[Speedy E90]

Today I was driving back form Georgetown (canal street), changed lanes, hit the largest deepest pot hole ever. I mean I thought my front right tire and suspension was going to rip off. Now I have the sports package on 162's. How high do you guys think is the likelihood that I damaged something on my car? What should I look for????

[kuthair]

bent rim.... is your car vibrating at speeds?

best way to check is to take the rim off and visually inspect it. If it's bent bad, you'll beable to tell right away. Otherwise get it rebalanced.

Happened to me in my A4 once, did that suck. Luckily tho, Audi gives out a full size spare (same rim) so I just used my spare and put the bent rim in the back.

[kapoo]

Is that by M street, cause i had the same thing happen to me, its always crowded there.. But u were a bit up a head.

Ps. I lived in the states for ten years.

[KL2DC]

*sigh* DC roads.... What can you say? Some of the street surfaces resemble moon craters....

[BK]

I hate DC streets. I've busted two rims in DC on potholes over the years, and that was with a Jetta with 15" rims and much, much wider sidewalls than we have with our 18" rims. I no longer live in the city and don't drive my E90 into the city if I can help it.

About a week before I got my E90, driving back from DC over the Chain Bridge, I hit one of those "rip off your front tire" potholes with our Accord. Seriously, I wondered if it might have destroyed the front suspension or alignment, but all was fine. If I'd have done that with my current car, I think it would have knocked my teeth out.

[pseto]

My story is better than yours I was on 295 going towards Anacostia when I hit a pothole. My side curtain airbag deploys!!!!! So, of course, I pull over, turn off the car, and visually inspect the rims. They were bent bad and the side air dams were cracked. But, to top it all off, b/c I turned off the ignition and the air bag deployed, the electrical system shuts down! I had to tow it to my dealer, which took all of 6+ weeks to get fixed.

Then to top all of this off, I get a letter a week later from BMWNA saying that there's a manufacturer's defect on the side curtain airbag sensitivity. WTF!!!!!

I was able to get a $800 'pain-and-suffering' check from BMWNA, so it made me feel a little better, but the whole scenario just sucked.

[BK]

pseto - great story. What car? E90? If so, is there a recall on the side airbag?

[MnK6]

I feel you about DC roads. I hit a large bump on the road on 395 North coming into 14th street while chaging my lanes. Heard a loud bang and I thought i broke something on the car. Car and rims looked okay but i got started to notice a big bubble on the front driverside tires, started getting bigger and bigger by the day and had it replaced last weekend. My car has 5000 miles and it sucks to throw away such new tires...

[MMakoto]

on my last e90 w/ 162s, i hit the front and the back wheel going 60mph on the highway. my rear tire's sidewall was busted and was holding no air at all (luckily they were rft). my front tire had a bubble on the outer sidwall, and both my wheels were bent, but was still able to hold the air. i had the rear tire replaced, and it was driving ok for the first 2 days, but then it started to lose the balance of going straight and felt a vibration going 50mph and up, so i guess it messed up my alignment too. the suspension was lowered by 1/2 inch too from the hit. if you experience some of these, then u should have it inspected by a tech.

[Kenny C]

New York roads are the worst. Usually your stuck in traffic and can't go faster than 5-10 mph. When you can step on the pedal you have to avoid the potholes, especailly during the winter. Sometime I wonder why I would buy a high performance car!

[pseto]

Originally Posted by BK

pseto - great story. What car? E90? If so, is there a recall on the side airbag?

it was a 99 e46. there wasn't an official recall, but a 'we'll fix it the next time you're in for service' thing.
needless to say, it was supposedly fixed until a few years later some jerk to the right of me decides to swerve left to make a right turn. well not knowing he wasn't changing lanes I swerve up onto the curb and BAM same damn side air bag deploys. After another few months BMWNA decides that they don't give me anything this time.

[shadowcoder]

Originally Posted by Speedy E90

Today I was driving back form Georgetown (canal street), changed lanes, hit the largest deepest pot hole ever. I mean I thought my front right tire and suspension was going to rip off. Now I have the sports package on 162's. How high do you guys think is the likelihood that I damaged something on my car? What should I look for????

Steering vibrating between 40-60mph usually. I feel for you, roads in some
areas just suck :mad: I also suffer from a bent rim. If the vibration doesn't
bother you, the car doesn't pull to one side or your tire is fine and is not
losing air, you could leave as is. If you want to see how bad is bent, put it
up on a wheel jack, turn the tire and look at your rim as it turns on both
sides. You can usually spot the damage.

[kevE90]

Originally Posted by Kenny C

Usually your stuck in traffic and can't go faster than 5-10 mph. When you can step on the pedal you have to avoid the potholes...

You summed it up perfectly.

[Driv3r]

wow, i really hope when i get my wheel....that nightmare doesnt happen to me

[imsambeen]

Well in my case it affected the speed of my driving.

I sprained my left foot on a pot hole running across the street.

Using the clutch to switch gear was too painful. So you can imagine how slow my starts were with only one foot.

[bigdeal]

I busted two rims and tires in NYC 1ave and 11th street, I had to get the car towed, luckly I had spare rims, but I did change all 4 tires. however NYC is supposed to pay you back for the damage to the car. you need to file a report with 311 get a file open and send in your receipt.

[txusa03]

any damages you got from the potholes, sent the bill to city hall.

[yellowg555]

In LA, I was driving home while in ktown and went over a pothole/bump at 60 mph. It caused my rim to cut into my sidewall, creating a bubble. Since I didn't have tire insurance, I had to eat the entire cost. Let's just say I wanted to throw up after.

[akwhite330i]

NYC definitely has it bad. Didn't know you could get reimbursed. I tried sending mails to NJ government about some pot holes from the Pulaski Skyway. Both got denied.

not sure how you prove/disprove a request to pay for damages from a pothole. I read something about 'the gov't doesn't have to pay if they didn't have significant notice of the pothole being on the road,' but then how do they prove when they received notice? For all I know, they could have received 100 notices and they just didn't tell me.

I busted 2 rims and deflated 2 tires on one pothole. Damaged the front spoiler, too. $1900 worth of damage on a 330i.

[TheCount]

Originally Posted by txusa03

any damages you got from the potholes, sent the bill to city hall.

Does this actually work? I would think the city would find some way to worm out of paying for damage caused by bad streets, especially since it's pretty easy to fraud that sort of system (from their point of view, anyway).

[fizzle]

yea i have a bubble on my RFT's. now have to spend $300 on a new tire. i got the road hazard plan from my local ETD tire store, so the next 12 months/12k miles im covered for both front tires, since they are staggered front and rear anyway. im sending the bill to my town, and also i sent an email to the mayor. doubt ill hear anything but hopefully the roads will get better!

edit: wow didnt realize how old this thread was lol

[achien]

Check your wheel alignment (if it leans more to the left or to the right), then your rims...

Your tires should be okay, otherwise it would have been blown on the spot.