E30 Zone

Just got my car back from the garage and they must have been lifting it using the front jacking points. The ones just below the front doors on the sills.

There is a little ridge of metal that the BMW jack fits around, The drivers side has been squashed flat and the passenger side has deep impressions into the ridge of metal, the pait has cracked off and there is exposed metal.

Considering the bill they just handed me im livid to say the least. Good job they have gone for the evening or they would have had a very nasty coversation with me $%^& &*&)(*^%%£ ^&*)((_*^%£

Anyway if I let them have the car back can this area be repaired?

id like to know this aswell. as sometime in my cars life some muppet has used a trolly jack on them and done exactly the same thing. lucky they waxoiled them to stop them from rusting.

paul take it back to the garage and get them to pay for the repairs

They broke it, they fix it! Make sure any cracked sealant is replaced, and everything is painted properly.

I had a 320 saloon with the same problem, as well as rusty rear arches. During the repair we welded in a couple of new bits of box section at the rear jacking points, and it went through the MOT fine.

blitz877 wrote:paul take it back to the garage and get them to pay for the repairs

Thats what im planning to do

Brianmoooore wrote:They broke it, they fix it! Make sure any cracked sealant is replaced, and everything is painted properly.

My thoughts exactly

Cheers guys. I was very angry earlier but a few beers and a bit of Pink Floyd has mellowed me out a bit.

The thing is im not running any sideskirts at the moment, which made the damage obvious, otherwise I would not have seen it

I rang the garage today and they were very apologetic. They have asked me to bring the car in and they will sort it out. Turns out one of their young aprentices had raised the car using the incorrect lifting points.

well at least theres a happy ending...kind of.

tailoutcharlie wrote:well at least theres a happy ending...kind of.

Yes but it means I lose the car for another week. I have only driven it twice this year, once to the garage and once home.

I have just had some Hartge spoilers delivered and need to get them fitted but need my car to get to a karting event and wedding shortly so trying to fit everything in is a knightmare

Almost every car at college has the little lips bent!

I always use blocks when jacking.

I always use blocks when jacking.[/quote]


So i've heard !

Can the jacking points be repaired if they are totally rusted? Didnt know if i could cut the jacking point out of another e30 and weld it inplace, any thoughts people?

im sure some people have just welded plates there as they were only used to support the car on the assembly line and shouldn't be used to jack the car up...EVER

tailoutcharlie wrote:im sure some people have just welded plates there as they were only used to support the car on the assembly line and shouldn't be used to jack the car up...EVER

So what do you use if you get a puncture far from home.

maxfield wrote:Almost every car at college has the little lips bent!

I always use blocks when jacking.

when i went to college we used to perposly jack the cars on the footwells spare wheel wells allsorts to knacker them up! lol!

There's confusion going on here between the factory shell support 'jacking points' , at the rear of the front wheel arches, (which can be totaly removed), and the jacking points partly along the sills.

What's correct?

I jack them up via the jacking points then place axle stands on the axle / subframe.

But there a few differing opinions here...

This is why I always insist on any garage using a four post ramp for underside repairs. If they then need to jack it it is under the ends of the beam bushes or the centre of the front cross member by using the jacking beam on the ramp.
Mine was damaged early on by them jacking under the floor (not the sill) at the front on what looks like jacking points. Got them to straighten the metal and repaint & underseal them as well.

I always carry my trolley jack if going far so I can change a puncture if need be.

Any car over 3 year old I would not expect the sill jacking points to cope without some damage.

murran wrote:

maxfield wrote:Almost every car at college has the little lips bent!

I always use blocks when jacking.

when i went to college we used to perposly jack the cars on the footwells spare wheel wells allsorts to knacker them up! lol!

No wonder your hobby seems to be going round in circles ripping tyres to shreds

With a trolley jack that has a rubber pad, chassis rail at the front, beam bush at the rear.

Cotty wrote:

tailoutcharlie wrote:im sure some people have just welded plates there as they were only used to support the car on the assembly line and shouldn't be used to jack the car up...EVER

So what do you use if you get a puncture far from home.

the jack in the boot in the usual place, like brian said i was referring to the square jacking points at the very ends of the sills.

That's damn useful.

cant take credit for it, its been banied about the zone so much im not sure who originally posted it, you r right tis bloody useful.

best leave a print out on your front seat next time anyone works on the car Paul.