"Party-vi" (party-vi) 06/08/2018 at 10:09 • Filed to: GET A PPI, Ze Germans, E46 things

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For anyone interested in cheap German cars with no service history, may I present a quote that the dealer sent me regarding my low coolant light on my E46.

ETA: Actually from when my heat didn’t work the first winter I had the thing (so I had it for 8 months and put 10,000 miles on it).

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:18

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HOOOOOOLY.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:18

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There is nothing more expensive than a cheap German car.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:19

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I’m assuming the big ticket items over $1k require the engine to come out...if you do all of them at once i feel like itemizing them individually is kind of bullshit. But why are the rear shocks so damn expensive?

Party-vi > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 06/08/2018 at 10:21

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Nope. Engine in, but the oil pan gasket requires fucking everything off the front of the engine.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:21

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You got a free world class inspection, so there’s that.

Party-vi > Future next gen S2000 owner 06/08/2018 at 10:24

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Free inspection if you elect to do anything listed. Otherwise it’s an hour of shop time. You do get a nice int/ext detail though.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:24

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Sheesh...

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:24

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Just buy another 3 series and drive until total failure.

duurtlang > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:25

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That’s absurd. What are they charging per hour?

Party-vi > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 06/08/2018 at 10:26

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I really liked my E46 but I don’t miss it as much as I though I might.

Party-vi > duurtlang 06/08/2018 at 10:27

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$120

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:28

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The most expensive repair on my Mazda3 since I’ve owned it was a set of tires for about $400. I just did plugs for about $30 and full brakes is about $200 if you DIY.

duurtlang > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:33

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That’s a lot. Explains some of the cost. Is it an actual BMW dealer? 

I thought the shop I take my older French cars to was pricey at the equivalent of $79 USD/hour.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:34

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What is that saying? There is nothing more expensive than a cheap German car?

That said, $1,400 for a rear main seal seems shockingly reasonable, as is all the cooling system work. Not a good price, mind you, but not bad .

Most of this seems to be “car is going to leak a little oil” which falls under the category of “bear shits in woods” for most cars. I’ll admit I like to keep mine mostly dry underneath, but kitty litter costs a lot less than $12,000...

Also also, the GMC dealer (once upon a time) claimed my filter housing seal was leaking. It was not. It was a loose filter. They too wanted about $600 to “fix” that “problem” so... take all of this with a grain of salt, as I am sure you are already doing.

Party-vi > duurtlang 06/08/2018 at 10:35

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It’s an actual BMW dealer. Shit I’d love to find a place that was still $79/hour. When I worked at my local Sunoco station/shop over a decade ago their rate was $85/hour.

Party-vi > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 06/08/2018 at 10:37

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I knew for a fact that the housing seal had already been replaced (when I fucked up my plug installation somehow).

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:43

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Fucked up plug install leads to new oil filter housing? O_o

LOREM IPSUM > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 10:49

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They know that a new oil filter housing gasket comes included in the box with every filter, right?

Also, $540 for a secondary o2 sensor? C’mon guys, ffs.

$615 for a, probably $150 LCA, that can be installed in roughly a half hour.

Great place for a PPI, but I wouldn’t give them a penny more than the cost of said PPI because they’re pretty much thieves.

His Stigness > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 06/08/2018 at 11:28

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Nope just remove the front subframe. It’s a bitch of a job. The E90's are actually easier even though it’s the same process.

His Stigness > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 11:30

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Usually when I see people go into the dealer for an inspection or an El Cheapo oil change they come back with a list of utter bullshit.

This list on the other hand, well, I don’t see a thing on their that I wouldn’t expect it to actually need.

And $120 an hour from a BMW dealer is dirt cheap now.

NojustNo > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 11:31

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I like how the oil filter housing gasket replacement price went up $200 for no reason.

Party-vi > NojustNo 06/08/2018 at 11:38

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Oh that is a weird one.

Party-vi > LOREM IPSUM 06/08/2018 at 11:40

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They mean the gasket between the block and the oil filter housing.

Man I feel that O2 sensor price because it was a bitch to do it myself.

The LCA’s weren’t bad at all. Pretty easy swap once I had everything figured out.

Party-vi > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo 06/08/2018 at 11:41

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Nah. Immediately after I bought it I did the plugs and then took it to an indy for trans service. They said some moron put the wrong plugs in and I had a couple misfires, and the oil filter housing gasket needed replaced. So I had that done.

LOREM IPSUM > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 11:55

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Oh, THAAAT gasket. Ok, little more sensible, but dat price tho!

What made the o2 sensor such a bear? I’ve done a few, though never on a 3 series, but were always pretty easy. Unplug. Unscrew. Rescrew. Replug. Sometimes had to use leg power to break em free though. Curious if it was just oxidized or unreasonably difficult to access or something.

Party-vi > LOREM IPSUM 06/08/2018 at 12:05

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Raise the car in the driveway on jack stands and remove the exhaust south of the resonator, and then the fucker was seized in there so heat & cool & heat & cool to get it to break loose.

LOREM IPSUM > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 12:11

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Remove the exhaust? To replace a secondary o2 sensor? Maaan, they German engineered the shit out of that thing, to the benefit of only their service department.

Took me a few minutes to pull both of the secondaries on my e38. Inserted anti-foulers. Reinstalled sensors. CEL gone. Life good.

Party-vi > LOREM IPSUM 06/08/2018 at 12:13

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From what I remember it gave me more room to work under there. That thing would. not. budge.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 14:32

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I need my sunroof fixed and a new exhaust gasket. I’m scared to get a quote.

Party-vi > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/08/2018 at 14:57

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Sunroof? Is the shade stuck?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Party-vi 06/08/2018 at 20:26

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The cables are out of sync (wind deflector wont retract) and it doesn’t seal right. Google says it’s a cracked cap on one of the rails and it’s a very labor intensive job.

It’s letting water in. Negligible amounts that dry quickly, but still.

Snowrydr01 > Party-vi 06/11/2018 at 16:07

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oil filter housing gasket quote went up $200 since last recommended?

Party-vi > Snowrydr01 06/11/2018 at 16:28

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Guess they’re mad I didn’t get it done.