- Report: #601451
Complaint Review: Auto West BMW - Richmond British Columbia
Reported By:
Rita -
Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Submitted:
Updated:
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Author Confirmed
Why?
Auto West BMW
10780 Cambie Rd Richmond, V6X 1K8 British Columbia, United States of America
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Auto West BMW computerized cars result in unnecessary repairs Richmond, British Columbia
Unknowingly when the car is left on a parking lot for a few months, instead of mileage being recorded, the computer records the length of time, therefore the vehicle is not accumulating miles, just time and hours which resulted in the computer telling you that a inspection service was needed, also resulting in having to acquire a new battery for $200. which could have been purchased by our mechanic for $110. The brake fluid had to be changed even if the vehicle only has 40,000km. The engine belts were replaced, it was recommended the brakes needed flushing. All for $1323.93. Now if my husband being a mechanic did the repairs for much less, the computer would not recognize the work done, which means that you must take your vehicle back to the dealer each time the computer informs you of a problem.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Bill d
lbts,Florida,
U.S.A.
to the author
#2General Comment
Sat, May 22, 2010
it seems you are pissed about the cost to maintain,and to even maintain period and that you can't do it yourself--matter as fact it is hard to decifer what your talking about---in any case--for 1--i also own a bmw-325ci-2002---i must say these are by far the easiest cars to work on--me being a mechanic i have done my own maintenance since the day i bought it in 2002 new---i know how to reset my own service indicator-to reset this light you are talking about you need to turn the key to the ACC position-at the very same time hold down the trip odometer button in the dash for about 5 seconds-take your hand off when you see reset-then press reset again and hold the button down and the reset will flash--when it flashes take your hand off the button and press it again and the mileage is now reset---i have a code reader to read codes(my check engine light has went on twice-1 for the IAC and the other for the thermostat)---i have changed the belts twice--i also had to replace the fan clutch and the idler pulley which is very easy to do--also my alternator/red battery light in the dash came on,so i changed the voltage regulator inside the alternator for 50$-this was also easy to do--there is 120k miles on this car----first off--it is recommended you replace your brake fluid either every 2 years or after every time you replace pads/rotors--i also do this---you only need a vacuum to suck the fluid out of the reservoir and just refill it--this is not complicated---after all--you chnage your engine oil right?--why not change the brake oil/fluid--the power steering fluid??--i'll bet this never occured to you---with my frequesnt fluid changes--i have no leaks on this vehicle after 120k---as for the battery--um--if you let the car sit the battery will go dead--i seen this as a car salesman and a lot of the new vehicles that were sitting on the lot for a while would not start due to a dead battery--just recharged the battery---by the way--battery replacement on these vehicles are also simple---also you talk about your husband doing repairs and the computer didn't recognize the work done--it means this--you did not know how to reset your lights--besides the service/inspection light(only appears when the vehicle is first turned on)-there is also a brake warning light meaning your pads are very low--this light you can also reset--after doing brakes turn the key to ON(do not start the engine) for 30 seconds and the light goes away---you do not need the dealer for most basic repairs on this vehicle--the only time you should need the dealer is if you need to reporogram a key or the computer if you replace certain modules being the computer-the EWS-the starter--and the instrument cluster---these problems do not occur often--again--your just pissed off you don't know how to maintain this car and your husband either-with all due respect
Ronny g
North hollywood,California,
USA
BMW, Mercedes..repair/maintenance=expensive
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, May 10, 2010
This is part of the price you pay to drive a BMW. You are forced to go to the dealer for many things you can not do yourself, or anyone really but an authorized BMW service center..hence they can charge whatever they want, they have a monopoly so to speak.
Now of course items in the vehicle need replacement due to the amount of mileage, and time intervals..nothing lasts forever and things to go bad over time, not out of the ordinary. Oil, belts even tires can suffer damage over time even if unused, and I am sure BMW knows this.
Here is the good news. Most of these system resets for maintenance scheduling can be reset by the owner. Of course the dealer wants to hook it up to their "computers" for this and charge you a buttload..but I would look through the owners manual for the reset procedures which normally only consist of key turning sequences and a press of the odometer..simple actions like that.
Some may require jumping of ground to a pin in the diagnostics plug to do a reset. Although I would not recommend a novice attempt this, you could probably find a local auto electrician that would do this for well under $200.00.
Do an internet search and read through the BMW forums. Just make sure the person you bring it to if any jumping is required knows what they are doing. Ask to see their certifications. You can't always trust what you read on a forum so always good to get a 2nd and sometimes 3rd opinion.
Keep in mind maintenance scheduling is not the same a trouble code or light that is warning you of an actual problem. If you are lucky, you may be able to find a shop that has the proper diagnostic equipment that can read and decipher BMW trouble codes...if not you may be trapped into paying the stealership a few days pay for the "arduous" task they have to go through.... plug in a connector and take a reading.
My only advice is to live with it and enjoy the luxury of a BMW, or buy a used Ford.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Not sure what the RipOff is
#4Consumer Comment
Sun, May 09, 2010
Recomended service is usually in terms of Time or Distance. Such as an Oil Change at 3,000 Miles OR 3 Months.
Any service "reminder" does not know when or by who a service was done. As a mechanic he should know that these can be reset, even if the service was not performed. I don't believe that BMW's are any different and it may just take a quick search for your specific model to find out how to reset the counters.
Now, this is not the same as the cars system detecting an error. Such as if it detects low voltage on a battery, until that battery is replaced you can reset it as many times as you want but that indicator will come right back on. If it requires a Code Reader to get the error code and he does not have one, there should be serveral independent shops(and some auto parts stores) that may read the codes for free, or a small cost. Then if he can find out what the code means he could fix it on his own without going to the dealer.
At least in the US, and I don't know if Canada is the same, you do not have to have service done by the dealer. As long as you can prove that service was performed, you will still be covered under any warranty issues. So if he did the work himself and kept all of the receipts, they could not deny any warranty claims.
