105 in Jersey and my Saturday adventure (Alternator content - I think)

[jsoto]

There is only a handfull of items that are a lifetime warranty. The alt, IF memory serves me is one. I may be wrong...

BTW, what is craigs email. Just reminded me. I re-resent him a inquiry I sent him 2 weeks back that have gone unresponded.
It's still craig.hacker@ ?

[Joshdub]

Good idea having list prices on hand. It's funny how they just pull prices out of thin air and no one questions them on it.

1k isn't the end of the world. How much did they want for everything else? I'm sure it was that or they would knock some off a new BMW if you traded it in instead.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by jsoto

There is only a handfull of items that are a lifetime warranty. The alt, IF memory serves me is one. I may be wrong...

BTW, what is craigs email. Just reminded me. I re-resent him a inquiry I sent him 2 weeks back that have gone unresponded.
It's still craig.hacker@ ?

I guess I'll find out when I pick it up what the warranty is, I expect it to last another 13+ years lol - I usually email [email protected] - he forwarded me to the parts manager last time, David Timoney who is super nice and awesome at getting parts quickly and responding to emails.

Originally Posted by Joshdub

Good idea having list prices on hand. It's funny how they just pull prices out of thin air and no one questions them on it.

1k isn't the end of the world. How much did they want for everything else? I'm sure it was that or they would knock some off a new BMW if you traded it in instead.

To be honest I didn't even ask for the price on the other work (both door carriers) once he told me $337 for a BMW battery plus install - I figured he'd be saying $175 per carrier (15% above list) plus install - didn't even waste my time once I laughed at the battery price.

Yeah I mean I'm definitely not pissed off or mad at the price FOR THE WORK I NEEDED TODAY, I mean its the dealer after all. I fully was prepared to pay list price for the part, however, don't fucking call me and tell me you're price gouging me 15% about list (not COST) because I'm in a bad situation. They were reasonable with the labor @ 2 hours or so, which is about right for the alternator job. If he told me 15% above cost for the part plus it would take 4 hours of labor for the alternator job I'd really be laughing.

To be honest I probably would have told him to do the drivers door carrier because I don't have that part on my shelf (have the passenger, was going to do it last weekend), if he would have told me he was cutting me a break on the parts - but since I'm paying MSRP for parts I'd rather not pay more than I have to.

I'll take a couple hours over the weekend and do both door carriers on the front and both sets of window regulator clips over a few beers and be better off - not like the dealer would do the regulator clips for me, that would be another "needed" $180 window regulator, in their opinion (windows aren't broke but while the door panels are off I want to get the clips done so I don't deal with that breaking)


I talked to him around 1 PM and he said car was finished, and he said they would throw it on the charger until I picked it up as I requested that he do so. And yes, I will trickle it for another 24-48 hours once I get home, its an hour ride so should be close to fully charged by the time I get home.

With the tow and the rental, right around $1,100 - but hey, like I said, could have been a lot worse.

[StephenVA]

Congrats on getting it repaired not replaced!

Painful, Yes..but as you said it could have been worse.

Long life to the X5!

[Ricky Bobby]

Amen to that - I mean what was my other option "find me a BMW I want to drive and give me a good trade for mine"

They'd probably offer me 4-5k on a trade (on the high side) and tell me to cough up the other 30k on a CPO Bimmer - and it wouldn't be as fun to drive as my 5MT X -

Stephen thanks for the battery charger tips I will use them and throw it on tonight - I think my AGM should be just fine

[x5Alpine]

I work for BMW and will say that when a customer cant understand that we don't have any loaners available and becomes angry because of their thick skull then we usually go out of our way to ensure that their sorry but doesn't get a loaner.

[jsoto]

RB -

When they pull the car out, I would turn it off and then start the car, just to make sure the battery is holding a semi charge. And or schedule a time to pickup the car when there is light traffic so you can ~fly~ home....should there be battery issue as well

The last thing u want to be driving home on a sh0t battery, that is only masked it was just charged. At that same token, dealer will probably just throw it on the deutronic and then get it out of the shop to free up the bay and on to the next one..

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by x5Alpine

I work for BMW and will say that when a customer cant understand that we don't have any loaners available and becomes angry because of their thick skull then we usually go out of our way to ensure that their sorry but doesn't get a loaner.

i didn't NEED a loaner - but in an emergency situation when I was an hour from home and spending at least $1k with them I was hoping they could find a demo, etc -

The only thing that pisses me off is some bimbo housebroad NEEDS a loaner for her oil change service on her leased X3 so she can do her shopping at Nordstrom and Whole Foods - I come in stranded, sweating, and throwing down an easy grand on a 105 degree Saturday afternoon and I basically had to beg for them to find me a rental (which I am paying for btw) considering it was 1:20 PM when I first called and Enterprise Rentacar was closed

If I lived locally it wouldn't have been as big of a deal but I was an hour from home.

[motordavid]

RB, Good to read your resolve...
Not too bad of a pinch. Hellsbells, the Asheville BMW Indie I've been using for years has jacked his parts/labor prices up so high, it is like going to a dlr.

I need a new Indie, but western NC ain't exactly high tech car repair ville.

Hope the batt comes back to full life; in my experience, even my much smaller sized AGM m'cycle batts come back to near full with a good, long low amp maint charge.

When you get home, pet the dogs, hug your fine CEO and have a cold one.
BR, mD

[crystalworks]

I think most who have owned these for any length of time have a story like this. Mine came earlier this year.

Was on my way to a nationals tennis tourney in Las Vegas and figured I'd drag my mom along with me since it was over the Mother's Day weekend (plus the wife didn't want me going alone). So we get past El Paso and just on the other side of Las Cruces, NM when I notice the arrows on the dash msg area indicating a msg has passed. Mom was driving... "Hey Mom, did you see a msg display?"...

"No, but I don't ever look down either." Of course not. "I'm sure it will be fine."

So I decide not to chance it (I don't have that kind of luck). Sure, it's most likely a check bulb error msg, but I'd rather check it out. So we pull into a 7 Eleven on the outskirts of Las Cruces and I power cycle the key. Check Coolant Level. Sure enough, expansion tank split down the side. Glad we stopped.

Long story short, 4 hours, 10 calls, 1 rental, 1 drive back to El Paso, and ~$160 later I had installed a new tank and bled the system in the parking lot of the 7 Eleven, returned the rental, and were back on our way to Vegas.

Glad your situation worked out okay RB. $1000 at the dealer is not too bad. I was expecting the same if I had to tow mine to El Paso (nearest dealer) and have a tank installed there. My mom was a bit concerned being 800 miles from home broken down in a gas station parking lot. I just told her this isn't my first rodeo, you learn how to cope with these situations after owning as many bimmers as the wife and I have.

Long live the E53. Am I right?