[jon_335]

So I took the new 335i in to Performance BMW (Chapel Hill, NC) today for a valve cleaning and an oil change. All seemed to go well. I arrived at the dealership this evening to pick up the car and when the guy was bringing it around he said the car displayed check engine and service engine soon lights.

WTF!!!

So they are keeping it over the weekend to figure out what the problem is. At least I have a loaner - a brand new 328i. I can only imagine that the malfunction lights are due to the valve cleaning since it was totally fine when I dropped it off. I have confidence they will make it right, but it still sucks.

[Bamaben]

Probably something unplugged

[Luxurytax423]

Yeah, they probably bumped a wire connection.. they have to remove the valve cover and there is quite a bit of wires on top. Have them check the O2 sensor cables, etc.

[e90TiAg335i]

Originally Posted by Luxurytax423

Yeah, they probably bumped a wire connection.. they have to remove the valve cover and there is quite a bit of wires on top. Have them check the O2 sensor cables, etc.

Remove the valve cover? I think you mean the intake. But yeah, either way something was left unplugged. They shouldn't need but 30min to an hour to fix it though.

[jon_335]

I got a call from the service advisor this afternoon. Apparently there were a bunch of codes stored in the computer. Although I've never had a malfunction light or any issue since I bought the car 3 weeks ago, which included a drive from DC to Raleigh and daily driving to work. There were a couple battery errors that stood out so they replaced the battery, which has an in-service date of 2006. With any luck that will clear all of the codes and everything will be OK. They are supposed to call back Tuesday.

But I still don't see why a bad battery would all of a sudden trip the malfunction lights.

[e90TiAg335i]

A bad battery will in fact produce a Christmas tree sometimes. Usually the car won't start either though. I still think they just left something unplugged.

[jon_335]

Turns out it was the battery. The battery had an in-service date of 2006 so it was due to be replaced. I also had a faulty low fuel pressure sensor that was bad. Performance cut me a deal on the battery replacement and replaced the sensor for free b/c they might have damaged it in the process. And I got to drive a 2013 328i for a week.

I've only had the car back for less than a day, but it seems to drive a bit smoother after the work. The throttle response is smoother, which means my shifts are a lot smoother. I thought I was having trouble learning a new clutch and gas pedal, but maybe it was all of the carbon buildup. They took pictures for me, but they don't show much so I won't be posting them (unless someone really wants to see them).

Thanks to Performance BMW for making things right and taking care of me.

[sofresh]

glad it got fixed! I went there last week for a few things, nothing major but I was pleased with the service from there. I was driving from Fayetteville too so about a 2 hr drive. Well worth it. again glad everything was taken care of OP

[marcus321]

How much did you pay for the battery? I need a new one as well.

[jon_335]

Originally Posted by marcus321

How much did you pay for the battery? I need a new one as well.

The original quote was around $425. They cut me a deal so it was about $370. The battery itself is around $225, though I've seen on other threads you can get it a lot cheaper at Wal-Mart. But the dealer needs to do some programming to tell the computer you have a new battery so that the car doesn't over charge it.

Unfortunately they had me over a barrel so to speak. The car was already there and throwing a crap ton of codes. Had I had time to research things, I probably would have bought the battery elsewhere and had the car programmed at an indy shop. But they also replaced a fuel pressure sensor for free so I don't feel so bad.

[wren57]

Originally Posted by jon_335

The original quote was around $425. They cut me a deal so it was about $370. The battery itself is around $225, though I've seen on other threads you can get it a lot cheaper at Wal-Mart. But the dealer needs to do some programming to tell the computer you have a new battery so that the car doesn't over charge it.

Unfortunately they had me over a barrel so to speak. The car was already there and throwing a crap ton of codes. Had I had time to research things, I probably would have bought the battery elsewhere and had the car programmed at an indy shop. But they also replaced a fuel pressure sensor for free so I don't feel so bad.

Only on this car is $370 for a new battery considered a "deal."

I bought one with exact matching specs for $110, installed myself and got a friend to code it for free. A little DIY goes a long way.

[jon_335]

Originally Posted by wren57

Only on this car is $370 for a new battery considered a "deal."

I bought one with exact matching specs for $110, installed myself and got a friend to code it for free. A little DIY goes a long way.

Yeah, no shit. I typically like to DIY, but they had me in a bad spot in this case. Totally sucks. I should have put quotes around the word deal.

[BMWN54tech]

Originally Posted by jon_335

Yeah, no shit. I typically like to DIY, but they had me in a bad spot in this case. Totally sucks. I should have put quotes around the word deal.

Please don't think the BMW batteries and these $110 batteries even compare.

In 100 percent seriousness batteries degrade over time, especially via vibration. The BMW batteries are built much sturdier and do outlast cheap batteries. They match the power output but not over time. Believe me or not but being a tech I only go with oem batteries. I've seen people replacing duralasts every 7-8 months. It all depends on the driver as well, if you were still rocking a 06 battery, a cheapo might not be so bad, most batteries we see only last a few years. Usually indicates some good highway trips when they last that long.

I do apologize Jon that an issue came up with your car. I was not the technician who worked on your car but in the future feel free to ask for Ashley or I (Ryan) I'll make sure you don't run into the same issue. Im glad they did get it taken care of for you, and if you have any further concerns do not hesitate to contact me. We want to show that all dealers are not so scary to work with.

[jon_335]

Originally Posted by BMWN54tech

I do apologize Jon that an issue came up with your car. I was not the technician who worked on your car but in the future feel free to ask for Ashley or I (Ryan) I'll make sure you don't run into the same issue. Im glad they did get it taken care of for you, and if you have any further concerns do not hesitate to contact me. We want to show that all dealers are not so scary to work with.

Hey, it all turned out OK. I'm happy with the way everything was handled … except for the part about driving to Chapel Hill only to find out there was the battery issue. I'll be going back to Performance (I'm even considering their extended warranty).

[BMWN54tech]

Originally Posted by jon_335

Hey, it all turned out OK. I'm happy with the way everything was handled except for the part about driving to Chapel Hill only to find out there was the battery issue. I'll be going back to Performance (I'm even considering their extended warranty).

That actually is a very good warranty, I am setting my parents up with the same one.

[wren57]

Originally Posted by BMWN54tech

Please don't think the BMW batteries and these $110 batteries even compare.

Considering they have the exact same specs and are made by battery companies, they do compare. Paying $200 more for BMW to relabel a Rayovac is stupid.

[jon_335]

Originally Posted by BMWN54tech

That actually is a very good warranty, I am setting my parents up with the same one.

Turns out the warranty does not cover "pre-existing" conditions. So my leaky valve cover gasket and oil filter housing gasket would not be covered. This warranty (at a cost of $3500) doesn't look so good any more. *sigh*