Supercharged Automatic? Read here and find out what ERT did.

eeeks · #1 (**permalink**) 09-21-2002, 01:57 PM

Hmm...where to begin..its been quite a day.

6:00 AM: Take bus into NYC so I can grab the Amtrak down to Wilmington

8:30 AM: Arrive at Wilmington. Take a cab to ERT to pick up my baby

8:40 AM: Go over installation with Doug (main wrench) relocated cruise control module and associated to passenger side firewall...Intake moved down low on driver's (a la dinan CAI). Moved my HID ballasts around. Clean installation. My requested gauge package (boost, A/F, oil pressure) NOT installed. Alfred did not notate my verbal request on work order. Not that big a deal, as I didn't have to pay for work that wasnt done. Fix paperwork pay up...and out.

8:41 AM: HOLY SHIT! This is freakin great. Car pulls smoothly as before, just MUCH MUCH quicker. Sounds absolutely badass at WOT. Did some stop and go traffic...before getting onto highway with a big stupid grin on face.

8:50 AM: After passing an Audi A4 with stupid ease...temp needle SHOOTS to the red...lights come on...CRAP! Pull over to side of road and give ERT a shout.

9:00 AM: Doug arrives at roadside to see what the deal is. Can't find anything visually, we drive back to ERT. Light is off, and temp needle never moves from the mid position.

9:15 AM: Doug still cant find anything wrong. Checks coolant levels and hoses for crimps/and or leaks. Surmises some kind of weirdness, but pulls no fault codes. Sends me on my way

9:20 AM: Leave ERT with more caution...but still grinning like a fool. Blower noise is minimal and only noticeable at idle with windows down and no one around...basically, its pretty quiet.

10:15 AM: 25 miles from Wilmington...check engine, transmission error light, AND AST/C light come on...ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Whoa..NOW what. Pull over at gas station...Call to ERT...Doug sez *limp* her home...

10:30 AM: Doug and another tech from local BMW dealership use the mobile MODIC tool to pull fault codes...in part..transmission error (something about a control valve), engine heat..etc etc etc.

11:00 AM: Getting kinda pissed here. They cant find anything wrong mechanically. Tech clears codes and takes Angelina for a spin...cant find anything wrong. Brings her back and tells me to take her for a spin...no codes tripped..no lights on...all seems normal. I return and say goodbye again.

11:40 AM: This time I make it all the way to exit 4 on the turnpike before all hell breaks loose...Traction control, check engine, and tranny error lights just like before. Call Doug...no answer...voicemail full. Pull over into rest stop and turn off car...smoke coming from tranny case and liquid spewing out. Not good. Call boys and Autosport Performance in Englewood. Bring her in they tell me.

12:00 PM: Flat bed shows up to take me off turnpike. 70 bucks.

12:30 PM: Arrange for flatbed to take car to Englewood. Call into ERT again to apprise them of situation..no answer. Bent over and took it up the ass for the rate of 85 per hour back to Englewood.

1:00 PM Start heading north...hit traffic...lots of it

1:45 PM: Moved about 1.5 miles

2:30 PM: Moved another 1.5 miles

3:15 PM: Take detour to bypass traffic and hop back on turnpike ABOVE the accident scene. Didnt work

4:00 PM Farther north...but still stuck in traffic. Tried to call ERT again...no answer...Anger brewing

5:30 PM: Finally pull into Autosport Performance. Tye is just closing up shop but stays to bring my car in. Gave him the rundown on what happened. He surmises a gasket or seal may have blown...but will not know until monday morning. will Contact ERT to find out what they say.

6:15 PM: Wallet is about 8000 dollars lighter and have not had car for 2 weeks...and looking at another 2 weeks of no car. but the plus side is, the tow truck guy was really cool...hahaha

7:00 PM Considering buying a honda

7:30 PM Looking back at that half an hour or so when the car DID work with bittersweet fondness.

8:30 PM Looking for second job to finance all of the above.

How was your friday?

328bimma · #2 (**permalink**) 09-21-2002, 09:30 PM

omg...... sounds like a long day for you... any updates on what happened yet??

J

BLOWN3 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 01:56 AM

Sorry to hear it man

But before you do something as drastic as sell your car and get a Honda, would you consider changing it to manual transmission? My car was once auto but changed to manual cuz my mechanic advised me that the auto gearbox wouldn't take the increase in torque. Haven't had any problems since.

eeeks · #4 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 05:16 AM

As of sunday morning...no contact with ERT. Sent email and faxes. Voicemail is still full.

Dont worry, that was just sheer frustration with the Honda comment..hahaha

The 5 speed conversion is a possibility if indeed that is the main problem. It *may or may not be*. The thing that has me worried are the check engine codes due to heat buildup...and the asc/t idiot lights coming on for no reason.

BLOWN_M_COMPACT · #5 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 05:30 AM

Fukc that if you want a SC auto that is what you should get for the money you spent !! Do not think of a compromise unless they warned you before hand ... I heard of another similar story but with a E46 auto ....

328bimma · #6 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 09:05 AM

i thought superchargerin an auto will have less problem... just cuz programmin the software is easlier... and... ppl have less problem w/superchargin an auto... well.. guess im wrong~

J

amelnick · #7 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 10:17 AM

RMS has stopped doing autos because they were not working right!

eeeks · #8 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 10:26 AM

The whole conversation that I had with other on this board and BF.C as well as ERT was that there were/are quite a few people running ERT kits with automatics. They did not have the amount of problems that I did when I picked up the car.

The transmission in the car, incidentally, has 30K on the clock, being replaced under BMW CPO Warranty for the exact same symptoms, even without the blower. This was done about 2 years ago...exactly 1 year past the warranty on the replacement transmission

eeeks · #9 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 06:42 PM

update

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh...threadid=48763

BLOWN3 · #10 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 09:17 PM

Glad to hear everything turned out ok in the end

Paddy Mack · #11 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 04:46 AM

I would've been surprised if ERT left you hanging out in the wind on this one.

I decided in early Spring to have a little more punch in the car. SInce I bought my s/c from them a couple years before, and built race engines in my mind they were the best one to go back to for what I wanted to due. I got the whole stroke and bore and boosted the s/c to the next level.

Was initially told it'd take 2 weeks. Due to bad scheduling on their part and some turnover, 2 became 3 and then 3 became 4 weeks. During this time I was having to buy airline tics and incur rental car expenses. After it was all said and done, they stepped up and covered all those charges - ended up taking about a grand off their bottom line.

I was POed at the inconvenience but all's well that ends well.

360 RWHP and absolutely no problems.

Polo M3 · #12 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 05:15 AM

Great to hear everything worked out! good thing it was something mildly cheap like a water pump! let us know with some dyno results how you stand!!!

Scho · #13 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 01:15 PM

Glad everything worked out. That must have been a crazy ass day!!

ayton · #14 (**permalink**) 09-25-2002, 01:11 AM

Nice...good luck!