Is the SA BSing with me here?
 

I had a cold engine noise problem (thread about the tappet noise) that needed HVAs replaced, which was done, but the noise, while reduced, still remained.

So I brought it back in asking for the cylinder head replacement, which is a known fix for the problem, but the dealer only performed engine bleed and gave the vehicle back, saying that's the procedure that BMW in Germany requires.

OK, fine by me, it's a procedure, so I took possession of the vehicle again only to hear the noise the same day. So I brought it back to the dealer, and pushed for the cylinder head replacement, but SA is giving me responses like it's not really up to them at all and all they can do is just upload the video file of the car making the noise to the BMW in Germany and whatever they say the dealer does is the only thing that they can do. The dealer can't just ask for approval on the cylinder head replacement. And the SA told me to wait for the reply from the BMW Germany for the next set of procedures to follow, and said that it could be several days.

The SA gave me excuses like since there's no set standard from BMW on what to do if the HAV replacement doesn't fix the issue, this is the only way that's going to work. HAV replacement was a SIB work.

The SA doesn't seem to want to play straight with me. Is this usually the case with other warranty works as well or is the SA BSing with me?

I guess these SA's haven't been updated or totally no idea what's going on. I just brought my X5 to the dealer this a.m. for that "ticking noise" and when I suggested about the HVA, my SA was claiming and insisting it is rare in X5 (and he said it only happens with the 3 series) and haven't done any X5 at all re: this problem. He said he hasn't heard anything from my engine (of course, it's intermittent). I showed him the SIB and that's the only time he somewhat stop insisting it is not a problem with X5. I am aware that not all HVA replacement had fixed the problem as others go back to the dealership. But I guess they need authorization from BMW to perform this job (including head replacement) or else they won't get paid.

The SA that I deal with says they can't just ask for authorization for the head replacement alone, but rather ask BMW Germany what to do and follow whatever procedure they give out. And they don't even know how long it'll take to get the answer.

Hopefully someone in the know will shed some light on the matter.

Seems strange. Why would they ask BMW Germany?

BMW North America is in charge of dealers in the U.S. It's not like Toyota USA has to contact Toyota Japan, in order to replace a transmission. They just do it.

Your SA is giving you a line, without a doubt. That's not the way businesses are set up.

I'm sure BMW NA is operating under a license, and is a separate entity from BMW Germany. I could be wrong, and maybe others here know, but that's normally how automobile companies are structured.

They do have to get approval from BMW before going ahead. I would think they would send out a field service engineer. I don't think BMW stands behind their warranty. Times must be tough for BMW, so they don't care about their customers. Pretty soon, they won't have many to worry about, they will go with other makes. That's what I'm doing...

Craig

I had a 2008 X5 3.0 engine with the problem.

It would happen in the morning for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Used my cell phone and recorded the sound.

Dealer listened to the sound. (They won't begin any procedure without some cause.)

At that time (about a year ago) the procedure was to bleed first.

The problem re-occurred, took another recording back and the head was replaced.

Problem resolved.

( The current procedure is to bleed then replace the lifters - not the complete head.)

That is the way mine went.

Call BMWNA. On my 330i SA told me that BMWNA did not authorize any work at all, including the HVA replacement, because the technician could not replicate problem. One quick call to BMWNA, and my SA calls me back an hour later saying that their technicians now can hear the noise and are going to fix it per the SIB. I've had the car back for a couple of weeks now and I don't hear the noise anymore, so I didn't need the new cylinder heads, just the HVA.

I'm always surprised at dealerships and mechanics that still don't understand how the authorization system works.

Question... did you hear the noise, please check "YES" or "NO."

Uh, "NO?"

Request denied.

Wait a minute, yeah, there is it, I can hear it now...

Request approved.

Exactly..that's what happened when I brought the SAV in the dealership. The SA told me I can't hear anything (of course, it's intermittent) and expressed doubt it is happening with X5s. Two days after, SA called me.."oh yeah, our techs heard the ticking noise" and sent request for HAV replacement authorization to BMWNA. My car had a sleepover in their garage for 5 days.

This is true, but there is an added dimension of infighting and mistrust within the dealership personnel... they never know when something like this will blowback on them.

As with so many businesses and organizations, when the people doing the work trust each other and work as a team, the customers are more likely to be happy....

A dysfunctional dealership will be less transparent and less willing to take a customer's side. IMHO

A

So what we need then is a special designation on the dealer's road sign, much like the status that a Five Star rating connotes for Chrysler dealers we should have a "Double D" status for the dysfunctional dealerships out there. In fact it could be a universal status achievable by any and all dealerships regardless of marque. Achievement might not be the right word though.

Correct. And sometimes it depends on the customer as well. To put it bluntly, some people are a bit more believable than others. When I used to do electronics repair work to make extra money in College, I would ask people what was wrong and how it happened. Some people I believed, some were clearly not reliable reporters, and others were obviously lying about what they did to it, out of embarrassment or some other odd psychology.

I suspect the better SAs also get a feeling as to who to trust, e.g., I had an intermittent problem with my CD player in the Z4. They could not replicate it in the shop, but replaced it anyway. I suspect the report to BMW said they replicated the problem. I also suspect that if I had not given such a detailed written explanation of exactly what it was doing, they might have declined. (If it's in writing, they can pass the note onto the service tech, rather than depending upon the SA writing everything down on a service order).