BMW stamped on it, $150, if it doesnt $65.

There are 6 "genuine BMW" parts Ive bought recently. A gas cap, this one was far inferior to the one I took off the car. Lighter plastic, no audible click, etc. The rear hatch seals, those seem identical. And most disappointingly the door seals. The part that is visible inside the car, even with the door closed, on the stock ones has a velvet "flocking" covering it to make it appear like fabric. The new one? Just bare ass rubber that looks like tire sidewall, the kind of shit youd expect inside a KIA. Its so ugly Ive held off on replacing the gaskets (not leaking, just tears on the bottom from girlfriends heels) to try and add that flocking to it.

I might consider true aftermarket for non-critical items like a gas cap or plastic cover later on in the cars life, when I think Im about to get rid of it. But having replaced so many crap components for friends they got off ebay or from some Chinese aftermarket supplier just weeks after they put them on I wont go anywhere near that stuff. They make it look like its as good as OEM but usually cheap out where you cant obviously see, like inside the bearing or ball joint, so it fails soon and spectacularly.

*the exception being actual upgrades, like the Sonnax parts when rebuilding the mechantroincs on my GM tranny.

[tlow98]

Buying stock non sport struts and expecting them to feel sporty with so many other non OE parts for your model (M3 bits) is just a recipe for disappointment.

Most OEM stuff is great if it’s a rebranded part. Given expectations and part life it’s really hard to beat OE.

But, yeah, but koni yellows already.

[Welcome to NBA Jam]

My personal experience is that I've had fewer issues with OEM parts than aftermarket.