Blown engine E9* M3 coupe

Blown engine E9* M3 coupe

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LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Friday 6th February 2015
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I'm close to naming and shaming the dealer too. They're comment when I took it in "and when would you like to drop it in?" Ermmmmm try right fking now.

They've still not rung me back with any sort of update some 24 hours after I gave them the car.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Friday 6th February 2015
quotequote all
It's apparently an oxygen sensor, it that was replaced whe all the gremlins kicked in after the engine was replaced. I'm not convinced amd told them so, especially with additional noise I was hearing just before the fairy lights kicked in. The technician has been "working on it all day and is waiting for a call back from BMW" I'm wondering if that's a smokescreen for a different dicspussion that's happening. Or maybe I should get a tinfoil hat of my own.

On the S1000RR piece I've had several and track / race one as well as the road HP4, I'm six foot and it fits me like a glove, much better than the old R1 did and that was a bigger bike. Try it, you'll like it, but get the R1 instead, or a ZX10. I know I am next time on principle.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Friday 6th February 2015
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Stone Cold said:
Loon, Ive got a 2011 S1000RR now but the latest is leaps ahead apparently, but I do like the look of the R1 too so will give it a go

Edit. blimey just seen the R1 Pricing, may have to wait a year!

Edited by Stone Cold on Friday 6th February 16:47
It might be leaps ahead if you're a top level racer, I'm not and the HP4 flatters me, so I can't see any value in changing yet.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Friday 6th February 2015
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If it is andnce again it's PH that solves the problem, then it's time for be to be snotty with BMW about them not knowing their arse from their fuel pumps.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Update:

It's now been in since Thursday and has finally been diagnosed. There is a crack somewhere in the exhaust, so it needs replacing. The cost £2995 with a discount. I nearly choked.

The dealer has managed to get the exhaust for free for me, as long as I pay the labour (just over £400).

If I'm lucky I'll have it back before the weekend, so another week's ownership lost to the workshop.

I have to say that the whole M ownership piece has been nothing other than ste for me and I'll be going elsewhere fairly shortly for my next cars and bikes. I know they're highly strung cars, but I expected better quality and better longevity too. Thoroughly disenchanted with BMW across the board now.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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I'm sitting here without a car amd relying on my van (used only for motorbike trackday transport) to get about. No offer of a car and no real understanding of the impact. It's not disastrous at the moment as I'm messing about waiting on a new contract to start, but still frustrating.

I'm binning this car the first chance I get and walking away from BMW all together.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Apparently, this isn't warranty! I've got the top of the range Comprehensive Insured Warranty. First on the list of exclusions? You guessed it, all exhaust components, excluding the catalytic converter.



Edited by LoonR1 on Tuesday 10th February 21:22

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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I'm being calm, but I'm not finished yet. I just need the car back. I would've said "want" but in all honesty if they'd turned round and offered me some cash for it, then I'd have taken it. It's a large NW dealer too. The warranty was free afte re last round of fk ups. No doubt more to follow.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Saturday 14th February 2015
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My patience finally ran out yesterday.

On Tuesday there was a promise made that the part would be shipped that day from BMW Germany on a 24hr courier and then fitted immediately. The time meant that it may well be Friday, but they would do all they could for it to be ready for Thursday.

Thursday came and went and I was tied up sorting out the details of a new (nice and lucrative) contract, so let it slide. By Friday afternoon I was getting a bit peeved at the lack of contact and update, so I rang. The below is their response:

"We still haven't got the part. We're not sure if it's even left Germany yet, I'll chase it up for you. I might be able to get you a courtesy car as one is back now."

And that was it. I've now got a 116d car. No idea when the part will arrive as it wasn't sent by special courier and isn't tracked. I have to say that spending £65k on a brand new M3 3 years ago was the worst car buying decision I've ever made. I've probably lost 6-8 weeks use in the last 9 months and have no confidence that they are able to fix it. So instead I'm driving round in a bottom of the ramge 1 series, which is a fking expensive car to say the least based on what's left my account for the privilege.

Anyway, Friday afternoon was spent wih even more money heading towards the firm of solicitors I'm currently using for my house purchase and will arrangements,,as their consumer law person constructs a rather damning letter amd lays out the expectations.

If anyone is interested I bought the car from this NW dealership and have had it serviced at another of their dealerships along with all the warranty work. Their name is identical to a one time very successful F1 team where Senna's life sadly ended.

Their MD will be receiving the letter and subsequent proceedings in short order.

I'm also done with highly strung sports cars, so am going for a decent sized engined diesel barge this time round. The moment I get this M3 back is the moment it gets PXed for something else.

Also, Amy odd wamt an S1000RR race / trackbike or a road HP4 Carbon? They're getting sold and swapped for the new R1 for both uses as well.

Complete joke.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Monday 16th February 2015
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Stone Cold said:
Prob too rich for me but PM me with a price for the HP4
I think I'm going to keep,it. I've promised myself that I'm buying some more houses to rent out this year, so not taking the hit on it after just two years. I'll probably write it off anyway before I get round to selling it properly.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Wednesday 18th February 2015
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The final chapter?

Got the car back yesterday, after what seems like an eternity.

First drive and feels a million times better if I'm honest and more like what I expected when I first bought it. Maybe, just maybe it's finally working well.

I have to say fair play to the deer after all the shenanigans too, they chose to waive the labour too so it was a pleasant surprise. I know some will say they should've done that anyway and I agree, but having resigned myself to paying it, it was nice to not have to.

Let's see how the next few weeks go, as I'm really torn between getting rid and being free of it vs tying up a load more money in something else.

Nearly forgot. This car has had over £20k in new parts in the past 9 months. God knows what that comes to with labour! Off the top of my head, new engine, exhaust, battery, O2 sensors, tracker and a few other miscellaneous sensors.

Edited by LoonR1 on Wednesday 18th February 07:58

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Monday 15th June 2015
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Yet another tale of woe with this pile of st car.

Friday 5th June and the amber Engine Management warning light came on. Duly took it to the dealer who in their new "helpful" style advised it couldn't be even looked at until the following Tuesday. Turns out it needs a new DMV whatever that is is needed. As usual, the only one available is in Germany and will take until Friday to get here.

I get a call on Friday saying it's been fitted but they want to roadtest it so it'll be available on Saturday morning. And then the phone call on Saturday morning to do say that the part hasn't resolved the issue.

During the past week, I've asked three times for the Dealer Principal or the MD to call me to discuss this car and been ignored all the way. Even BMW who asked me to email them after a tweet have now gone silent too.

So it's over to the legal side.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Tuesday 16th June 2015
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Really appreciate the offer and thank you

Replacing the DME (told you I've no idea about the workings of cars!) has had no effect at all. They're now checking all the wiring, as both lambda sensors are showing as faulty again. To show the incompetence of the staff, I had to tell them that these came up as faulty last time when it turned out that the exhaust had cracked and needed replacing. To show how good they are at skimping, they kept the old ones in place, rather than replacing them last time.

They have no idea at all what to do, their tech is ringing Germany on a regular basis and Germany are just as stumped.

It wouldn't take much for them to say "Clearly this car is a problem car and we're very sorry for this. Here's the full retail value as shown by Glasses Guide and we apologise for the pain you've been through". Of course I'm dreaming as customer service seems to be an alien concept to them.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Tuesday 16th June 2015
quotequote all
I use the same dealer for bikes and cars, although the techs are obviously different (not difficult to work out which dealer in the NW now). Double frustration is that the Dealer Principal doesn't really seem that bothered about losing my new car & bike custom and servicing loyalty. Maybe I'm an awkward customer by expecting my car to work.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Tuesday 16th June 2015
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More than likely, although who knows what the others will come out with next year?

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Wednesday 19th August 2015
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Yes plenty. I had yet another Amber engine management warning light come on about three weeks ago, which took the usual 10 days to fix. It's now with solicitors, with the FOS being the second stage of the process. BMW UK have zero interest in this, although my contract is with the dealer who does seem reasonably concerned and is trying to resolve this. They made a derisory offer initially, we're now up to a more acceptable figure, but I want cash, not a big trade in figure.

I'll see what the FOS say before accepting anything, or deciding whether to litigate. It's a shame BMW UK aren't interested, as if it does litigate, it'll be their brand being plastered over social networks and fora by me.

LoonR1

Original Poster:

26,988 posts

183 months

Wednesday 19th August 2015
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jcolley said:
Any luck with the actual error codes stored?
I haven't got the codes and wouldn't know what to do with them if I did. I'm not interested in them fixing it now. Since the engine blew up, the car has had 10 visits to them for between 3 and 21 days and they don't seem capable of fixing it. The arguments have got legal and they can stay that way for all I care.