[JJaber]

Hey all,

Just moved to the Bay Area and I’m looking for shop recommendations for service and general installs. The closer to Sunnyvale, the better. Thanks!

[vincedea]

I’ve gone to German motor specialist before. They are more of a factory level type place vs a track/regular stuff

[BrazyN54]

4NPerformance in Fremont good friend of mine.

[Arexander]

Darrell, he used to own BoostHaus in Fremont, but resides in SJ. Darrell does jobs on the side, and his labor prices are very good deals. He does almost anything--from performance to maintenance. You just have to coordinate with him to set up a date and time.

[BrazyN54]

Originally Posted by Arexander

Darrell, he used to own BoostHaus in Fremont, but resides in SJ. Darrell does jobs on the side, and his labor prices are very good deals. He does almost anything--from performance to maintenance. You just have to coordinate with him to set up a date and time.

Yeah....No.
I wouldn’t recommend Darrell, I’ve seen his work it make sense why BoostHaus closed down.

[Arexander]

Originally Posted by BrazyN54

Yeah....No.
I wouldn't recommend Darrell, I've seen his work it make sense why BoostHaus closed down.

You said you've "seen" his work. However, have you actually had work performed on your car?

I've had simple things such as oil change and brake changes done by him. I've had him install: downpipes, inlets, fmic, coolant hoses and reservoir box, and walnut blasting. No issues with any of it.

Furthermore, you can't assume that someone closed a business because of "bad" work. He was 1/3 owner of the shop with 2 others. It's tough to run a well oiled business when your partners don't comply and you have to cut your losses short before it gets worse.

At the end of the day, OP is asking for suggestions and they can conclude where they want to go. I'm just offering an option, nearby, with personal experience. I still schedule with him. Nice guy and knows his stuff.

If you want to SEE his work, check out his IG "Laurus_CEO"

[JJaber]

Originally Posted by vincedea

I’ve gone to German motor specialist before. They are more of a factory level type place vs a track/regular stuff

Awesome, took my car there today. Thanks!

[bimmerboi510]

The absolute best BMW shop in the entire bay area is "Silicon Valley Bimmer" in Santa Clara. Took my past 6 BMWs to him and Ricc took care of every single one of my cars and provided great customer service. He really knows all the ins and outs for every single BMW. Give it a shot!

[Seaneezy]

If you can make the drive, European Motor Works in SF is my favorite by far, their quality of work is not comparable to any other shop. If you can't make that drive, Edge Motorworks in Mountain View is a good pro shop that I trust, if you want to go racecar, go to edge.

[faz]

Hi everyone,
like the recommendations here, especially used German motor specialists before (my wife's E90 328i).

Does anyone know any mechanics local here in Bay Area that have diesel engine experience? My 335d is giving some glow plug controller module codes and would like to take it to a shop that is familiar with these engines. Problem is, every shop one calls says 'sure, we can work on it'... but you know how it is, I prefer to deal with someone who has specific diesel know-how than someone who would be trying for the first time.

[Arexander]

If you guys want the absolute best and are willing to make the drive (wherever you are in the Bay), then go to High-Tech Automotive Service in Burlingame. The mechanic and owner there is George.

Positive Points:

• Honest
• Pricey, but affordable
• Experienced in many Euro cars (told me his father was a mechanic and learned from him since he was a kid). I've seen him work on Maserrati, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, etc.
• Expert at diagnosing issues & won't charge you $200+ like a BMW dealership will
• Can do repairs and aftermarket installs (he's a bit weary about aftermarket parts as he likes to follow the laws)
• He is a very nice person and is willing to work with you if you are too, and will call to give you updates on the progress of your car

Cons:

• Only con I ever had is that he may take a little long. However, he is a 1-man shop. So, if you arrange a time with him, he will do his best to accommodate you.

Conclusion:

• His Yelp is 5-star with over 100 reviews. Read them for yourself.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/high-tech-a...ice-burlingame

[faz]

Originally Posted by Arexander

If you guys want the absolute best and are willing to make the drive (wherever you are in the Bay), then go to High-Tech Automotive Service in Burlingame. The mechanic and owner there is George.

Positive Points:

• Honest
• Pricey, but affordable
• Experienced in many Euro cars (told me his father was a mechanic and learned from him since he was a kid). I've seen him work on Maserrati, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari, etc.
• Expert at diagnosing issues & won't charge you $200+ like a BMW dealership will
• Can do repairs and aftermarket installs (he's a bit weary about aftermarket parts as he likes to follow the laws)
• He is a very nice person and is willing to work with you if you are too, and will call to give you updates on the progress of your car

Cons:

• Only con I ever had is that he may take a little long. However, he is a 1-man shop. So, if you arrange a time with him, he will do his best to accommodate you.

Conclusion:

• His Yelp is 5-star with over 100 reviews. Read them for yourself.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/high-tech-a...ice-burlingame

Thank you, he is a bit far from me but not too far that I can't go to for planned service. I will check his reviews. thank you.

[faz]

I am still hoping to hear from people here with regards to a diesel expert in the bay area.


By the way, before owning BMWs I had a Mercedes and for service/repairs I used "Mercedes Exclusively" shop in San Jose. In case you own a Mercedes in your family, I highly recommend this shop:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/mercedes-ex...ely-san-jose-2

[JJaber]

I am now looking for a shop that will do an aftermarket intercooler installation as it seems most shops here won't touch aftermarket parts...

[Arexander]

Originally Posted by faz

I am still hoping to hear from people here with regards to a diesel expert in the bay area.


By the way, before owning BMWs I had a Mercedes and for service/repairs I used "Mercedes Exclusively" shop in San Jose. In case you own a Mercedes in your family, I highly recommend this shop:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/mercedes-ex...ely-san-jose-2

Call George, he deals with diesel engines.

[SSW]

I use a local shop in Brentwood called Auto Import Service that specializes in BMW/MB and other foreign makes, charges reasonable rates and will install buyer supplied aftermarket parts.

They did a very good job installing an M3 upper/lower control arms, an M3-E93 sway bar, an M3 tower brace kit and a pair of Koni front stuts on my 2008 335i E90. Due to bring my 335i and MB ML350 in for regular service. I would recommend this shop to anyone.

I have also used Performance Technic when they were in Dublin; they are now located in Fremont. They installed a full set of Koni FSDs (that I supplied) and did a 4 wheel alignment back in 2015. The work they did was ok but I wasn't "thrilled" w/the cost and their "customer service."

[SSW]

Originally Posted by JJaber

I am now looking for a shop that will do an aftermarket intercooler installation as it seems most shops here won't touch aftermarket parts...

FWIW, I installed a Mishimoto intercooler in my 335i E90 by myself.

I almost never do my own work. Not sure what came over me. It was not a difficult job; just had a little problem making one of the connections but got it done.

You just need a floor jack, jack stands and a normal set of tools PLUS the space and time to get it done. If you don't have any of that, a shop should have no problem getting it done in an hour or less. It took me about 2.5 but I don't have a lift and took my time because it was all new to me.

[faz]

Originally Posted by Arexander

Call George, he deals with diesel engines.

thanks. Will do.

[JJaber]

Originally Posted by SSW

FWIW, I installed a Mishimoto intercooler in my 335i E90 by myself.

I almost never do my own work. Not sure what came over me. It was not a difficult job; just had a little problem making one of the connections but got it done.

You just need a floor jack, jack stands and a normal set of tools PLUS the space and time to get it done. If you don't have any of that, a shop should have no problem getting it done in an hour or less. It took me about 2.5 but I don't have a lift and took my time because it was all new to me.

I left all my tools back home as I just moved to the area. If I had a floor jack and the space, I would totally do it but I'd rather just have a shop plug it in.

[SSW]

Originally Posted by JJaber

If I had a floor jack and the space, I would totally do it but I'd rather just have a shop plug it in.

I have the space and the tools but I feel the same way about doing any mechanical work myself these days.

Didn't have a "go to" shop to do my work when I put the intercooler in but, if I had, I would not have done that either.

[bimmerboi510]

Just give Silicon valley bimmer and rest is history. They will take care of you.

[bimmerboi510]

*Just give Silicon Valley Bimmer a call and rest is history, they will take care of you man lol