CPO expires March 23rd 2009. At times the driver side rear taillight will not operate (brake/taillight/blinker) because one of the connections in the connector/socket is burnt. I called up two BMW dealerships and I got conflicting opinions. One of them told me that the wires are covered but the connector isn't. The 2nd told me that the wires aren't covered but the connector is. These service advisors/managers are so clueless. I even asked one of them to come outside as it was only 20 steps from his desk but answers, "I couldn't even tell you what I would be looking at. You would need to make an appointment and have a tech look at it". I don't mind paying the deductible $50 plus tax for them to fix it, but not over $300 plus tax by them saying it isn't covered. I emailed Mike Miller this and he told me that I should have my CPO service contract handy and show the service manager that they should be covered. Only problem is that I don't have a service contract as I bought it used (not from a BMW dealer). To obtain the contract, I assume I have to call up BMW NA and have them either mail it to me or fax it over. Looking at realoem.com, the part I would need doesn't cost much. I am thinking that I should just buy the part and get it installed (some wire splicing would be required and I'm no master tech, very limited in mechanic skills if I have any ) as it would be cheaper than the $50 plus tax. Why are the service advisors/managers so clueless .
The issue you are having with your rear lights is extremely common with the E46 models. The lighting system was designed with a very simple flaw, a poor ground for the amount of power they're supplying to it. BMW issued a bulletin for this problem which includes part numbers for the repair of the burnt connector and a procedure for splicing in an extra ground connection to help prevent the problem from occurring again. The problem with CPO is that there are plenty of grey areas in the contract. Warranty administrators have a lot of problems determining what is actually covered and what is not. I'm pretty sure that this repair is covered by the CPO being as that it's a wiring problem. The problem with most service managers and service advisors is that they have never touched a car other than driving their own. Being a Master Tech myself I see these problems on a day to day basis and I can tell you that it is a fairly easy problem to repair. It can be time consuming depending on how bad the wires are damaged. The problem is that labor prices in a BMW dealer can be high. What dealers have you taken your car to? I'm not sure what area you live in, but if you're anywhere close to me I'd be happy to help you out.
We had the same problem with our CPO 2004 325 just a month after we purchased it. A trip to the dealer and loaner e60 for a couple of days (that was the best part) and we were set, with no bill. Hopefully this will get worked out for you soon!
Wow, I didn't realize two members replied to this until now. Well the taillight has been working fine since I posted this so no worries, however, if coop269 lives around the tri-state area I'll bring the car for you to fix it right. I put electrical tape around it to hold it in place....bootleg job
I am bringing the car in for a final inspection on Monday the 23rd-last day of coverage to Mt. Kisco BMW and a brake fluid flush (covered under scheduled maintenance). I will let them know about the wiring problem (no problems with the light for the past 5 months). I asked a dealership if they can extend the CPO for another two years for a price and they told me the only route to go would be 3rd party warranty companies. They promise the world but when its time for a claim, they will do anything to shaft you .
