7 Signs of Damaged or Bad Struts and Shocks in a BMW

In a BMW, the shock absorbers and struts can contribute to provide you a smooth ride by absorbing the impacts of the potholes and prevent the transmitting of the impacts through the car.

In general, their main function is to maintain complete control of the car, so that you will enjoy a comfortable and risk-free ride. It is also working in a tandem with other parts of the suspension to drive your car around.

When both struts and shocks become bad, you will get an uncomfortable ride means in small bumps and potholes you will face many difficulties to handle the car because the suspension no longer absorbs the impacts, even making the ride an unsafe nightmare. If you want to replace the bad struts and shocks of the BMW, then go through the following signs to determine it easily.

Unusual tire wear

The most common signs of damaged shock absorber in your BMW are the unusual tire wear. The damaged shocks are not allowing the tires to keep consistent contact with the road surface that may lead to unusual tire wear and keep it planted to the road. If you notice that your cars is bouncing up and down the road constantly and then consult with a mechanic to replace the shock because it is unsafe and unable to bring the car to a stop in a short distance.

Leaked shock absorber

To observe the bumps in the road, the shocks and struts of the BMW have hydraulic fluid inside them. Over time, you will notice that the seals of the shocks become cracked or worn out that may cause leak out of hydraulic fluid. When the hydraulic fluid is leaking, ensure that the shocks and struts need to be replaced. Visually inspect the car to a mechanic for replacing these parts.

Remarkable noise

Without making any noises, the shock absorber can absorb the impact of the BMW when it is hitting a large bump or potholes. When driving over large bumps or potholes, if you hear any types of remarkable noises, then make sure that the shocks and struts of the car are damaged. During the process, you may hear the noises from one shock absorber but not from others because the first shock absorber mostly fails which is located below the engine.

Front or back squatting

A bit squat of the BMW is normal in the rear under acceleration and in the front while braking. Through the struts and shocks of the car, the level of the squats should be kept under control. But due to the bad or damaged struts and shocks, the squat will be created at the back end of the BMW when accelerating. You will notice the issues to the front of the car when braking. So, when you notice that your BMW is leaning to the front or back abnormally, check the status of the shocks and struts.

Collided potholes

The shocks and struts of the car are generally designed to absorb the impacts of the potholes as well as put a minimum force to enter the cabin of the car. But when both of them get damaged, you will notice that the pothole impacts are not absorbed and the created force will be transmitted throughout the car. As a result, you need to replace the shocks and struts as soon as possible.

Bouncing up and down

Generally, when you are driving the car, the shocks and struts can absorb most of the impacts and road imperfections when driving, if your car will bounce up and down then ensure that the shocks and struts are damaged completely. Sometimes, you will notice that the thickness of the tires is impacted and low profile tires ride rougher than with thick sidewalls.

Roll around corners

Thus, the shocks and struts of the car are designed for keeping it at a proper level whenever you are going around corners with minimal body roll. But the damaged or bad struts and shocks of your BMW make the car roll to one side or the other when you are going around corners. While going around corners, if you can feel that your car is rolling to the outside, then replace the struts and shocks.

Conclusion

The damaged or bad shocks and struts of the BMW won’t appear overnight because they are wearing out over time. If you notice any of these in the car, perform the complete inspection of the car and replace the bad shocks and struts if necessary from a certified and trained mechanic.

If you are looking for a trusted automotive repair shop for your car, then your search is over. We at Complete Automotive Service located at National Blvd, Los Angeles is family owned & operated and have experience of over 15 years.