BMW Servicing cost in Oz

[PridenJoy]

Yes agreed about the nineties. I love the early mercs, big fan of the 50's 60's and 70's Mercs. And the present Mercs have it all over BMW's for Looks and performance.

I guess this would be the equivalent of a Ford V Holden discussion in Germany.

[T3rminator]

Can you believe these cars i.e. 1999 540i are going for GB2,000....

That translates to about $3,000 at today's exchange rate.

[AU Mont]

the thread touches on regular servicing costs, but i wonder, how many limbs would he have to sell if replacement drivetrain parts, or obscure interior plastics were needed to be replaced?

theres a 2002 Audi twin turbo wagon on carsales for 14k that i would love to buy right now, but i would be forever crossing my fingers that everything held together because fixing something like that would be a nightmare id imagine

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by AU Mont

the thread touches on regular servicing costs, but i wonder, how many limbs would he have to sell if replacement drivetrain parts, or obscure interior plastics were needed to be replaced?

theres a 2002 Audi twin turbo wagon on carsales for 14k that i would love to buy right now, but i would be forever crossing my fingers that everything held together because fixing something like that would be a nightmare id imagine

I should have titled the thread "BMW Maintenance cost in oz"

[SumoDog68]

It is pretty simple with older euros , stay away from them. They were high tech in their time and all those complex systems are expensive to fix or replace.
Think of vacuum operated door locks , Multlink rear suspension with lots of bushes to replace , canbus wiring etc.
They update their models rapidly and parts can be obtained at premium cost.
I know some own older BMW or Merc and havent spent much on them . Generally most owners choose not to repaire non essential items due to cost.
These cars can be good weekend enthusiasts car but for a reliable daily drive look elsewhere.
They are cheap for a reason.

[Djrystofer]

I can only speak for Volkswagen, but these are the recent costs on the Bora
Needed new coil pack on 5th cyl - $560
Basic service - $770

So yeah, not cheap, but honestly, I don't mind the cost. The comfort & refinement of them makes them worth every dollar.

[ryeman]

BMW are selling to a business which can write off the expenses, including servicing and parts.
Private sales are to the affluent.

[|Nate]

Originally Posted by Djrystofer

I can only speak for Volkswagen, but these are the recent costs on the Bora
Needed new coil pack on 5th cyl - $560
Basic service - $770

So yeah, not cheap, but honestly, I don't mind the cost. The comfort & refinement of them makes them worth every dollar.

Were those prices from a Volkswagen stealership?

[JG66ME]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Can you believe these cars i.e. 1999 540i are going for GB2,000....

That translates to about $3,000 at today's exchange rate.

My brother drives a 2006 530D with M Sport pack and paid GBP6000 for it. Same car here is about 35k. We just get reamed.

[Yellow_Festiva]

I have an Autotrader style magazine packed away that I got from London last time I was there, heaps of cars that were selling for 20-30% of their value here.

Mercs, Beemers, Volvos.... made me cry....

[getjpi]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

My brother drives a 2006 530D with M Sport pack and paid GBP6000 for it. Same car here is about 35k. We just get reamed.

Sounds about right, In 2006 I paid £9k for a 2002 E39 530D SE with all the trimmings and 88000 miles on the clock, I put another 50k on it and got £3k for it in Jan 2011 just before moving down here.

Was so tempted to put it in a container, but the E39 was never sold in diesel down here and I thought discretion was the better part of valour on that one.

The solution to this rort is unfettered personal imports plus an update to the ADR to require all car makers by law to share all servicing information and sale of diagnostic machinery with independent non franchised garages as the way forward.

It's the law in Europe,
I never took the BMW to a franchised dealer for servicing, I used to use the local independent Bosch service centre

http://autoserviceandtuning.boschauto.co.uk/

They had the exact same diagnostic equipment used by the franchised dealers and were 1/3 the price, great guys.

[getjpi]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva;471****

I have an Autotrader style magazine packed away that I got from London last time I was there, heaps of cars that were selling for 20-30% of their value here.

Mercs, Beemers, Volvos.... made me cry....

This one ?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/


Assuming we had a govt who actually cared about consumers rather than rent seeking producer interests. There is a big enough market here for some enterprising entrepreneurial types to regularly charter and fill an 8000 unit car carrier with RHD stock of decent motors for resale down here.

Simple quality measure of less than ten years old, less than 150000 KM and must posses a 12 month UK MOT as the entry criteria.

It would light a well deserved fire under under those companies ripping off punters

I'll have first dibs on this

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...?logcode=ucbnp

[Rev28K]

I was talking to a guy today who had a BMW 540 (the one before the E39, the E34?). He said that the auto gearbox fluid was sealed for "life". He'd heard horror stories of cars needing expensive gearbox rebuilds at 250k and he sold his at 200k last year. He loved the car but worried about the cost of things going wrong.

The bits do seem to work hard (auto lowering and raising of side glass on the coupes, passenger left side mirror dropping down when reversing, seat belt "monkey" handing you the seatbelt on the coupes). Check that the TV picks up digital TV and that the phone kit can talk to your current phone.

Some of the rubbers don't seem to hold up that well. A guy at work has a Z4 and the windshield heady rubber is looking very ratty. Another guy has a 2007 3 series and the rubber around the sunroof looks a bit sus. While he likes that it tells him if a particular lamp has blown he doesn't appreciate it when he checks and the lamp is fine. Another guy traded in his 2001 E39 540 in 2007 and had spent $2k at a dealership for sensors/rubbers on the rear suspension.

On the other hand some of the yanks love doing LSX conversions on the things.

[BA GT-HO]

The LCD displays in the E39s tend to fail quite often (the actual cable that connects the LCD to the circuit board) and the M5s have VANOS issues, failed main bearings, clutches are prone to fast wear, suspension bushes wear fast too and they drink oil like no tomorrow.

Would I still buy one? Yes.

The E46 M3 is also on the list, they have SMG problems, rear subframe issues on some cars etc, but who cares, buy a manual and hope for the best. They are awesome cars.

[Franco Cozzo]

I really like the BMW 850i coupes, they're a real "grand tourer" type car, big, comfy, and big-*** engine, V12

[EDManual]

I am just having a look at e39 m5s, go for about 6000 pounds in UK.
And the 380kw V10 m5s go for just 12000!!!!!!!! aghh!!! Thats what Aus!$20,000!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by getjpi

This one ?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/


Assuming we had a govt who actually cared about consumers rather than rent seeking producer interests. There is a big enough market here for some enterprising entrepreneurial types to regularly charter and fill an 8000 unit car carrier with RHD stock of decent motors for resale down here.

Simple quality measure of less than ten years old, less than 150000 KM and must posses a 12 month UK MOT as the entry criteria.

It would light a well deserved fire under under those companies ripping off punters

I'll have first dibs on this

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...?logcode=ucbnp

That's the one. I did look into buying a few cars and shipping them over but I think you needed to own them over there for a year to bring newer stock across.

Bugger.....

[EDManual]

how about bringing over unregisterable crashed v10 M5s and moving the running gear into something cool like a little e30 M3 like seems to be the go in Germany!

[BA GT-HO]

Originally Posted by EDManual

how about bringing over unregisterable crashed v10 M5s and moving the running gear into something cool like a little e30 M3 like seems to be the go in Germany!

You would not want to do that to an actual E30 M3. It's like putting an RB26 in an XY GT.

[Cheese3]

Originally Posted by BA GT-HO

The E46 M3 is also on the list, they have SMG problems, rear subframe issues on some cars etc, but who cares, buy a manual and hope for the best. They are awesome cars.

No sane person buys a automatic M3

Originally Posted by BA GT-HO

You would not want to do that to an actual E30 M3. It's like putting an RB26 in an XY GT.

I think we know he means just a e30 coupe shell . . .

[Bearman]

Originally Posted by Bearman

I've seen X5's going fairly cheap (sub $20k) on car sales. 2001 to 2004 with km's ranging from 120K to 200K. Mix of 6 and V8, diesels are dearer.

These have piqued my interest. Online reviews reckon the diesel is the pick, the 6 is a bit sluggish and the V8 is great but loves a drink.

Just wondering what the known issues are.

My interest has now been un-piqued!!

I rang a couple of independent BMW service places for advice and what to look for. One place said not to touch them with a bargepole!!

Another place went into more detail and not as negative but the underlying opinion was having one is an expensive problem child.

Needless to say I have done a cleanout of saved vehicles on my i-phone app!!

[ryeman]

I still recon you have to be running a v profitable business to cope with the worry of a prestige European vehicle . OR
Be wealthy.

[mcnews]

Yes anywone that works at a BMW or VW dealership will tell you to run a mile from X5s and high end Touraeg etc. There is a good reason they are worth a third of what they cost in only a couple of years. VW dealers even quite often wholesale them straight away when they get secondhand ones in as they don't want to cop the statutory warranty period to a new buyer through them. I nearly bought a 100,000km V-10 Touareg with all the fruit, a 130k car with its options, for 40k in Melbourne. I have two mates that work at VW dealerships in other states, they said they wouldn't even take it as a trade in unless they were making huge money on the car they were selling and even then they would wholesale it as soon as possible. Any small thing can be a 10k ask to fix.

[lpggo]

Originally Posted by Bearman

My interest has now been un-piqued!!

I rang a couple of independent BMW service places for advice and what to look for. One place said not to touch them with a bargepole!!

We havw two X5 s in my partnership a 05 diesel purchased new, poverty pack, slighty upgraded, now done 150k kms. No problems and reasonable service costs ( independant) . Cost 85K new worth about 25 k now. Reliable , fuel miser great to drive.

Because of that positve experience bought 18 months ago a 2003 4.4 is, with all the fruit $150k new. Private UK import LPG VI gas, Total cost $20K, spent 3K on new local bosch installed alternator , Bmw wanted 6k or $2k option wih USA or UK parts. I wanted oz warannty on parts and labour.

Alternator is liquid cooled 220 amps on X5 V8 looks like a 35 amp small jap unit.

On gas is cheaper to run than diesel and with 19 inch 255/50 rubber V8 out handles, out guns diesel. Same weight, and on beach and mud is better 4WD.

Have a look at toyoto or subaru parts prices, BMW is often cheaper

[DTFRMONT]

Have an E39 535i. Picked it up cheaply at auction for $5800 last year. Was looking to spend more on an FG or VE, but anything at a reasonable price was on the rough side...

Been a great car so far, fantastic economy for what it is, and the running costs are very reasonable if you're prepared to look around for parts. I've saved a bit of money getting things like filters & the like on ebay, but I had to get a new water pump a couple of months back, paid $250 from a local guy, the same price as online. If you're prepared to do some work yourself, there's loads of online forums as well.

As above, a lot of the Japanese stuff (Honda, Mazda & Subaru especially), can be as expensive or quite often more expensive to service & repair.

[ryeman]

The japs don't water cool their alternators, its a weak link in the BM, I'd convert it for peace of mind.

[RJx307]

My brother bought an e39 99' 528i while in melbourne a few years ago for approx 4k due to it being in constant limp mode and the owner thought/was quoted the trans as the issue...It had 175k on the clock...brother had abs sensor/abs unit replaced for 500 and has to replace a timing belt or something similar for 800 since then, only had it serviced once for 350 and its running 210k with literally no problems at all, The engine is a serious master piece and I've often a few times left the xr6t in the garage to drive it.

If you find a fair bmw mechanic that isn't from a dealer then you are laughing...I almost bought two e46 330ci's for under 13k but went for the xr6t instead(dream car)...slightly kicking myself now as the cheapest 330ci i see on carsales is now 16-17k in adelaide.

[deesun]

Originally Posted by RJx307

I almost bought two e46 330ci's for under 13k but went for the xr6t instead(dream car)...slightly kicking myself now as the cheapest 330ci i see on carsales is now 16-17k in adelaide.

We must be living similar dreams, I have a FG XR6T and needed to upgrade wifes BA XR6 so she got a 330ci. We swapped recently so I could drive top down in QLDs great winter weather. She said the T was great to drive and she could tell the differences. I thought it would be hard getting it back but where she parks she can get the BM in easier and that was a deal breaker. She has it back now and although its not the same I now have a sunroof in the T.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by lpggo

We havw two X5 s in my partnership a 05 diesel purchased new, poverty pack, slighty upgraded, now done 150k kms. No problems and reasonable service costs ( independant) . Cost 85K new worth about 25 k now. Reliable , fuel miser great to drive.

Because of that positve experience bought 18 months ago a 2003 4.4 is, with all the fruit $150k new. Private UK import LPG VI gas, Total cost $20K, spent 3K on new local bosch installed alternator , Bmw wanted 6k or $2k option wih USA or UK parts. I wanted oz warannty on parts and labour.

Alternator is liquid cooled 220 amps on X5 V8 looks like a 35 amp small jap unit.

On gas is cheaper to run than diesel and with 19 inch 255/50 rubber V8 out handles, out guns diesel. Same weight, and on beach and mud is better 4WD.

Have a look at toyoto or subaru parts prices, BMW is often cheaper

3K for an alternator is not very cheap - landcruiser 2UZ-FE is around $500 . Don't get me wrong X5 is a great concept , practical SUV that handles better then many sedans is safe and looks good. They are also one of the most unreliable cars one could buy. Cost of running one is prohibitive for most people . It is great to hear that you are having good run out of yours - I know few people who loved theirs but sold them due to cost of upkeep.