Hi all,
I'd like to share my recent experience at Joburg City Auto.
My E90 323i A/T failed to start on 29th September. I had the car towed to Joburg City Auto for repairs. They ran the diagnostic test and came back a week later with the following:
* Starter motor failed, needs replacement
I agreed to have it replaced, and they went ahead. Three days later, got a call:
* The engine is misfiring badly, all ignition coils need replacement
I gave them the go-ahead. A week later, I collected the vehicle. The idling is very bad and it appears to be misfiring still. There's a lot of vibration on the steering wheel, the rev counter is "dancing" uncontrollably and the exhaust pipe clanks a lot. The exhaust fumes smell very badly and everything is very wrong!
A km away from their premises, the car stalls (very uncommon for an automatic transmission).
I called Wayne (service advisor) and informed him about the issue. I then decided to drive the car for a week and check if anything changed. The problem persists. The stalling is gone, but the vibrations and erratic idling still continue. The car is smoking, the fumes are unpleasantly strong and bad!
I finally take the car back to them, and they run another diagnostic test. Wayne calls me, informing me that the following items need replacing:
* VVT e-motor
* 2 Lambda regulators
* 2 Oxygen sensors
* Vent Hose
* Coolant Hose
* Profile Gasket
* Oil Filter
* Oil needs replacement
The cost R51 455.96
I asked Wayne not to do the work because of the ridiculous quotation. Thankfully, I couldn't afford to pay for this so the decision was easy to make.
I took the car to Tune Tech in Bez Valley for a second opinion. Their diagnosis:
* Incorrect wiring on the oxygen sensors
They fixed the wiring, and the cost? R2 450. The result? Everything is back to normal. No more vibrations and clanking. The smell coming from the exhaust has returned to normal and the idling is very smooth.
I now wonder if the starter motor really needed replacing in the first place. Imagine what would have happened if I had the money, and I'd asked them to do the R51k work? They would have replaced everything, messed up the wiring and probably asked me to replace the engine!
Incompetence at its finest!!
I'd like to share my recent experience at Joburg City Auto.
My E90 323i A/T failed to start on 29th September. I had the car towed to Joburg City Auto for repairs. They ran the diagnostic test and came back a week later with the following:
* Starter motor failed, needs replacement
I agreed to have it replaced, and they went ahead. Three days later, got a call:
* The engine is misfiring badly, all ignition coils need replacement
I gave them the go-ahead. A week later, I collected the vehicle. The idling is very bad and it appears to be misfiring still. There's a lot of vibration on the steering wheel, the rev counter is "dancing" uncontrollably and the exhaust pipe clanks a lot. The exhaust fumes smell very badly and everything is very wrong!
A km away from their premises, the car stalls (very uncommon for an automatic transmission).
I called Wayne (service advisor) and informed him about the issue. I then decided to drive the car for a week and check if anything changed. The problem persists. The stalling is gone, but the vibrations and erratic idling still continue. The car is smoking, the fumes are unpleasantly strong and bad!
I finally take the car back to them, and they run another diagnostic test. Wayne calls me, informing me that the following items need replacing:
* VVT e-motor
* 2 Lambda regulators
* 2 Oxygen sensors
* Vent Hose
* Coolant Hose
* Profile Gasket
* Oil Filter
* Oil needs replacement
The cost R51 455.96
I asked Wayne not to do the work because of the ridiculous quotation. Thankfully, I couldn't afford to pay for this so the decision was easy to make.
I took the car to Tune Tech in Bez Valley for a second opinion. Their diagnosis:
* Incorrect wiring on the oxygen sensors
They fixed the wiring, and the cost? R2 450. The result? Everything is back to normal. No more vibrations and clanking. The smell coming from the exhaust has returned to normal and the idling is very smooth.
I now wonder if the starter motor really needed replacing in the first place. Imagine what would have happened if I had the money, and I'd asked them to do the R51k work? They would have replaced everything, messed up the wiring and probably asked me to replace the engine!
Incompetence at its finest!!
