Man who heard strange noise coming from BMW i3 discovered tiny $1 part had destroyed $4,000 engine
- The part was a dirt-cheap tension spring
- According to the owner of the car, this is a cautionary tale
- So make sure to take your cars for regular maintenance
Published on Nov 07, 2024 at 3:22 PM (UTC+4)
by Nalin Rawat
Last updated on Nov 07, 2024 at 5:48 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Back in April, a 2014 BMW i3 broke down and the reason was a tiny $1 part that destroyed its $4000 engine.
Tom Otto, a New York-based 54-year-old welding inspector, used his car daily for a 96-mile round-trip commute.
However, on one journey, his car made – as he described it – a ‘horrendous noise coming from the rear of the car, and the engine shut down after about two or three seconds of runtime.’
Once he looked into it, he found the engine totally destroyed all due to a dirt-cheap spring.
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Engine failure
The part that failed turned out to be a cheap tension spring that led to a chain reaction in the engine.
We have seen many engine failures in cars due to human and mechanical errors, but this one truly hurts.
It reminds us of the time when an auction house accidentally damaged a Mercedes-Benz S-Class V12 by just starting the engine.
Otto was also in a similar situation when he started his BMW i3 for his daily commute.
Afterwards, he posted his experience on Facebook as a cautionary tale.
The lesson is – don’t forget to regularly maintain your car, as it might save you a lot of money in the long run.
$1 part that destroyed a BMW i3 engine
After looking into the $4000 engine of his BMW i3, this is what Otto had to say.
“A $0.75 part (estimated) caused the failure of a $4000 unit (estimated).”
Due to a less-than-$1 tension spring failing, the pistons collided with the exhaust valves, causing major damage to the engine.
Fortunately, Otto managed to get a new BMW i3 range extender with a starter/generator built-in.
He used this part and his auto repair knowledge to fix his car for $3,000.
This was significantly cheaper than buying a new engine.
All’s well that ends well, you’d have to say.
Nalin started his career by working with various national newspapers in India. He has also worked as a writer/editor for many popular websites, while still pursuing his journalism and mass communication degree. Working as a digital nomad has allowed him to inform and educate through his work. When he is not writing, you can find him playing video games or travelling the mountains on his bike.
