[Gimmethecash]

Installed new wheels/tires today, along with a front height adjustment. Was taking a peek under the car and noticed this short link dangling from the driver's side off the rear suspension. Nothing for the free end to bolt to, and nothing similar on the other side (other than a hole on the lower A-arm where it would go. It has ball joints on both ends.











Passenger side:



I rotated it clockwise and stowed it out of the way, but I wonder if there's supposed to be something attached to it or if it should have been removed at the factory/port/dealer or...?

[Alby_416]

looks like the headlight level sensor rod... seems snapped



*edit:

I just noticed you have the M Performance Coilover... it is likely that when you had them installed someone forgot to disconnect that rod from the lower control arm prior to remove the spring/strut and broke the plastic...

[Gimmethecash]

Bingo! You are correct, Sir. I actually thought it looked like one of the leveling arms on my previous car.

This is why I love forums like this one. I fumbled around behind the sensor and found the arm that my dangling link was once connected to, with a broken end that matches the 3/4 ring of broken plastic still bolted to the link.

I totally agree with the likely cause as well, especially after I noticed neither of the set screws on my front coilovers had been tightened down (driver's side totally loose, passenger side was missing and I used a short bolt I found in my scratch box...I went an extra quarter turn on the height adjustment so my temporary hack won't hit the tire).

Monday I'll be calling the dealership that installed my coilovers to have them fix this. Think I'll have a chat with the SM while I'm at it to point it out as something that needs to be fixed from a training standpoint.

Here's a pic to illustrate the broken connection. Thank you very much for your help, Alby_416!

[Alby_416]

You're welcome sir

[Bt12]

You didn’t notice your headlights were really off? How did it break?

[Gimmethecash]

I don’t put that many miles on my car and most of the driving I do is in daylight - and mostly city driving. Almost certainly happened when they installed my coilovers.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

They forgot to disconnect it when they lowered your spring carrier arm down to install spring. Man they would have had to really stomp on it to break it off.

[Gimmethecash]

I can almost see & hear the tech cursing it for not going down far enough and putting more and more leverage on it...*snap*..."oh, there it goes!"

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Originally Posted by Gimmethecash

I can almost see & hear the tech cursing it for not going down far enough and putting more and more leverage on it...*snap*..."oh, there it goes!"

Exactly...... When I did the M4 I forgot to disconnect it and for some reason it did not break but flipped around and went up in reverse. My head lights pointed up in the sky

[MR.]

Dealers....