I've got an issue on my hands I was wondering if you guys had any ideas on how I can resolve this. Last summer (2014) I replaced the water pump on my N54/535i, with a pump I bought over the counter at my local BMW dealership. BMW's website states all parts (new or reman) have a 24mo warranty, and this pump, supposedly, even has a lifetime warranty. Well 1 year later this water pump is leaking/needs replacement, and BMW won't warranty it without original receipt. Of course I don't have it - who keeps this things? lol I actually remember throwing it away a few weeks ago while cleaning my garage and saw a box with the old broken pump in it thinking "why do i keep all these old broken parts that i've replaced?" Guess where the receipt was. It boggles my mind though that the dealer has no record of the purchase in their computer since it was a cash sale, and not a service order (since I installed the part). Aren't there ANY options? I have the $, but doesn't it seem silly to buy a part at a dealer for $533+tax, and one year later be standing at the same counter needing to buy the same part for another $533+tax? Any ideas?? Thanks guys
Long shot with low chance that it might work, but - if your dealership offers a 'CCA member parts discount (used to be 15% at the dealer here before the dratted "new normal", now it's 10% ), and you got a discount on the part on the cash sale, and if, say, you're positive that's all you bought, and you know the date you bought it, then there's a chance that amount would be the only one in their accounting list of cash sales that day. Of course the dealer wants proof of its source of purchase for warranty purposes, but if the exact amount could be pinpointed that day, maybe whoever might be in charge of such warranty matters might have mercy. However, if the parts folks can't bring up a record, it might take a pow-wow with someone in the dealer's billing & accounting to dig up and search out an old data record, assuming such data hasn't been archived into unaccessible oblivion, etc. If they can search such records, I suppose just knowing the exact price paid would suffice, but something like an amount exactly 10% or whatever off the list price would be a stronger indication. If you purchased additional items and can't remember exactly what was bought and the total paid, would be difficult to pinpoint a specific cash sale and have the dealer accept that particular amount was probably your purchase.
Thanks for the reply - It is hard to remember from that long ago to be honest. The part is 533 today, i remember it being high 4s last year, but + tax, and I think i must have bought other things as well because I remember spending closer to 7 or 8? probably the 3 bolts for the pump + oil/filter while i was there + thermostat more than likely...thats all just a guess. I was able to pinpoint from a picture a friend took of me under my car, that it was 73 weeks ago, thinking this would help them pinpoint a date range to look in their history. no such luck.
Yep, without more specificity, seems like odds may not be in your favor on this one, sux tho to be outta luck on both the warranty and something that should be MUCH longer-lived. Unless you HAVE to have it from the dealer, you could probably find it somewhat cheaper from Turner Motorsports, Bavauto.com, Bimmerworld.com, Pelicanparts.com, Autohausaz.com, GetBMWparts.com, ECStuning.com, Bimmerparts.com, &/or any variety of other Roundel advertisers, and others.
Good idea thanks. My buddy is a tech at the dealer, he diagnosed what i need...$2200 for parts/labor, and also provided me a parts list ($940) incase i wanted to head to the parts counter and install myself. I may replicate that parts list @ tischer's and more than likely save a couple hundred, they have great prices typically...