What did you do to / for your E53 today??

[epdarks]

Another important factor is the oil change interval. In theory you can go for 10000 miles on that oil.

[hippee0]

nothing this week
but if it turns out i need a gearbox i will be giving it a gallon of petrol and a match
good riddance x5

[rfdude]

been there before hippee0, been there...

[Cisc0]

Originally Posted by Skyline

That's a little high...but not totally crazy. I would not get too pissed off. You think 3/4 hr labor is excessive for an oil change? I'd bet that's the book rate. I would guess at a shop like that, they spend at least that amount of time checking the car over. And $108/hr is NOT bad for this area. Try BMW Manhattan...I'd bet the labor rate is significantly higher ($150/hr???) If you feel better about going to Jiffy Lube, and have a pimply faced kid with no training at all messing with your X5; have at it. You can probably get the same oil change for half that price...assuming they have the correct oil. Or do it yourself and save even more. The oil and filter prices are pretty much retail; go to a dealer and price those at the parts counter; our cars do not use cheap oil. You can not expect ANY shop to charge you Walmart prices for oil and filter.

Lots of quality places, BMW dealerships included, do oil changes at below actual retail cost to get you in the door. They are hoping to find other stuff wrong with your car to offset the cost. What you paid is full retail at Indy prices...nothing more. A Dealer with no special deals going on might charge even more.

I usually do my own oil changes, heck for $75 I get the ECSTuning deal. I haven't gotten an oil change at a dealer or indy in a long time so the price to me was shocking. I also know what I am getting when I buy from ECS, unlike here I do not know what I got. My wife said they pumped the oil out of a red barrel with no markings on it into a gallon then measured with the dip stick as needed. She said she saw a yellow and green box and I guess that't the Mann filter. In a nutshell, I will continue to do my own damn oil changes and pay myself the labor rate in cognac.

[SlickGT1]

Originally Posted by Cisc0

I usually do my own oil changes, heck for $75 I get the ECSTuning deal. I haven't gotten an oil change at a dealer or indy in a long time so the price to me was shocking. I also know what I am getting when I buy from ECS, unlike here I do not know what I got. My wife said they pumped the oil out of a red barrel with no markings on it into a gallon then measured with the dip stick as needed. She said she saw a yellow and green box and I guess that't the Mann filter. In a nutshell, I will continue to do my own damn oil changes and pay myself the labor rate in cognac.

Honestly I only do my own oil change because it's just so much faster to do. By the time it takes me to get to my Indy, wait, BS, do the change, come home, etc. If I do it, it just gets done on my own time.

[DTMdan]

Originally Posted by DTMdan

Just ordered new drive belts, t-stat, w.pump & expansion tank from ECS.

Installed the parts today, thanks Wayne's World for the great DIY writeup http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-3-0-auto.html

[jgold47]

I installed my euro side view mirror. Not as easy as I thought, but I got it after a few minutes. The mirror is STRANGE, will take some getting used to for sure!

[DTMdan]

Originally Posted by jgold47

I installed my euro side view mirror. Not as easy as I thought, but I got it after a few minutes. The mirror is STRANGE, will take some getting used to for sure!

I need to get some for mine, I had em on my E46 and I miss the wide angle view.

[Joeybricks]

Finally upgraded to the 16:9 board monitor! I replaced the screen during Sandy but never got a chance to put it in the truck being that I didn't have the retro fit brackets until now.


Looks sooo much better!!




Old one going on eBay!

Oh yeah! Just gotta find some screws that fasten the radio to the retro fit brackets...

Also swapped the MK2 nav for a MK4, much better!

[Ricky Bobby]

Got my car back after replacement of front sway bar bushings, Thrust arms, wishbones, and ball joints. The front end is quiet as ever and tight, feels brand new.

Now I just need an alignment (and I am setting the camber outside BMW specs as per recommendations from this forum, .01 I believe so I can wear tires evenly) and a roadforce balance as the only steering wheel shake I get now is at highway speeds, regular mount and balance just doesn't cut it anymore.


Anyone know a welder in Jersey that would do my exhaust tips?