Sorry to start a rant about things that should have been obvious already, but having witnessed yet another amazing display of ineptitude from my local Beemer dealers I felt it necessary to post!
The 3 series needs new discs and pads on the front, I rang my trusted independant for a quote, then rang the local dealers just so I can reassure myself the the independant is worth it (on one occasion we have found the dealers to be only £5 more expensive for a new exhaust system then the Indie).
1st call:- I asked if someone could give me a quote for some new brakes, was asked to leave a number so that someone could call back, fair enough, maybe they're having a very busy spell.
2nd call (received 2 hours later):- Guy didn't really know why he was ringing me so I asked again, he then asked for my numberplate, and, on finding no match on their system (they haven't had their grubby hands on my car yet) he asked for the chassis number. I asked if that was really necessary to give me a quote on some new brake pads, he assured me it was as there are lots of different types and it could make a big difference to the quote (for god's sake it's an E46 323 Ci, according to Euro Car Parts there is only one type of disc and pad available for it) I said I couldn't give him it right away as I was actually driving the car and I agreed to call him back with it.
3rd call (10 mins later when I stopped):- Asked to speak to him again and was told he was on the phone, so, starting to get annoyed now but not showing it yet, I asked if I could leave my chassis and he could call me back between 1pm and 2pm as I was in uni, only to be told that she couldn't promise as he might be busy. Now starting to show my annoyance I asked if I could get a price off someone else only to be told I couldn't as there was only one person in this morning who could give a price on anything service related. I said I would just leave it which was met by a series of pathetic apologies before I said goodbye. I think the receptionist actually did sympathise a little given the tone of her voice, and it's not like it's her fault, but I found the whole experience very frustrating.
Anyway, I'm calling my local back to book it in tommorow, they said it will be about £160 for Euro Car Parts, or less if I was happy with a cheaper part supplier, which I'm not. I think it sounds a fair quote, and the local BMW specialist Indie wants about £240 for the same job.
Just as a side note to my little rant, would people stick EBC Greenstuffs on this car? I'm tempted by a lack of brake dust!
Blue
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Now running EBC's on the Porsche & they're fine, run them on loads of cars & never had a problem & the lack of filthy brake dust is good news.
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DIY?
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Time taken to change front pads and disks on my Passat about 1 hour per side maximum. If only the disks had needed changing it would have been about 15 minutes per side, (I know you never put on new disks with old pads, but I'm trying to make a point).
The garages must love it when they replace brakes.
A guy I know with a quite new Merc. E320CDI (04 plate I think) recently paid the main dealer £1,200 for a service and new front disks/pads.
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Had the wheel off the other day to show them to my dad and he decided that the disc change looks like it will be beyond him on this occasion, it looks like a bit of a clart on to be honest, plus I'm the type of person that likes to pay others to do my dirty work :-)
Actually, just looking at my post, it's not that short a rant after all :-)
Blue
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At first I thought it was about a vertically challenged BMW dealer.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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At first I thought it was about a vertically challenged BMW dealer.
so did i--------- and one who was so short he couldnt reach the phone as well--
cant believe Blue that you cant have a crack at a simple job like this yourself as you will learn lots by doing it yourself and the money saved would easily cover the tackle needed---
today the discs ----------tomorrow the------------------------light fitting in the lounge?
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Now running EBC's on the Porsche & they're fine, run them on loads of cars & never had a problem & the lack of filthy brake dust is good news.
Excuse my ignorance but what are EBCs?
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EBC are an aftermarket supplier of discs/pads.Type EBC into a search engine.
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Blue
For information ATE (OE maker) front discs, pads and wear sensor for an E36 323 (which I believe are the same as the E46) from Eurocarparts cost me £95 earlier this year. Changing these items on a BMW is a very straightforward job. Check what they are using - ECP do supply cheaper items in addition to the ATE parts, so just saying 'euro car parts' does not guarantee the OE parts.
JS
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All of the recent BMW's have a similar brake design. I can do a set of discs and pads on an E46 in under an hour - its straightforward. Delphi discs are about £50 a pair; Mintex pads are about £30 a set - so about £80 all-in. As mentioned, ECP do some cheap parts (Indian-sourced discs) and I would be wary of them, make sure you go for the known brands.
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I might ask if I can just supply my own parts then in that case, that way I know roughly what I should be getting.
As for doing it myself, I'm not technical at all and I don't have the time to waste learning how to do it and then sorting out any mistakes I make (I need my car to be working 24/7 without fail), it's worth £100 of my money just to pay someone else to do it! :-) As it happens, I reckon that they're not charging that much to fit them at the local place, probs about £80...
Blue
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