Howarth of Staffs is the dealer that apparently doesn't know about the left pull fix
Photographic evidence of LEFT PULL fix!!!
After over 7 months of waiting, my MINI has been fitted with Mk3 front suspension which actually works!!!!!
The steering is now so straight that the car will travel in a straight line for at least 1/4 mile with no need for correction. Hard braking from 60 mph may be performed with no need to correct the steering. Turn in is just as sharp as before and very quick. In a word, BRILLIANT!
Some of you may be wondering what work was done. The front top suspension mount, the shock absorber strut, the springs, and link arm have all been changed. This process took 2 days to complete. One day was taken up by the car having to go to Thorne for the suspension alignment to be done on the BMW KDS machine.
The most obvious difference is to be seen in the engine bay. The tops of the front suspension design has changed radically from a protruding top to a sunken design with an allen headed bolt top.
An additional white plastic gater top has appeared on the top of the struts.I hope this aids identification for you.
Better still, take a look at my gallery for all the pictures.Click here for the pictures.
All has not gone well though. On return of my MINI, I started up the engine and now the airbag warning light has come on and refuses to go out. Also on turning at almost full lock to the right, a terrible scraping metallic rattle noise came from the nearside wheel! (mr.bill,this car needs an exorcism, I think.)
After telling the dealer that he would be seeing me again, I went to investigate. His suggested loose airbag wire under the drivers seat was discounted, so tomorrows visit is still on.
The rattling metallic noise was found to be a disc backing plate that had been bent backwards so that it almost made contact with the track-rod end. On full lock the two actually touched and made a noise like a Steel Bands drum being scraped. A quick bend and all was silenced.
These pictures are conclusive proof that there HAS been a steering problem with earlier (OCT 2001) build cars. I have been told that this MK3 design was being fitted from week 9 build on the MINI production line. Can anyone confirm that the Mk3 design suspension parts shown in my Gallery are the same as their post week 9 build MINI?
The steering is now so straight that the car will travel in a straight line for at least 1/4 mile with no need for correction. Hard braking from 60 mph may be performed with no need to correct the steering. Turn in is just as sharp as before and very quick. In a word, BRILLIANT!
Some of you may be wondering what work was done. The front top suspension mount, the shock absorber strut, the springs, and link arm have all been changed. This process took 2 days to complete. One day was taken up by the car having to go to Thorne for the suspension alignment to be done on the BMW KDS machine.
The most obvious difference is to be seen in the engine bay. The tops of the front suspension design has changed radically from a protruding top to a sunken design with an allen headed bolt top.
An additional white plastic gater top has appeared on the top of the struts.I hope this aids identification for you.
Better still, take a look at my gallery for all the pictures.Click here for the pictures.
All has not gone well though. On return of my MINI, I started up the engine and now the airbag warning light has come on and refuses to go out. Also on turning at almost full lock to the right, a terrible scraping metallic rattle noise came from the nearside wheel!
(mr.bill,this car needs an exorcism, I think.)After telling the dealer that he would be seeing me again, I went to investigate. His suggested loose airbag wire under the drivers seat was discounted, so tomorrows visit is still on.
The rattling metallic noise was found to be a disc backing plate that had been bent backwards so that it almost made contact with the track-rod end. On full lock the two actually touched and made a noise like a Steel Bands drum being scraped. A quick bend and all was silenced.
These pictures are conclusive proof that there HAS been a steering problem with earlier (OCT 2001) build cars. I have been told that this MK3 design was being fitted from week 9 build on the MINI production line. Can anyone confirm that the Mk3 design suspension parts shown in my Gallery are the same as their post week 9 build MINI?
21 - 40 of 43 Posts
Mk3 Suspension
Apial,
I didn't get the recall letter that, judging by some other posts, went out. Did you get the recall letter?
Also, as I have a car delivered Sep. (SS+), should I insist on the fix i.e. Did your dealer indicate that all cars should have this fitted, or was it a case that only some of the pre Oct. cars pull, and only the ones that pull need the Mk. 3 suspension?
BMW have been characteristically vague about this, so I wondered what impression you were left with.
i.e. Should all pre oct. cars be recalled?
J.
Apial,
I didn't get the recall letter that, judging by some other posts, went out. Did you get the recall letter?
Also, as I have a car delivered Sep. (SS+), should I insist on the fix i.e. Did your dealer indicate that all cars should have this fitted, or was it a case that only some of the pre Oct. cars pull, and only the ones that pull need the Mk. 3 suspension?
BMW have been characteristically vague about this, so I wondered what impression you were left with.
i.e. Should all pre oct. cars be recalled?
J.
Why no recall? They probably built about 70,000 cars with a potentially defective front suspension. Do the math. If you were BMW, would you issue a recall for all of them and lose millions of dollars in the process, or just fix them if the customer complains? If they wait long enough and the warranty expires, they can blame "normal wear" and charge the customer for the new parts. I'll wager a lot of people have the left pull and think it is "normal" or just a problem with the crown of the road, so they live with it. I would suggest anyone contemplating buying a used MINI go to Apial's gallery and print out the before and after photos of the new struts.
I may not have a MINI, but at least I'm collecting a lot of animated GIF's!
I may not have a MINI, but at least I'm collecting a lot of animated GIF's!
Sorted!
I was one of the people that thought that the left pull wasn't that much of a problem, but after driving my replacement Cooper, I must admit that my October built Cooper had a left drift problem!!
My new May built MINI drives like a different car!!
Apial, your right about the tops of the suspension being different!
Here is a photo from my October built car with the raised suspension tops:
I was one of the people that thought that the left pull wasn't that much of a problem, but after driving my replacement Cooper, I must admit that my October built Cooper had a left drift problem!!
My new May built MINI drives like a different car!!
Apial, your right about the tops of the suspension being different!
Here is a photo from my October built car with the raised suspension tops:
Attachments
And here is a photo of my new May built MINI. The suspension tops are recessed!
It drives as straight as an arrow. Loose the steering wheel on a straight road and it carries on in a stright line!!
It drives as straight as an arrow. Loose the steering wheel on a straight road and it carries on in a stright line!!
Attachments
Hi R1,
Glad to hear that your new Cooper is much better. Really pleased for you. Those photos are good, same as my car which must have been built at just the right time Week 9 or 10. After driving a Cooper S I started wondering about my car drifting to the left. I think it is OK and it was probably the Cooper S handling differently becuase it had 17 inch wheels. Anyway I have the newer suspension so don't have a problem.
Glad to hear that your new Cooper is much better. Really pleased for you. Those photos are good, same as my car which must have been built at just the right time Week 9 or 10. After driving a Cooper S I started wondering about my car drifting to the left. I think it is OK and it was probably the Cooper S handling differently becuase it had 17 inch wheels. Anyway I have the newer suspension so don't have a problem.
The dealer that my car is booked in at for the left pull wasn't even bothered about driving/looking at the car. They just said basically that if i'd complained about it I obviously have it and they booked it in,simple as thatApial said:
Unlike the other dealer that said there was no fix and would need to look at it for at least three hours to see if they could adjust anything
Skinny,
Did you go back to the dealer that told you there wasn't a fix and tell them what the other dealer said?
I bet you felt like telling them to **** off.
Good luck, hope your car gets sorted quickly
Did you go back to the dealer that told you there wasn't a fix and tell them what the other dealer said?
I bet you felt like telling them to **** off.
Good luck, hope your car gets sorted quickly
I was thinking of doing this but...I thought I shall wait until the fix is on my car. I don't wanna jinx anything, plus that way I can take him outside and say "hay you know those parts that don't exist well there on my car!!!"Silver and Black said:Skinny,
Did you go back to the dealer that told you there wasn't a fix and tell them what the other dealer said?
I bet you felt like telling them to **** off.
Good luck, hope your car gets sorted quickly
Good luck with the fix Skinny.
Hope it all works out well.
Hope it all works out well.
Thanks, I hope so too!
i had mine done and its bad
and now it feels very wobbly like jelly around corners and it is higher on one side .
the left hand side rear wheel you can fit 3/4 fingers under arche but on the right hand side you can fit 2 fingers .
so they have highered one side to stop the pull what will that do to your tyres and what about the handling its total crap
[email protected]£ed off with my mini
and now it feels very wobbly like jelly around corners and it is higher on one side .
the left hand side rear wheel you can fit 3/4 fingers under arche but on the right hand side you can fit 2 fingers .
so they have highered one side to stop the pull
what will that do to your tyres and what about the handling its total crap[email protected]£ed off with my mini
Woohoo finally got the "Fix" today.
All I can say is WOOHOO
All I can say is WOOHOO
left-pull in new production cars
Is there any evidence out there that the left pull has been sorted on new build cars. I have driven 2 MCS's with the problem, both Feb 02 build with the left-pull.
I have driven one other MCS which did not have a problem.
The problem was particularly bad on one of the cars, which was quite hard to drive in a straight line. I am now considering cancelling my order and waiting to see if these (and other) problems are sorted.
I just can't afford to be at the dealers all the time.
Can anyone explain what the actual problem with the suspension is that causes the left-pull.
Is there any evidence out there that the left pull has been sorted on new build cars. I have driven 2 MCS's with the problem, both Feb 02 build with the left-pull.
I have driven one other MCS which did not have a problem.
The problem was particularly bad on one of the cars, which was quite hard to drive in a straight line. I am now considering cancelling my order and waiting to see if these (and other) problems are sorted.
I just can't afford to be at the dealers all the time.
Can anyone explain what the actual problem with the suspension is that causes the left-pull.
Apial,
what was the problem with the airbag light? I had that problem but couldn't quite figure out what the service guy was telling me about a cable. I'm not technically stupid, just not yet fully bilingual.
what was the problem with the airbag light? I had that problem but couldn't quite figure out what the service guy was telling me about a cable. I'm not technically stupid, just not yet fully bilingual.
Re: Left pull fix is excellent
Hope Broad Oak have shaped up too
Glad to hear you are pleased with it Nick, told you it was worth itnickheatheruk said:
Hope Broad Oak have shaped up too 21 - 40 of 43 Posts
