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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > Regional Forums > Australia > Combining maintenance tasks.



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      12-12-2018, 05:43 AM   #1
Archerbald
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Combining maintenance tasks.

Hey All.

I can't remember the last time I had a mechanic not try to extort money from me. The most recent being:

"oh you need new front control arms and suspension bushes to fix the clunk in the front, should be around $1000." And before that it was the old,

"oh the only fix for the ELV fault is a new steering column- please have the car transported to us via truck and we will fix it for $2000."

The clunk was incorrect tension of the strut brace to fire wall bolt- fixed in my garage. The ELV fault was a blown CAS fuse, taken out by a sensor in the passenger door. Wtf. I could continue but I'm sure no one is surprised by these stories.

Given my luck with finding competent people to perform even the simplest of tasks, I post here where I know I will get some solid advice before doing some solid work myself, done right the first time.

So, I'm in Australia. Car is e90 330i.

Where is the best place to get parts at the best price?

Coils have blown out the silicone insulation inside the wells, and then blown through the cast valve cover. There is oil in the plug wells. The radiator leaks- pin hole in end tank passenger side in the bay, and the oil cooler gasket leaks in front of the oil filter.

I need the following.
Radiator, ignition coils, valve cover and associated gaskets, oil cooler gasket.

Any recommendations on other maintenance tasks best performed at the same are more than welcome.

Cheers.
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      12-12-2018, 05:48 AM   #2
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      12-12-2018, 08:10 AM   #3
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What city are you in?
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      12-12-2018, 02:08 PM   #4
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For DIY using FCP Euro to source parts has been good for me, they give a lifetime warranty on anything they sell and their prices are pretty good.

For a good reputable shop, as Socks said where are you situated?

There was also a thread here where people called out good shops in their area, search for that and you should find a list

Good luck with it all
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      12-12-2018, 02:47 PM   #5
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Sucks
Better find a new workshop to help you out. Or if your up for it get some tools and start doing things yourself.

I know Vince put up a must have list of tools
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      12-13-2018, 02:42 AM   #6
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You need to hold those responsible for shoddy workmanship or misdiagnosis to mercy. (Who took the strut bar off last? eg. Spark plug or coil replacement)
I won't start any wars here but sometimes taking your car to the wrong independent shop may end up costing as much as taking it to the dealer.

Check locally (ebay, google, sparesbox, Repco, Supercheap) before buying from overseas because the government really screwed us over when they clamped down on import duty and GST on overseas purchases.
I'm more hesitant these days buying from overseas because of this. You are at the mercy of your chosen shipping company because they charge whatever they want for brokerage, then you pay GST, import duty if the shipment is over a certain amount and they try to sting you for allegedly importing asbestos containing goods, forcing you to sign a disclaimer just to get your goods. Sellers don't always disclose country of origin (FCP makes a good effort but there are some items which don't have this info. I used to enjoy ordering on a Saturday and getting my stuff mid week. Now it takes longer for the parcel to pass the local red tape than it does actually flying from USA. Fedex's tracking also goes into limbo during this phase and it really leaves you hanging.

The only reasons i still buy from sites like FCP is to bypass the local arrogance and dumbfuck staff and also access better quality OEM or equivalent parts. Oh and i guess it still is cheaper than buying genuine parts locally.

Repco and Supercheap have recently massively expanded their range available online. You just have to search properly or ask the right questions. They do a lot more than just what they have on the shelf. Kudos to them.

Check your rocker cover gasket - is it leaking? If the coils have truly arced out and blown holes in the bores of your magnesium rocker cover, you'd have more problems/symptoms (much like opening the oil cap on a running motor).

Inspect your serpentine belt, pulleys top radiator hose near the belt, coolant hose to the head also near the belt for oil contamination. You'll need some suitable coolant and also change your oil after the oil filter housing repair.

For the radiator, don't forget the additional bungs for the transmission cooler (or at least the seals). Budget also for new hoses if any of the quick release couplers shatter upon disturbance.

Last edited by juld0zer; 12-13-2018 at 02:50 AM..
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      12-13-2018, 08:41 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by juld0zer View Post
You need to hold those responsible for shoddy workmanship or misdiagnosis to mercy. (Who took the strut bar off last? eg. Spark plug or coil replacement)
I won't start any wars here but sometimes taking your car to the wrong independent shop may end up costing as much as taking it to the dealer.

Check locally (ebay, google, sparesbox, Repco, Supercheap) before buying from overseas because the government really screwed us over when they clamped down on import duty and GST on overseas purchases.
I'm more hesitant these days buying from overseas because of this. You are at the mercy of your chosen shipping company because they charge whatever they want for brokerage, then you pay GST, import duty if the shipment is over a certain amount and they try to sting you for allegedly importing asbestos containing goods, forcing you to sign a disclaimer just to get your goods. Sellers don't always disclose country of origin (FCP makes a good effort but there are some items which don't have this info. I used to enjoy ordering on a Saturday and getting my stuff mid week. Now it takes longer for the parcel to pass the local red tape than it does actually flying from USA. Fedex's tracking also goes into limbo during this phase and it really leaves you hanging.

The only reasons i still buy from sites like FCP is to bypass the local arrogance and dumbfuck staff and also access better quality OEM or equivalent parts. Oh and i guess it still is cheaper than buying genuine parts locally.

Repco and Supercheap have recently massively expanded their range available online. You just have to search properly or ask the right questions. They do a lot more than just what they have on the shelf. Kudos to them.

Check your rocker cover gasket - is it leaking? If the coils have truly arced out and blown holes in the bores of your magnesium rocker cover, you'd have more problems/symptoms (much like opening the oil cap on a running motor).

Inspect your serpentine belt, pulleys top radiator hose near the belt, coolant hose to the head also near the belt for oil contamination. You'll need some suitable coolant and also change your oil after the oil filter housing repair.

For the radiator, don't forget the additional bungs for the transmission cooler (or at least the seals). Budget also for new hoses if any of the quick release couplers shatter upon disturbance.
Everyone please listen to this wise man. He is truly a wealth of knowledge
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      01-19-2019, 03:10 AM   #8
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There's also the local online parts suppliers for some things - eg. Clickable Automotive, Spares Box and Run Auto Parts that between the three have many things you need. Bursons also stock quite a bit.

I read through the import legislation with interest seeing as I used to work in QA for import and export, and as customs for some SE Asian countries. If the order is under $1k, then the onus to collect the GST appears to be on the OS seller, not at the border like bigger shipments (so it's unclear how the government thinks it is actually going to collect the GST when it comes to some of these companies). Presumably the tactic is that this will eventually stop some sellers shipping to Australia as the market is small so they won't want the hassle. The last order I got from ECS Tuning still arrived in 5 days and had no GST applied, and it was after the new import legislation came into force.

In the long term, people will get their heads around it, and opposite of what Gerry Harvey wanted out of all this, I think it actually encourages people to import bigger items - ie. if I'm paying GST anyway, I might as well place a big order of more than $1k in parts to reduce the shipping cost. Also, Australia post has started up a reasonably priced freight forwarder in the US that can make it all pretty easy & sort out the brokerage etc. without ripping you off.

Last edited by ADEe92; 01-19-2019 at 07:48 PM..
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