[jeongj]

Hey guys,

I have 13 e92 328 xDrive with 59k miles.

I knew there are coolant leak from OFHG, some suspension parts worn out, and belt tensioner going bad.

Took it to indy shop this morning and verified the problems.

He quote me
$620 for OFHG job that includes: Coolant drain and refill (have gasket debris in coolant), Head -thermostat hose replacement, oil change(is needed pretty soon anyway).

$320 for both front lower control arm bushing replacement

$320 for serpentine belt and the tensioner

He said he could knock off about $100 for the jobs.

If it was not pandemic, I would probably DIY it..but I am pretty out of energy and motivation..And might be safe for professional to perform the job when it comes to multiple of fixes needed

Am I getting fair deal for the jobs?

Thank you so much.

[triax37]

Seems high, but mechanic prices always do seem a bit high to me. These are mostly in the same area of the car, so a DIY would make sense ($250-$300 parts), but we all need to take care of ourselves during the pandemic. Depends on how you view money vs. stress/energy.

I roughly calculate $900 vs. the $1,260 quote (or $1,160 after the $100 off), and my estimate is meant to be generous considering the mechanic is working in the same areas and not removing cowls each time. FWIW, I've done each of these repairs, except for the Control Bushings. Here's my detail:

- OFHG - $20 part, probably 1 hour of labor, so I think $150?
- Coolant drain/refill and hose - $50 of parts, probably 1 hour of labor, so $200?
- Oil Change - if synthetic, $75, otherwise, $50
- Control Bushings - I haven't done these, but a quick review of other posts suggests $300 is ok, maybe more if you replace the whole arms (although less labor). Note - you may need an alignment after this is done.
- Serp Belt and Tensioner - $60 in parts, and maybe an hour of work, so $200?

[Oolien]

labor costs :
ofhg
2.0L 2.6h
3.0l 3.9h
coolant drain and refill
.8h
control arm bushings
1.4h both lower plus .4H for each additional bushings.
SERP BELT 1.2H PLUS .2H for tensioner

[Efthreeoh]

So first off, you can never compare professional repair shop prices to a DIY repair. A commercial place of business has a lot of operating costs that people forget to include in their DIY costs. If you added in the cost for the floor space used to perform the DIY repair, insurance for the space, heating/cooling the space, property tax, lighting, tool costs, etc., and your time (weighted by your level of technical experience), the DIY cost to you is not much cheaper then a professional shop price. It seems cheaper to DIY because you pay all those examples of added "business costs" anyway to live where you perform the work. Also, the shop offers a warranty for his work on parts and labor, so those costs a buried in the price you pay.


But to your question, he's charging you $1,260, or $1,160. I came up with an estimate of 9 hours at $125/hr. and $959 in parts (20% off BMW retail), so $1,720 before taxes and shop supplies. I think his price is reasonable. I used 3 hours for the OFHG including time for the oil change and coolant change. 1.5 hrs. for the T-stat hose, and 1.5hrs. for the belt and tensioner, and 3 hours for the control arms. He'll pull the cooling fan and to do the t-stat hose and belt/tensioner. The control arm bushings I have question with because the lower control arm (wishbone) is not rebuildable with bushings. The radius rod is rebuildable with a kit that replaces the bushing and ball joint. I'd get clarity on what he is actually proposing to repair regarding the suspension.

Now what I'd do is suggest he just change the T-stat hose fitting with an aluminum replacement instead of pulling the hose and replacing it with the same prone-to-fail plastic fitting on the head side. I'd bet the hose is fine and just the plastic bib is in need of replacement.

My 2 cents.

[tcphoto]

My approach is to DIY the things I'm comfortable doing, consider the urgency and information available to learn to DIY. In the 10+ years I owned BMW's, I've only had a shop do the water pump and thermostat because I had an important appointment approaching and parts had to be shipped. If you have basic tools, the belt and tensioner, OFHG and aluminum fitting is a rather simple project.

[minifridge1138]

Originally Posted by jeongj

$620 for OFHG job.

That sounds a little high but fair. It is a messy job that takes time. The gasket itself is cheap, but reaching it is a pain. So the cost is labor.

Originally Posted by jeongj

$320 for both front lower control arm bushing replacement

No opinion. I had a shop do that for me when I they replaced my clutch (I don't have the space to drop a transmission and do it myself).

Originally Posted by jeongj

$320 for serpentine belt and the tensioner

Also on the higher end of fair. A BMW belt and tensioner pulley is ~$200 in parts . So you're paying ~$120 in labor.


As for DIY projects, the belt and tensioner is the easiest one. If you've never done it before you could spend a couple of hours figuring out how to remove the plastic pieces in the way and how best to reach all they pulleys. It's less than an hour if you know what you're doing.

So my opinion - those are fair prices. If the shop does good work, then I wouldn't hesitate.

[SJM67]

my local indy who i have been taking my cars to for last seven years charged me $700 for OFH/OCH gasket AND belt /pulleys swap...already had parts from xmas sale at FCPeuro... FYI...not able to do ANY DIY on my car where i live currently...FUKING housing authorities in Cali