edging more and more towards starter replacement
 

Very very long story! but am looking to get the started changed soon,I cant DIY it alas, and things work in a funny way out here, , so have to take it to a garage, straighforward you may say? well whoever i mention my issue to on this god forsaken island i.e the starter needing replacing, they tell me to take it to a car electrician, rather than a mechanic....diy and BMW tis mentions the battery needs to be disconnected before work commences, and thats all electrically that needs to be done(plus remove the +ve lead off starter etc after), so not sure why everyone I talk to is suggeseting a car electrician.

Might be a language barrier thing, but I have never heard of a car electrician. The starter shouldn't be outside the scope of a BMW mechanic.

Okeee, well this is the odd thing for door locks, trim removal etc etc they tell you to take car to an 'auto-electrician' and so far twice have done so, once for the door lock cylinder replacement on an e46 and the other on the door handle mechanism on the X5 ...they did a good job....my mechanic though well equiped when i asked him to change my steering wheel trim, yes in 2 ticks he removed the airbag and trim but in the process he prised off the connector with a screwdriver and damaged it! looking at 90dollars to replace a 15cm piece of wire (thank god for ebay and some digging around to see that the older sports steering wheel cabling worked fine on the newer steering wheel like mine)