[Zippy7575]

I got a recall notice for the battery terminal problem a few months back and decided to take the car into the dealer yesterday. I also had a tire pressure monitor fault and service engine light, so thought I'd have them fix all that and check the car over while I was there.

I knew when they gave me a free loaner 2013 325i that I had better be sitting down when I got the quote.

Sure enough, the service engine light was diagnosed as the DMTL pump. They quoted me $506 to fix that.

The batteries were dead on all four TPM, they wanted $776 for them!

Spark plugs $262
Brake Fluid exchange $159
Coolant exchange $159
4-wheel alignment $209
Replace cabin and engine air filters $139

So, I told them just to do the recall stuff (turns out there were several of them) and went on-line and found the TPM for $55 each.

Spark plugs are $15 each locally.

Filters? Maybe $30 at Auto Zone.

DIY brake fluid and coolant exchange? Probably another $30

Alignment? Car feels great to me as is and tires are wearing well. Not needed.

The service engine light went out on its own.

Total cost in my garage: $370.00 and about an hour of my time. Add another $135 and 20 more minutes if I eventually do have to replace the DMTL pump

At the Stealership: $2,201.00!!!

When I bought a BMW I knew that the initial purchase price was only going to part of the expense, but this is just ridiculous!

The $1,800 I saved would pay for an engine rebuild on my old 1970 Opel GT.

And I was amazed that except for a few interior upgrades, I much preferred my 2007 to the new 325i they loaned me, so that probably just saved me another $50k!!

: )

[tony20009]

I love the feeling of being perfectly happy with my current DD and not feeling obliged to or having to replace it. I don't care what it costs to keep it in good order, it's still by far cheaper to keep her. I will never see the point of spending money I don't need to to buy a new, nice DD when I already have a nice DD.

[bob.g]

you almost have to diy or find an indy to maintain these cars out of warranty. ive rarely seen older models getting serviced at the dealership.

[ctuna]

Did you do the tires yourself?

What is a DMTL pump I know what an HPFP is .
And actually those aren't the most outrageous dealer prices I have
seen, unless they were just quoting parts.

You did all this in a hour I would think the spark plugs alone would take a
couple minimum unless you had done the procedure many times on the same model .

[techwhiz]

Plugs took me 30 minutes.
$80 + $30 for tool.
$270-$110 = $160. Hey that an AR-15 stripped lower!
Sorry, I digress....

[Zippy7575]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Did you do the tires yourself?

What is a DMTL pump I know what an HPFP is .
And actually those aren't the most outrageous dealer prices I have
seen, unless they were just quoting parts.

You did all this in a hour I would think the spark plugs alone would take a
couple minimum unless you had done the procedure many times on the same model .

Sorry, forgot to mention that I can get the TPM installed for $15 per wheel which includes rebalance.

As for the DMTL pump... to quote a previous post:

"DMTL Pump -- part number 16136752551 DM-TL, or Diagnosis Module - Tank Leakage detection. The DM TL is located under the luggage compartment floor with the Active Carbon Canister. It slightly pressurizes the fuel system to detect tank leaks. Bad pumps often cause code p0442 (evap system leak)."

If you Goggle it you will see it's a common failure.

[krhodes1]

What cracks me up is that EVERY time my car has gone to the dealership, the "tech" has recommended that I have the tires rotated and balanced and an alignment. This despite the fact that:

1. BMW says in the owner's manual in no uncertain terms that tire rotation is not recommended
2. The tire wear is PERFECTLY even
3. The car is airplane smooth at speeds way in excess of the speed limit
4. It tracks like a TGV
5. It wears SNOW TIRES 5 months of the year, so the factory tires have hardly any miles on them. Probably 10K on the snows, 15K on the summers.

Oh, and they want $309 to do the R&B + Alignment - and that is a "special deal". And only $139 for the cabin and engine filters? Bargain! My dealer gets $184 for just the cabin filter per their price sheet. Shudder to think what an air filter would run.

Of course, this is why they can afford to give you a brand new car for a loaner, and have a fancy cappuccino machine in the leather chaired waiting area. And some people eat it up. I am not one of them. They will never get a dime out of me beyond the price of the car. It's been there five times in two years. Two state inspections (just #2 yesterday) which they do for free for life if you buy the car there (perfect opportunity to upsell). One service, one minor warranty repair, and the battery cable recall. I like them, the service is fantastic, but I like my money more.

And so far, I agree very much on being very happy with my car. They don't seem very interested in selling me another one, what with AWD and autotragic being mandatory on the F31. And a ~$10K price hike.

[pgaplayerless]

Dealerships are for suckers and fools who like to be separated from their money. You are paying $160/hr so they can pay their tech $16/hr to perform the work while they pocket the rest.

[techietaichi]

Originally Posted by pgaplayerless

Dealerships are for suckers and fools who like to be separated from their money. You are paying $160/hr so they can pay their tech $16/hr to perform the work while they pocket the rest.

I can definitely see why you might feel that way, but don't totally agree with your statement and in regard to what BMW pays their employees, that's none of my business, only what I have to pay is. I've used indies, I've done small job DIY's and have used the dealership. For instance, I had a mech sleeve leak, I definitely didn't have the tools or the time to tackle myself, so I approached the two indies I use, Schneller BMW and Turner Motorsports to do the work. They both quoted me like $650-700 for the work I think. I'm not sure I've got the numbers right, but am sure that they either matched or cost more than what the dealership quoted me. I couldn't find anyone else that I trusted to do the work for less as trust is a big factor in my decisions as well as cost, so I went with the dealership.

The dealership gave me a loaner for the day at no cost to me except for what fuel I used. I had a nice cup of coffee and a scone while sitting in the big ass leather chair before I took off and got to flirt with the pretty receptionist upon arrival and return. I couldn't get that at my indy. If anything went wrong with the work they did, I could hold them accountable and they'd get me squared away, as the guys over at Tulley BMW are pleasant to work with. John and Keith, the 2 SA's I always go to are amicable and competent as well as their mechanics. I'm no mechanic and if I blow it, even a little detail while DIY'ing, I know I'm screwed and time will be wasted. There's benefits to going to a dealer sometimes, it's really a matter of weighing your options first and applying sound logic to your current situation. I applaud the DIY aficionados that can put the time in and save some dough, that's killer, but not all of us have that luxury or skill. I'm blessed enough that I have the dough to square up my car, so that's what I do when I have to, but I'll never shun my dealership as an option.

[pgaplayerless]

Originally Posted by techietaichi

I can definitely see why you might feel that way, but don't totally agree with your statement and in regard to what BMW pays their employees, that's none of my business, only what I have to pay is. I've used indies, I've done small job DIY's and have used the dealership. For instance, I had a mech sleeve leak, I definitely didn't have the tools or the time to tackle myself, so I approached the two indies I use, Schneller BMW and Turner Motorsports to do the work. They both quoted me like $650-700 for the work I think. I'm not sure I've got the numbers right, but am sure that they either matched or cost more than what the dealership quoted me. I couldn't find anyone else that I trusted to do the work for less as trust is a big factor in my decisions as well as cost, so I went with the dealership.

The dealership gave me a loaner for the day at no cost to me except for what fuel I used. I had a nice cup of coffee and a scone while sitting in the big ass leather chair before I took off and got to flirt with the pretty receptionist upon arrival and return. I couldn't get that at my indy. If anything went wrong with the work they did, I could hold them accountable and they'd get me squared away, as the guys over at Tulley BMW are pleasant to work with. John and Keith, the 2 SA's I always go to are amicable and competent as well as their mechanics. I'm no mechanic and if I blow it, even a little detail while DIY'ing, I know I'm screwed and time will be wasted. There's benefits to going to a dealer sometimes, it's really a matter of weighing your options first and applying sound logic to your current situation. I applaud the DIY aficionados that can put the time in and save some dough, that's killer, but not all of us have that luxury or skill. I'm blessed enough that I have the dough to square up my car, so that's what I do when I have to, but I'll never shun my dealership as an option.

Most of the time indys quote you as high as dealerships if they either aren't sure they can actually do the work as quick as the book say or they simply don't want to do the work.

I too have the means to have my car repaired....if i wanted to. But I'm not gonna bother paying the dealer $160/hr when I know +85% of that labor rate doesn't go to the tech that is preforming the work. And those guys own their own tools 90% of the time!

[bob.g]

Originally Posted by techietaichi

I can definitely see why you might feel that way, but don't totally agree with your statement and in regard to what BMW pays their employees, that's none of my business, only what I have to pay is. I've used indies, I've done small job DIY's and have used the dealership. For instance, I had a mech sleeve leak, I definitely didn't have the tools or the time to tackle myself, so I approached the two indies I use, Schneller BMW and Turner Motorsports to do the work. They both quoted me like $650-700 for the work I think. I'm not sure I've got the numbers right, but am sure that they either matched or cost more than what the dealership quoted me. I couldn't find anyone else that I trusted to do the work for less as trust is a big factor in my decisions as well as cost, so I went with the dealership.

The dealership gave me a loaner for the day at no cost to me except for what fuel I used. I had a nice cup of coffee and a scone while sitting in the big ass leather chair before I took off and got to flirt with the pretty receptionist upon arrival and return. I couldn't get that at my indy. If anything went wrong with the work they did, I could hold them accountable and they'd get me squared away, as the guys over at Tulley BMW are pleasant to work with. John and Keith, the 2 SA's I always go to are amicable and competent as well as their mechanics. I'm no mechanic and if I blow it, even a little detail while DIY'ing, I know I'm screwed and time will be wasted. There's benefits to going to a dealer sometimes, it's really a matter of weighing your options first and applying sound logic to your current situation. I applaud the DIY aficionados that can put the time in and save some dough, that's killer, but not all of us have that luxury or skill. I'm blessed enough that I have the dough to square up my car, so that's what I do when I have to, but I'll never shun my dealership as an option.

When i had my transmission fluid and pan changed i also had him do the mechatronic sealing sleeve. i paid maybe 250 in labor for everything. i think it took my indy 2-3 hours for the job. 600-700 seems way too high.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by bob.g

When i had my transmission fluid and pan changed i also had him do the mechatronic sealing sleeve. i paid maybe 250 in labor for everything. i think it took my indy 2-3 hours for the job. 600-700 seems way too high.

I heard that ECS tuning has great deals on the fluid and pan as a kit + the mechatronic sleeve. Plus I'm sure you should also do the Diff's and transfer case at the same time?

How do you drain the coolant?

[bob.g]

Originally Posted by fazman

I heard that ECS tuning has great deals on the fluid and pan as a kit + the mechatronic sleeve. Plus I'm sure you should also do the Diff's and transfer case at the same time?

How do you drain the coolant?

i had the ZHP trans so i got the fluid+pan kit from rmreuropean (since they shipped to canada, otherwise thectsc.com was cheaper). they have a kit that includes the sleeve too. I have some other fluids that need replacing that i havent done yet (steering, diffs), maybe next year.

Theres a diy on how to do the trans/pan, they use some cheap pump to drain. i took the car to my indy and had him take care of everything. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=367729

[John 070]

Originally Posted by techwhiz

Plugs took me 30 minutes.
$80 + $30 for tool.
$270-$110 = $160. Hey that an AR-15 stripped lower!
Sorry, I digress....

Why would plugs cost $80? They're $68 at autohaus AZ. That's $12 you shoulda saved.

[ZBoater]

Some people have the skills and would rather do the work themselves. Good for them. Some of us don't have the skills and prefer to spend our time doing other things. And we'd rather trust BMW to fix our cars. Don't diss us like that.

Yes, the dealership is more expensive. But some of us rather pay extra and get a free loaner, a free bagel and smoothie, and flirt with a cute receptionist. We enjoy being treated right and dealing with a quality organization that takes care of us.

Having said this, some of their prices are ridiculous. If it is an easy thing (like wipers) I may choose to save some bucks, but for the most part I bought a nice car to drive it and not have to work on it. And I'd rather the dealer do the work 99% of the time. YMMV.

[ctuna]

Pump Error could be due to a gas cap seal .
People not tightening the gas cap have this error I think.

[srezzo]

Originally Posted by bob.g

you almost have to diy or find an indy to maintain these cars out of warranty. ive rarely seen older models getting serviced at the dealership.

Exactly! I would've never bought my E90 if I wasn't all about DIY.

[techietaichi]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

Some people have the skills and would rather do the work themselves. Good for them. Some of us don't have the skills and prefer to spend our time doing other things. And we'd rather trust BMW to fix our cars. Don't diss us like that.

Yes, the dealership is more expensive. But some of us rather pay extra and get a free loaner, a free bagel and smoothie, and flirt with a cute receptionist. We enjoy being treated right and dealing with a quality organization that takes care of us.

Having said this, some of their prices are ridiculous. If it is an easy thing (like wipers) I may choose to save some bucks, but for the most part I bought a nice car to drive it and not have to work on it. And I'd rather the dealer do the work 99% of the time. YMMV.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Pump Error could be due to a gas cap seal .
People not tightening the gas cap have this error I think.

Yep. Where I work it's full serve, so it's happened a couple of times.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by ZBoater

Some people have the skills and would rather do the work themselves. Good for them. Some of us don't have the skills and prefer to spend our time doing other things. And we'd rather trust BMW to fix our cars. Don't diss us like that.

Yes, the dealership is more expensive. But some of us rather pay extra and get a free loaner, a free bagel and smoothie, and flirt with a cute receptionist. We enjoy being treated right and dealing with a quality organization that takes care of us.

Having said this, some of their prices are ridiculous. If it is an easy thing (like wipers) I may choose to save some bucks, but for the most part I bought a nice car to drive it and not have to work on it. And I'd rather the dealer do the work 99% of the time. YMMV.

It's funny how people constantly complain about dealer prices, and act as if they saved that money when they DIY'd. Say the dealer charges $139 for a microcabin and air. You buy the filters for $47 online and change them in about 8-10 min. YOU DID NOT SAVE $139 MINUS $47, unless it makes you feel good to say that. As someone pointed out, the dealership gives you a loaner, admittedly a lousy 328i x-drive more than 50% of the time. That costs something, as does the free wifi and fancy bottled water.

How about the flip side when they charge $59.95 to $79.95 for an oil change on a non-M or non-diesel BMW 6 cyl.? It costs about $76 to have the oil shipped online. Considering the dealer gives a loaner out, they are losing money on the deal. So you pay $76 to DIY, I would say you're a fool unless you're so anal that you don't trust a BMW dealer to do your oil.

There are two sides to every coin. We have to stop crying about everything as if people are out to get us all the time.

[ctuna]

Yeah that may be true in some cases.
But the price seems to vary a lot between dealerships
and there are some 200 dollar + oil changes out there to .
If you happen to find a dealer that doesn't gouge close by
maybe it doesn't make as much sense to DIY.
Also just because its a BMW dealership it doesn't mean some turkey
didn't do the work, or they don't give you a free complementary car
wash that puts swirl marks in your car.

[Miami1683]

I don't post much but...

Everything we do on our cars had options. Mine is heavily modded and I enjoy it very much. I used mainly bmw performance stuff on my car. From a dealer so I have peace of mind for warranty purposes.

I want to tell you I'm actually a fixed operations director at a Florida BMW center. In our store we have specific policies for cars like ours .

We discount the labor rate and parts 25% parts are not marked up like most dealers. We don't bother you about mods at all. Instead we host cars and coffee every month to let them be seen. We offer loaners with wheels and accessories on them if need. Supply water, coffee, juices, free wifi , ipads if you want to c surf the net and have a huge financial burden with paying for bmw tech training all year. The overhead is a lot but we want your cars and business. In my case I think we are reasonable and efficient . I've had many people ask me to help set up their car after seeing mine.

Just my .02