First, if I have incorrectly posted this in the wrong section please move to the right section. Thanks.
I have a 2004 BMW 3251 sedan with an AT and ~177K miles on it. Last June I had the expansion valve reservoir tank replaced, because the original cracked wide open. Since then the vehicle acted normal and we used it off and on (more vehicles than drivers in our home), but it sat for 3-4 weeks. I then decided to go drive it to keep the battery charged and noticed the low coolant indicator lamp came on as soon as I started the car. Shut it off, popped the hood and removed the coolant cap to find the float level indicator toy sitting as low as it could sit. Backed the car out of the garage and added coolant, put the cap back on and the low coolant lamp went off. I checked the garage floor and no sign of anything other than AC condensation (water).
Ran fine with sporadic local and local interstate driving for the next few weeks and again it sat in the garage for another month or two. Started it up yesterday and again the low coolant indicator lamp was back on. repeated the above and seems to be drinking about a quart every month or two. Take it to the dealership service department and I was just told that it will cost +$1200 for the thermostat (its leaking) and two hoses. Now, I've done business with the dealership and service department since 2004 and never had any concerns about pricing of repairs until the expansion valve reservoir tank repair, and now the latest quote.
As a car owner I understand the older a vehicle gets the more it will seem like it will nickel and dime you to death as the older it is the more things begin to fail (just like us humans). But this seems like an inordinately high repair estimate for a thermostat and two hoses and labor. An all things being considered equal, there are price adjustments for cost of living locations (I live in Gwinnett county, GA; 30518), which often defies the notion of 'the poor south'. Does anyone know what this should be costing? I am currently waiting on a third party garage to email me a quote for comparison, but asking Google seems to be the cost should be 1/3 what the dealer quoted me.
The dealer will almost always cost the most, the a good independent shop is a good choice, but don't just shop price, your hopefully going to build a relation ship with the shop you go to and make sure you like the people and there easy to work with. Replace the connecting hoses to if there old
Last edited by jclausen; 11-20-2018 at 09:30 AM.
I first went to an independent garage I used once before to replace an O2 sensor in a Toyota truck. Had good service there so I garnered a quote and was stunned it was 1/3 the dealership price. When I googled "2004 BMW 325i thermostat repair cost" last night I found a couple of threads from 2007 and 2011 about people with the exact car complaining about the dealerships wanting $499 (2007) and $550 (2011). If I add twice the cost of inflation to those quotes I would have expected $715-750, not $1200. Since this is a car we are not actively using everyday, we will pick up the car from the dealership and take to the previously used independent garage today. The quote I got today includes hoses.
OK, I picked up the car from the dealership service department and dropped it off at the independent garage. The dealership gave me a breakdown of cost, of which $800 was labor at a rate of $160/hour. The difference in parts was $218 vs. $353.
A whaler thermostat (oem) is $50-60 depending on where you buy it. A gallon of bmw genuine coolant is about $20. Fan clutch removal tools are under $20 if you have a clutch fan (only auto transmission cars) and an hour or less of your time. It is not hard at all to replace.
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Hey, it’s the south. Things proceed at a slightly lower pace.
Find a reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers at www.bimrs.org. Avoid the dealer like the plague when you own an older car.
the thermostat is an easy diy. prices as described above.
for the fan cluth, just get a 12" crescent wrench and wack it!
then leave the fan off.....
I have had 325CI and 330 ZHP. both autos, no fan put back on, no fan added. NEVER increased temperatures. but if you are in the deep south, even the ladies are HOT!
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