Well, I did and didn't dodge a bullet

[sbay]

Just FYI, Febi is not OE. They are never OE, they are just repack stuff and not produce them self. Depending on the part, OE's are Meyle, TRW or similar. In the Guibo case it's Meyle.

Interesting because FCP has them listed as the OE for this part. Either way, good to know for the future thanks.

*Edit* Looks like SGF is the OE for this part, which is then repackaged by Febi.

[CybrSlydr]

At idle and low rpms, this is while stationary or when driving? I assume driving, but not many people drive around at idle speeds. I would be surprised if you had a driveshaft issue and it went away once warmed up for "years." I would be concerned this is a second issue from your description.


This is a chicken or the egg kind of thing, I've definitely seen many driveshafts that "felt" fine when driving but then on disassembly you find its got a bad u-joint. It doesn't change the end result but just wanted to give another view point.


There are quite a few posts saying that the shop is "screwing you" or whatever, but I wanted to give a different perspective. From my side (as a shop owner AND enthusiast), there are a couple ways to look at this. If you are taking the car to a shop, they generally are going to want to warranty their work. Its hard to take on the risk of used parts AND a warranty AND at a cheap price. So sure they could throw a used driveshaft in and it would be cheaper and it probably would be fine. OR they put new parts on the car and you get a warranty not only from them but also from BMW. Everyone has to make money to stay in business (duh) but rent, insurance, labor, taxes, maintenance, etc all add up and those have to he found somewhere. This is what I would charge (out the door) at my shop for those options suggested above:

• New BMW driveshaft - $3,036.39 (not including any diagnosis charges).
• Used BMW driveshaft - $1,456.84 (not including any diagnosis charges) using the $350 driveshaft I have to mark up, new CSB and Guibo. With this option you still have a used CV joint and center u-joint.
• Fuel pump (since it was also noted above) - $1,056.13.

Because BMW driveshafts are so expensive I've looked at alternatives and we have installed more than a few aftermarket/rebuilt driveshafts with limited success. Some have been great, others we've had to warranty. It really seems like a crap shoot. If I knew we were getting a good product thats the way I would go as they are generally 50% new BMW cost with a 1yr part warranty. BUT its really hard to justify using them knowing I might have to go back in there for free to fix it when I could just charge a bit more for a better part. If you were going to DIY and you didn't value your labor as much then I would say go the reman/used route, with some proper maintenance and see what happens. But if you are paying someone sometimes the easy button is expensive.

***One last thing, is your car manual? If so with the driveshaft out its a perfect time to refresh the shifter components or swap in an SSK. The labor should be minimal at that point consider the driveshaft is already out. Another thing to consider is how are the diff bushings? Its more work, but relatively not as much as starting from scratch since the exhaust and driveshaft are already out. And might want to consider transmission mounts if they aren't fresh.

Appreciate the insights!

It was when mostly stationary. It would go away once I started moving, but came back at stop signs/lights, etc. They showed me the driveshaft and the car up on the lift - the U-joint was certainly seized, I saw it for myself. I'm having them look around and see if anything else looks like it could be refreshed (initially the front shocks look original [and I have about 160k on the car], and sway bars will probably need replaced as well). There's also a leak somewhere underneath, a small/slow one, so they're going to chase that down and see what it is. I asked about the transmission mounts and saw them - the tech said they looked good and I didn't see any cracks or the like.

I did ask about the shifter link (yes, the car is a manual) since the shaft was out and he manipulated it and everything looked fine - the previous owner already got the SSK, so I'm good there.

[oceansize]

My shop we charge retail for all BMW parts, plus 5%, that makes the fuel pump $615.36 before tax. If I sold it at my cost then there is no money considering the time to source the parts, etc, etc, I have to make some money on both ends to keep the shop a float.

Labor is 2.6hrs at $150 a hour. Doing some reverse math if they charged 2.6hrs as well then their labor rate is $225. Probably a lot for Casper, WY, but maybe not? That is cheaper than the BMW dealership in Austin.

We then offer a 5% discount if paying cash or zelle (credit card fees 🙄)

And maybe there was some diagnosis time as well?

And yes, anyone could DIY this job its not terribly hard, but the devil is in the details. I've had more than a few clients spill gas in their car, not get the clamp tight and leak gas or not seat the seal in the tank and then leak (only to find out the first time they fill it up and now gas is running out from under the car). This isn't to persuade anyone from attempting but sometimes that peace of mind is worth the labor. Oh also if you buy a BMW part from a retailer like ECS or FCP it does not have a BMW warranty on it anymore. It has to be bought from a BMW franchise (I found that out the hard way).

And I'm not trying to be argumentative, just offering a different perspective that isn't always seen on the enthusiast forums where there are lots of DIY'ers.




Seen it many a times, exhaust hardware being loose.

George if you lived near me I'd pay you and I'd be broke. Not having a good shop owner near me has saved me a lot of money, for real.

[Slideways]

Just FYI, Febi is not OE. They are never OE, they are just repack stuff and not produce them self. Depending on the part, OE's are Meyle, TRW or similar. In the Guibo case it's Meyle.

SGF makes the flex disc for BMW. As long as it says SGF on it, no matter which repackaged box it comes in, it is the OEM part. Meyle is not stamped SGF.

[CybrSlydr]

As important as a drive shaft is, I'm really thinking I might just bite the bullet and buy a new OEM one rather than used, even though $300 is WAAAAAAY more appealing (and allow me to get more done) than $2k for a new one.

They already have the flex disc, so I don't need to buy that. Should I still buy a couple of those CV gaskets, lube, and the exhaust seals? Also helps that I got an e-mail from FCP with 10% off orders over $100, so the driveshaft is cheaper.

[bmwfnatic]

I bought a brand new drive shaft, but I am in Europe and it was ‘only’ 1250 for me.

It comes with everything, flex disk, bolts, csb, gasket, cv joint and is pre packed with grease.
It tightens up the entire car because there’s also wear in the CV splines on these.

It would also save you on labor for replacing the CSB, and CV joint on a used shaft, they can just slap it on and be done.

[CybrSlydr]

The one on FCP doesn't show it comes with the flex disc, just the CSB and u-joints.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-driveshaft-26112229240

[CybrSlydr]

What about this one from Bimmerworld?

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Driveline-Shifter/Driveshafts-Accessories/Powertrain-Industries-Driveshaft-E46-M3.html

[S54B32]

SGF makes the flex disc for BMW. As long as it says SGF on it, no matter which repackaged box it comes in, it is the OEM part. Meyle is not stamped SGF.

Thanks, could be the case, i will edit it.

[bmwfnatic]

The one on FCP doesn't show it comes with the flex disc, just the CSB and u-joints.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...ft-26112229240

They are using the product image from their aftermarket offerings on the page of the genuine one also, I checked my pictures and the genuine comes with everything like I said, check the pictures on ECS instead to see real images of the genuine offerings.

[M3_mann]

How's it going man? Sorry to see that cars giving you some trouble but I'm surprised you still own it. I sold you the car more than 10 years ago


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[CybrSlydr]

How's it going man? Sorry to see that cars giving you some trouble but I'm surprised you still own it. I sold you the car more than 10 years ago


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It's going well! Aside from the usual wear and tear and the car just getting old. I believe I bought it from you in Sept of 2011, so I've had it for nearly 13 years.

It's actually been a very reliable car ever since I bought it from you - just the typical gremlins here and there.

This car is my attainable dream car - I plan to keep it until it explodes if I can. Style, color, driving experience... I love it.

[old///MFanatic]

They showed me the driveshaft and the car up on the lift - the U-joint was certainly seized, I saw it for myself. I'm having them look around and see if anything else looks like it could be refreshed (initially the front shocks look original [and I have about 160k on the car], and sway bars will probably need replaced as well).

Nah swaybars don’t need to be refreshed. Endlinks, bushings and maybe brackets, but not the bars.

[stephen]

What about this one from Bimmerworld?

https://www.bimmerworld.com/Drivelin...ft-E46-M3.html

Have had great experiences with PTI. Have one of their driveshafts in my E36 M3, ran one when I had my E39 M5 and we’ve put several in customer cars with no issues.

[M3_mann]

It's going well! Aside from the usual wear and tear and the car just getting old. I believe I bought it from you in Sept of 2011, so I've had it for nearly 13 years.

It's actually been a very reliable car ever since I bought it from you - just the typical gremlins here and there.

This car is my attainable dream car - I plan to keep it until it explodes if I can. Style, color, driving experience... I love it.

Hard to believe it's already been 13 years. How many miles does the m have now? Good to hear the car is treating you well man. I purchased it from a guy on the old m3forum in Texas. I wonder if he's on here too.

I recently purchased another 05 m3 with almost identical options as yours. Looking forward to enjoying this car!


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