dealership "car is to old to run well"

[Jean]

lol, dealers = warranty work.

[Massive Lee]

Many independent BMW shops are equipped almost as well as dealers when it comes to diagnostic computers and software updaters. They have no choice but to spend the money or face extinction. Find one and you'll be happy. My local independent started 35 years ago and never changed location. So, they know 2500s, Bavarias, 2002s as well as e39s, e46s and newer cars.

[Rennsport]

stealers by and large just want to do warrant work and source the parts for said work. They don't want to dig through the ETK to find parts, they don't want to work on "old" motors, etc. I only take my x5 to the dealer because I have to, everything else goes to independant shops.

dealerships loose there asses on warranty work. which gets pushed off onto the mechanics...

[markseven]

dealerships loose there asses on warranty work. which gets pushed off onto the mechanics...

I don't think so. IIRC, warranty work is a profit center for dealerships - billable to BMW.

[uofom3]

I don't think so. IIRC, warranty work is a profit center for dealerships - billable to BMW.

that is my understanding as well.

[Funkmasta]

which dealer was this?

[DaveSmed]

I don't think so. IIRC, warranty work is a profit center for dealerships - billable to BMW.

Absolutely, think BMW is going to part with the cash easily? Warranty work blows.

[Mastrcruse]

I should drag my 1600 out to a dealer.

haha someone should find an isetta and take her over there.

We have a Bavarian Autosport private shop here in Perrysburg, awesome guy/service and work. He works with you to if you have old cars because he loves seeing them.

[Farbin Kaiber]

I don't think so. IIRC, warranty work is a profit center for dealerships - billable to BMW.

Profit, none the less, but, little known fact is the manufacturer, BMW NA, supplies the parts anyways, so there is nothing in it for the parts counter, list minus 20% is jobber, dealer still makes money, warranty IIRC is about 30% below list, so they loose there, then warranty flag time is ALWAYS 20% less time then customer pay flag time, so you make less money from warranty, but you get the work regardless. no need to "sell" the job, only thing you have to do is deal with the fact that you would make 30% more if a customer paid for the same work.

[markseven]

Profit, none the less, but, little known fact is the manufacturer, BMW NA, supplies the parts anyways, so there is nothing in it for the parts counter, list minus 20% is jobber, dealer still makes money, warranty IIRC is about 30% below list, so they loose there, then warranty flag time is ALWAYS 20% less time then customer pay flag time, so you make less money from warranty, but you get the work regardless. no need to "sell" the job, only thing you have to do is deal with the fact that you would make 30% more if a customer paid for the same work.

And that is why I believe that BMW (and other manu's), pandering to the dealerships, does not rectify known design flaws or production compromises, and continues to use defective parts throughout a model's production run.

[CorvallisBMW]

Last time I was at Rasmusen here in Portland, I noticed a ton of e30s around the area. I asked the guy at the parts counter what was up, and all he said was 'Yeah, all the techs drive e30s' :)

[mtechnik]

I asked the guy at the parts counter what was up, and all he said was 'Yeah, all the techs drive e30s' :)

Neat!

Says something or not!! ;)

[bimmer8604]

That sucks your dealer said they wouldn't reprogram your car. Even if it was CP. But to be honest, if I had a car come into my bay that was a swapped e30 and they wanted it programed, I would tell the SA that I don't feel comfortable doing the work.

I have to cover my own ass in this area, as being that it's a swapped car there are plenty of other control modules that haven't been swapped as well and it may cause more problem than its worth for me to fuck around with. I've never had to program a swap car, but I cant imagine it going very smoothly.

As far as warranty vs cp jobs, warranty sucks when there is plenty of CP work to be done. But during slow season aka now - warranty is gold. I love doing warranty window regulators and thermostats and inspections. All big money tickets. My first month at the dealership I worked on 3 different e30's because "He drives one, he can work on it" There is only one other guy - 50 somethin years old - that has ever worked on one.

So to put it short, the dealer you called probably wanted to cover their ass, because it honestly isn't fair to the technician to spend 2 hours fucking around on a car and only get paid 30 minutes or so.

Kyle

[Farbin Kaiber]

If you read the post, I don't think they even got to the point of finding out it was swapped. They still thought it was an m20.


yep, see he called the service dept.

[kellie]

stealers by and large just want to do warrant work and source the parts for said work.

LOL, wow. You are so wrong.