BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Sat 18 Nov 2017 22:19

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - pint6x

Have just picked up a 10 year old BMW 1 series petrol.

Autotrader ad states a 3 month warranty on the car.

On handover this morning, the trader tells me 'he doesn't remember seeing this on the advert'. Fortunately I took a couple of screen grabs of the adverts and sent them to him.

He then states - no warranty given on anything with more than 100k miles. The car has done 105k miles.. I state, again, it's on the advert, I'll send it to you, plus no mention of more than 100k miles means no warranty given.

On driving it home, the air conditioning does not work - no refrigerated air coming out of the vents, even when putting everything on very cold.

I have emailed dealer (they're part of a large group of new car franchises, with a sideline in older cars which look decent but wouldn't be traded from a franchised dealer forecourt due to miles/age.

Having reported back within 12 hours of picking the car up, is it reasonable to expect them to sort out whatever needs doing to the aircon? We only had a short test drive and it wasn't possible to discern whether this was working at that time. Clearly I won't hear from them until Monday because they're not there tomorrow, but my feeling is - the car said it had climate control, I should be able to detect refrigerated air. Might be different if it packed up 2 months down the line.

Thanks

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Sat 18 Nov 2017 22:42

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - RobJP

To me : minor fault that does not affect the basic function of the car. Which is, basically, all you can 'reasonably expect' of a 10 year old car. And the CRA is all about 'reasonable expectations'. In addition, if it is a critically important item to you, then you'd be 'reasonably expected' to check that it functions on a test drive. Not their fault if you didn't do so.

They might view it differently. Who knows.

However, if I'd gone to look at a car and they'd tried going 'no warranty due to x, y or z', then I'd have told them to do one, and got a full refund on the spot.

Sort out stuff like that BEFORE you buy. Not after.

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Sat 18 Nov 2017 22:54

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - CK91437

Once they have your money they tend to dig their heels in and won't give up anything.

You may find it hard work.

Small claims court maybe the way to go, if you get no joy,

As mentioned (and easier to say with hindsight) best to check these things before handing over your cash.

Good luck,

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 07:32

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - badbusdriver

A quick Internet search "how much to re gas air conditioning", reveals few prices quoted except for Halfords, which mentioned £50. This is around what I'd expect and certainly not the end of the world.

But just a couple of points,

firstly, are you sure it has climate control?. In my experience, many sellers or garages say the car has climate control to make it sound better, when in fact it just has air-con. If it has climate, it will have a digital display for the temperature you require, plus, probably, some kind of pictogram to show where the air is being directed. If the car has standard heating and ventilation controls plus a button with a frost symbol on it, it is just plain old air-con. Not that this matters from the point of view of re-gassing, both systems use the same gas.

Second, unless the test drive was literally just a couple of minutes, you definitely would have detected that the air-con/climate control was working (assuming you had the temperature right down). Despite what you may think or have been told, it doesn't take long at all to start working.

To the best of my knowledge, both systems (but definitely in the case of air-con) will work like a normal heating and ventilation system whilst it needs re-gassing, but you will find that the car is more prone to misting up the windows. Otherwise, unless there is a 'funny' smell (bacteria in the system) it shouldn't cause any real problems.

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 09:34

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - expat

If you do decide to regas it then check the hoses first. You don't want to have new gas blowing a hose. Also if the aircon hasn't been working for a while the seals in the compressor may have hardened. Aircon needs to be run for at least ten minutes every week winter or summer to circulate the gas and lubricate the seals. If it was just needing a cheap regas to get it working then you have to wonder why the dealer didn't do it.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 09:34

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - Andrew-T

Small claims court maybe the way to go, if you get no joy,

If the air-con is your only issue, your cheapest option is probably to get it sorted yourself, especially if it only needs a re-gas, which can be found for £40 (my local bodyshop offers that). You may well feel that the seller should sort it, but in the end the hassle may not be worth £40.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 10:08

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - badbusdriver

You don't say exactly what model you have. But regardless of which, if the only thing wrong with your 10 year old 100k 1 series is that the air-con needs re-gassing, you should consider yourself lucky!

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 10:51

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - Bromptonaut

IIRC if the outside air is cold, maybe less thae 3degrees C, most air conditioner chillers stop working. Something to do with risk of damage to the kit if ice forms in the innards.

As others suggest a regas from a specialist or a BMW franchise at a retail cost likely, even at the dealers, to be less than £100 is worthwhile and less hassle then chasing a recalcitrant dealer. Any respectable professional outfit would examone the visible bits and find obvious damage like a stone through the compressor as well as checking for obvious leaks in the plumbing.

And if they do find the aircon to be permaently u/s you've got a proper defined fault to get the dealer to rectify. You will still have a possible problem though as dealer may claim it's not reasonable to expect a/c in 10yo/100k plus car*, then you're in TS or small claims territory.

*It still worked in my old Xantia when it went to the scrappie at 13yrs/160k.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 11:02

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - gordonbennet

It probably doesn't just need a regas but no harm in trying that route, just be careful where you take it because there are some sharks in this game as in others, where a full diagnostics might me £100 or so without a fix, aicon 'specialist' not a mile from my house is one of these.

As said above once the dealer confirmed their dishonesty by denying or pleading ignorance of an advertised warranty i would have been out there like a shot with my refunded deposit in hand, if they tried to swindle you before you paid up don't expect a revelation of honest dealing now they have your dosh.

However do make a nuisance of yourself noisily at the dealership, in the showroom at the busiest time possible, might not get you anywhere with this mob but it would make me feel a lot better if it were me, my Mrs is brilliant at this type of thing..:-)

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 11:43

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - nellyjak

Basic mistake I'm afraid...ALL these things should be checked BEFORE you hand over your money/commit to buy

You must satisfy yourself that all that should be working...IS working.

Once you have paid yer dosh and driven away then you are potentially swimming in treacle to get owt put right....depends on the dealer.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 12:41

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - SLO76

Not a wise buy on a tight budget, parts are expensive and they’re prone to loads of problems the most common being timing chain failure.

I wouldn’t have advised you to buy it to start with but you are where you are. You did the right thing by saving a copy of the advert and if it does indeed say 3mth warranty included and also mentions air con/climate control then both should be part of the deal so any court of law would take a dim view of any dealer trying to get out of their obligations. Press them to refund it or fix it and make sure you get a written copy of their warranty terms, though I expect it’ll be next to worthless anyway with pretty much everything classed as wear and tear.

If they refuse to fix the air con (might just need a regas but more likely it’s more than that) then push for a refund and go buy something more in keeping with your budget like a Focus 1600, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic or Mazda 3 all petrol. Leave the complex, trouble prone and costly to repair premium badged motors until you can actually afford to buy a good one.

Edited by SLO76 on 19/11/2017 at 12:42

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 14:24

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - corax

There's usually a reason why the aircon doesn't blow cold. Usually a holed condenser or porous pipes. Not cheap if repairing yourself - even if you supply the parts you will still need a specialist to open the system up and regas.

I had to get the aircon repaired on my old Avensis, done without quibble by the dealer, but I mentioned it as soon as I got the car home after buying.

Some people just don't use the aircon, they don't like it, which then stores up problems for future buyers if it's not been used for years. Or they won't have repaired it because they had a limited budget, the usual story of buying a car with perceived self image more important than the size of their wallet.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 15:46

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - Manatee

A friend of mine bought a Honda Legend on the understanding that the aircon didn't work. Turned out the compressor wasn't even present.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 19:02

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - pint6x

If it is just a regas, I can cover it, but if it's more, I'll be back to see the dealer.

Yes, it is definitely climate control - you set the temperatures and there is the 'AUTO' button.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 19:04

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - pint6x

Not a wise buy on a tight budget, parts are expensive and they’re prone to loads of problems the most common being timing chain failure. I wouldn’t have advised you to buy it to start with but you are where you are. You did the right thing by saving a copy of the advert and if it does indeed say 3mth warranty included and also mentions air con/climate control then both should be part of the deal so any court of law would take a dim view of any dealer trying to get out of their obligations. Press them to refund it or fix it and make sure you get a written copy of their warranty terms, though I expect it’ll be next to worthless anyway with pretty much everything classed as wear and tear. If they refuse to fix the air con (might just need a regas but more likely it’s more than that) then push for a refund and go buy something more in keeping with your budget like a Focus 1600, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic or Mazda 3 all petrol. Leave the complex, trouble prone and costly to repair premium badged motors until you can actually afford to buy a good one.

Well, what a good thing I didn't ask your advice then! Also, how do you know what my budget is?

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 19:40

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - SLO76

“Well, what a good thing I didn't ask your advice then! Also, how do you know what my budget is?”

If you don’t want to take the advice of someone with over twenty years experience in the motor trade when buying a car that’s up to you, learning from our own mistakes is often the best way to learn anyway. As for what your budget is well it’s not difficult to work out the value of a ten year old 1 series with a six figure mileage.

On that note I’ll leave you to your own devices and wish you the best of luck.

Edited by SLO76 on 19/11/2017 at 19:41

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 00:00

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - CK91437

“Well, what a good thing I didn't ask your advice then! Also, how do you know what my budget is?” If you don’t want to take the advice of someone with over twenty years experience in the motor trade when buying a car that’s up to you, learning from our own mistakes is often the best way to learn anyway. As for what your budget is well it’s not difficult to work out the value of a ten year old 1 series with a six figure mileage. On that note I’ll leave you to your own devices and wish you the best of luck.

I think SLO76 was just trying to help.

And it was good advice. Maybe when the engine packs in you'll remember SLO76's advice.

It happened to someone I know.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 19:48

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - badbusdriver

Not a wise buy on a tight budget, parts are expensive and they’re prone to loads of problems the most common being timing chain failure. I wouldn’t have advised you to buy it to start with but you are where you are. You did the right thing by saving a copy of the advert and if it does indeed say 3mth warranty included and also mentions air con/climate control then both should be part of the deal so any court of law would take a dim view of any dealer trying to get out of their obligations. Press them to refund it or fix it and make sure you get a written copy of their warranty terms, though I expect it’ll be next to worthless anyway with pretty much everything classed as wear and tear. If they refuse to fix the air con (might just need a regas but more likely it’s more than that) then push for a refund and go buy something more in keeping with your budget like a Focus 1600, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic or Mazda 3 all petrol. Leave the complex, trouble prone and costly to repair premium badged motors until you can actually afford to buy a good one.

Well, what a good thing I didn't ask your advice then! Also, how do you know what my budget is?

SLO is a motor trader, so he will have a very good idea how much your car is worth. The fact that you haven't bought a younger, or lower mileage example would be a fairly strong indication that this was all you could afford. It isn't rocket science!.

If you had asked for advice before shelling out for your beemer, maybe you would have ended up with something likely to be reliable.

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Sun 19 Nov 2017 19:56

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - elekie&a/c doctor

Just to re-cap about the a/con problem.On most BMW models ,pressing the "auto " function does not engage the a/con system There is a seperate button with a snowflake symbol that needs to be pressed.

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 07:56

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - nellyjak

Well, what a good thing I didn't ask your advice then! Also, how do you know what my budget is?

Given your choice of vehicle..age, mileage, cost etc..and the basic errors you made during its purchase, I'm surprised that you take that attitude tbh.

Peeps are only trying to help and offer the benefit of experience and knowledge.

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 09:43

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - mss1tw

Not a wise buy on a tight budget, parts are expensive and they’re prone to loads of problems the most common being timing chain failure. I wouldn’t have advised you to buy it to start with but you are where you are. You did the right thing by saving a copy of the advert and if it does indeed say 3mth warranty included and also mentions air con/climate control then both should be part of the deal so any court of law would take a dim view of any dealer trying to get out of their obligations. Press them to refund it or fix it and make sure you get a written copy of their warranty terms, though I expect it’ll be next to worthless anyway with pretty much everything classed as wear and tear. If they refuse to fix the air con (might just need a regas but more likely it’s more than that) then push for a refund and go buy something more in keeping with your budget like a Focus 1600, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic or Mazda 3 all petrol. Leave the complex, trouble prone and costly to repair premium badged motors until you can actually afford to buy a good one.

Well, what a good thing I didn't ask your advice then! Also, how do you know what my budget is?

LOL @ affronted German car wannabe.

BTW my own car is even older than yours yet I didn't buy on image or down to a price and guess what? Total reliability and no concerns.

Enjoy your cheap crock!

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 10:04

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - gordonbennet

Is there any way on this forum of putting posters who display an uncalled for attitude on ignore?

Its not often one would utilise an ignore button, but short of actually keeping a small list which i would prompty lose, and me memory just isn't good enough to recall sporadic posters?

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 11:11

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - argybargy

Personally, I wouldn't want to put such posters on ignore.

The efforts of some contributors to tough it out after admitting to elementary car buying mistakes and the responses those posts elicit from the forum experts can serve a useful purpose, and provide a salutory warning which may well assist others.

Others such as folks like me who also tend to buy on impulse.

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 11:26

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - scot22

I did , before I found the forum. If I had done so earlier it would have saved me lots of money.

The responses to OPs rudeness have been commendably civilised. The lack of appreciation for them taking the time and trouble to respond was disgusting. I have said it on a few times but the high quality of some contributors is invaluable. Thanks from one of the less knowledgeable.

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 12:15

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - pd

To get back slightly on-topic whatever the car in terms of any legal comeback you are not going to get far on something like aircon on a 10-year old 100k+ car. It is judged to be part of the deal when you buy an old high mileage car that not all of it will work and it won't be as good as a new one. No seller is under any obligation to make a 100k+ 10-year old car anything more than a 10-year old 100k+ car and all the inevitabe foibles and issues which go with it.

In terms of any warranty it depends on what any such warranty says in terms of whether it is in force, what it covers and how a claim is made. This is seperate from any statuory rights and is basically a contract between seller and buyer.

My gut feeling is that the OP will be relying on the goodwill of the seller to address the aircon issue and if they say no it is something they will have to sort themselves.

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 13:12

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - Manatee

My gut feeling is that the OP will be relying on the goodwill of the seller to address the aircon issue and if they say no it is something they will have to sort themselves.

Possibly true, but you seem to be overlooking the claimed facts that the car was advertised with climate control and a warranty,

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 13:21

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - scot22

Did it say working climate control ? Or was it just a description of the car original spec ?

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Mon 20 Nov 2017 13:34

BMW 1 series - So I bought this car........ - pd

My gut feeling is that the OP will be relying on the goodwill of the seller to address the aircon issue and if they say no it is something they will have to sort themselves.

Possibly true, but you seem to be overlooking the claimed facts that the car was advertised with climate control and a warranty,

Unless the entire terms and conditions of the warranty were published with the advert and there was no errors or omissions decleration then the seller can simply say the warranty does not cover aircon or aircon gas which, incidentally, many do not.

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