Whinge Thread

[bimmer boy 21]

Okay, few days ago I made an enquiry at Team McMillan in New Market. All I need to know was if they had any owner manuals for a FL E30.

As in the ones that come with the cars when you buy them. I only have a pre/fl one so its not so helpful for my mate. So I gave Teambmw a email and they said to give me an accurate price they would need the cars chassis number. So I was like oh ok, couldnt get hold of my mate so just gave them one from a random FL E30.

Now today I get a email back asking how the bonnet is hinged, whether it is front or rear hinged. Was thinking that maybe they were taking the piss but we'll see.

Geez all this hassle just to get hold a owners manual that came with any FL E30 regardless of what kind it was or how its bonnet was hinged.

[bravo 34]

UPDATE: They did ring me back the next day in the end, by which time my hose had already arrived on the courier from my parts supplier in Albany. For about 30% less I might add even after freight.

Edited October 18, 2006 by bravomikewhiskey

[Yuen 16]

UPDATE: They did ring me back the next day in the end, by which time my hose had already arrived on the courier from my parts supplier in Albany.

Sorry to hear about the crappy service. Sometimes I feel that we know more than the dealer. It should obviously be the other way round. They were insisting that my car (after I gave my chassis number, I have it memorised) did NOT have a microfilter. I insisted it does, it's an E36. They said no, since it's a 1991 build it won't have one. I bought one and found it myself in 5 minutes.

Same for the engine coolant drain plug, before I replaced my radiator, I went to the dealer to get the parts. They insisted there was no engine drain plug. That the only drain plug was the one on the radiator. I told the guy at the counter to check, I went to look at his computer, we couldn't find it in the ETK because it was too small. I even got him to ask the senior tech guy and the senior guy said no.

Well what do you know, when I get under the car, ready to do the job, there's a drain plug right there on the engine block. I had to postpone the job, got the part number off my fellow experts on Bimmerforums and life is good again.

This was all at Team McMillan. I'd be happy to know if others have had better experiences at other dealers in Auckland, because I might just go there if they're more knowledgeable.

[Palazzo 440]

Try asking for a price on a 324td crank.

"No such model, they never made one."

[rxsumo 33]

While the electronic systems are supposed to be a good thing....nothing can beat a parts person thats been in the game for a while.

SOme issues I've experienced with BMW parts.....

Out of the 5 or 6 E3s I've owned, only one chassis number is recognised on the BMW parts computer....one actually comes up as an E30 or similar . The accuracy of the parts listings can also be suspect for the slower moving items.

Our local dealer have a couple of hundred dollars worth of moulding retaining clamps, that I watch being ordered, and what we ordered was definitely some chrome plated tiny self tapping screws......turns out somebody had updated the ETK with a supercededpart number which pointed to the wrong part.

The Dealer cant return the parts because the were specially ordered, and it would appear that BMW arent interested in refunding for parts where the ETK is wrong.

On saying that there is definitely issues with the E34 parts catalogue, as my "standard" 535 has bits that cant be found easily.

The battery and mounting fixtures took some arguements, as the 535 like the 540 has a battery under the rear seat, and the real curved ball was the additional battery in the boot, which appearently isnt in the book (or is differcult to find).

It took a couple of days to explain that the car was indeed standard, wasnt an oddball import, and NO it hadnt had an aftermarket power system fitted to the car.

[kiwi535 538]

mine had the battery in the boot too,i have taken it out

[petone 0]

Now from the parts guys p.o.v what if he listened to every know-it-all customer (not a dig at anyone here, obviously you were correct) that came in insisting their car had this or that, despite the computer saying it doesn't exist. He goes to order it in and next thing you know the customer is back in saying it doesn't fit. Would get pretty annoying pretty quickly, obviously much easier to go by the computer everytime.

2 sides to every story...

Edited October 19, 2006 by petone

[martyyn 2]

Now from the parts guys p.o.v what if he listened to every know-it-all customer (not a dig at anyone here, obviously you were correct) that came in insisting their car had this or that, despite the computer saying it doesn't exist. He goes to order it in and next thing you know the customer is back in saying it doesn't fit. Would get pretty annoying pretty quickly, obviously much easier to go by the computer everytime.

2 sides to every story...

I can see this to some extent but working in a 'service' area like this you very quickly pick up who are the muppets and who are the real deal.

If someone comes in and rattles off their chassis number and part number and can politely explain that there car is not 'standard' and explain perfectly well why its not standard then why should the parts guy ignore them and order something completely different ?

Thats happened to me twice.

Having said that they did have an e30 4 cylinder rotor arm that I managed to pick up with relative ease the other day