How hard can it be, really?
 

I went in today because my steering wheel was not centered... ie, it was cocked a little to the right on a level roadway. They said I needed an alignment, to which I said okay (never hurts, right?). When I got the car back, along with the paperwork, the alignment machine noted the toe on the FL and FR were both .11' for a total toe of .22'. They adjusted it to .06' for both the FL and FR. Okay fine, doesn't seem like the cause of the steering wheel being off center, but I don't want the inside edges of my tires to wear to fast either, so okay. Get in the car and drive off... steering wheel is still in the same exact orientation it was when I dropped it off! I've had this issue numberous times with 4 different Bimmers. Is it really that hard to get the steering wheel centered in one of these cars?

Sorry for the rant! :banghead:

Quick answer; Take it back and make them do it right. Steering wheel should be centered.

Plus, most people are oblivious to this. I always tell the tire shop to align the car with the seering wheel perfectly straight. Never hurts to tell them you expect this up front. You shouldn't have to, but unfortunately, it will save you this headache.

where are you taking it? if not the dealer, you need to go to someone that specializes in bmw. these cars have special needs when it comes to alignment. my local alignment shop loads the car a particular way that ensures accuracy on the table.

Yeah I saw that "loads the car in a particular way" instruction some where
but I can't remember where.

Thanks
 

The work was done at the dealer. You can bet I'll be taking it back. They also scratched the hood. Looks like they drug a hose across it... Possibly an air hose prior to the alignment.

1. You are precisely right about toe leading to tire wear. Ask for 0.02 to 0.04 toe in...it will give you longer tire life.

2. Always inspect you car before you leave the dealer. I wonder if they will deny responsibility for the scratch.

Good Luck

A

Well, fortunately, a randon orbital and some Zaino ZPC took care of the marks on the hood (with the exception of one of the deeper scratches, which I'm sure would come out with a bit more aggression). I still plan to talk to them about the wheel and the damage. Thanks for the replies.

What does this do to the stock negative camber that makes these vehicles drive the way they were engineered to?

Nothing, they can be set independently of one another.