I tried posting this on a throw-away, but forgot about the sub's rules about karma. Some family members know this account, but honestly, I don't care. I just need to get away from this hellish household ASAP, I can't handle it anymoreSo, I've gone to 3 different mechanics, and I've been told three different things. For reference, my car is an automatic BMW 1995 e36 325is. I was taking care of my disabled mom who had been in an abusive relationship. We're losing our house, but I've finally found help for her, so I need to help myself now. I don't want to turn to my dad for automotive advice or housing, and my mom has no idea about either, so I decided to ask here for the former.What I'm asking for help with:A mechanic that could help me in the Ventura County area.Ideas on what the problem could beAny general advice about my situation.Here's what happened:I was driving at 2 AMish, it was wet and dark, and I was going 5 over, when I should have been doing 5 under. I hit a deep pothole in a bad road, and hit the median (like this, but without the grass). It was dumb, and I've been driving much safer now. My wheels were wrecked, but my car's issues weren't as bad as they are now.Here are my car's issues:Turning the steering wheel far makes a creaking noiseTurning the steering wheel all the way makes a weird buzzing noiseThe car pulls to the left, but didn't immediately after the accident.Going over a pothole shakes the steering wheel hard.The steering feels loose, and driving, even on mostly bump-free highways, feels like I could lose control of the car. This gets exaggerated at higher speeds, and driving above 50 feels really floaty. NOTE: the mechanics I've been to don't seem to know what I'm talking about, even after a test-drive. The only other way I can describe this is by describing a pulley. Before the accident, the steering wheel felt like pulling a medium-sized textbook on a pulley, but now it feels like pulling a paperweight on a pullet if that makes any sense.There are more issues, but they're not very important (problems opening the door sometimes/windshield washer not working), and not related to the steering issue.Here's my situation:I'm living in SoCal near L.A., and need to get to Maryland where a lot of my friends are going to college, and I know I'll have a place to sleep, if I go there (I've asked a few, it's just a matter of getting there). Even if for whatever reason they change their mind, it's about an hour's drive away from some of my other relatives who I might be able to convince to take me in.I'd be willing to just take an airplane, but I'd highly prefer to take my car so long as it isn't a lost cause.I don't have any family here that would be willing to help me. I do have some family friends here that could house me for a couple more weeks, but they're going through issues of their own, and I don't want to add my own problems to theirs.The first mechanic was someone my dad recommended, I don't think he was a true mechanic, but he seemed to own a used car shop and do car repair on the side? He said it was the lower control arm, but he stopped answering my calls after a while.The next mechanic lifted my car, took a look at the front suspension and said there was no way to know for certain what the problem was, and said the first mechanic didn't know what he was talking about. He then referred me to the third mechanic for an alignment. He also gave me a speech about the car just being a phase, and that when I settled down I'd probably end up getting a minivan for my kids (???), so I don't think he took me very seriously.The third mechanic lifted my car, jiggled my wheels (there was a lot of free play) and told me it was the tie rods. He then fixed the tie rods, and gave me an alignment. The issue hasn't gone away, and I think the car might pull even harder than before.I also went to a 4th mechanic, who I made sure to get a test drive with to make sure he understood what I was talking about. I don't know if I'm not explaining the car's problems well enough, or just have poor choice in mechanics, but he only seemed to recognize the first three problems so I left rather than spend the time and money hoping he'd be able to figure out what I was talking about.I called the closest dealership, and they said it could be up to a week before they could even look at the car because they're really behind, and that there'd be a 100 dollar cost for just looking at it. I'd be fine with the cost, but with both of them together, I don't know that I can do that. I can't afford to wait a week, have them tell me the wrong thing, and then pay $100 anyways.Wow, that ended up being a lot bigger than I expected it to be, but if you've actually read all that, thank you so much.TL;DR: Trying to get away from abusive dad, but car is having issues, and I can't seem to find a mechanic to give me a definitive diagnosis. I just want any help/advice I can get with my situation. via /r/cars http://ift.tt/2tclBLU
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