Looking for advice?

jay567

Hi all,

Recently bought a BMW 318i '00 from Bill Griffen Motors, just down from the red cow round about. After driving the car for a day or 2 a light came up on the dash, it was the standard orange warning light refering to engine (light is also in the shape of an engine). I also notice and buzzing sound coming from the left front of the car when i excelarate. Brought it back to the shop as it has a 3 month warrenty. To do this ment i had to rent a car while mine was in. Car was in for one day and then given back to me, advised that all was fixed. Drove the car down the M50 heading for home and the light pops back on, also the buzzing sound was still there?
Brought that car back again and explained that this is now costing me money missing work and renting a car. They worked on it again for 24 hrs and then handed it back advising that all is now fine again. It made it down the M50 but the next day the light came on again and the buzzing sound is still there.

They showed me papers showing what they had done and worked on, im not very good with engines so they could have told me anything.
Considering they seem incapable of fixing the problem, does anyone know how many times i need to leave it with them before refusing to allow them work on it due to bad faith? Every time they take it in , it costs me money on renting another car to get me by.

I understand that cars cause problems, but this is going to be the 3rd time for the same issue.
Anyone know if i can do anything besides going back and forth to them hoping they fix the problem?

Any help or advise would be great, thanks.

Seth Brundle

Given you are in the area so to speak, pop into Frank Keane BMW (www.fknr.ie) and ask them to check the cause of the fault on their diagnostics.
Do Bill Griffen have the correct diagnostics equipment? I doubt it. Im sure they can tinker around with the mechnics of an engine but most places cannot read the electronics.
What were on the papers they showed you?

Borzoi

I would think you're being too kind to them as it is.

Firstly I'd be insisting on a courtesy car from the garage

Secondly give them one more chance, as much time as they like, to fix the car, tell them otherwise your giving them the keys back as they are obviously unable to honour their part of the contract - namely the warranty

jay567

They dont actually work on the car they send it out to a guy who has the computer to plug it into.
Ive just gotten off the phone with him again and he is now sending me directly to the guy (who has the computer).

If i bring it into another garage will they charge me to find out what the issue is?

Is there anywhere other than the AA that do car checks? maybe a BWM specific?

Thanks in advance kbannon

Sleipnir

I'd be very careful bypassing the garage you bought it from to be honest.
It gives them wiggle room to say
"it's nothing to do with us, you brought it to a different garage"
I would try annoying the bejesus out of them and insist that they provide a
courtesy car while they are FIXING the problem.

it's Bill Griffen Motor's responsibility.
If they hire a 3rd party to do the work then that's not your problem.

Fionn101

I can't beleive you are taking this much crap from them , I mean they just took thousands off you for the car , they knew exactly what they were selling you also....

This garage behaviour makes my blood boil, get back down there , tell them you will not go to a 3rd party (which you should not have to ) and if they fail to completly fix every single problem then the next person they see will be your solicitor.

Don't allow them to fob you off so easily , you paid for a fully working car and that is allegedly what they sold you (as per contract) it is they that are in error and thus responsible.

Retain all the paperwork they give you and take notes of the discussions you have had with them (it will be harder to remember later) , give them one more chance and then go find a good solicitor .

Unreal, i feel bad for you that your hard earned money and time are being wasted like this , hope it works out , else demonstrate by parking horizontally across their entrance and have a huge placard (actually don;t , just do the first few suggestions)

best of luck and keep us posted

Fionn

Fionn101

Oh yeah another thing to note, but I'm unsure if this holds for BMW cars.

On my last Honda the engine light came up just like yours , but there is an easy way to check what the problem is , you attach a safety pin to a certain plug under the dash (which makes a straight-through connection) and when you turn the engine back on the engine light will flash in a morse code and tell you the problem, hold on , I'll have a look for the link .......

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=682412

there ya go , video to go with it and all, have a read of that and then google for a bmw version . this will at least identify what the car sensors are reporting faulty , which is sometimes better than a lazy mechanic glancing his eye over the engine bay. and after you reference what they *supposedly* looked at with what the engine says then it will look better for your solicitor.

Again, good luck soldier

Fionn

Seth Brundle

I don't think this works for BMWs. The engine light can come on for no real reason (as with all cars) - it is as if they are running MS Windows, but it should not keep coming back.
I would be reluctant to bring the car back to the sellers - I would much prefer to get someone who knows what they are doing to look at it. Who is 'the guy (who has the computer)'?.
The AA don't (AFAIK) have the diagnostic software to figure out what is wrong. BMW is your best bet. Frank Keane as I said is accross the road from the Red Cow (& towards town a bit!). They were doing free checks on cars - don't know about now though.

Tommy Vercetti

There was a similar complaint about that dealer posted on the forum at www.autofinder.ie (forums appear to be gone from the site now) about a year ago.

I would immediately return the car and demand a refund, plus compensation for the car rental you were forced to pay for (they have 52 used cars listed on carzone.ie; they could easily have let you use one while they were supposedly fixing yours). If they refuse, then get a solicitor involved - these guys will not want bad publicity.

alias no.9

Fionn101 wrote:

Oh yeah another thing to note, but I'm unsure if this holds for BMW cars.

On my last Honda the engine light came up just like yours , but there is an easy way to check what the problem is , you attach a safety pin to a certain plug under the dash (which makes a straight-through connection) and when you turn the engine back on the engine light will flash in a morse code and tell you the problem, hold on , I'll have a look for the link .......

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=682412

Flash codes work on older OBD compliant diagnostic systems but are not part of newer OBDII / EOBD diagnostic systems.

jay567

Thanks for all that above lads, im heading off at 10 this morning up to the "guy" with the computer.
Does anyone know legally how i stand, as in , if this keeps going on?

Im already down 200 in rentals so far!

J

Victor

jay567 wrote:

Does anyone know legally how i stand, as in , if this keeps going on?

You bought a "used" car with a warranty. The car must work for at least the length of the warranty and normally longer.

You paid for used, not a dud.

Seth Brundle

Victor, many used car warrantys only cover the engine and gearbox - nowt else.

jay567

Hi,
Just back from the garage, its one of those back garages and based in walkinstown. The guy there plugged it in and found nothing. Showed him where a noise is coming from and he agreed that it is the same problem as before. He wants it back in the shop to be worked on. Called up to Bill Griffin motors and spoke to the owner (Bill) explained the problem to him and said that i want a car while mine is in, he agreed. Then he decided he didnt want to talk to me anymore and walked away saying dont worry itll be sorted. I explained to him that if we can no longer discuss buisness then i will take this to the courts if the prob isnt fixed this time round. He just blanked me.

Word to the wise, dont shop in Bill Griffin Motors!

Really hope i havent bought a lemon.

spockety

Fair play to you for saying that to him. It is an incredibly difficult thing to do when dealing with shops/dealers etc, as unless you are some sort of super-confident supremo, you will always have some kind of self doubt about what you are saying, or you will feel like you are 'on your own' with the problem. The chances are you have not been sold a lemon, and it will all work out fine in the end , doesn't mean you should be treated like **** though.