More Factory Production Questions

X5WannaBe · #1 08-06-2007, 09:33 PM

As I learn a little more each day about the status of my X5 in production, I am developing more questions. What is the typical time period from entry to exit in the production cycle for an X5? Likewise how long does the vehicle typically spend in the body shop, paint shop, and assembly phases of production?
As may be obvious, I am eagerly awaiting my X5 and trying to more accurately estimate its end of production and then the trip up north to my dealer. Thanks for your experience and input on this topic....

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MD11F · #2 08-06-2007, 10:03 PM

from start to finish the paint and assembly of the car takes 1 week or so. Basically the parts are made in Germany and it's all assembled in SC.

jochet · #3 08-06-2007, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X5WannaBe

As I learn a little more each day about the status of my X5 in production, I am developing more questions. What is the typical time period from entry to exit in the production cycle for an X5? Likewise how long does the vehicle typically spend in the body shop, paint shop, and assembly phases of production?
As may be obvious, I am eagerly awaiting my X5 and trying to more accurately estimate its end of production and then the trip up north to my dealer. Thanks for your experience and input on this topic....

I think I asked the same questions in a post a few weeks ago. When my salesman gave me our vin number, I went online to see where my car was.

It was scheduled for production until the day I got the call that my X5 was on her way. I live in Florida so the delivery was quick, It took two weeks from production to delivery. Good luck, I know the waiting hurts but you won't be sorry. This is a great Car.

Shumdit · #4 08-07-2007, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MD11F

from start to finish the paint and assembly of the car takes 1 week or so. Basically the parts are made in Germany and it's all assembled in SC.

That's not really a true statement. The German parts content is about 70 percent, but considering the number of parts in the engine/transmission, etc. (which come from Germany), it skews the numbers somewhat. The body panels, interior components, seats, exhaust, etc. all come from local suppliers in the Upstate SC area. Wheels come from Ronal's plant in Mexico (in most cases) and some other items come from other countries besides the US and Germany, but your posts make it sound like the US plant only exists to to build kits shipped over from Germany. In fact the first cars built at the US factory in 94 were kits shipped over from the motherland, but the US plant now uses many local suppliers just like GM, FORD, etc. In any case no one is running things the way Henry Ford did with the River Rouge Complex back in the 1920's (when they took raw ore off the boats and made their own engines from scratch, and the whole car was pretty much built from scratch there). All car plants are to a large degree really just assemblers of components sourced from other companies under contract (hence the term "assembly plant"). They may still make some components, but many have found it cheaper and better for business to outsource components. BMW Manufacturing is not just putting kits from Germany together. I know you might not have meant it that way, but I hate that some people might get the wrong idea about what goes on here at the US plant.

MD11F · #5 08-07-2007, 01:31 AM

Are you sure that 70% only includes mostly the drivetrane? It seems logically that 70% of a 5345 vehicle would be about 3740 lbs worth of parts.. I can't see how that would preclude the body panels or unibody. Not denying what you're saying, but I'd like more info if you can provide it. I have the .pdf list of parts suppliers that the plant uses (it's a download from their website here: http://www.bmwusfactory.com/suppliers/ )

I admit I was a bit disappointed to see parts coming from Mexico. Not so much because I don't think they can make good qualify parts, but just because I don't care much for the trend to outsource labor to cheaper labor markets.

My sticker says 70% German, 15% US/Canadian and mysteriously leaves out the Mexico, China and other politically sensitive locations for the remaining 15%..

Anyway, it's neither here or there.. my German made E class had only 85% German content.. It's the way it is.

Shumdit · #6 08-07-2007, 09:45 AM

I think they are only required to list the largest contributor of parts and then the US content if it's not the largest single contributor, which is why parts from everywhere else are not listed. The framework comes from Spartanburg Steel, although the aluminum hood and thermoplastic fenders likely are sourced elsewhere ( I can check to see where, although I would assume somewhere locally since they would not be cheap to freight over and do not require the complexity of assembly the engine/trans would require.

MD11F · #7 08-07-2007, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shumdit

I think they are only required to list the largest contributor of parts and then the US content if it's not the largest single contributor, which is why parts from everywhere else are not listed. The framework comes from Spartanburg Steel, although the aluminum hood and thermoplastic fenders likely are sourced elsewhere ( I can check to see where, although I would assume somewhere locally since they would not be cheap to freight over and do not require the complexity of assembly the engine/trans would require.

yeah, but I'm still curious what the 3700 lbs (70%) of parts are? assuming the % is based on the vehicle weight. The only other option would be if it were based on individual parts, so for example a screw from Germany counts as a part, same as an entire hood.. which makes no sense from a disclosure standpoint.

I wonder if the factory would answer that question if I called them?

X5WannaBe · #8 08-07-2007, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jochet

I think I asked the same questions in a post a few weeks ago. When my salesman gave me our vin number, I went online to see where my car was.

It was scheduled for production until the day I got the call that my X5 was on her way. I live in Florida so the delivery was quick, It took two weeks from production to delivery. Good luck, I know the waiting hurts but you won't be sorry. This is a great Car.

Thanks for the information and commiseration! To be clear, was it two weeks from the date that your vehicle first showed "scheduled for production" till delivery or from completion of production to delivery?

Learned from salesman yesterday that car was "in the paint shop," so I am still wondering about the amount of time it takes in various stages, i.e., 1-2 days in paint shop, 2-3 days in assembly, or what?

jochet · #9 08-07-2007, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X5WannaBe

Thanks for the information and commiseration! To be clear, was it two weeks from the date that your vehicle first showed "scheduled for production" till delivery or from completion of production to delivery?

Learned from salesman yesterday that car was "in the paint shop," so I am still wondering about the amount of time it takes in various stages, i.e., 1-2 days in paint shop, 2-3 days in assembly, or what?

If your car is in the paint shop, based on where you live, I'd bet you will have your car next week. FYI I took the X5 for a 300 mile trip today, I'm still grinning.

X5WannaBe · #10 08-07-2007, 08:15 PM

I think it's even better than that. I called today (again) and the recorded message indicated the vehicle would be finished 7 August! I mean that's today. Now to see how long it takes to get loaded for transport and then delivery. I could even image it being here by the weekend (Washington DC area)

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