My tracking is out, it was out when I bought the car and the sales guy wont fix it.
I phone Kwik Fit and suddenly discover that its going to cost at least £55 to get the tracking fixed at a main dealer only! Is this true? Do I have to get the most menial things fixed on my BMW at extortionate rates because I own a nice car??
I am gutted, I knew that some things would need to be done at dealers (and at dealer prices), but I didn't think for things like this.
Does anyone know anywhere else that can do this? I live in the Midlands (Burton-on-Trent) and also in Swindon, are there any local garages that have the 'tools' to do these small jobs at reasonable rates?
(I just bought the car 1996 316i straight from graduation from uni, I was excited and didn't think about these things, much to my regret now :( any advise would be greatfully recieved).
Thanks.
|
HJ's Good Garage Guide lists a garage specialising in European cars in Burton on Trent.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/directories/good_garages/DirG...m
Give them a try.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
|
|
Thank you, wow! That was a quick reply.
|
|
|
|
And another thing too, if anyone knows.
My drivers door electric window goes up and down fine when you hold the button, BUT, when you try to wind it up with a single press, the thing goes part way up and then all the way back down again... anyone had this happen before? Any solutions? Advise?
I am a mechanical plebian so I am lost in a world that isn't mine :(
|
Grubby switch (or damp in it!). My Opel has the same problem.
Just needs cleaning
|
|
Thanks a lot Ian, I will see if that fixes it.
|
Dindo,
Been there done that...well with a Seat not a BMW.
I bought a new Seat Arosa 1.7 diesel: it ate through the front tyres in less than 5,000 miles (outer shoulders worn). Dealer found out that the toe-in setting was not set at the factory. Seat UK paid for the replacements and tracking adjustments but only after a lot of foot dragging and suggestions that it was my "driving style" (which is 65 mph up and down the A1!).
Then guess what? The replacment tyres wore out after 9,000 miles (inner shoulders worn this time). This time Seat flatly refused to pay for anything. They seemed to suggest that it was my fault-but I did nothing wrong! In my view the dealer did not adjust the toe-in properly at the first repait visit. I had to resort to a letter to the MD of both VAG UK and the dealership: only then did they pay for yet another replacement set and laser adjustments.
Bottom line: BMW will only pay if your complaint is valid and persistent. Get the setups done by BMW, pay the money, and if all goes wrong again then complain like me but get a refund for the original tracking work as well as new tyres/another tracking setup.
|
|
|
|
My drivers door electric window goes up and down fine when you hold the button, BUT, when you try to wind it up with a single press, the thing goes part way up and then all the way back down again... anyone had this happen before? Any solutions? Advise?
Disconnect battery for a few seconds (checking you have you got the code for the radio first) Reconnect and then reprogram the windows. Don't know how you do it on a beemer, but with Vauxhall [1], you make sure window is shut, then press and hold the "up" button for a few seconds. Repeat for the other windows.
[1] Can't be that different - but check the handbook if you have one.
|
|
|
|
Dindo,
Going back to your original question - I would be very surprised if you need to get simple tracking done at a BMW dealership. I have a 1992 BMW 525i and I have had the tracking checked and set by an ordinary tyre fitting place. There is nothing special - on mine at least - just the normal adjustment by slacking off two clamps on each trackrod and turning the two trackrods by equal amounts until the correct toe-in/out setting is achieved.
Its perhaps a different matter if all four wheels need tracking or the (non-adjustable) castor and camber angles need checking, but then this isn't a 'menial' task and I would want a 'proper' garage to do it.
This is my first BMW (but very unlikely to be the last) and I am amazed how straightforward most of the servicing is. I wouldn't want to play around with the electronics but most things seem to be very D-I-Y friendly. Of course, a newcomer won't find it easy to work on this or any other car but there is always help available on this forum and on several dedicated BMW sites, including www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/bmw.html.
|
|
|
Take your car round to Burton Motor Workshop (01283 500750), who are located on the Steel Fabs Industrial Estate, off Victoria Crescent, Burton-on-Trent. (Its nearly next door to the driving test centre). They are BMW and Mercedes specialists (dealer trained) and are very good at what they do. They should be able to sort out any problems for you at considerably less cost than the 'official' dealer would charge. Let me know how you get on.
Simon
|
|
|
dindo no need to worry you can get a four wheel laser alignment at any HI-Q centre which is very accurarate and also makes sure your steering wheel is straight once adjusted.
look up hiqtyres.co.uk for your nearest centre.
|
Some garages couldn't carry out tracking on my car because of my alloys. I was pointed in the direction of one particular garage who had equipment that was more suited to larger alloys. I had tried 4 local garages to no avail before finding the right one!
|
|
|
|
Dindo
Try Dick Lovett BMW in Swindon for a quote on the tracking problem.
Last time I had tracking set on a car it cost nearly £30 at ATS, and I had to suggest that I'd prefer the offset to be evenly split between the front wheels. That said it was a laser set up that did align the fronts to the backs, which is fine on a solid rear axle M Minor, and it did the job.
I think I'd pay the extra for the BMW though!
Regards
John S
|
|
|
![2020 BMW M4 M4 2dr DCT [Competition Pack]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/19e962779946f8b7a7ca66a2b6ff5459/310ef4772c735a2c82ccff2e4fb1034c.jpg)
