Genuine BMW Dealer experience I have had

[beko1987]

A woman in the office has been having issues with her 2002 mini of the water leak variety. It's been to BMW Sytner several times, who have sealed the aerial, but the leak came back.

 

She sent it in again this week after the heavy rain we had, the front footwells are wet. I decided to do some googling and work out what I think it is.

 

It came back yesterday, with 'unable to replicate the fault', and they had also done a healthcheck.

 

They sent her a video, which I thought was pretty cool

 

https://video.citnow.com/vtz2NBz5sYx

 

I told her to get new tyres, will look online for a good fitted price.

 

The rest was interesting though, and at least they did find stuff wrong with it.

 

She then showed me this bit of paper

 

 

which I lolled at some of the prices for.

 

We worked out that:

 

Wiper blades - £9.99 for all 3 from ebay

Camshaft cover gasket - leave for now, check the oil a bit

Exhaust rubber box mountings are I think these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-MINI-ONE-COOPER-REAR-EXHAUST-RUBBERS-HANGER-MOUNT-SILENCER-MOUNTING-CLAMP-/271914057379?fits=Car+Make%3AMini|Cars+Type%3AOne&hash=item3f4f573ea3:g:5EQAAOSw9N1VjapQ

Power steering pipe looks weepy, but it never drips onto the floor so I advised just topping it up, I'll bring my bottle of fluid in one day

Brake fluid 'service'...how do you service brake fluid?

 

She paid the £50 for the time they had it, and got the car back.

 

I said I would book an afternoon off work when the weather was better and run it over to mums/fix it in the carpark, as I think the issues are a combination of

 

http://www.mini2.com/forum/first-generation-faults-fixes/133613-leaking-roof-cant-find-source.html

 

and

 

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/stock-problems-issues/188299-diy-a-pillar-cover-replacement.html

 

The parts arent too expensive from BMW direct, and she agree's that it's the probably cause as...

 

the leak is at the front (soggy headlining, water dripping onto the dashboard etc), and the aerial is at the back. The garage said the water must run across the headlining which I called bollocks to as the headlining would go all mushy inbetween the leak and the front of the car.

 

Still, it's the first time I've seen how main dealer work for a 14 year old car works. She said that if it does fix it she will ask them why they didnt look at that, since it seems a very common issue.

 

Anyone ever had to do the work in the links at all? Any top tips?

[bub2006]

That looks like a monumental rip off there. 114 quid for exhaust rubbers?

[Kiltox]

£200 to change a couple of exhaust hangers!?!

[beko1987]

Looking at the video of him wobbling them about, the ebay part is right. How much of a bastard getting the old ones off is yet to be seen, but it doesnt clonk apparently so my advice has been ignore for now!

[Kiltox]

On the power steering leak - isn't that a MOT failure these days?

[Kiltox]

On the power steering leak - isn't that a MOT failure these days?

[beko1987]

No idea, potentially good point

[cort16]

they're probably charging 80 quid an hour so the cost of simple stuff soon gets expensive. Imagine getting a HG or clutch done by them?

[beko1987]

Am I being thick or is 'camshaft cover gasket' a fancy word for the rocker cover gasket?

[nebuchenezer]

Am I being thick or is 'camshaft cover gasket' a fancy word for the rocker cover gasket?

Correct

[red5]

Only if it covers rocker arms...

[Jim Bell]

Dealers thread full of normal dealers things autoshite shocker.

 

For a laugh I asked for a quote for a small service on a Merc at a local dealer once.

£759 plus vat. When would you like us to book you in sir?

 

How are you fixed on the morning of the twelfth of No Thanks lol k m8 bye?

[beko1987]

Dealers thread full of normal dealers things autoshite shocker.

 

For a laugh I asked for a quote for a small service on a Merc at a local dealer once.

£759 plus vat. When would you like us to book you in sir?

 

How are you fixed on the morning of the twelfth of No Thanks lol k m8 bye?

I do agree with you, and it's probably the labour rate that puts the price up, but this garage have tried 3 times to find the leak, and have not found it/been looking in the wrong place. Think the total paid is north of £300 so far.

 

I've just never seen the process before, it interested me

[CHRIS1980]

I thought these had electric power steering. Main dealers are always going to rip you off with labour charges.

[xtriple]

Buy a Honda! Service from the main dealer was £150 including a free mot. Everything I had done to my Insight was cheap, usually cheaper than taking it anywhere else!

 

But if you want to talk about pricey parts.... I am your man I still can't get over £120 (plus VAT) for a link cable 1 metre long with a connector on either end! Direct from Bentley and 'coded' to the car so no other bugger can use it! O needed two of them for added misery....

 

Though it has to be said, the labour charges the specialist (the only Bentley Rolls Royce specialist this side of Bristol!) while a bloody shock in total, were not tooooooo bad per hour.

[mike13]

I thought these had electric power steering. Main dealers are always going to rip you off with labour charges.

Very high number of these had power steering pump failure, BMW mini always denied it was a fault but would have replaced my wife's free of charge if we paid labour, bit odd that they would give free labour if it wasn't a manufacturing fault.

[Eddie Honda]

But if you want to talk about pricey parts.... I am your man

I'm still waiting on the price of those JB numberplates btw.

[flat4alfa]

They might be charging-out at £80 ph

 

But the tech job they have advertised with Reed is offering just Ã‚£9.59 ph

[Jim Bell]

They might be charging-out at £80 ph

 

But the tech job they have advertised with Reed is offering just £9.59 ph

That's fucking outrageous. You can pick your nose and eat cake all day in an office with no discernible skills of any kind and make more than that an hour.

 

Don't ask me how I know.

[flat4alfa]

I've just read that a year ago, Berry Chiswick BMW was one of three in the capital charging more than £200 per hour.

[garbaldy]

Well if you buy into the huge glass buildings supplying free coffee and cake what do you expect.

[MikeKnight]

I like the video they made.

 

Never seen a dealer do that before. Ace.

[beko1987]

I like the video they made.

 

Never seen a dealer do that before. Ace.

I liked that too, mainly because I would have called bullshit on most of the things, but that proves they are there!

 

And made me think that the damp power steering pipe will probably just stay damp forever with no real issues, even the exhaust bracket is probably ok for now, certainly doesn't make a noise at the moment.

 

Haven't heard it with sound yet though...

[dollywobbler]

See? New Minis are just like the old ones. Water leaks are just normal.

[cort16]

the money all goes on the flowers , marble floor tiles, frothy coffee and bespoke work shop gear BMW mandate you have of you want to be a dealer .

[scaryoldcortina]

On the power steering leak - isn't that a MOT failure these days?

 

Yes, has been for ages.

 

That's fucking outrageous. You can pick your nose and eat cake all day in an office with no discernible skills of any kind and make more than that an hour.

 

Don't ask me how I know.

Motor trade jobs always seem to be long hours for piss poor wages... I looked at a senior tech/tester position for a national chain, they were offering £22k in exchange for 8:30 - 6:00 mon-fri and 8:30 - 3:00 alternate saturdays. They can all do one. If I have to give up my garage I'll pick another trade.

[Negative Creep]

Why would you take a 14 year old car to a main dealer?

[oldcars]

Should have taken a video of me doing the head gasket on the Reliant. Would have been on for about 60 hours and had plenty bleeps in it, after 9pm viewing i think.

[beko1987]

Why would you take a 14 year old car to a main dealer?

Because she thinks (thought) it was a good idea. She's not poor tbh, and I think genuinely thought it would be the thing to do.

 

I've managed to show her by pointing at pictures and explaining that it's probably leaking from X and Y, running down P and fitting new seals to A and B, with some black sealent down D and E would sort it, and I'd happily take an afternoon off work and do it in the car park when the weather brightens up.

 

She was going to get BMW to put new tyres on too until I found her 2 Avon ZT5's for £88 fitted, then she got a quote from the tyre place over the road for £92 for 2 fitted, but without a 8 mile drive to get to the tyre place.

 

I'm slowly converting people to my ways! Why throw money at people guessing when 2 hours on google had it worked out, justified and costed. The parts from BMW are actually quite cheap. The A pillar external trims sit on foam pads, which every forum post I have read says replace. £8 a side. Plastic covers are £40 a side, but apparently they break, so we said we would take them off, if they go back on then great, if they break then she can just drive the car until new ones come and we will fit those.

 

Someone had a battery die on their corsa yesterday, bought his missus's car in today and was wondering what to do. Spoke to his immediate colleague, who said talk to sam and gareth, we had it jumped started in 2 minutes, and around the the friendly local garage (not the shit local one), who had a new battery on, and a fluid check and topup for £90, £60/70 of which I presume was for the battery. I would have run him round to ECP and fitted it myself but I have no tools on me today and the scuttle has to mildly come off (corsa C)

[Jim Bell]

Why would you take a car to a main dealer?

Fixed. That'll be £200 as I charge per hour or part thereof.