BMW Service

DUBACC

Hi all,

Got a mad quote of over 3k for repairs to my 04 520. Has anyone ever tried going to BMW in the North for a service/repair job? Is it that much cheaper?

Ta

Gumbo

what was it for?
can you post a breakdown of the costs involved?


must be big work?????

O7Pat

Probably need a better breakdown of what it is for to get a good answer.

Lots of indy bmw specalists around that get praise here, AC carsales in Dublin, bmwcare in Galway and others.

For an 04 prob worth pricing with just a general independent garage as dealer stamps probably not worth a lot at this stage


Sorry - post crossed with previous poster

DUBACC

Sorry - still in shock after hearing the cost!!

Apparantly there is a coolant leak, new brake discs and a few other items described as :
"Replace shaft seal" - €305
"Check suspension allignment" - €250
"Silencer" - €562
"Brake Discs" - €400

and assorted other small items. Seems like a lot of work to do on a car that the same garage serviced only 6 months ago!!!!

BTW - the parts come to about €1600 and the labour is a whopping €1300 - all vat exclusive!!

Gumbo

DUBACC wrote: »

Sorry - still in shock after hearing the cost!!

Apparantly there is a coolant leak, new brake discs and a few other items described as :
"Replace shaft seal" - €305
"Check suspension allignment" - €250
"Silencer" - €562
"Brake Discs" - €400

and assorted other small items. Seems like a lot of work to do on a car that the same garage serviced only 6 months ago!!!!

BTW - the parts come to about €1600 and the labour is a whopping €1300 - all vat exclusive!!

how did the damage happen?

DUBACC

No idea - didnt even know there was any damage to be honest. I just dropped the car in this morning for a routine service as the NCT is booked for next week.

Gumbo

DUBACC wrote: »

No idea - didnt even know there was any damage to be honest. I just dropped the car in this morning for a routine service as the NCT is booked for next week.

i would get a second opinion if it was me.
the silencer is the exhaust so if that was in trouble a warning light should of appeared or the noise should of changed??

DUBACC

Thats why i was so surprised. Everything in the car seems to be working fine. Only warning light was for low coolant.

I will be taking it to another couple of places and if it turns out that they were taking the p*** i will be making a call to the SIMI.

Stevie Dakota

"Check suspension allignment" - €250

Hello? Dave McCann would probably do that for less than half. I would certainly be getting a second opinion.

DUBACC

I have already contacted AC Car Sales - after a number of references from people on here so thanks for that guys.

Has anyone tried going North for car repairs?

stifz

Coolant leak can be anything from a pipe to a new radiator. Even a head gasket.. If i were you i'd get a second opinion and get a list of items they has said you need and get a quote from OTTO in tallaght. (Supplier of bmw parts).

I take its a main dealer..

jon1981

AC cars are thorough however i wont be going back to them, they tried to milk everything they could get out of me... i suppose its the mechanics job to give you as many "recommendations" as he can and hope you fall for them....

DUBACC

Yes stifz - it's one of the main BMW dealers. Thing is i needed a new gearbox (automatic) in June lastyear and they quoted nearly 8k for the job. Got it done in London for €1,800. If anyone needs details of the guy in London let me know and i'd be delighted to refer him.

jon1981

8k! thats nuts! how can they justify that!

DUBACC

Brand new gearbox. The guy even looked embarrassed telling me how much it was!

And they wonder why they cant get business........

frank gooding

A guy I know is getting a new engine in a 530d 05

Sucked up water in the floods

Insurance is covering most of it.

Total cost 15000 euro

Insane.

Stevie Dakota

I would go North. Bavarian have a good reputation and are a pleasure to deal with.

jon1981

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

I would go North. Bavarian have a good reputation and are a pleasure to deal with.

is the difference really that much and worth the hassle, taking a day of work and that.

jon1981

DUBACC wrote: »

Brand new gearbox. The guy even looked embarrassed telling me how much it was!

And they wonder why they cant get business........

out of curiosity, how many miles were on the car when you needed to replace the gear box?

Stevie Dakota

jon1981 wrote: »

is the difference really that much and worth the hassle, taking a day of work and that.

Why not send the quote to Bavarian and get them to quote, remove the amounts and see what they comeback with, I think you would be surprised.

jon1981

i might do the next time i need something big done, AC quoted me 500 euro to replace the fuel pump which is a 20 minute job at worst. the part is 290.... turned out i didnt need the pump replacing...but thats another story ive already talked about on here.

DUBACC

Just off the phone to Bavarian in Belfast. Arranged to leave the car with them on Wed evening after work and pick up again at the weekend if we go ahead with it. Pleasure to deal with and will be interested to see what they quote.

Stevie Dakota

Let us know how you get on. Enjoy the fresh pastries and beverages, I was always delighted when my car needed warranty work with them!

suitseir

DUBACC wrote: »

Just off the phone to Bavarian in Belfast. Arranged to leave the car with them on Wed evening after work and pick up again at the weekend if we go ahead with it. Pleasure to deal with and will be interested to see what they quote.

My boss well former now, went North (Newry) with his BMW 3 series and saved serious squids! He said they did a superb job, got it done on a Saturday and he hasn't had an ounce of trouble since and the most important aspect of it all, it cost so much less than down south!

MarkN

OP - I'd half the Southern dealer price for going North to be honest.

707 for a service on my car in Dublin, 400 odd in Bavarian.

Shane732

Less than half? They do Laser 4 wheel alignment for €60!!!!

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

"Check suspension allignment" - €250

Hello? Dave McCann would probably do that for less than half. I would certainly be getting a second opinion.

Shane732

Just in a similar situation myself now leave the car into a main BMW dealer in Dublin and the quote came out at €5K.

I emailed the quote up to David Prentice BMW in Omagh and they came back to me with a quote of €2,200.

I'd highly recommend you look at going to David Prentice - I've bought Cooper's off them and had them serviced up there. Outstanding service no quibbles about giving a loan car or anything like that. Plus the main thing is that I actually trust them a lot more than any other dealer I've ever been to.

Plus you might actually get a reasonable loan car as opposed to a shi*y 116D that takes 5 hrs to get to 60! Last time I left a car in I got a JCW Cooper and nearly fell in love!

No affiliation to DP just a happy customer.

Voodoomelon

Portadown BMW are the nearest dealer up north to the south. I worked out over 8 different parts that they are on average 25% cheaper than the dealers in the south. If you have a VAT number you don't pay the VAT either on top of that.

So i'd imagine their labour is cheaper too.

unkel

frank gooding wrote: »

A guy I know is getting a new engine in a 530d 05

Sucked up water in the floods

Insurance is covering most of it.

Total cost 15000 euro

Insane.

That's the dealer taking the complete p1ss out of the insurance company. And you and I and everyone else is paying for it :mad:

Voodoomelon wrote: »

If you have a VAT number you don't pay the VAT either on top of that.

You need a new accountant

Seriously, you can't just claim back VAT on anyting you buy...

Shane732

Serious? He'd prob pick a second-hand engine up for like €1500!

frank gooding wrote: »

A guy I know is getting a new engine in a 530d 05

Sucked up water in the floods

Insurance is covering most of it.

Total cost 15000 euro

Insane.

Voodoomelon

unkel wrote: »

That's the dealer taking the complete p1ss out of the insurance company. And you and I and everyone else is paying for it :mad:

You need a new accountant

Seriously, you can't just claim back VAT on anything you buy...

Ah, that came across badly. I meant within the industry.

Elessar

Let us know how you get on OP.

I'm due a regular Inspection service with brake fluid change in the next month or so - are basic service prices that much different up north too?

Shane732

Elessar wrote: »

Let us know how you get on OP.

I'm due a regular Inspection service with brake fluid change in the next month or so - are basic service prices that much different up north too?

Yes - basic service is about £200 versus €30,000 down here!!!!!!!

DUBACC

Just an update - i brought the car to an exhaust shop yesterday. Part of the quote i got originally was 1k to fix and replace a broken exhaust bracket. I got it welded for €60!!! Heading up North on Wed week with the car so hopefully the other 2k can be whittled down to max 1k.

Anyway - thanks for the help guys.

Idbatterim

Hi, instead of stating a new thread, just though Id post here, I just put car through and failed NCT today, allegedly need some work done (see attached) I want to get a second opinion from a garage maybe AC or Chelmsford. I have already emailed them them Nct sheet and asked for a price! hope I dont get a heart attack with the price! Im also going to check out a few of the recommendations of mechanics in this thread and might well go up North...

subway

your name and address are on that pdf, might want to edit etc

Idbatterim

I edited, thanks subway...

Shires

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Portadown BMW are the nearest dealer up north to the south. I worked out over 8 different parts that they are on average 25% cheaper than the dealers in the south. If you have a VAT number you don't pay the VAT either on top of that.

I got a parts quote recently from Bavarian, and then phoned a dealer here and asked them to match it. They gave me a discount, made the price difference small enough that I bought the parts here and not up north. Something to consider maybe.

madmac187

hi I am thinking of buying a 3 series, just wondering what would a standard service be with a BMW dealer, just the usual stuff.

Idbatterim

what age will the car be? that has a big bearing on whether you go to a bmw dealer > independent specialist > any garage!

Tipp Man

I have a 08 335d and the service light came on at the weekend, what kind of money can i expect to pay for a service down here? Is it worth going to Bavarian??

Also i had a little tap on the front bumper in the snow (at about 5mph) number plate gone, headlight washers gone, cover over the parking sensor gone and the 1 of the grills in the bumper is cracked. Got a quote from ACE Auto in Fairview of 900 on Saturday - which seems very steep. Would it be worth going up north to get the service and bumper done up there??

MarkN

Not being smart but would you not ring them and ask?

All cars are different when it comes to servicing and 335Ds are not that common here so the chances of someone owning one, having gotten it serviced and being a member of boards are slim...

http://www.bavarianbmw.co.uk/
004428 9038 5885

Tipp Man

MarkN wrote: »

Not being smart but would you not ring them and ask?

All cars are different when it comes to servicing and 335Ds are not that common here so the chances of someone owning one, having gotten it serviced and being a member of boards are slim...

http://www.bavarianbmw.co.uk/
004428 9038 5885

Thanks, have rang them a few times already today and the services department is continually busy, so was just a shot in the dark to see if anyone knew

Idbatterim

The guy in the NCT test centre yesterday said that because I have upgraded to 18 inch alloys from the factory 16 or 17 inch the car would have come with, that the bushes will be under more strain. I was taking a look for bushes, googled.co.uk and this was the first link to come up, do you believe their claim? would they be a better option than a bmw oem part?

http://www.xlraceparts.com/bmw-e46-powerflex-bushes-360-p.asp

Gumbo

Tipp Man wrote: »

I have a 08 335d and the service light came on at the weekend, what kind of money can i expect to pay for a service down here? Is it worth going to Bavarian??

your car is condition based service so what exactly came on the dashboard? it should be highlighted in Red what needs to be done.

if its a simple oil change it could be relatively cheap down here to get done at a BMW dealership.

Idbatterim wrote: »

The guy in the NCT test centre yesterday said that because I have upgraded to 18 inch alloys from the factory 16 or 17 inch the car would have come with, that the bushes will be under more strain. I was taking a look for bushes, googled.co.uk and this was the first link to come up, do you believe their claim? would they be a better option than a bmw oem part?

i personally wouldnt worry about it, sure BMW themselves offer the 18" wheel upgrade. every part on your car has built in tolorences to allow for increases in strain etc