[hateface]

I’ve been going to this shop exclusively after my factory warranty ran out on my 2011 e92 as well as another e90. The last time I went in for the e90 they stated they needed to run a diagnostic and drive the car to determine some issue which I can’t remember verbatim. From what I remember the cost was somewhere between $130-170. I’ve never heard this pitch to charge for a diagnostic so I just had them fix what I already knew to be wrong on the car and moved on. That car hasn’t had any issues since declining their recommendation. Moving on to this week I dropped off my e92 that has a check engine light and needs to pass emissions. I expect them to drop the same line about the pricey diagnostic so I wanted to ask if this is legit or some change has prevented an obd2 scanner from providing the correct service info? I’ve never paid this shop to diagnose issues before so I’m wondering if this is just an attempt to grab extra money because they’ve had customers get a diagnosis just to fix it themselves/take it somewhere else (therefore losing out on service charges.)

Thought I’d ask you guys and see what the consensus is because it doesn’t make sense to me that there was never a charge before. I was going to ask once I heard from them but having the weekend to wait figured I’d post here.

[cbyrne]

Doesn't seem out of the question for a shop to charge ~$150 to diagnose an issue if it's going to take them an hour or more to identify it. BMW dealerships typically charge 200-250 per visit for "diagnostics"

You say you can't remember what they said verbatim, but why did you bring the car to them in the first place? Do you have a BMW-specific diagnostic tool? If so, are you throwing fault codes?

Any dash warning lights? Driveability issues?

If you give them the keys and tell them you hear a weird noise and you want them to fix it… well, then, you should rightfully pay them to find its source.

If you brought the car in for a brake service and tire rotation and they are tacking on the "diagnostic" fee, then you need to ask more questions.

This is why it's critical that you own, at the very least, a Schwaben BMW-specific OBD2 scanner (or equivalent) and be able to pull fault codes before taking the car to a shop. If your issue is being caused by an identifiable fault code and you could scan it and ask the shop to just do the work that's needed, then the scanner tool has already paid for itself.

I would also mention this: having a check engine light and needing the car to pass emissions is enough to bill you a diagnostic fee on its own. Regardless of what P-code is causing the CEL/SES, there could be a dozen or more potential different culprits. For example, if you are throwing codes for catalytic converter efficiency, you could have a number of issues ranging from a failed cat to a faulty fuel injector or simply a fouled O2 sensor.

[hateface]

I unfortunately can’t remember what prompted the mention for the e90. I had 2 coils replaced and a recall taken care of around the same time which got rid of the service engine for that car and passed emissions. An unresolved issue with that car was the e-brake being displayed as engaged on the dash when it is not engaged. It’s possible that this was why they first suggested the mentioned diagnostic or the replacement of the recalled part eliminated the check engine.

For the e92 current shopped I haven’t had any drivability issues outside of dealing with shitty blown runflats. The only dash info I get is “Inactive” which is frequent and has been for quite awhile. I have at least one TPMS sensor that isn’t reading correctly. The service engine had been present prior to the last rear flat I had which was a mess.

I guess I was just thrown since for any prior service/service engine the diagnostic fee with the express statement of needing to drive the car was never mentioned and didn’t show up on any bill. I always thought the reader would point to the cause of the service engine/thrown codes.

[e91Owner]

I think you're saying you're using a generic OBD reader. Those can point to many, but not all BMW fault codes (DTC). I would invest the small amount of money in a BMW specific scan tool. There are many out there that interface with your smartphone. Just search the forums.

[Blau]

It is completely acceptable for a mechanic to get paid for their time. Diagnostics take time. Why should the mechanic give away free labor?

[tcphoto]

I don't think charging for a diagnostic test is right, it's one thing to charge an hourly fee but isn't the code reader just another tool in one's kit? Besides, what if they start throwing parts at it and the issue isn't fixed? Then you have both parts, labor and diagnostic fees that add to the bill but don't do anything.

[Blau]

Originally Posted by tcphoto

I don't think charging for a diagnostic test is right, it's one thing to charge an hourly fee but isn't the code reader just another tool in one's kit? Besides, what if they start throwing parts at it and the issue isn't fixed? Then you have both parts, labor and diagnostic fees that add to the bill but don't do anything.

Plz don't say this in front of a good mechanic. 😳

[E93Dude]

Originally Posted by WeShallCallHerBlau

Plz don't say this in front of a good mechanic. ��

When mechanics run a diagnostic test, they should not be just plugging in the 'puter to the OBD port. They should also be poking around the engine bay, wheel wells, dash board....whatever is needed to diagnose the problem. They are also getting a little grease on their hands. Codes are not the end all, be all, of telling you what the story is to your problem.

Most independent mechanics, at least in the mid-Atlantic, are charging $100-$125/hour, and IMO that is a fair charge to determine what is wrong. The guy I use doesn't charge the "diagnostic fee" if I get the repair done with him, which I also think is pretty fair.

Just MY £0.02

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

A "generic" OBD reader can't read any BMW fault codes. OBDII is a US DOT standard diagnostic protocol used across all platforms sold in the USA. OBDII is a diagnostics system created just for emissions-related faults in automobiles starting in MY1996 and up. It was a second-generation advancement of the original California Air Resources Board (CARB) on-board diagnostics system requirement adopted by the Feds.

Yes, I guess a better way of saying it was an OBDII reader can read P codes that correspond to many, but not all DTCs. In any case, like many posts, no one really knows what he was asking, nor will he ever post again, so it's the same group of people discussing nothing amongst themselves. :

[e91Owner]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

But that's not true when trying to diagnose a Service Engine Soon light event. The SES light is known as the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) in OBDII engineering parlance. The light only illuminates for a detected OBDII trouble code, which are diagnostic codes related only to emission system malfunction (i.e. Diagnostic Trouble Code - DTC). The OBDII System and its codes are a mandated standard that all manufacturers have to follow (for the USA). If the SES (MIL) illuminates, there will be a OBDII diagnostic trouble code for it discoverable by an OBDII scan tool. If the SES light is lit, there will not be an emissions trouble code stored in the ECU that a BMW scan tool will find and a OBDII tool won't find. There are corresponding BMW diagnostic codes to the OBDII system codes, which use BMW parlance vs. the standard ODCII nomenclature. The Bentley Service Manual lists the matching BMW codes to OBDII.

I'm trying to put precision around the discussion so the OP doesn't get confused. The OP is questioning the price of scanning his car because the SES light is illuminated. He can go to any of the major auto part store chains and have the OBDII system scanned for free. A scan with a BMW tool will bring up emission trouble codes in BMW parlance, which would be less effective for him unless he has access to the BMW code descriptions. A BMW tool scan will also probably find BMW DTC for other modules in the car not related to the SES emissions light.

Eyeroll

[whyzee125]

OBD readers will point out issues but do not diagnose issues. If they found something on there, it could be multiple things and needing to pay an hour's labor to diagnose is not unreasonable.

That being said, without knowing what the issue/codes they found, it's hard to say if this was a money grab or not. I'd say it's legit if they've been good to you.

[houbmw]

My go to shop doesnt charge a diagnostic fee as long as I get the work done that they recommend or we agree on. I think that is the fair way to go about it. Any new shop you go to will charge you a diagnostic fee but usually they will waive it if you get the work done. That has been my experience so far

[tcphoto]

Originally Posted by WeShallCallHerBlau

Plz don't say this in front of a good mechanic. 😳

A good mechanic will ask questions about the symptoms, recent work on the car and give you his or her best guess. This is the reason I don't go to the dealership because the first thing out of their mouth is the $180 diagnostic test fee. I have a code reader and a dozen years between the E46 and E92 but I do know my limitations. I also know when someone's trying to inflate a repair bill.

[hateface]

I know it’s a little late to revive this thread but I surprisingly had a more “telling” occurrence with a diagnostic charge that was certainly inconsistent. Historically we have always been informed/asked for approval on any service cost before anything is done. In this case I didn’t drop off the car but they were told it was the starter and that we had already replaced the battery. When the car was picked up (by a family member) there was a diagnostic fee as well as the charge to replace the starter. Once this was realized the shop was contacted and the “new” perceived frequency of suggesting diagnostics was brought up. My family member was told that diagnostics are required to determine starting problems. Now rewind to about a month or more prior. I had dropped my other car (very close in year and model) off. I stated that I had already checked the battery and it was the starter. When it came time for contact/approval about the work there was no mention of a diagnostic and I wasn’t charged for one when I picked up the car. I unfortunately didn’t have my previous receipt for the same work (first car) on me when the phone assertion was made about the necessity of a diagnostic when it has to do with starting. In all the time and money I’ve spent at this shop I can’t help but ignore the fact that this unapproved diagnostic charge occurred when it was a female family member who dropped the car off and a female who was told on the phone about the necessary diagnostic. It wasn’t as if that car hadn’t been to that shop multiple times. Anyways, I’ve yet to make the trip with both cars receipts where the one I dropped off doesn’t have a $100+ diagnostic charge.

I know that was a lengthy post and tangentially related but wonder how this all sounds to anyone willing to read it. There have been other “odd” things that have happened lately when previously I’ve always had particularly great communication and service.

Thanks again.