Three different shops in a week, three different answers

[BondJames94]

Alright guys I am freaking out a little.

Bought this 328i sedan from a guy for $7,000, it had 89K miles on it. He originally wanted $9K. I got it lowered.
This was in the summer of 2016. Anyways the only issues I had with the car were with the battery and the alternator. Car has driven amazingly and its been super reliable. Now I am at 101K miles. My car on the lift light came on. It had a date on it so it was a scheduled checkup.

BMW calls me and says "Yes you need $15,000 worth of repairs." WTF!! They claimed a new transmission and all kinds of BS. So I take it to an indy shop the guy says, "Fuel injector and rear differential." Then I take it to a euro shop and the guys there said. "Water pump , spark plugs, rear brake pads, cabin air filter, belt, oil pan leak." I tested my water pump and it worked perfectly. BMW claimed I had an oil leak but it was from the valve gasket cover. Literally checked and I see no leaks. I had someone at an indy try and say I had a leak last summer but I have lost barely any oil since then..

Now the only issue I am starting to notice is that if I am stopped at a light, foot on the brake, my rpm jumps and the engine revs a little.

Is this a spark plug issue or fuel injectors?

Anyone had any luck using the fuel injector cleaners that you throw in when your tank gets low??

I am a total n00b, still learning so apologies if I sound completely clueless but hey you gotta start somewhere right.

So far the quotes are


BMW DEALER: $15,000

INDY SHOP: $1,400

EURO SHOP: $3,800


I have had people say over and over again just do it all yourself. I work 6-7 days a week. I have no time to do any of this and even if I did how would I know what to replace when three shops said something completely different in the SAME WEEK!

I don't mind doing minor work but I don't have a lot of money to throw around. Any ideas guys? Should I just trade it in? I could understand if two shops said "Oh spark plugs", but all three said something completely different. I also know most people replace a ton of things once you hit 100K but I don't want to replace anything unless there's an actual issue..

[Pelican Parts]

Hello and welcome to the forum! The first and easiest thing to do would be to have the codes read. This should give you a definitive answer as to where the issue(s) are coming from; if any. The E9x are known for having leaky valve covers, so that could be accurate. Start with the codes and then you'll have an idea where to start prioritizing repairs. Hope this helps you a bit - please let us know if you have any other questions or if we can assist with any part needs in the future. For reference, I'm attaching our site's DIY tech articles on the E9x platform, in case you want to read up on some repairs.

https://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tec...h_main_e90.htm

[BondJames94]

Thanks! Any suggestions on code readers? Price wise how pricey are they?

[Pelican Parts]

Thanks! Any suggestions on code readers? Price wise how pricey are they?

No problem, glad to help! I would suggest something like the link below - we've heard really great things about them from our customers and forum community.

Schwaben BMW Scan Tool

[relative4]

Thanks! Any suggestions on code readers? Price wise how pricey are they?

ISTA+ free download & a $20 eBay K+DCAN cable

[ndindynd]

Generic OBDII bluetooth reader off of ebay + torque for android. About $5.

Or go for more $ and get a carly, then you can code your car as well. I don't recall what I paid for mine but it's unlocked a few bajillion in $$$ 'upgrades' that the car can already do but only if you pay the dealer for the upgrades.

[relative4]

What generic dongle are you using with Carly?