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Thread: Nightmare with BMW Mechanic Shop!!!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Los Angeles
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    2
    My Cars
    2006 BMW 300 series

    Nightmare with BMW Mechanic Shop!!!

    Wow, what an experience.

    Had taken my bimmer to the mechanic shop to be repaired. Its a BMW specialist. You know, one of those "dealer-alternative" shops.
    Anyway, the original problem was that a few of my coils had failed, as the car just shakes when I'm at a stop and the dang Check Engine light lit up.

    Rightfully so of course, the shop diagnoses it that I had failed coils. However, after working on the failed coils they call back and tell me that they wanted
    to put a new breather hose in there, and that it would cost me $120. Whatever, I tell them to go ahead.

    So I pick up the bimmer and drive it for just six weeks. What do you know, the same issue re-occurs. Car is shaking again at the stop sign with the Check Engine light lit up. I was like wtf!!! Just as a benefit of a doubt I take it back to that shop, and they tell me other coils failed too. However after fixing the coil issue they tell me I need a new breather hose (whatever that is). Ok fine, so a hose, $120 bucks whatever right? So the guy puts in a breather hose and I pickup the car.

    Two weeks later, the dang radiator warning light comes on. I looked it up and bimmerverse says this one is serious. Anyway, this time I'm fuming and pissed. I take it back to the shop saying why all these things are occurring since they started fixing my car!!

    The lead mechanic then gives me a big lecture that it's because the car is old, that's why all the parts are failing like that. Note, that radiator warning light had not come on in three years. So, the root cause of the issues is because of the age of the car? even though I've driven it for years and parts never failed back-to-back like that ?!?! It has zero to do with their techs making a mistake or being incompetent?

    Guy tells me that trully, if a part breaks down....say, something that'll run you $400 bucks, that the correct fix was to shell our about $3500 bucks and replace the whole system. So, his point is that if you replace that one damaged part, now the whole car is at high risk as one component is newer than the rest. Meanwhile, at this point the car repair bill for the bimmer is approaching $4000. This is a 2006 300 series.

    I have never experienced this situation with any car repair shop for any model car period !!!


    So what do you guys think??? Is it not a bit ridiculous?? The guy is stringing me along??, or is he 100% correct and everything is just a big coincidence??

    wow!!! certainly look forward to your thoughts, comments, e.t.c.


    egrizzly.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Arida Zona
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    z3
    The shop is mostly right, parts fail due to age, parts may be close to failing then as a nearby part fails and mchanics wrestle around getting the old part off a nearby part may break from having the old part removed or whatever it is

    When my coils fail I replace all 6, when my water pump fails I replace the whole system, with few exceptions

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Richmond, Virginia
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    '88 735i, '06 RSX
    He's not wrong, you say 2006 300 which could mean E46 or E90, and I know for a fact as far as E46s go, the entire cooling system is garbage (radiator neck breaks, expansion tank blows up, water pump impeller breaks apart) and it's not farfetched to spend maybe $2000 changing all that crap out.

    Typically for ignition components, I don't replace just a couple, I replace the whole set (all 6 wires/coils, all 6 spark plugs, etc..) replacing one or the other can change the load placed on different parts on the system and yes it can make other things fail.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    EXOTICS
    It is what it is-a 12yo vehicle, and I assume 150k~250k miles.
    If so, it's time to pay to play, so to speak!
    BMW maintenance costs are NOT comparable to say, Honda maintenance costs.
    On the other hand, you could have just chosen the worst BMW shop in the area!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
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    53
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    M235 | M3 | 325Ci
    It is hard to give you an answer without knowing what they did to fix your radiator warning light? Yes, an older Bimmer can have multiple coils fail and cooling system issues all in a short period of time, but it does sound like your shop might be over charging you, or at least should have done all the coils at once, but without knowing what they did for your cooling system even that is hard to say... To get better advice on this, you should say what your shop did on your cooling system, and also whether our 2006 is an E46 or E9x platform. If you don't know, just post a picture of your headlights, and we can tell you.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
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    San Diego
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    2000 Z3 2.3, 2014 M235i
    To put it bluntly, yes they could very well be right.

    As parts fail, I tend to adhere to a policy, if there are a few parts working in sequence (coils, spark plugs etc) you replace them at the same time. All of them. Same goes for cooling system issues. If a hose burst, I typically would not just replace the burst one, but rather all of the hoses, because chances are if one gave way, the others are near it.

    There are plenty of shady mechanics out there, but what you had happen with the coils is actually pretty normal. If 1 coil is going out, it is a good idea to replace them all, otherwise exactly what you had happen to you will happen again. So while they are already in there, saves you labor cost.

    At this age of the vehicle a lot of things start coming up for servicing. By 150k or so, it is a good idea to get a new waterpump/radiator, and all the hoses/expansion tank etc. Since that is the entire system for instance, anytime you replace parts, chances are you are creating a bigger strain on the parts you didn't replace.

    Suspension: Bilstein Sports, GC Coilover conversion, IE Subframe Bushings, IE RTABs, M roadster sways, M roadster front control arms, M roadster Front calipers/hubs.
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  7. #7
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    They're right. Sorry but what you're experiencing is totally normal.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
    ASE and BMW Master Certified Technician

  8. #8
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    hiss by my window
    This is why I don't repair strangers' cars

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

  9. #9
    Join Date
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    Stone Ridge, VA
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    1995 BMW M3 Coupe
    It makes total sense. You have a part fail (that there are 6 of that all have the EXACT same mileage, revs, engine start ups, etc) and you only replace the ones that actually failed. It's only a matter of (short) time before the remainder fail.

    The radiator breaking is common on these cars as well. Just coincidence. I wouldn't call standard BMW maintenance a "nightmare".
    Last edited by pDubs; 02-15-2018 at 10:32 PM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    2001 525it
    They should have given you the option to replace all coil packs the first time, un less you had multiple misfires then they should have replaced them all. its a 2006 car it is now 2018. Stuff happens with these cars the lowest mileage I have seen an electric water pump fail is 33k for instance. It was a 2007 3 series.

  11. #11
    Join Date
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    Sometimes shops make a mistake taking in a new client and their vehicle, not realizing they are about to enlist the next member of the "ever since" club.

    As others have said old cars suffer age related failures, and everything you have described is perfectly normal and extremely common for a E90 325i/330i. Sounds like you bought a high mileage poorly maintained car with no real idea of what you were getting into and now you blame your automotive service professional for your personal lack of preparedness.

    If the car has more than 75-100k on it and a coil fails? Replace them all. Plastic breather hoses? They become extremely fragile and break. If they need to be touched during the course of repair there is a good chance they will shatter, and its not the shops fault. Coolant low? There are a dozen hyper-common components on that car that leak, all give plenty of warning if you regular see a competent service facility and you listen to their recommendations to replace based on warning signs failure is imminent. Its not a Toyota or a Honda, you can't just drive it for 3 years and then get upset stuff starts falling apart.

    They didn't build the car, buy the car, or break the car. They are just trying to help you by advising on repairs needed.
    Last edited by Stück; 02-17-2018 at 08:35 PM.
    Tenured Automotive Service Professional - Avid BMW Enthusiast

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