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Old 11-15-2010, 10:50 PM
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m5james m5james is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Kirkland, WA to Alexandria, VA - Now in Marysville, WA
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Congrats on the easy fix! I've had rare instances in the past where I went to shops for diagnosis, and they're more than willing to spend my hard earned dime to try and figure things out. My biggest (and more recent, like 4yrs ago) was when I started having driving issues with the 7...it'd stumble on it's face the harder I gave it gas, eventually wouldn't idle, etc. I had it towed to a shop who wanted to do around $3000 worth of work, anything from removing the heads to check for carbon deposits, replacing fuel rail and lines from head to toe, replacing injectors, valve cover gaskets, etc. After I laughed, I got my keys back and proceeded back to my car to find the hood release handle had been broken. Apparently their master techs couldn't get the hood released (I NEVER had an issue with it), but once I got it opened myself, come to findout master man himself closed the hood on a shop rag that got jambed in the latch, so they gave up until I got there. Needless to say I didn't pay a dime for their BS diagnoses and I proceeded to start working on the car myself in their parking lot after hours. I started running through my head about why this would happen, I had plenty of fuel pressure (checked with a guage) and had already replaced the fuel pump. Then I remembered the notorious clogging cats, and since one had already been replacing from the BMW recall, it led me to believe the second had failed as well. Jacked up the car (still in their parking lot), removed the pre-cat 02 sensor, car fired right up! A loud drive (1" hole in the exhaust from the 02 not being in there) and $200 later I had a replacement Magnaflow cat. The kicker is that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING they intended on doing would have solved my problem in the slightest. Anyways, minirant about ignorant stealerships over, moving on...

1) Simple and easy fix, good job
2) Vacuum pump? I'm not even sure what they're referring to there. Maybe they meant the airpump?
3) Lower radiator hose is a simple repair, but why is there oil on it? Sounds like something else is going on. I ALWAYS preach that when it comes to the cooling system on this motor to replace EVERYTHING when things start getting around the 80-100k mark and/or when parts starts failing...if one plastic piece is breaking due to age, that almost guarantee the other plastic parts aren't far from suffering the same failure.
4) The outer CV Boot can be replaced for under $20, but it's replacing it that is a little harder to get to. There are writeups on here, so how mechanically inclined are you. The problem with driving with a torn CV Boot is that eventually grit will start getting into the joint and wear out the bearings, so you should do this ASAP while it can still be saved, otherwise you'll have to replace the whole arm, costing around $200. For the work involved, I'd pony up the $50 ASAP before it gets worse...see if they'll do them both because just like the plastic radiator parts, their all the same age so the other ones are soon to follow.
5) Sounds like you need to fix your leak, and then start checking the oil every other time you fillup with gas, just for safe measure. I personally use Mobil1 0w40, but sometimes it's a little harder to come by.

Keep us posted, and consider using the $272 you would have paid into replacing the fuel sending wire and apply that amount towards other repairs. I usually take dealership diagnosis lists with a grain of salt, but leaking oil and other obvious things that are easily repaired can be followed easily since it's not trivial work.
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650hp 10 X5///M - Stage 2, Vibrant 1794's , gutted cats, custom intake, AC Forged 22's
325hp 98 BMW 740iL - ///M5 6spd, www.bavengine.com w/ Performance Option, electric fan, CF intake tube w/ heatshield, Mag 14816 w/ notched bumper, Bilstein/H&R Stage II/Powerflex

600+hp 02 Harley F150 - MHP900 Stage 3 engine, KB2.3, 8# lower, 60# inj, Walbro FP's

135hp 01 TL1000R - M4 full exhaust, K&N, Yosh box, -1/+2 gears, 2CT's

Last edited by m5james; 12-03-2010 at 04:08 PM.
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