[alpini]

Hi, I have an e92 325i m sport. It is due it's first MOT this week, and i booked it into dealer to have her checked over as the car was also looking engine oil service. Thought I'd get all done at the one time.

Dealer phoned to say that a suspension strut is leaking and needs replaced (~£350 excl labour). Also they reckoned that all brake pads would soon need replacing (in next couple weeks - no warning showing on car yet) - another (£360 excl labour). Then it appears I need new brake discs - they said they usually change them when they fit the car's 2nd set of pads (£400 incl labour). Currently my bill sits at a whopping £1500. This seems crazy for a car that was last serviced in May.

I've told them to fix the strut (which they reckon isnt' covered under the BMW comprehensive warranty i took out). But i've asked them to leave brake pads/discs until i decide since the car might pass MOT? It just seems a lot of money. The plan would prob be to change the car at the turn of the year esp when I see the money it's gona take to maintain her.

I guess I'm just looking your views/advice... I know eventually all these things will need looked at, but if i don't change the car, I'm thinking of not renewing warranty and buying cheaper pads etc to get local garage man to fit...

[Triggster]

Find a reputable independent garage.

[macck]

You dont call them stealers for nothing. Check out these guys http://www.autotechnic.biz/
they are autologic dealers and can stamp your service book and dosent void warrenty.
As for the price of shocks i got 4 brand new bilstein b4s dampers for £360 near enough what they are going to charge you for one damper.

[AWBimmer]

Originally Posted by macck

You dont call them stealers for nothing. Check out these guys http://www.autotechnic.biz/
they are autologic dealers and can stamp your service book and dosent void warrenty.
As for the price of shocks i got 4 brand new bilstein b4s dampers for £360 near enough what they are going to charge you for one damper.

+1

[DuckySpud]

As others have said, those prices are just ridiculous! You would be much better going off to an independent garage as Triggster said, will save a fortune compared to that!

[gangzoom]

So they want nearly £800 for changing brake pads/discs!!! I paid less than that to have all my brake pads/lines changed as well as front/rear antiroll bars fitted and M3 subframe bushes....tell them you want the keys back and take it to another garage!!

[phil200tdi]

I wonder how many people they con with this trick. Brakes are a safety item and people don't want to take the risk...

[AlwynMike]

Surely it's not good practice to just change one damper???
I was under the impression that you change them in pairs.

Mike

[AlanYoro35i]

Shame on you for being a member here but still don't know what the tricks dealers are upto lol

As others has told you to go indy!!

[mistryn]

This is what I dont understand about dealers in that they can pull a figure out of the air and expect people to pay up . I would be asking for the parts breakdown/labour charge breakdown before I even go ahead

Suspension strut - £100 for the part plus an hour at the most for labour (taking into account siezed bolts etc)

Front Brake pads - £61
Rear brake pads - £58
Brake pad sensor front and rear - £30

Front discs - £110 for a pair
Rear discs - £94 for a pair

Total - £353 minus 30% discount they are offering at the moment = £247.10

To change pads and discs x4 should not take more than 2 hourslabour for a competant mechanic

(brake pads/discs are easy money for some dealers bare in mind, check OBC to see wear rate and get the torch out and have a examine of the pads and discs)

Above prices are based on Euro car parts prices for oem parts/ bare in mind also dealers will bump up the price on parts as well

This is how I would see it if i was taking it into my indi-
dealer charges £110 per hour labour
My local indi charges £55 per hour

£247.10 (if brakes needed doing) + £100 (strut) + 3 hours labour + £40 price of MOT= £552.10

£552.10 compared to circa £1500

[alpini]

thanks for all your comments.. i am allowing them to go ahead with strut since my MOT is on thurs so i need this done quick. I'm not allowing them to touch the brakes since they only think they wud need replacing. I'll put her through MOT (fingers crossed), then look into indy garage to do brakes (or get rid of car)

[stevew]

Originally Posted by alpini

It is due it's first MOT this week

If it's due a 1st MOT the car should be < 3 years old so the is covered by the original manufacturers warranty not the extended one surely?

I just MOT'd mine at the earliest date possible so any issues were still under warranty.

[alpini]

MOT is required when the car is 4 yrs old onwards in Northern Ireland

[stevew]

Shows what I know about it!!

[Guvernator]

As I mentioned on the other similar thread, dealers will ALWAYS try it on. For some reason it just seems to be a universal law. In my 20 years of car owning experience I've not met one who hasn't yet. I got stung once many years when I was young and naive but never again and the fact that they use the "safety" argument to get you to agree to work which 8 times out of 10 doesn't even need doing is quite frankly disgraceful and should be outlawed.

Just do what I do, tell them to change the oil, stamp the book and give you your car back. Any other work that "needs doing" you can take to a reputable indie. I use a guy who was an ex BMW master technician and a German marque specialist who has been doing it for years. I remember a few years ago when my wife's CLK was in for a service and the Mercedes dealer tried to tell me that all the discs and brakes needing changing and would cost £600, I took the car to the indie who told me the brakes were fine and wouldn't need doing for another 7-8000 miles. This happens more often than you'd think.

[rsmallwo]

my dealer said rear brakes discs needed changing, my indy said "thats bollocks"

well, he actually said "Theres plenty of life in them"

[gaza01]

I just had my car fail MOT because of a leaking strut. Got both left and right form here
http://www.carshockabsorbers.co.uk

£53 per strut (sachs - which is OEM equipment.)

Got them fitted at an indy. The mechanic reckons the sleeve over the shock broke and let dirt in causing the seals to fail.

[fastloop]

Originally Posted by rsmallwo

my dealer said rear brakes discs needed changing, my indy said "thats bollocks"

well, he actually said "Theres plenty of life in them"

hehe indeed, that's why you buy a digital caliper so you can measure them yourself beforehand and know if they need doing or not.
When they start on this BS, you should always ask them what the measured thickness of the disc and pads are. Heck a quick visual inspection will tell you if the pad is near minimum thickness (2-3mm) or if they are trying to get you to bend over. A big lip on the brake disc may indicate that the disc is getting near its limit. Nothing that requires any tools. (Well maybe a flashlight)

[bmwak]

Originally Posted by AlwynMike

Surely it's not good practice to just change one damper???
I was under the impression that you change them in pairs.

Mike

BMW class replacing just one as perfectly fine if the car is under 50,000miles. If more then they will replace both as a matter of course. I know what you mean about replacing both per axle. However independant garages say its ok on BMWs but not on others

I had one shock replaced under warranty and they wouldn't replace the other. I kicked up a stink with BMW UK and they didn't want to know. In the end the dealership changed both for me under goodwill, but it was really at a push!

[bmwak]

Originally Posted by alpini

Hi, I have an e92 325i m sport. It is due it's first MOT this week, and i booked it into dealer to have her checked over as the car was also looking engine oil service. Thought I'd get all done at the one time.

Dealer phoned to say that a suspension strut is leaking and needs replaced (~£350 excl labour). Also they reckoned that all brake pads would soon need replacing (in next couple weeks - no warning showing on car yet) - another (£360 excl labour). Then it appears I need new brake discs - they said they usually change them when they fit the car's 2nd set of pads (£400 incl labour). Currently my bill sits at a whopping £1500. This seems crazy for a car that was last serviced in May.

I've told them to fix the strut (which they reckon isnt' covered under the BMW comprehensive warranty i took out). But i've asked them to leave brake pads/discs until i decide since the car might pass MOT? It just seems a lot of money. The plan would prob be to change the car at the turn of the year esp when I see the money it's gona take to maintain her.

I guess I'm just looking your views/advice... I know eventually all these things will need looked at, but if i don't change the car, I'm thinking of not renewing warranty and buying cheaper pads etc to get local garage man to fit...

How many miles has your car covered?

Personally, if its below 50k i'd throw this in their face -

http://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/Pages/...ve/Details.htm

It specifically states what is excluded here. It is not reasonable for a shock absorber to leak under 50k and therefore them classing it as 'a item that has worn out rather than suffered from a defect' is not really justified as it shouldn't leak under 50k.

[acerboo]

Originally Posted by alpini

MOT is required when the car is 4 yrs old onwards in Northern Ireland

presumably they wear out slower over there!!!

[alpini]

Well the car passed the MOT today with no mention of brakes/discs! So I'm glad that I didn't fork out extra for the brakes. Yet...

However, the bill for my service came to £800...! This included a service which was just engine oil and filter and the MOT prep and the suspension strut. The strut alone amounted to £400 incl labour. Meaning that the service/check cost £400..!! And there's more....

While the car was up on the ramp today at the MOT, the technician called me over to express his disgust at the amount of dirt caked around the rear wheel arches. He wondered had I got it cleaned!! I had of course checked that this had been done at the dealer before I got the car back!! He said they expect clean vehicles which of course is understandable and fair. So I got back into my dealer since I only had the car back 1 day before the MOT and drove on clean roads. The technician at the MOT centre had agreed that there was no way that the dirt had amounted up since the dealer check.

So the service manager wants to check what his own technician thinks. Did he think it needed cleaning in wheel arches??????? Bit late now. I said after paying £400 for the MOT check/service alone I expected a clean car. I'm so angry (though also happy that she passed) but I want to make my point to the dealer...