850 Euro for exhaust!!! Are they taking the piss?

barrybevel

Hi,
I failed the NCT due to a problem with Exhaust. I have a 2000 BMW 318i.

I just brought my car to Advanced Pitstop beside Croke Park,

they said for main part of exhaust 750 Euro and other part of exhaust 100 Euro.

Total cost to fit exhaust: 850 Euro.

Are they taking the piss?

How much should I expect to pay?

Thanks.

Anan1

Have you shopped around? If not, do.

Mylow

Just sent you details of company I use. Hopefully they can get better price for you.


Just gave them call £170 fitted for back box, the Catalytic section is dealer fit only.

Wossack

gf got a new exhaust fitted outta kwik fit for her aging punto for 190e the other week

no fancy 'leccies in it or anything mind

DublinDilbert

What exactly are they replacing?? is it the CAT? or one or more of the silencers??

I got quoted €300 for the back box for my E36, so i got the part from GSF for €60 and fitted it myself in about 10mins.

barrybevel

I'll find out what he is replacing e.g. CAT or Silencers.. and get back ASAP

barrybevel

He is replacing 2 Scilencers and 1 CAT.

He said my exhaust is 2 parts not the normal 3 parts.

MuffinsDa

I used these guys last year, really good price (€150 for back-box on my Saab 93, fitted and supplied, Bosal exhaust!), if you can make it to Greystones.
GREYSTONES EXHAUST CENTRE
EDEN ROAD, GREYSTONES; Telephone: 287 5029; Mobile: 087-2357323
They work on Saturday mornings too, so you can drop the car, go for a walk on the beach and pick it up in an hour (that's what I did!)

meathstevie

Simple rule of thumb about exhausts : backboxes are cheap, cats are expensive. I think shopping around in this case might make a little bit of difference but deffo not a hell of a lot. By the way you should be getting a bit of warranty on this replacement as well.

dudara

Wossack wrote: »

gf got a new exhaust fitted outta kwik fit for her aging punto for 190e the other week

no fancy 'leccies in it or anything mind

Sounds about the same that I got charged. I paid €300 for front pipe and lambda sensor in mine. Vast improvement in the car though.

barrybevel

"you should be getting a bit of warranty on this replacement as well."

I dont understand? , I bought second hand, how would i go about this?

I will give the place in graystones a call.

barrybevel

Joe Duffy said it would cost: 1720 Euro to fix!

MADNESS.

Curran

If the car failed the NCT for emissions then it will cost about that to fix it!!
Will need a new Cat and possibily lambda senors! Cost me approx 800 quid to get my 5 series done - from a guy i know so labour was cheap!

So it really depends what the situation is - dont let them fool you into thinking you need all that if you dont!! Take your car to an indy, with your failed NCT sheet and ask him to have a look!

DublinDilbert

To be honest i think you possibly need a better diagnosis done...

Its strange for the back box and the front box + Cat to be all gone at the same time....

If the car failed the NCT on emissions, i would not immediately rush out and replace all that, many other things can effect the emissions from a car, eg MAF.

meathstevie

Most specialised exhaust fitters will give a warranty on a new exhaust system they fit for a limited amount of time. Nothing to do with when or how you bought your car. Same for batteries, a lot of manufacturers have a 1 year replacement warranty.

barrybevel

I understand now about the warranty. Thanks for explaining.

rebel.ranter

An e36 CAT works out at roughly €1,100 from the dealer, that is without fitting & having to return the old one. I would imgine that an e46 3 series would be roughly the same.
The cheapest spurious part I could find was €600. I went with the genuine item in the end as I am hanging onto the car for the long term, I just like it.

I would query why both the cat & back box are being replaced at the same time, do you park it in a stream or something that causes them to rot?

barrybevel

So here is a summary:
Failed NCT test due to failing emmision test (so they told me)
Went to Advanced Pitstop beside Croke Park - they said 850 Euro to replace exhaust.
Rang Joe Duffy in Finglas - they said 1,720 Euro to replace exhaust (Really - no joke)
Rang GREYSTONES EXHAUST CENTRE - they said 680 Euro to replace exhaust.

Brought car to GREYSTONES EXHAUST CENTRE
Guy there looked at it and straight away said there was nothing wrong with full exhaust,
He checked NCT test report and it said they didn't do a emmision test at all,
because of a hold in exhaust middle front. He then looked under bonnet and a hose was blown - which he told me to get from BMW and come back. I bought part for 23 Euro
and returned - he fitted it, welded a small hole in exhaust at rear (not front like NCT test)
and the whole thing was fixed in no time for 60 Euro. YES 60 ****ING EURO.

GOD BLESS GREYSTONES EXHAUST CENTRE

colly10

Did you not read the NCT sheet, it almost cost ye 800 euro, good to hear ye got it sorted in the end

mental!

Mr.Diagnostic

Hi barrybevel,

May I ask who told you that your car needed a new cat? From what you posted it could have been either the NCT people or Advance but its not clear.

Earth Worm Jim

I would go else were, them crowd fcuked up a car on me a while back, fitted the wrong exhaust - bodged a fiat exhaust on an opel - even bend the brackets on the chassis to make it fit - fcuked up my AMM and cost $$$s - I would try the one out a tesco clare hall - found them quite good,

I know cats go, but I would make sure its gone before replacing it - most mechanics would be able to tell you for sure in minutes.

bangersandmash

barrybevel wrote: »

Joe Duffy said it would cost: 1720 Euro to fix!

MADNESS.

That's a scandal! Someone should call the other Joe Duffy

Zola_

my vw golf failed the nct on emissions and needed a new catalytic converter, i got one for €250 from auto exhausts in crumlin

barrybevel

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Hi barrybevel,

May I ask who told you that your car needed a new cat? From what you posted it could have been either the NCT people or Advance but its not clear.

Advanced Pitstop

DamoDLK

barrybevel wrote: »

Joe Duffy said it would cost: 1720 Euro to fix!

MADNESS.

I Agree, main dealers for BMW's will rob you blind. (well they have done to me!)
Viva Traynors in the Moy!!!

By the way was the motor imported? UK cars can suffer awfully from the salt and grit on the roads over there, eat through metal and bushes...

Mr.Diagnostic

barrybevel wrote: »

Advanced Pitstop

I have yet to see any branch of Advance that is equiped to diagnose a cat failure, unless its has broken up, yet they do. I wonder if any of them are properly equiped for this?

John R

there was an expose a few years ago on one of those exhaust/tyre/minor repair chains in the UK (not the one mentioned in this thread AFAIR) and they were all routinely quoting for replacing parts theat were perfectly good when they spotted customers that wouldn't necessarily know any better. They went to so many different branches it was obviously a company line rather than greedy individuals.

gavquinn

Serves you right for driving a BMW..

jayok

gavquinn wrote: »

Serves you right for driving a BMW..

Yeah....

(I drive a 325Ci BTW)

gavquinn

Oh no, I thought I was bad!!! a 3-series coupe???
Well I work for a bank, wear a suit, etc etc.... something missing...
Ah yes, the obligitary 3 series coupe to hammer the final nails in my corporate coffin!


p.s. I'm sure your a nice guy ;-)