Philip Foglar
///Member
40k is a lot of money to just go up in smoke! Surely they gave you some sort of warranty on the work and parts supplied? Did they give you a break-down of all the parts replaced and the work done?
-
Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
Match anyone?
- Thread starter nicwes
- Start date
zaleonardz
Well-known member
Before you go replacing the motor, do a compression test first, wet and dry...
This will determine the state of the motor.
I suspect rings that did not bed properly....
This will determine the state of the motor.
I suspect rings that did not bed properly....
nicwes
///Member
Inspector_Gadget said:
And why exactly would that be?
Okay. Symptoms changed. Now there's a cloud of smoke when I start the car, but disappears when I drive. Stopped at home, left the car idling and a very very small puff of smoke comes out now and then. gave it a quick rev, and still no smoke..
Your car seems in a very good nick, please do not send her packing. You are frustrated due to the amount of cash spent so far, but unfortunately my advise is for you to contact your mech, tell him to come and collect the car, and fix it. Failure to comply might allow you to approach one of our forum tech experts (or someone else), and fix the problem, with a refund demand to the previous mech. Good luck my friend.
M
Mike1
Guest
Sorry to hear about the issues you have been having. :nonono:
If it helps, I bought a Smart Fortwo, a 2003 with 84 000km on the clock. Drove it for two days and on route back from Franschhoek at 140km/h with my partner the engine combusted.
R30 000 rebuild, with new turbo and no car for three weeks.
The car then blew another turbo a few weeks later due to overboost, and now has a uprated turbo in it and does over 200km a day all week without a problem.
Moral of my tale, if you are willing to keep at it then go for it because it will come right. Otherwise chop the beemer in for something else. :thumbs:
Mike
If it helps, I bought a Smart Fortwo, a 2003 with 84 000km on the clock. Drove it for two days and on route back from Franschhoek at 140km/h with my partner the engine combusted.
R30 000 rebuild, with new turbo and no car for three weeks.
The car then blew another turbo a few weeks later due to overboost, and now has a uprated turbo in it and does over 200km a day all week without a problem.
Moral of my tale, if you are willing to keep at it then go for it because it will come right. Otherwise chop the beemer in for something else. :thumbs:
Mike
I am also pretty much done with BMW, and this is Rick speaking, I have owned 40 of their products and I have seen the change in their corporate attitude over the years from fantastic support of all models, new and old to only supporting the very latest.
It's the parts prices that killed it for me, I love the cars beyond compare but after my latest parts experience and their attitude, I'm on my last BMW.
We have various brands in our family, and in my experience the BMW's KLAP everything else sensless when it comes to costs of keeping the things going.
I am sick and tired of being insulted by their parts prices. I just phoned them for 3 items, an aircon receiver dryer, pressure switch and expansion valve to be quoted something above R6500. I then once again got the exact same genuine BEHR parts from another supplier at 1/8th the price.
This blatant corporate greed insults me, so as much as I love the cars there is other cool stuff out there.
It's the parts prices that killed it for me, I love the cars beyond compare but after my latest parts experience and their attitude, I'm on my last BMW.
We have various brands in our family, and in my experience the BMW's KLAP everything else sensless when it comes to costs of keeping the things going.
I am sick and tired of being insulted by their parts prices. I just phoned them for 3 items, an aircon receiver dryer, pressure switch and expansion valve to be quoted something above R6500. I then once again got the exact same genuine BEHR parts from another supplier at 1/8th the price.
This blatant corporate greed insults me, so as much as I love the cars there is other cool stuff out there.
M
Mike1
Guest
The thing is, I dont think it is greed which is the problem.
From 2004 to 2009 the car industry was booming, and dealerships were just flowing with huge profits and of course massive overheads and were doing extremely well making money from Service, New & Used and Parts.
All these departments were doing well, some dealers even moved out and bought even bigger properties with even more expensive overheads, spending money because times were good.
Now it is very different. Dealerships are relying on service and parts to survive and even then some dealers are only making 2 Million rand profit overall monthly, and thats all departments combined! You cannot buy stock, run promotions and keep your doors open with that profit and I am not talking about small fry dealers, I am talking about dealers like Auto Atlantic making these profits and they are a huge dealer!
Much like with all business's, when times are hard you start to exploit your strength's and this is where we currently are. Excessive labour costs, huge inflation on parts prices and of course poor service to match.
Right now, big dealers are relying on their service and parts department to keep things floating... Dealers realise that they can make up for their losses in profit by making money on slow moving parts especially on older cars.
I explained this in another thread... BMW parts departments are usually right next to the showroom, why? Because they want you to look at that 320I on the floor with R40 000 trade assistance, R20 000 trade in assistance and a R30 000 discount. They want you to see the plush, fresh leather, the shiney mag wheels and perfect paint so that when the parts department says R6500 for a few bits and bobs your mind (usually helped by the salesman who greeted you on the floor) rather reverts to using that R6500 as a deposit on a new car.
BMW would rather you purchase a new car, than spend R6500 on your 10 year old M5. All marketing, sales and focus in a dealer is on moving new cars. Dealers survive on kick-backs from BMW SA and these are what keep the dealership running in these hard times.
This is the unfortunate truth of what most car dealers have become, it is a huge pity as I feel the focus within dealers should not just be on selling new cars but also keeping existing customers like yourself happy with competitive part pricing and excellent service.
New car sales uber alles. :thumbdo:
Mike
From 2004 to 2009 the car industry was booming, and dealerships were just flowing with huge profits and of course massive overheads and were doing extremely well making money from Service, New & Used and Parts.
All these departments were doing well, some dealers even moved out and bought even bigger properties with even more expensive overheads, spending money because times were good.
Now it is very different. Dealerships are relying on service and parts to survive and even then some dealers are only making 2 Million rand profit overall monthly, and thats all departments combined! You cannot buy stock, run promotions and keep your doors open with that profit and I am not talking about small fry dealers, I am talking about dealers like Auto Atlantic making these profits and they are a huge dealer!
Much like with all business's, when times are hard you start to exploit your strength's and this is where we currently are. Excessive labour costs, huge inflation on parts prices and of course poor service to match.
Right now, big dealers are relying on their service and parts department to keep things floating... Dealers realise that they can make up for their losses in profit by making money on slow moving parts especially on older cars.
I explained this in another thread... BMW parts departments are usually right next to the showroom, why? Because they want you to look at that 320I on the floor with R40 000 trade assistance, R20 000 trade in assistance and a R30 000 discount. They want you to see the plush, fresh leather, the shiney mag wheels and perfect paint so that when the parts department says R6500 for a few bits and bobs your mind (usually helped by the salesman who greeted you on the floor) rather reverts to using that R6500 as a deposit on a new car.
BMW would rather you purchase a new car, than spend R6500 on your 10 year old M5. All marketing, sales and focus in a dealer is on moving new cars. Dealers survive on kick-backs from BMW SA and these are what keep the dealership running in these hard times.
This is the unfortunate truth of what most car dealers have become, it is a huge pity as I feel the focus within dealers should not just be on selling new cars but also keeping existing customers like yourself happy with competitive part pricing and excellent service.
New car sales uber alles. :thumbdo:
Mike
frikkieh
///Member
Nic - I feel your pain. Trouble is not everyone (even BMW) knows everything and glitches do happen and that is normally at your cost.
I resorted to good 3rd party mechanics, and had generally good service from them. This is their livelyhood and tend to take more pride in what they do.
This really sucks, but I would advise you against Volvo. Just make a few calls to the dealerships and compare prices - headlight, taillight, front bumper etc. What does an oil service cost? Can you get a Volvo serviced from a good 3rd party mechanic for a reasonable price and what will that cost (filters etc.)?
This is why they want you to have Motor Plan, but you pay through your ears for the car that is worth less the moment you drive it off the showroom floor.
Better the devil you know than the one you don't...:fencelook:
I resorted to good 3rd party mechanics, and had generally good service from them. This is their livelyhood and tend to take more pride in what they do.
This really sucks, but I would advise you against Volvo. Just make a few calls to the dealerships and compare prices - headlight, taillight, front bumper etc. What does an oil service cost? Can you get a Volvo serviced from a good 3rd party mechanic for a reasonable price and what will that cost (filters etc.)?
This is why they want you to have Motor Plan, but you pay through your ears for the car that is worth less the moment you drive it off the showroom floor.
Better the devil you know than the one you don't...:fencelook:
nicwes
///Member
Back to square one (13 September)
My radiator light comes on, and a minute or so and the temperature rises. Pull over, wait a few minutes, and drive off again..
Drove from Rivonia to Auckland Park (+- 26km) on the highway
It happened 3 times.
Now my question is: WHAT THE F*&% HAVE THEY DONE IN 10 EFFING WEEKS! WHERE DID THE R40000 GO?! :argh:
It had MORE problems the past 3 days than it had when it went in
My radiator light comes on, and a minute or so and the temperature rises. Pull over, wait a few minutes, and drive off again..
Drove from Rivonia to Auckland Park (+- 26km) on the highway
It happened 3 times.
Now my question is: WHAT THE F*&% HAVE THEY DONE IN 10 EFFING WEEKS! WHERE DID THE R40000 GO?! :argh:
It had MORE problems the past 3 days than it had when it went in
Ditto on the pain Nic. My beemer is aslo up for grabs. Well, selling due to financial reasons instead. Problem is for me and lots of others is, will it be worth it to spend a serious amount of cash on a older car? BMW SA and all other dealers just suck. Can a petition or something not be drawn up and taken to them? Or maybe there is something else we can do to get them to change there attitude and pricing?
Guys pls check my for sale items and see if u guys can help me out pls.
Guys pls check my for sale items and see if u guys can help me out pls.
what bmw is missing is its the old cars that make the legend... let them die and you kill the new cars also...
When I first started driving I could never understand guys driving "classics" because the new cars were so much better, now I understsnd the appeal of a classic. They always provide an experience that has been lost with progress.
Maybe it's not true but Dealing with BMW I get the distinct impression they would love to kill all the cars they made that are over 10 years old and sell a new one.
Maybe it's not true but Dealing with BMW I get the distinct impression they would love to kill all the cars they made that are over 10 years old and sell a new one.
NoFear
New member
frikkieh said:
Yes there are 3rd party places to service and source parts from as mentioned in my previous posting. Not that expensive.
Ok so I went to two BMW dealers the weekend, at the first dealer I drove a 135i manual, there was a few things that bothered me. 1st the clutch is extremely hard and gear shifts could have been better 2de car was in an accident R77 000 damage. 3de pleading for a better price did nothing car was expensive, was laughable what they want to give me for my car (98 model E36). 4th 135i had 30 000 on the clock and had already R20 000 spent on parts. 5th car ride was extremely hard 6th not even electric seats are on offer for that price. Most of the issues are compared to our t5 that has a softer ride, softer clutch better shifting action and has memory functions seats ext.
The other car at the second dealer was a new 320d auto, it was a lot better experience but would have like more performance that’s why I am looking at x35i car should at least be faster than the T5.
So I have 2 options left, to go and test a 335i auto and s60 AWD T6, T6 wins so far with price, year model, mileage and option included as standard. For the T6 a can add the polestar (upgraded software) that will change the kilowatt from 224kw to between 250 – 260kw should match the 335i with acceleration.
Nicwes good luck with your decision trust me it’s not easy been battling for a while already.
nicwes
///Member
Decided I will be a bit more patient. They came with a low bed to pick the car up. (At their cost) Brought my mom's car with. So we just swopped cars.
One of two things. The mechanic will have a look again. (everything done will be on them). Then if this can't be sorted out, we will get a new (2nd hand) engine. Also 320i.
Maybe go bigger?
Any advice on these engines?
The one I know of has +- 90 000km on.
Waiting to hear from another guy
One of two things. The mechanic will have a look again. (everything done will be on them). Then if this can't be sorted out, we will get a new (2nd hand) engine. Also 320i.
Maybe go bigger?
Any advice on these engines?
The one I know of has +- 90 000km on.
Waiting to hear from another guy
if you can get an engine 2.5l or bigger it will be better they use about the same fuel but you get much better performance 
Fordkoppie
///Member
PM me for details on a 3.0l engine if you are interested
Doomsdaya
///Member
rick540 said:
Im in the same boat as rick540, if someone makes me an offer I cant refuse then I'll let my car go without thinking twice and it will end that way.
Sorry to hear about your situation nicwes, I remember posting on your thread about how you spent R40K and even commented that atleast you'll have "peace of mind". Well that doesnt seem to be the case anymore....
