Any actual BMW techs on here?

[campbellj25]

I'm new around here and just curious as to how many BMW techs are roaming this board. I'm one, have been since 2000, made master level in 2003. Now I work at the "worlds largest" BMW dealer in S. Florida, or so they say it is, but I don't know what they are going by, because I have seen bigger, or seemed that way. Maybe overall sales ect.. I dunno

When I started it was the last days of new e38's being sold and the e65(nightmare) being phased in. Had some fun times working on e46's and still do, e39's e36's ect.. pretty much older than that don't really come to the dealer that often. I wouldn't either as much as it costs, but some die hard bimmer guys will bring them to the dealer no matter the costs, just for service records and "professional" BMW work. I never had that much of a chance to work on any e30's, they were pretty much milked dry by the time I arrived. Maybe a couple a year or so. I worked in Houston for several years before I made it to Florida.

I don't know about you all, but the last couple years has started getting slooooowww. We probably do about 70% warranty now, and that sucks since the nationwide pay decrease for BMW techs since last Jan. Don't make as much as I used to, so now I wonder if I actually picked the right career, but it's ok. I found another thread, pretty much for the same info, but that was 2 years ago, before the economy started taking a shit, and more ppl could have joined by then.

So where you all work? BMW? Mom and Pop shop? How's business? Warranty vs. CP work? I'm wondering how it is over the rest of the nation. Not BMW? Hows business for other makes?

[ben312]

I'm new around here and just curious as to how many BMW techs are roaming this board. I'm one, have been since 2000, made master level in 2003. Now I work at the "worlds largest" BMW dealer in S. Florida, or so they say it is, but I don't know what they are going by, because I have seen bigger, or seemed that way. Maybe overall sales ect.. I dunno

When I started it was the last days of new e38's being sold and the e65(nightmare) being phased in. Had some fun times working on e46's and still do, e39's e36's ect.. pretty much older than that don't really come to the dealer that often. I wouldn't either as much as it costs, but some die hard bimmer guys will bring them to the dealer no matter the costs, just for service records and "professional" BMW work. I never had that much of a chance to work on any e30's, they were pretty much milked dry by the time I arrived. Maybe a couple a year or so. I worked in Houston for several years before I made it to Florida.

I don't know about you all, but the last couple years has started getting slooooowww. We probably do about 70% warranty now, and that sucks since the nationwide pay decrease for BMW techs since last Jan. Don't make as much as I used to, so now I wonder if I actually picked the right career, but it's ok. I found another thread, pretty much for the same info, but that was 2 years ago, before the economy started taking a shit, and more ppl could have joined by then.

So where you all work? BMW? Mom and Pop shop? How's business? Warranty vs. CP work? I'm wondering how it is over the rest of the nation. Not BMW? Hows business for other makes?

Your pay has gone down? They increase the rates all the time.

I'm not a tech yet, but I am looking to go to school in the fall, and looking into bmw step or VW/audi program.

[StereoInstaller1]

Cars suck, lets talk politics

[campbellj25]

Your pay has gone down? They increase the rates all the time.

I'm not a tech yet, but I am looking to go to school in the fall, and looking into bmw step or VW/audi program.

Step is a good program, I went before I started, and have several friends that went to VW program, they liked it also, so good luck with that.

Yea, they increase what the dealer actually charges per hour all the time, but we never see any of that, Our dealer charges 148.00 per hour and it keeps rising.

Our actual "hourly flat rate pay" did not decrease, but BMW decided to decrease the amount of time each job actually pays to do. They have a system called Fru's or flat rate units. It used to be 8 frus to the hour, now it's 10 since Jan 1. 2009 so a job that pays 24 frus, used to come out to 3.0 hours, now it's 2.4 hours, if that makes sense.

[Skafrog]

Nice.
I'm glad I got out before everything went to the shitter.
Warranty/insurance work is about the worst you can do.

[87e30]

Offtopic: Do you have an e30?

[ak-]

Offtopic: Do you have an e30?

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?p=1802324#post1802324

[Fidhle007]

Independent tech here, mainly BMW but with a splash of other euros. Business has slowed in last month but that's pretty par for the course. Things have changed though, I'm seeing more and more customers buy out leases or keep their old car after the warranty runs out. We finally had to break down and get the E9x book a few months back... :-) The winter is usually filled with restorations but I have a feeling those will start to take a drastic turn downwards as things progress. We still have a few projects in the works but I haven't seen many new ones beating down the doors. At least we have access to aftermarket E46 front half shafts now though, that should keep us somewhat fed!

[zaust]

This is why I put the tool's down as a main job, And I now work for citroen uk selling car's to victums. But it means i can be bothered to do my own car's. where as before the last thing i wanted to do was pick up a spanner on a day off.

[mikeedler]

I'm a tech here in Germany. been doing it for about 4 years now. yeah, the oilchange crap has slowed quite a bit here--hell- the newer cars are at 30,000km between oil changes!!!-- but the work itself has picked up here in the last 2 years at our dealer.
I would 100000000000000% say that the independent shops in your area are killing your work.
here in Germany we go by the "AW" system-- 1 "AW" =5 min. yeah, bmw makes it harder and harder to "make" "extra" time-- but if you have a service manager that is worth a half a shit- he can always make it work out with guarantee crap.
and yeah, I have been working 6 days a week and "longshift" for a long time now-- and cant get motivated on my own crap at all anymore.

[mikeedler]

Warranty/insurance work is about the worst you can do.

I so totally disagree with you in so many ways. I have no idea how good or bad of a mech. you are but I bank insanely big on accident repairs-- now the high pressure fuel pumps on the crappy N52 motors- can suck the big one

[Rolla1990]

I used to be a Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge master technician, but was laid off after Chrysler shut down a bunch of dealerships. Now I work at a nice, well-run independent German shop. The pay isn't as good, but I'm in school and part time so I could care less. The work is much more interesting, and being hourly I can really spend the time to learn more and put extra care into our customer's vehicles.

IMO, a good independent shop is where it's at!

[StereoInstaller1]

I was a GM tech at one point.

CP alternator = 1 hour
Warranty alternator = .3

FU, GM.

[der affe]

i was a Porsche tech, both at the dealer and an indy shop, needed a break and switched to parts counter for a few years at a dodge dealership and an indy VW shop, then went back to wrenching on Porsches at an indy shop. got fed up with the owner's shenanigans was going to quit and was offered a job at his body shop. i did that for 4 years then went to another indy body shop who did pretty much only high end euro cars (mostly for the Penski dealer in scottsdale) got my ICAR plat certs along with recerting all my welding stuff. that owner got into crack coke, lost all the accounts and the place folded.
then i worked for the chevy dealers body CHOP which was total hack work. after 3 months i told them to pound sand and went to work for the Benz dealer in downtown phx. i worked there for 1 1/2 years until i was in an accident, basically due to their lack of safety equip in the shop, and was burnt on both arms from my shoulder down to my hands. i spend 6 months in the hospital came back for 6 and was laid off last sept.

i have been doing it both during the salad days and they lean times like now. i have seen them take away time and combine labor opps to save them $ and screw the tech.
at present the offset of the $ output for the tools you have to buy VS the money you take home is too out of wack for me and i don't ever see it totally comming back. i also don't like how it sucked away my desire to have fun with my hobby, cars.
i said fuck it and am getting ready to start school to be a pharm tech then eventually a pharmacist.

[3bvert]

In the late 60's worked in virginia as a wrench, and got to play wih a group of guys called group 44 ( tulis) who race triumphs, my dad raced a morgan. In the 70's I worked at a triumph jaguar puegot renault dealership in florida. warranty work pay sucked and the new techs usually did the warranty stuff, you lost your butt for a while, but you learned to be fast.
teh most fun was the new car inspections, as you torqued everything, checked everything, and then took em on a back road drive, to help burn off cosmolene, we had some fun races.
Moved to Oregon and went to the chrysler/dodge dealership. I was the only guy who would work on the froeign stuff, made big money', no book time, what it took was what it took

but like others, after a few years, after working long days, working on my own stuff was not what I wanted to do at night,
burned out and went into construction
now I work on my cars, friends ( or friends of friends) bmw's volvos and the rare english car ( not many left around here) and bmw airhead motorcycles. charge less then 30 an hour book time, but often take much longer to do a good caring job
arthritis is starting to kick in to my hands and stuff, so its getting hard to be fast and aside from the bosch stuff on the e-30's I hate computers and fuel infection, mostly cause I dont have the diagnositc tools.

of all the sports cars Ive owned,( mostly british) my current e30 vert is my favorite and also currently ride a R80RT bmw airhead.