I put on new bilstein struts less than a year ago, and the left front already needs to be replaced. Aren't they guaranteed for life? I'm really surprised that it would go that quickly, some of the streets I drive in D.C. are bad but not terrible. My question is, how does the guarantee work? '89 300TE...truly the only car I have ever loved, and I've owned a lot of cars.
How do you know its the struts? I mean if its just a noise up there it could be the strut mounts, when they go bad you'll get a clunking noise - did you have them changed out when you did the struts a year ago?
I believe it is 2 years for the Bilstein Warranty. I am getting ready to pull the Right Front shock off my 300E Sportline as it has also failed. It is 15 months old. I talked to Bilstein in Carolina and they said if the shop that sold/installed did not honor the warranty [my supplier only offered 1 year], then ship the shock to them and they would inspect and either repair or replace in pretty quick order. For DIY guys it means some down time but it also means a replacement shock. Other option is to just buy a new one and eat the loss.
Good to see the lifetime on the warranty. The shop where I bought the shocks had one year and had mentioned that they thought two years from Bilstein. I had not checked the site yet.
I pulled the shock last night and it is, without question dead. I was on another board and it appears that there are others that have been having problems with the Sport shocks lately [over the past two years or so]. Shock went out this morning. We will see how long it takes to come back.
I didn't have the strut mounts changed, I'll have him check that today when I go back. The car makes a funny "grumbling" noise from what seems to be the left front of the car when idling, while its fairly loud inside the car, it's barely noticeable outside. When making sharp right turns it also makes the same noise. Once the car is warm it seems to go away except for the sharpest of right turns.
I didn't have the strut mounts changed, I'll have him check that today when I go back. The car makes a funny "grumbling" noise from what seems to be the left front of the car when idling, while its fairly loud inside the car, it's barely noticeable outside. When making sharp right turns it also makes the same noise. Once the car is warm it seems to go away except for the sharpest of right turns.
Struts don't make noise when the vehicle is at rest and idling.
Check the fluid level in your power steering pump.
After reading this,does it means stay with OEM. Seems like lots of you have problems with this brand?
Bilstein is OEM and they are very good, and usually very long lasting. How can you beat a lifetime gaurantee? Boge is also OEM, and also good, just not as prevalent in the U.S. market.
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