SVR Front Coil Spring

B

Backofthenet

New member
Hi,

Car failed it's MOT today for first time - 2017 (mfg year 2018) - came as a surprise.

Failed on front offside coil spring fractured

Anyone else had the same.

Has it happens I googled and exactly the same happened to another owner (enthusiast) only two weeks ago and same year for car - wondering if its a weakness as car hasn't been driven hard at all (although UK roads have a lot to answer for)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycjgQyQ3k9M
 
Interesting - does make me wonder if there may have been a batch of duff coils made….or maybe just coincidence??

Did you notice the handling was a bit off before the MOT test?
 
Broken coils are very common these days. Look on any forum most makes and you’ll find it.
I understand it to be a combination of low profile tyres, speed bumps, potholes, etc. and smoother suspension allowing people to be isolated to what they are driving on or over..
It’s usually just a top or bottom coil that snaps so you don’t even notice it, so found at mot time.

My daughter’s was much more spectacular on a BMW where it broke in the centre and rested on the tyre. Lacking awareness or much feel for it she drove on for a mile until billowing smoke alerted her…
Could have been nasty..
 
cj10jeeper said:
Broken coils are very common these days. Look on any forum most makes and you’ll find it.
I understand it to be a combination of low profile tyres, speed bumps, potholes, etc. and smoother suspension allowing people to be isolated to what they are driving on or over..
It’s usually just a top or bottom coil that snaps so you don’t even notice it, so found at mot time.

My daughter’s was much more spectacular on a BMW where it broke in the centre and rested on the tyre. Lacking awareness or much feel for it she drove on for a mile until billowing smoke alerted her…
Could have been nasty..
Click to expand...

Thankfully I've only experienced this once in 40 years of driving. In this case it was a VW Polo (bog standard 1.4 petrol) but it was blooming scary when it let go! A loud bang and we pulled over. I walked up and down the road looking for whatever it was that had fallen off as at the time I didn't know it was the coil snapping. You do hear about it quite often.
 
When I set my drivers seat on exit the wheel moves but not the seat ?

The passage seat does not move on exit. When i press the memory button it illuminates but does not chime ? Grateful for advice please
 
Is the seat supposed to move on exit? I thought only the steering wheel moved to gve a bit of extra clearance. By "passage seat" do you mean passenger seat? Why would that move on exit - nothing to get in the way.

Apologies if I've misunderstood your questions, if I have, maybe you could clarify exactly what you're asking.
 
Yes, very common.
Over the last 25 years, we have had
BMW 735: 2 springs at 5 to 7 years
A class Mercedes: 1 spring at 7 years.
BMW 740: 4 springs over 7 years
BMW 650: 1 spring over 7 years.
BMW 330: 1 spring over 10 years.

Springs were a mixture of front and rear. All were either the top or bottom coil except the front on the 740 which snapped in the middle and took out a tyres in the process. I am not hard on a car and am very wary of pot holes. Never even had a cracked wheel on the BMW,s, which they are notorious for after hitting a pot hole. Two of the springs went when the car was locked up in the garage.
 
jagseven said:
Interesting - does make me wonder if there may have been a batch of duff coils made….or maybe just coincidence??

Did you notice the handling was a bit off before the MOT test?
Click to expand...

Never noticed a thing with ride or height of car either side - seemed just fine - not that i had track driven it but normal driving was fine. The MOT tester was really surprised and they weren't looking for work as they said they wouldn't be able to do the repair.

anyway booked in now for repair - both sides being done - £790 in total. Not main dealer but Jag Indie.

no idea if that's reasonable but the OEM parts are around £180 each from what I can see.
 
gf15 said:
Yes, very common.
Over the last 25 years, we have had
BMW 735: 2 springs at 5 to 7 years
A class Mercedes: 1 spring at 7 years.
BMW 740: 4 springs over 7 years
BMW 650: 1 spring over 7 years.
BMW 330: 1 spring over 10 years.

Springs were a mixture of front and rear. All were either the top or bottom coil except the front on the 740 which snapped in the middle and took out a tyres in the process. I am not hard on a car and am very wary of pot holes. Never even had a cracked wheel on the BMW,s, which they are notorious for after hitting a pot hole. Two of the springs went when the car was locked up in the garage.
Click to expand...

AS well as pot holes I'm convinced the very cold weather makes the spring more brittle and suspect to snapping - especially if car has been stationary for a while (few days) in very cold weather.
 
I think I recall being told some time ago that the ends are rarely flattened these days, which contributes to the increased breakages near the ends, plus the generally poorer quality of the steel often used.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top