Please don't tell me you're comparing cars with motorcycles You do know a 335i is not a motorcycle right? I could go on for HOURS about the differences. A BMW automobile is not simply a motorcyle with an extra set of wheels PLEASE! We're not talking about a motorcycle. We're talking about an automobile, with the only thing in common the BMW Roundel. Can we get back on topic now?
Zen an the Art... I remain less than impressed with some of BMW engineering, which, in an attempt to make things "better", ends up making things ridiculously complex. Expect things to wear out & break, make them accessible, reparable. That's why AK-47s are so wildly popular, guess you didn't read the book. I still vote for getting an indy price for R&R clutch & put that into the decision matrix. It seems the chance of getting BMW to pay for this is relatively small, so having the job done at 2/3rds the price may be a smart wager.
Another way of putting it Someone who hands out automobile advice as if automobiles and motorcycles were one and the same is not, IMHO, a reliable source of mechanical advice. You can ASK for a goodwill repair, but that's going to be a 50-50. Technically,a clutch IS a normal wear item, even if it's been apparently abused (which would definitely NOT be covered under any manufacturer's warranty). Chances are, you may have to just bite the bullet, buy the Bentley manual, and invest in tools and replacement parts. You're still going to come out ahead on that arrangement vs what a dealer or service center will charge you.
I see no problem with getting a 3rd party price. But, I wouldn't do anything until I found out what the selling dealer's response might be... Who knows? Maybe he's feeling charitable that day. After all, none of us was involved in the sale, so none of us knows what promises (factual as well as implied) were made to the owner.
Uhhh, yah. That's assuming BMW has that as a design goal or priority, which they plainly do not. You seem to be implying wear items should be designed to be easily accessible. Every BMW vehicle has reams of technical info from the factory for dealers on how to access virtually every single item in the vehicle, some of it easily accessed both by happenstance AND design, some not. I would think part of BMW's focus as a manufacturer is not necessarily making the cars easily repairable, but easily and efficiently produced. How a repair is accomplished is left to the dealers and the service technicians. Manufacturing efficiency and profit maximization undoubtedly have to be a part of BMW's design process, which means that large components are assembled as units and go together efficiently on the production line; but, that has nothing to do with how easily accessible individual parts may be after initial assembly. I suppose you might find the design priorities you mention in purpose-built race cars (F1?), but in a production-line manufactured vehicle where among the company's priorities are stakeholder profit maximization... ehhh... not so much! It's been that way for ages - one could remove the entire engine and drivetrain from an E30 in a few hours and with only pulling a few bolts, but that type of disassembly is not appropriate for servicing individual components.
OK, TWO things in common, but I believe I made my point. Wrong. Oil pressure switch. Swapped one out of my 535is right into my R100RS Automobiles are one type of vehicle, motorcycles are another. Even a blind man can see that.
THANK YOU! for all your input Everybody's feedback and knowledge (especially from some members that obviously have a lot of hands-on experience) helped me tremendously to get some perspective on this matter. I worked with my dealership through some of the issues mentioned, called a few other BMW shops to cross-reference the feedback, and at the end we negotiated a price that both parties were able to live with. Fortunately, after they took out the transmission they deemed it to be under warranty (although they said there wasn't a mechanical problem, but it also wasn't abused either ???) and that they'll put in a new clutch kit free of charge. It also helped that my service advisor, who by now knows me for several years and has serviced several of my (manual) cars of the years, talked to the managers and filled them in on my driving history. Ultimately, it seems that the owner before me heavily wore down the clutch (although I don't know how they can determine that now). Either way, I'm very thankful for this great community that ultimately helped guide me through this process and the dealership that heard me out and tried to work with me. This was certainly very educational and influences my decision on whether to buy new or used cars. THANK YOU AGAIN! P.S. In my original post I mentioned that I am BMW enthusiast and you can see that here first hand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTuJqZ77uHk
This is speculation of course, but it sounds as though they concluded they could argue (to the warranty powers-that-be) that the parts wore abnormally for your driving habits, and cut you a break to keep a loyal customer happy, rather than make you pay for the prior owner's ineptitude. The clutch parts (especially the friction disc) would exhibit some clues to the operators' habits and how they changed over time. This, in conjunction with your SA's anecdotal testimony on your skill level, probably contributed to a decision in your favor. No matter the reason--great news! Good question; I meant to reply to this earlier. Usually a dealership doesn't take any car at random out for a test drive, they'll have a sub-fleet of representative models set aside for the purpose. If memory serves, these can still be sold as "new" cars if the accumulated mileage remains under some limit. When sold, however, each must be clearly identified as a sales demonstrator ("demo") vehicle. As a result they are often sold at a substantial discount--you can make some great deals if you can accept the risks. The rules probably vary by state; this is more or less how it is in NJ. (Personally, I would never touch one even if I didn't custom-order my cars, because they're almost never broken-in properly.) Apart from all that, Euro Delivery beats the pants off buying anything off the lot.
I agree with him. I own a '05 325Ci and have since new with a 5-speed manual. The car was my first manual transmission( scary to think about that!) but at 92k+ miles my clutch is still going strong. Seems to be your best bet, as others have stated, is to negotiate a lower rate with the dealership or contact BMW NA if the dealer won't budge. It would seem you are the owner of a beaten up 335i or someone who learned to drive stick on the car. If it makes you feel better - my dealer called me a liar after they quoted me on something to be covered under warranty and then didn't cover it. Nothing like a dealership experience to ruin your day.
Congrats! Once again we see that you can get decent treatment from a dealer when you have a reasonable complaint and you treat the other guy with respect. Relationships do make a difference!
