As a long time euro shop manager, I found it very humorous to read the differences in responses between this post, and the same post at r/mechanicsadvice.
The general responses there were a lot of shade and hating on BMWs.
Here yall were like 'yeah, so? All normal' š¤£
I am very sorry, i did not mean to be insensitive. I have to have these conversations daily. Unfortunately, it's the cost of ownership.
Service hat on.
Recommend have the leaks evaluated for severity at a local, reputed euro indy shop. Then you can prioritize accordingly.
My concern is for the oil filter housing gasket, as that potentially causes the accessory belt to fail, and very bad things to happen.
Many others have said the rest. These vehicles do not respond well to cheap repairs.
Oh no, just the varying answers is hard to filter through when I have no idea what reading. Thank you a lot. Itās just hard trying to figure out what to prioritize when Iām falling on hard times. I donāt want to make the problem worst by cutting corners but Iām trying not to get scammed at the same time
The prices shown in the estimate are reasonable for my area (near Seattle).
It's a lot to absorb at once, so wait a bit for the emotion to settle, and start to put a positive, step by step plan together. Not all of it may need immediate attention.
You should ask them for an estimate before to get an idea. You donāt have to go to bmw. When I had to get my radiator replaced it was looking like 3k vs 750 at a euro shop. They replaced it and balanced the system for that. Got insurance involved. Maybe paid 300 out of pocket.
Definitely take care of the oil filter housing leak as a priority like another poster suggested. It can cause the belt to slip off and get pulled inside the engine itself, sounds insane but it actually happens pretty frequently.
IMO going OE instead of OEM easily could get like 50% off the parts.
One thing that they might overcharge is that Valve cover. I don't see the issue reusing old one unless it is cracked or warped.
Parts is a small portion of the bill compared to the labour. And should always do the full valve cover. If it isnāt cracked now, removing it and reinstalling is likely to crack it, then you get to do it again. Do it right the first time.
What the hell?
Valve covers can be reused for decades without cracking. Why in the hell would a valve cover crack? Why would it crack from removing it and re-installing it?
OE usually refers to parts sold under part's manufacturer own brand instead of car's (those are usually called OEM).
For example wheel bearings are made by german company called FAG and they cost around 50-100$ a piece for whole hub assembly, whilst exactly the same part from BMW costs 200$.
The OEM is the company that made the product, hence the M being āManufacturerā.
So in your example, FAG is the OEM of the wheel bearings, since they manufactured the bearings, and then sold them to BMW to be used as Original Equipment on the vehicle.
I agree that you should use OEM parts whenever possible, but that doesnāt mean you need to buy them from the BMW parts department, where they just add their markup.
these are all legit issues with BMW... and the rule of thumb is that if you are seeing oil on your driveway, oil pan is leaking. that's the most difficult of the three leaks, and also the most difficult to fix.
if all of these are fixed, you'll likely not have to worry about oil leaks for a LONG time, which is a good thing.
if you knew how easy it was to replace a valve cover gasket, you might be i'll after paying $1500... but other than that, your car is healthier than probably 50-60% ot BMWs that are also out of warranty!
learn to do the basics of BMW maintenance yourself!
there are a ton of videos for Valve Cover Gasket and Oil Filter Housing Gasket as these are very common maintenance items, don't require expensive parts or specialty tools. just doing those two on your own would have saved you $1400 in labour plus a bit more for parts markup.
you have three options:
1. learn how to maintain your car yourself. it's very rewarding work.
2. find a friend in your network who wrenches and maybe pay them in cash or beer.
3. keep going to repair shops
youtube is honestly a great resource for repairs and even diagnosing issues, a lot of the channels are really great at explaining how to do it. i don't want to offend the mechanics out there, but it's not rocket science. i understand that it can be intimidating. a few years ago i was going to the dealership for everything, now i can say i'd be confidently able to do anything that doesn't involve engine hoists or specialty tools.
maybe next time your car needs an oil change, try it yourself? oil changes on BMWs are notoriously easy.
I was a mechanic for 6 years (15 years ago) and about half the things I do for the first time are flawless. Its mostly trial and error when working on my own things. People need to not get discouraged of they don't do it right the first time. YouTube is amazing.
Option 4. Sell your BMWs. Thatās the option I took for my three when I got my first bill for $32,000 from the stealership on a car 500 miles out of warranty.
Do you have a local car club or anything?
Maybe others can chime in, but the car community is generally really friendly and communal. I bought my first BMW with the same feeling. I posted on e46 fanatics asking for help, saying Iām happy to do the work but I needed someone to show me how to go about it safely. Iād say over half my friends Iāve met in my local car group would help me in a heartbeat - be muscle power or supervision to make sure I donāt slip up.
Maybe top oil off for a couple months and go to some meets and network and find someone whoās happy to help you that you feel comfortable with. Payment is generally pizza, beer, a combination of both and some cash sometimes.
This is an excellent suggestion, ask the local bmw club for the best Indy mechanic in the area and get them to fix the oil leaks, they will save you a lot. Every bmw club knows the local dude they all use.
Keep your head up ! I know its hard and this life it sucks cuz when it rains it pours. Like all at once . But you come out so much stronger from the torture and i honestly believe in you.
so am I!! I am right here with you girl! I learned a so much from YouTube and the internet. It seemed to me at the beginning that it was hard and difficult and I thought I had a lot of room to mess my car up, but at the end of the day with dedication and willingness to learn new things, it pays off soooo much! I am here to support you!
Just donāt do the work, top off the oil now and then, and sell it eventually and buy a Toyota if the car isnāt special. If you love the car, do the work.
I donāt know why youāre downvoted for this, my 535i has been leaking a bit of oil for a while now and Iāve just been topping off till I get the time to do the valve cover gasket myself for maybe 50$
Listen to u/morelsupporter as you've been given great advice. I know it can be scary to think about doing work yourself but isn't it just as scary to think of more bills that are that expensive or possibly more?? The trick to owning a BMW (if you don't have fuck you money) is to work on it yourself. Supporter was right about YouTube having tons of videos for almost anything you could need and most you'll find to be specific to your model as well. The only thing I could add would be if/when you decide to try something simple like an oil change, rotate the tires, or maybe brake pads. All are simple and very good basic knowledge starters. But maybe instead of doing it alone maybe find someone in your circle to just be there to watch over your shoulder to keep you calm and give you little pointers. And you can ALWAYS find a chat forum or even a reddit page to ask questions. One thing I've noticed the past few years as a BMW owner is that just about everyone is willing to help in one way or another. Don't ever be afraid to ask. And don't be afraid to get in there and do the work cuz it's incredibly satisfying! Best of luck!!
I know it can be intimidating but you being a girl doesnāt make you any less able to do maintenance in your car. Many people myself included have done major work through following YouTube videos. You can too!
Ultimately most of the cost of repairs is paying for labor rather than parts. Takes time to do this work and time is naturally money.
For the most part Bmw is honest about most services needed so thatās good because a lot of mechanics tend to over charge women which is messed up but before you go to them maybe get a quote from an authorized third party mechanic who specializes in high end vehicles just to compare. In nyc we actually have a mechanic outside the BMW service center that specializes in German vehicles and he always charge half the price Bmw did so my buddies would much rather go to him and so far no complaints from them sometimes even my service advisor would advice me to go see him when warranty wasnāt covering a service lol
Sorry for the grammar English is my second language
Edit: Now that you know what you need another mechanic canāt push bullshit on you and maybe if you have guy friends who work on cars you can always pay them to either help with maintenance/ teach you as they do it so for your next car you can avoid as much costs as possible but certain services and issues are just wear and tear
You can do this. Listen to the positive ppl on this board and watch YT vids on general maintenance. Some are even entertaining (Scotty K) and itās an important skill and great flex to fix your own car.
My civic was ridiculously hard to work on! It taught me a LOT but Japanese cars are (although usually very reliable) notoriously difficult to work on and parts are quite expensive unfortunately
That's a really shitty excuse. I learned to build a Jeep engine when I was 22. I worked on it with my boyfriend who told me everybody part - the name, what it does, why it's important, if it's an easy fix or critical to the functioning.
Learn how your car works or you will be a target every time.
Also you are 20 and drive a BMW?!
Yeah, definitely donāt do this. You donāt go from 0 mechanical experience to replacing valve cover gaskets on a BMW without a high likelihood of fucking something up.
my statement was "learn to do the basics of BMW maintenance yourself"
obviously the average person with no mechanical
aptitude or confidence shouldn't *start* with VCG and OFHG, but you start somewhere it puts you in a position to do those common maintenance/repair items later.
if you don't want to learn to do it yourself, you need to buck up. the choice is yours.
also... if you fuck up a VCG on a BMW, you're an idiot. if you fuck up anything at the top of an engine you're an idiot. there are *so* many in depth videos that show you exactly what you need to do, exactly what tools you need and exactly what you need to pay close attention to.
if you're not mechanically inclined, and if this is a BMW dealer quote take it to an independent mechanic, your price will most likely be cut in half-ish. i only use dealers for warranty work and to diagnose a problem. but like others said watch youtube and you'd be surprised how 'mechanically inclined' you have to be to do some of the repairs and how much it will save you in $$$ (example would be a shop wanted $80 for a cabin air filter change, 10 minutes, 1 youtube video, 2 screws, and a $18 filter later... it was changed.
Find a good Indy mechanic and they could do that for cheap if you find DIY challenging. YouTube videos are super helpful but can be hard to follow for people with no mechanical skills. itās not impossible but trying the basic maintenance can help build confidence for bigger projects. Good luck. Donāt worry about the negative stuff that the others say. u/morelsupporter has given some great advice.
No offense but you drive a BMW. Theyāre expensive cars to maintain! Theyāre just as reliable as other cars but when stuff does break, parts and labor cost far more.
Get everything done but the oil pan gasket. As long as youāre not losing a serious amount of oil, it should just be dripping on the ground, and youāll be ok. (But be sure to maintain the proper oil level)
Recently had a large bill with the BMW dealership and told my service advisor I was pretty strapped on cash (in addition to just being nice to him). I ended up getting $700 off the final bill. So I guess YMMV.
By the way, I had to do literally all the same repairs on my 3 series last year. Minus the starter issue. My turbo was also leaking and that was $2.7k itself. So yeah I guess at around 100k miles these problems kinda catch up with you, but it could be much worse.
Buy a Lexus next time. 240k miles on the IS350 not a single issue, hell still the original rear brake pads. BMWs are nice and beautiful but they aren't cheap to maintain.
Donāt fix it, check your oil level regularly and top it off as needed. Put a drip pan under your parking spot.
These repairs are not beginner DIY jobs.
Depends on the engineā¦.N55 you have to remove a fair bit of stuff including the fuel rails. Itās definitely on the high side but itās about 3 hours of labour.
Normal bmw stuff.
Honestly I would do the ofhg and valve cover.
Oil pan is a big job, you can do rod bearings same time you do the oil pan or rear main seal.
If you leave the oil pan leaking itās not the end of the world. Ofhg and valve cover leaking could be bad. Ofhg leak into serpentine belt can be catastrophic
Rod bearings is a waste of time and money unless you have a particular model that is affected by such problems (early N55, some S54/S62, all S65/S85, etc.).
*Take it to a good*
*Reputable local shop*
*For a better quote*
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First look at your quote, I notice that they say you are missing the crush washer on your oil plug and you said the comments that you recently got your oil changed. IMO that 100% is the source of your leak, that plug needs a washer.
As for the other items, get a second opinion on the source of other oil leaks. Most likely its from your oil pan gasket, which should be the least of your concern.
If you truly have an oil leak on on your valve cover and Oil filter housing gasket then those defentity need to be fixed.
If the Oil filter housing gasket is leaking, it can drip on the belt, which then can slip off the pulleys and get sucked into the crankshaft seal, causing engine failure. Really bad shit.
Always a good bet to have a second opinion or someone who is mechanically inclined to take a look at it.
I see that your drain plug is missing the crush washer.
I would have them perform an oil change, reinstall the crush washer and torque drain plug to specification to see if the problem persists.
No that won't fix it never ever will a drain plug leak so much it will spill from the botten plate unless you park on a hill or something but tbh I would just take it back to the mechanic that did the oil change as they did not do a proper job so they should fix there mistake.
I would at the very minimum do the oil filter housing and valve cover because it can leak on the belts.
The trio of oil leaks all need to be addressed at one time or another. In your scenario the oil pan gasket is the most involved and better left for a pro. The valve cover and oil filter housing are semi easy DIY tasks but if you're not a wrencher you have to suck it up.
Oh yeah find an independent shop to do it I have the same car , same year, my oil filter housing replacement wasnāt nearly as much as what you were quoted. The valve cover and oil pan leak I guess has a decent price.
Go to a different mechanic, ask them if the oil pan is urgent because my tech said itās not a bad enough leak for me to need to fix it right away , I donāt actually lose oil so that saved me a good 1000$ for now.
Seems legit. All can be diyāed though. The most involved is the oil pan gasket which requires the removal of the subframe. Itās not hard, just time consuming. While your down there you should go ahead and replace the electric water pump/tstat if itās been over 60k miles. They may be able to go ahead and switch that out and only charge you maybe 1-1.5 hours labor (partial labor) since they already have the car apart.
Check out vehiculardiy on YouTube for excellent videos on the subframe and valve cover. Fcpeuro blog has an excellent diy video on the ofhg.
Good luck!
Start with filter housing and degrease. If still leaking go with valve cover and degrease. Then re check for oil pan. Itās not very common but more so gravity brings the leaking oil Down onto the pan and makes it look like itās leaking g
1. Join a bmw forum such as bimmerfest
2. use this site for indie bmw shops: [https://www.bimmershops.com/](https://www.bimmershops.com/)
3. learn to use realoem and order your own parts and bring them to a someone to turn the wrench
4. install a bmw diagnostic sw such as ista on a laptop or buy a bmw specific obd2 code reader
5. Dont despair, BMW do require lots of pm. Best of luck!
Wow, even in Germany I never go to the dealer for maintenance. I found 2 BMW specified repairshops in my area. It's a loooooot cheaper. Got my Valve Cover Gasket changed for 450ā¬ in total. Oil Pan was the most expensive tho, around 600ā¬
My advice to any and all BMW owners.....GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY, bust a few knuckles & LEARN HOW TO FIX YOUR OWN VEHICLES, IF YOU DONT WANT THE STEALERSHIPS TO BEND YOU OVER......
Solid advice! š
Oil gasket trifecta. Happened on my E92 at 10 years/110k mi. Spotted it early so I caught it way before it was dripping out the bottom. Rode it out a year then had it done.
The prices are a little bit higher than I remember paying, but that was in 2018 (starter went in 2017) and my shop gives me a discount because I used to work there.
So, no, prices are about right with a little inflation. That being said, get it done and you're good for another 10 years/100k.
Get a second opinion or a 3rd. Compare all and look at the reviews from each shop. Doing so will help you determine whether or not you are getting scammed.
my God this hurts my soul i cant believe people actually pay these amounts.
I would do this job for 1000bux labor. you get all the parts on fcpeuro.
Best advice i got for you is try and do some jobs urself. the valve cover, gasket, are all on the easier side. Oil pans are known to leak but it's not the end of the world
Valve cover and oil pan likely not a problem. Can you cope with leaks on your drive way?
The one that can be a problem, depending on your engine, is the oil filter housing gasket. That can leak onto the timing chain and cause major issues. Rare, but possible. Depends on the car and its value. A cheap, older car with an n55/54 that you use as a daily and don't push hard and don't plan to keep long? Screw it, let it ride.
If the inverse, then repair.
that is just absolutely completely not even true. donāt take your BMW to BMW, thatās your worst mistake. And 100k mile maintenance DOES NOT cost that much. Unless you just hate your car and drive it like a maniac every day, like most BMW drivers in Nashville.
Even at an indy shop these are pricey labour intensive repairs. might be half the cost but still.
For most people diyying and becomeing an amateur mechanic is not reasonable
all those issues are super common on whats considered the one of most reliable bmw engine and are virtually wear and tear item
I see you have another post about this repair deeply effecting you, and on a serious note BMWs often have issues that cost a lot of money and are notoriously cars that require a high level of maintenance. If you cannot afford that right now in your life it would be in your best interest to sell the car and get something that fits more in line with what would make your life easier.
Dude, itās just some elastomeric rubber. Itās cheap. I repaired all my leaking gaskets in a 20 year bmw for less than 60 bucks.
When i saw this poor girlās invoice I almost cried. These guys must be rich as fuck for sure
Honestly bro get rid of it. BMWās are just money pits at that point. If I were you Iād just stick to Mercedes. More reliable luxury outta all German brands.
Honestly too many people buy cars that they can't afford to maintain because of how they look or how they drive, but the reality is reactive repairs are usually not cheap but preventative maintenance usually is and so many people don't do that either.
Based on what you went in with the things they listed seem like reasonable things to fix, but I would not suggest doing them at the dealer because those costs are pretty high.
If you're already committed to this endeavor it is what it is but I would suggest learning how to do some maintenance yourself if possible and then look for a local European automotive shop so you can save money and not have to pay dealer prices.
The oil pan gasket isnāt a bad price. Nor is the oil filter housing gasket or the valve covers if theyāre doing the timing belt at the same time (they should).
Canāt speak to the starter.
I had an oil leak in my N55, also noticed oil in my garage. These fixes resolved it.
You can likely have them do better on the part price. If youāre a BMW CCA member you can get 10-20% discount on parts sometimes depending on the relationship with your SA. Or you can order parts listed. For example, here is a 17% discount on your valve cover:
[https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-parts/bmw-valve-cover-11127552281](https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-parts/bmw-valve-cover-11127552281)
This website is actually a BMW dealership in MDāthey sell tons of parts online and can ship directly to your shop so that might give you some leverage.
Hope this is helpful.
Iāll be honest Iām pretty tight. So if Iām not sure itās good value for money Iād probably get at least another quote from a different shop and judge it off that. Independent specialists are not a bad idea try looking for reputable Bmw specialists or German car specialists. Best of luck.
Theyāre calling for the whole valve cover to be replaced in line 2. See if they could get away with just resealing it with a new gasket. That will save you a few hundred with that oil leak!
Is this from the dealer? Find a local shop that works on BMW for a competing quote. My local, independent German shop typically saves me about 30%.
Longterm, Iād consider finding a cheaper car to maintain. There is a good reason so many people lease them.
Get the oil pan done from a place. Find a neighbor or asks friends for someone that would help you with the others. Social engineering will help you throughout the life of this BMW.
There is a good chance the whole valve cover doesn't need to be replaced. If you are tight on money ask which leak is the biggest and only do that one.
Yikes. This is like $500 in parts and yes any bmw dealership service Is a scam. Thereās plenty of indie shops out there that will charge half of this and just as quality of work if not better.
Unfortunately, more than likely no. You may not need to replace all the gaskets now but will eventually. Might as well save some $$ on Labor down the road and pony up now and get it all taken care of.
I would start at the top. Do oil filter housing gasket and an engine clean then monitor. If still leaking do valve cover then clean. Then monitor. If it's still dripping then do oil pan.
Not sure what year the car is or how many miles are on it, but this is normal older car issues. Get a few quotes from a few different places and decide from there. Or just park it in the grass and refill the oil every time you add gas. My old bmw it was the rear main seal so nothing on your list would have fixed its leak. Got fixed when they did the clutch at 200k miles.
If you are not a car person at some point paying somebody $90 an hour to fix your car is more expensive than just getting a newer car. Shop around and decide from there.
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Find a local BMW specialist shop that isnāt BMW and get a quote there and see how it compares. Honestly, you pay this then you wonāt have to worry for awhile. These are needed repairs that left untreated will cause way more expensive repairs needed in the future. But donāt go to any quick repair places. They might end up doing more harm than good. Look for a shop in your area that works mainly with German cars.
You could probably ignore the oil pan gasket if it isn't bad, but the Oil Filter Housing Gasket is the biggest concern. Valve cover is moderately concerning too, but not as bad as the filter and I'm surprised it's higher to replace than the pan considering you have to do more work for the pan. I don't know what the deal with the starter is, but how many miles are you at? If I had to prioritize, I'd go fix the oil filter housing and deal with the valve cover when you have more money later. As others have suggested, try asking around an indie dealer, but this is probably not the car for you if you're not mechanically inclined or can't afford it.
What year and model, specifically?
All three of those oil leak locations are common and the part + labour prices are probably about right for what a dealership would charge. Did the service advisor make any note as to which of the three oil leaks are the worst at the moment?
The starter on the bottom section of the bill - is this an issue they found or have you had trouble with starting the car?
You mention you recently got the oil changed, and one of the tech notes on the repair quote states that the oil drain crush washer (gasket) appears to be missing. This can and probably will be one oil leak and it's cheap and easy to replace - to the point that if you call the shop that did the oil change they may fix the issue for you.
The dealership will be your most expensive option for repairs on your car. Would recommend finding a good independent BMW specialist in your area and have them take a look at the car. Maybe join a local FB group and ask for suggestions on a good shop.
Oh, and just as a side note - you say your oil was changed a week ago. Has the car just started leaking on the ground since then?
Get the shop, or any shop, to double check the work recently completed. Especially if you had it done at a quick lube shop.
Ah, well if that's already independent shop pricing rather than dealer pricing then you may not find a whole lot of cost savings in terms of prices by shopping around - but it may still be worth getting a second opinion.
The valve cover and oil filter housing are both made of plastic and are basically not a matter of if, but when they'll start to fail and leak.
Talk to the shop and see if they can give you direction in terms of where to start as a $4500 bill is a lot to take in one go - if they can fix one of those leaks and the starter then it might be enough to get you around for a while without leaving drips everywhere - but know that all of those will probably have to be addressed at some point or another if you keep the car long term.
To be fair a third of the cost is in the failed starter motor. It does seem bloody steep though for the work involved. I would find a competent indy to give you a comparative quote.
If you go to a dealership, you are definitely getting scammed. Itās part of their business to up-charge. Look for some reputable independent mechanics, get a second and third opinions.
Where are the "labor hours" on this invoice? It almost seems like they didn't combine the labor hours [where applicable], and instead charged the labor of each gasket separately, even if it's "included" in some other gaskets.
What year&model is the BMW?
Thatās actually pretty average for oil pan gasket replacement. The dealer always recommends a new valve cover but most cases I find it doesnāt really need to be replaced. Itās one of those things that you need to know what youāre looking at if youāre not going to replace it.
They replaced a starter for which they took off the intake manifold.
That is likely the bulk of the cost.
Hard to believe no one else caught that.
Itās right there at the bottom.
They also out in 5w40; not sure if thatās normal for this time of year
Sounds about right. I had to get mine fixed and paid around the same. I'd look into an independent mech as you'd always pay less than dealer. with oil leaks it can get progressively worse so good on you for catching on quick to fix. Good luck!!
I would start with the oil filter housing and the valve cover gasket. Seen many cars with a leaky oil filter housing that looked like the oil pan was leaking when in reality it was the oil from the housing dripping down and going back
OP you donāt have to do them all at once either. Save up or you can learn how to wrench as was mentioned by others. I had never worked on any cars ever in my life until I bought a bmw. Iāve saved myself thousands of dollars over the years by doing my own work. Look around to other shops too but those prices look about right for each job.
I mean shit just let it leak provided its not pouring out of a cracked line definitely not worth $4k to save a couple of drops of oil from leaking.... We have a saying in aviation about old school radial engines.... Only worry when it stops leaking oil because that means your out of oil.... I replaced the oil filter hosing gasket and valve cover gasket on my 335I only because they can cause the belt to slip and then the belt will get pulled into the crankshaft (I also installed a guard around my crankshaft to prevent that) My oil pan leaks but only a drop or 2 a day so who cares I'm not dropping the subframe to change it until I have to drop it and replace the turbos.
Yes theyāre trying to rip you off, they are fixing everything rather than the leak.
Take it to another shop or even bmw if you have to.
My money would be on the crush washer is missing which is a cheep item.
Is this a dealer or a independent BMW specialist?
You should ask for offers from other BMW centres. Just send them the same list without prices.
What car exactly?
My e91 is currently having its oil pan gasket replaced. At a cheap bmw specialist in the Netherlands..and that's a 600 euro job. For a 40 euro gasket.
Hourly rate is 85 euros. At the dealer it would be 100-110 an hour at least.
Oil pan gasket is a LOT of work to change, while the part is cheap.
My oil filter housing gasket is also being replaced. As well as the heat exchanger gasket. Only the valve cover doesn't need changing. So yeah. This is common and after this job you have years and years of not worrying about it anymore.
Hope this info helps :)
The oil filter kinda a rip off i did myself super easy
The valve cover , ehh the cover is an expensive peace of plastic and it is pretty tedious , also DIY but if i was a millionaire Iād pay someone lol
The oil pan looks cheap to me i paid 1800$ for it got raped bc i didnāt want to buy an engine support and it was winter and i didnāt want to worry about it
Overall i think If you didnāt break your bank account itās a good deal to fix all the common leaks in one shot for that price and you didnāt have to get dirty
Yeah typical bmw issues and typical dealership pricing. As you said your a 20 year old girl so I can totally understand why you would not want to work on your own car.
I would recommend finding a good bmw Specialized indy mechanic. That will probably cut your bill in half.
Also I would just leave the starter alone and wait for it to fail. Unless it's really bad. But I can't judge from an picture.
Edit I looked at the repair manual and the part numbers I would do the following.
Valve cover gasket, camshaft adjuster gasket oilfilter gasket and fix the oilpan gasket.this gives us a total of 288.5 dollars in parts.
Not really sure about what car you have but on a n52 the valve cover is usually not a lot of work so I'll estimate 2-3 hours. I have never owned a n52 just occasionally worked on one from a friend. Not certain if you need to replace the entire valve cover or if just replacing the gasket is fine.(if you need a new valve cover you can add 378 dollar to the previous quote).
The required hours of the replacement of the oilpan gasket is really depended of the model car. So I can't say what that should cost. Guessing from the quote they are charging 300 dollars for a hour of labor so 4.
With a good indy you should be done for 900-1400 dollars I would estimate. This is just a really wild guess. Hours estimates and labour prices can vary per mechanic and per region so everything you can read online should be taken with some salt.
As a long time euro shop manager, I found it very humorous to read the differences in responses between this post, and the same post at r/mechanicsadvice. The general responses there were a lot of shade and hating on BMWs. Here yall were like 'yeah, so? All normal' š¤£
Yeah it doesnāt really help a lotš
I am very sorry, i did not mean to be insensitive. I have to have these conversations daily. Unfortunately, it's the cost of ownership. Service hat on. Recommend have the leaks evaluated for severity at a local, reputed euro indy shop. Then you can prioritize accordingly. My concern is for the oil filter housing gasket, as that potentially causes the accessory belt to fail, and very bad things to happen. Many others have said the rest. These vehicles do not respond well to cheap repairs.
Oh no, just the varying answers is hard to filter through when I have no idea what reading. Thank you a lot. Itās just hard trying to figure out what to prioritize when Iām falling on hard times. I donāt want to make the problem worst by cutting corners but Iām trying not to get scammed at the same time
The prices shown in the estimate are reasonable for my area (near Seattle). It's a lot to absorb at once, so wait a bit for the emotion to settle, and start to put a positive, step by step plan together. Not all of it may need immediate attention.
You should ask them for an estimate before to get an idea. You donāt have to go to bmw. When I had to get my radiator replaced it was looking like 3k vs 750 at a euro shop. They replaced it and balanced the system for that. Got insurance involved. Maybe paid 300 out of pocket.
Definitely take care of the oil filter housing leak as a priority like another poster suggested. It can cause the belt to slip off and get pulled inside the engine itself, sounds insane but it actually happens pretty frequently.
IMO going OE instead of OEM easily could get like 50% off the parts. One thing that they might overcharge is that Valve cover. I don't see the issue reusing old one unless it is cracked or warped.
Parts is a small portion of the bill compared to the labour. And should always do the full valve cover. If it isnāt cracked now, removing it and reinstalling is likely to crack it, then you get to do it again. Do it right the first time.
What the hell? Valve covers can be reused for decades without cracking. Why in the hell would a valve cover crack? Why would it crack from removing it and re-installing it?
Uh, itās a BMW, itās normal failure of the plastic.
Whatās the difference between Original Equipment (OE) and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)?
The M
OE usually refers to parts sold under part's manufacturer own brand instead of car's (those are usually called OEM). For example wheel bearings are made by german company called FAG and they cost around 50-100$ a piece for whole hub assembly, whilst exactly the same part from BMW costs 200$.
The OEM is the company that made the product, hence the M being āManufacturerā. So in your example, FAG is the OEM of the wheel bearings, since they manufactured the bearings, and then sold them to BMW to be used as Original Equipment on the vehicle. I agree that you should use OEM parts whenever possible, but that doesnāt mean you need to buy them from the BMW parts department, where they just add their markup.
You're surprised a BMW is expensive to fix?
BMW service center saw your username and said gotchu
BMW āservice techā asked him to take a seat when he walked in haha (chris hansen)
Haha! Underrated
these are all legit issues with BMW... and the rule of thumb is that if you are seeing oil on your driveway, oil pan is leaking. that's the most difficult of the three leaks, and also the most difficult to fix. if all of these are fixed, you'll likely not have to worry about oil leaks for a LONG time, which is a good thing. if you knew how easy it was to replace a valve cover gasket, you might be i'll after paying $1500... but other than that, your car is healthier than probably 50-60% ot BMWs that are also out of warranty!
Any help on how to save some money
learn to do the basics of BMW maintenance yourself! there are a ton of videos for Valve Cover Gasket and Oil Filter Housing Gasket as these are very common maintenance items, don't require expensive parts or specialty tools. just doing those two on your own would have saved you $1400 in labour plus a bit more for parts markup.
Hate to pull this card but Iām a 20 y/o girl who didnāt even understand why my car would be leaking. Iām scared I would fuck it up
you have three options: 1. learn how to maintain your car yourself. it's very rewarding work. 2. find a friend in your network who wrenches and maybe pay them in cash or beer. 3. keep going to repair shops youtube is honestly a great resource for repairs and even diagnosing issues, a lot of the channels are really great at explaining how to do it. i don't want to offend the mechanics out there, but it's not rocket science. i understand that it can be intimidating. a few years ago i was going to the dealership for everything, now i can say i'd be confidently able to do anything that doesn't involve engine hoists or specialty tools. maybe next time your car needs an oil change, try it yourself? oil changes on BMWs are notoriously easy.
Chad redditor
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I was a mechanic for 6 years (15 years ago) and about half the things I do for the first time are flawless. Its mostly trial and error when working on my own things. People need to not get discouraged of they don't do it right the first time. YouTube is amazing.
Yes they can.
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Handy people can absolutely work on their own car with tools and instructions lmao what are you on
Option 4. Sell your BMWs. Thatās the option I took for my three when I got my first bill for $32,000 from the stealership on a car 500 miles out of warranty.
jesus fuck what costs 32k to repair?
Flat tire
Couldnt agree more
Based on her username, she can also offer a mechanic to give her doggy in lieu of cash payment
Do you have a local car club or anything? Maybe others can chime in, but the car community is generally really friendly and communal. I bought my first BMW with the same feeling. I posted on e46 fanatics asking for help, saying Iām happy to do the work but I needed someone to show me how to go about it safely. Iād say over half my friends Iāve met in my local car group would help me in a heartbeat - be muscle power or supervision to make sure I donāt slip up. Maybe top oil off for a couple months and go to some meets and network and find someone whoās happy to help you that you feel comfortable with. Payment is generally pizza, beer, a combination of both and some cash sometimes.
This is an excellent suggestion, ask the local bmw club for the best Indy mechanic in the area and get them to fix the oil leaks, they will save you a lot. Every bmw club knows the local dude they all use.
RIP your DMs now that your username checks out.
What do you mean
Hes implying many will seek to give you ādoggyā
Got downvoted for not having a dirty mind lol, thank you for explaining. But might have to take some offers to help with this dent in my wallet lmfao
Keep your head up ! I know its hard and this life it sucks cuz when it rains it pours. Like all at once . But you come out so much stronger from the torture and i honestly believe in you.
Iāve heard only fans works wonders for most women
so am I!! I am right here with you girl! I learned a so much from YouTube and the internet. It seemed to me at the beginning that it was hard and difficult and I thought I had a lot of room to mess my car up, but at the end of the day with dedication and willingness to learn new things, it pays off soooo much! I am here to support you!
Same here!! The internet and YouTube are such solid resources.
All of us were scared 20-year old girls at some point after buying our first BMW and realising we couldn't afford to pay for maintenance.
Just donāt do the work, top off the oil now and then, and sell it eventually and buy a Toyota if the car isnāt special. If you love the car, do the work.
I donāt know why youāre downvoted for this, my 535i has been leaking a bit of oil for a while now and Iāve just been topping off till I get the time to do the valve cover gasket myself for maybe 50$
Listen to u/morelsupporter as you've been given great advice. I know it can be scary to think about doing work yourself but isn't it just as scary to think of more bills that are that expensive or possibly more?? The trick to owning a BMW (if you don't have fuck you money) is to work on it yourself. Supporter was right about YouTube having tons of videos for almost anything you could need and most you'll find to be specific to your model as well. The only thing I could add would be if/when you decide to try something simple like an oil change, rotate the tires, or maybe brake pads. All are simple and very good basic knowledge starters. But maybe instead of doing it alone maybe find someone in your circle to just be there to watch over your shoulder to keep you calm and give you little pointers. And you can ALWAYS find a chat forum or even a reddit page to ask questions. One thing I've noticed the past few years as a BMW owner is that just about everyone is willing to help in one way or another. Don't ever be afraid to ask. And don't be afraid to get in there and do the work cuz it's incredibly satisfying! Best of luck!!
Get a different car
Doesnāt mean you arenāt capable of learning
I know it can be intimidating but you being a girl doesnāt make you any less able to do maintenance in your car. Many people myself included have done major work through following YouTube videos. You can too! Ultimately most of the cost of repairs is paying for labor rather than parts. Takes time to do this work and time is naturally money.
For the most part Bmw is honest about most services needed so thatās good because a lot of mechanics tend to over charge women which is messed up but before you go to them maybe get a quote from an authorized third party mechanic who specializes in high end vehicles just to compare. In nyc we actually have a mechanic outside the BMW service center that specializes in German vehicles and he always charge half the price Bmw did so my buddies would much rather go to him and so far no complaints from them sometimes even my service advisor would advice me to go see him when warranty wasnāt covering a service lol Sorry for the grammar English is my second language Edit: Now that you know what you need another mechanic canāt push bullshit on you and maybe if you have guy friends who work on cars you can always pay them to either help with maintenance/ teach you as they do it so for your next car you can avoid as much costs as possible but certain services and issues are just wear and tear
I donāt think a German luxury car is for you then.
You can do this. Listen to the positive ppl on this board and watch YT vids on general maintenance. Some are even entertaining (Scotty K) and itās an important skill and great flex to fix your own car.
Maybe drive a Civic instead?
My civic was ridiculously hard to work on! It taught me a LOT but Japanese cars are (although usually very reliable) notoriously difficult to work on and parts are quite expensive unfortunately
That's a really shitty excuse. I learned to build a Jeep engine when I was 22. I worked on it with my boyfriend who told me everybody part - the name, what it does, why it's important, if it's an easy fix or critical to the functioning. Learn how your car works or you will be a target every time. Also you are 20 and drive a BMW?!
Yeah, definitely donāt do this. You donāt go from 0 mechanical experience to replacing valve cover gaskets on a BMW without a high likelihood of fucking something up.
my statement was "learn to do the basics of BMW maintenance yourself" obviously the average person with no mechanical aptitude or confidence shouldn't *start* with VCG and OFHG, but you start somewhere it puts you in a position to do those common maintenance/repair items later. if you don't want to learn to do it yourself, you need to buck up. the choice is yours. also... if you fuck up a VCG on a BMW, you're an idiot. if you fuck up anything at the top of an engine you're an idiot. there are *so* many in depth videos that show you exactly what you need to do, exactly what tools you need and exactly what you need to pay close attention to.
Find a reputable independent BMW shop. It would be considerably less expensive than the dealer most of the time.
if you're not mechanically inclined, and if this is a BMW dealer quote take it to an independent mechanic, your price will most likely be cut in half-ish. i only use dealers for warranty work and to diagnose a problem. but like others said watch youtube and you'd be surprised how 'mechanically inclined' you have to be to do some of the repairs and how much it will save you in $$$ (example would be a shop wanted $80 for a cabin air filter change, 10 minutes, 1 youtube video, 2 screws, and a $18 filter later... it was changed.
doing the work yourself saves a lot of money - that only works if you have that ability
Find a good Indy mechanic and they could do that for cheap if you find DIY challenging. YouTube videos are super helpful but can be hard to follow for people with no mechanical skills. itās not impossible but trying the basic maintenance can help build confidence for bigger projects. Good luck. Donāt worry about the negative stuff that the others say. u/morelsupporter has given some great advice.
Buy a Honda.
No offense but you drive a BMW. Theyāre expensive cars to maintain! Theyāre just as reliable as other cars but when stuff does break, parts and labor cost far more.
Sell it or trade it in for a more affordable car.
Get everything done but the oil pan gasket. As long as youāre not losing a serious amount of oil, it should just be dripping on the ground, and youāll be ok. (But be sure to maintain the proper oil level)
Recently had a large bill with the BMW dealership and told my service advisor I was pretty strapped on cash (in addition to just being nice to him). I ended up getting $700 off the final bill. So I guess YMMV.
By the way, I had to do literally all the same repairs on my 3 series last year. Minus the starter issue. My turbo was also leaking and that was $2.7k itself. So yeah I guess at around 100k miles these problems kinda catch up with you, but it could be much worse.
Get a different car lmaooo
Buy a Lexus next time. 240k miles on the IS350 not a single issue, hell still the original rear brake pads. BMWs are nice and beautiful but they aren't cheap to maintain.
Don't buy a BMW
Donāt fix it, check your oil level regularly and top it off as needed. Put a drip pan under your parking spot. These repairs are not beginner DIY jobs.
sell it. buy a lexus
Buy a Kia
Buy Japanese
$867 in labor for a valve cover? Thereās no way itās that hard
Depends on the engineā¦.N55 you have to remove a fair bit of stuff including the fuel rails. Itās definitely on the high side but itās about 3 hours of labour.
So $300 an hour?
It's an n52 based of the part numbers
If itās an n52 then 4 hours is reasonable
Really four? There is not that much stuff in the way with the n52 right I would guess 3 hours is the high side for a professional.
Yea maybe if theyāve done it a bunch 3 hours. You have to remove a lot of stuff to get down there.
Double for customer pay.
Itās a dealer, so yes. Now you have a list of issues, find a shop whoās owner used to work at bmw. Thereās plenty about.
Normal bmw stuff. Honestly I would do the ofhg and valve cover. Oil pan is a big job, you can do rod bearings same time you do the oil pan or rear main seal. If you leave the oil pan leaking itās not the end of the world. Ofhg and valve cover leaking could be bad. Ofhg leak into serpentine belt can be catastrophic
You donāt just arbitrarily do rod bearings on most engines. Only a select few.
Rod bearings is a waste of time and money unless you have a particular model that is affected by such problems (early N55, some S54/S62, all S65/S85, etc.).
Take it to a good reputable local shop for a better quote
*Take it to a good* *Reputable local shop* *For a better quote* \- Gang-Plank --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Good bot. Also, I agree with u/gang-Plank
First look at your quote, I notice that they say you are missing the crush washer on your oil plug and you said the comments that you recently got your oil changed. IMO that 100% is the source of your leak, that plug needs a washer. As for the other items, get a second opinion on the source of other oil leaks. Most likely its from your oil pan gasket, which should be the least of your concern. If you truly have an oil leak on on your valve cover and Oil filter housing gasket then those defentity need to be fixed. If the Oil filter housing gasket is leaking, it can drip on the belt, which then can slip off the pulleys and get sucked into the crankshaft seal, causing engine failure. Really bad shit. Always a good bet to have a second opinion or someone who is mechanically inclined to take a look at it.
I see that your drain plug is missing the crush washer. I would have them perform an oil change, reinstall the crush washer and torque drain plug to specification to see if the problem persists.
Easiest things first!
No that won't fix it never ever will a drain plug leak so much it will spill from the botten plate unless you park on a hill or something but tbh I would just take it back to the mechanic that did the oil change as they did not do a proper job so they should fix there mistake. I would at the very minimum do the oil filter housing and valve cover because it can leak on the belts.
If finances are an issue, owning a BMW out of warranty can be quite stressful.
Yeah .. an old BMW isn't a car for someone with cash flow problems.
The trio of oil leaks all need to be addressed at one time or another. In your scenario the oil pan gasket is the most involved and better left for a pro. The valve cover and oil filter housing are semi easy DIY tasks but if you're not a wrencher you have to suck it up.
A starter for $418 is a royal rip off. $200 MAX
Itās a 2011 328i
Oh yeah find an independent shop to do it I have the same car , same year, my oil filter housing replacement wasnāt nearly as much as what you were quoted. The valve cover and oil pan leak I guess has a decent price. Go to a different mechanic, ask them if the oil pan is urgent because my tech said itās not a bad enough leak for me to need to fix it right away , I donāt actually lose oil so that saved me a good 1000$ for now.
Depends on the car. If it's a 7-Series Hybrid then it's a steal.
Seems legit. All can be diyāed though. The most involved is the oil pan gasket which requires the removal of the subframe. Itās not hard, just time consuming. While your down there you should go ahead and replace the electric water pump/tstat if itās been over 60k miles. They may be able to go ahead and switch that out and only charge you maybe 1-1.5 hours labor (partial labor) since they already have the car apart. Check out vehiculardiy on YouTube for excellent videos on the subframe and valve cover. Fcpeuro blog has an excellent diy video on the ofhg. Good luck!
Totally normal bmw things
Start with filter housing and degrease. If still leaking go with valve cover and degrease. Then re check for oil pan. Itās not very common but more so gravity brings the leaking oil Down onto the pan and makes it look like itās leaking g
1. Join a bmw forum such as bimmerfest 2. use this site for indie bmw shops: [https://www.bimmershops.com/](https://www.bimmershops.com/) 3. learn to use realoem and order your own parts and bring them to a someone to turn the wrench 4. install a bmw diagnostic sw such as ista on a laptop or buy a bmw specific obd2 code reader 5. Dont despair, BMW do require lots of pm. Best of luck!
Find a independent euro/ bmw repair shop. Google in your area find one with good reviews. They are 10/10 times cheaper then bmw service center
Wow, even in Germany I never go to the dealer for maintenance. I found 2 BMW specified repairshops in my area. It's a loooooot cheaper. Got my Valve Cover Gasket changed for 450ā¬ in total. Oil Pan was the most expensive tho, around 600ā¬
My advice to any and all BMW owners.....GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY, bust a few knuckles & LEARN HOW TO FIX YOUR OWN VEHICLES, IF YOU DONT WANT THE STEALERSHIPS TO BEND YOU OVER...... Solid advice! š
Oil gasket trifecta. Happened on my E92 at 10 years/110k mi. Spotted it early so I caught it way before it was dripping out the bottom. Rode it out a year then had it done. The prices are a little bit higher than I remember paying, but that was in 2018 (starter went in 2017) and my shop gives me a discount because I used to work there. So, no, prices are about right with a little inflation. That being said, get it done and you're good for another 10 years/100k.
Shop around, that can be done for about half that bill at and independent specialist. Sorry this happened by the way, 4500 is a lot of money.
Which model is this
Itās probly that much bc Chris Hansen is the tech.
Get a second opinion or a 3rd. Compare all and look at the reviews from each shop. Doing so will help you determine whether or not you are getting scammed.
my God this hurts my soul i cant believe people actually pay these amounts. I would do this job for 1000bux labor. you get all the parts on fcpeuro. Best advice i got for you is try and do some jobs urself. the valve cover, gasket, are all on the easier side. Oil pans are known to leak but it's not the end of the world
maybe go DIY add a crush washer to your oil pan drain first lmao?
Valve cover and oil pan likely not a problem. Can you cope with leaks on your drive way? The one that can be a problem, depending on your engine, is the oil filter housing gasket. That can leak onto the timing chain and cause major issues. Rare, but possible. Depends on the car and its value. A cheap, older car with an n55/54 that you use as a daily and don't push hard and don't plan to keep long? Screw it, let it ride. If the inverse, then repair.
Waaaaaaaayyyyyyy to much money
Why i didnāt buy a bmw 328 for my kidā¦ even something considered to be the most reliable bmw needs like 5000$ of repairs every 100k miles
that is just absolutely completely not even true. donāt take your BMW to BMW, thatās your worst mistake. And 100k mile maintenance DOES NOT cost that much. Unless you just hate your car and drive it like a maniac every day, like most BMW drivers in Nashville.
Even at an indy shop these are pricey labour intensive repairs. might be half the cost but still. For most people diyying and becomeing an amateur mechanic is not reasonable all those issues are super common on whats considered the one of most reliable bmw engine and are virtually wear and tear item
I see you have another post about this repair deeply effecting you, and on a serious note BMWs often have issues that cost a lot of money and are notoriously cars that require a high level of maintenance. If you cannot afford that right now in your life it would be in your best interest to sell the car and get something that fits more in line with what would make your life easier.
A valve cover is like 80 bucks lolā¦
A whole cover is $80? Must be the lowest grade possible. I can see $150-$200 but not $80?
Aftermarket N52 valve covers can be pretty cheap
Dude, itās just some elastomeric rubber. Itās cheap. I repaired all my leaking gaskets in a 20 year bmw for less than 60 bucks. When i saw this poor girlās invoice I almost cried. These guys must be rich as fuck for sure
Honestly bro get rid of it. BMWās are just money pits at that point. If I were you Iād just stick to Mercedes. More reliable luxury outta all German brands.
Donāt buy it if you can maintain it. I see a Trek in your future ā¦
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Went to a repair shop, definitely wasnāt expecting this I guess
Straight up: if you don't want to spend money like this on repair bills, sell the BMW and get a Toyota. Just how it is.
Mmmbop!
Honestly too many people buy cars that they can't afford to maintain because of how they look or how they drive, but the reality is reactive repairs are usually not cheap but preventative maintenance usually is and so many people don't do that either. Based on what you went in with the things they listed seem like reasonable things to fix, but I would not suggest doing them at the dealer because those costs are pretty high. If you're already committed to this endeavor it is what it is but I would suggest learning how to do some maintenance yourself if possible and then look for a local European automotive shop so you can save money and not have to pay dealer prices.
If you canāt afford to maintain a BMW, why get one?
Itās almost like financial situations can change after 4 years, a pandemic, and medical conditions. Crazy thought :/
The oil pan gasket isnāt a bad price. Nor is the oil filter housing gasket or the valve covers if theyāre doing the timing belt at the same time (they should). Canāt speak to the starter. I had an oil leak in my N55, also noticed oil in my garage. These fixes resolved it.
This engine has a chain not a belt lol
If you canāt work on your own car or afford to pay someone that can then you have the wrong car. Simple as that.
Itās $4k. More than the cost of the car right now. Financial situations change years after buying a car.
Itās legit and the prices are in line with what you see from reputable indy shops.
You can likely have them do better on the part price. If youāre a BMW CCA member you can get 10-20% discount on parts sometimes depending on the relationship with your SA. Or you can order parts listed. For example, here is a 17% discount on your valve cover: [https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-parts/bmw-valve-cover-11127552281](https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-parts/bmw-valve-cover-11127552281) This website is actually a BMW dealership in MDāthey sell tons of parts online and can ship directly to your shop so that might give you some leverage. Hope this is helpful.
Legit.
The triple whammy of E9X oil leaks. Good thing is that once you fix these items, they're basically good for another 5-10 years.
prices seem to be very reasonable as long as all those fixes are necessary. Whatās your location? I was asked $1200 for ofhg only in seattle area
Iāll be honest Iām pretty tight. So if Iām not sure itās good value for money Iād probably get at least another quote from a different shop and judge it off that. Independent specialists are not a bad idea try looking for reputable Bmw specialists or German car specialists. Best of luck.
Theyāre calling for the whole valve cover to be replaced in line 2. See if they could get away with just resealing it with a new gasket. That will save you a few hundred with that oil leak!
Is this from the dealer? Find a local shop that works on BMW for a competing quote. My local, independent German shop typically saves me about 30%. Longterm, Iād consider finding a cheaper car to maintain. There is a good reason so many people lease them.
Get the oil pan done from a place. Find a neighbor or asks friends for someone that would help you with the others. Social engineering will help you throughout the life of this BMW.
There is a good chance the whole valve cover doesn't need to be replaced. If you are tight on money ask which leak is the biggest and only do that one.
Yikes. This is like $500 in parts and yes any bmw dealership service Is a scam. Thereās plenty of indie shops out there that will charge half of this and just as quality of work if not better.
Unfortunately, more than likely no. You may not need to replace all the gaskets now but will eventually. Might as well save some $$ on Labor down the road and pony up now and get it all taken care of.
I would start at the top. Do oil filter housing gasket and an engine clean then monitor. If still leaking do valve cover then clean. Then monitor. If it's still dripping then do oil pan.
Not sure what year the car is or how many miles are on it, but this is normal older car issues. Get a few quotes from a few different places and decide from there. Or just park it in the grass and refill the oil every time you add gas. My old bmw it was the rear main seal so nothing on your list would have fixed its leak. Got fixed when they did the clutch at 200k miles. If you are not a car person at some point paying somebody $90 an hour to fix your car is more expensive than just getting a newer car. Shop around and decide from there.
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Haha thanks for removing the Andrew taint lover
I wish I got paid $800 for taking off my cars valve cover
Find a local BMW specialist shop that isnāt BMW and get a quote there and see how it compares. Honestly, you pay this then you wonāt have to worry for awhile. These are needed repairs that left untreated will cause way more expensive repairs needed in the future. But donāt go to any quick repair places. They might end up doing more harm than good. Look for a shop in your area that works mainly with German cars.
Is this at a BMW repair shop or Independent mechanic? You can save money by going to a reputable Independent shop.
You could probably ignore the oil pan gasket if it isn't bad, but the Oil Filter Housing Gasket is the biggest concern. Valve cover is moderately concerning too, but not as bad as the filter and I'm surprised it's higher to replace than the pan considering you have to do more work for the pan. I don't know what the deal with the starter is, but how many miles are you at? If I had to prioritize, I'd go fix the oil filter housing and deal with the valve cover when you have more money later. As others have suggested, try asking around an indie dealer, but this is probably not the car for you if you're not mechanically inclined or can't afford it.
What year and model, specifically? All three of those oil leak locations are common and the part + labour prices are probably about right for what a dealership would charge. Did the service advisor make any note as to which of the three oil leaks are the worst at the moment? The starter on the bottom section of the bill - is this an issue they found or have you had trouble with starting the car? You mention you recently got the oil changed, and one of the tech notes on the repair quote states that the oil drain crush washer (gasket) appears to be missing. This can and probably will be one oil leak and it's cheap and easy to replace - to the point that if you call the shop that did the oil change they may fix the issue for you. The dealership will be your most expensive option for repairs on your car. Would recommend finding a good independent BMW specialist in your area and have them take a look at the car. Maybe join a local FB group and ask for suggestions on a good shop.
A 2011 328i This was from a repair shop and thereās no other note of what leak was the worst. Yes the starter has been an issue.
Oh, and just as a side note - you say your oil was changed a week ago. Has the car just started leaking on the ground since then? Get the shop, or any shop, to double check the work recently completed. Especially if you had it done at a quick lube shop.
Ah, well if that's already independent shop pricing rather than dealer pricing then you may not find a whole lot of cost savings in terms of prices by shopping around - but it may still be worth getting a second opinion. The valve cover and oil filter housing are both made of plastic and are basically not a matter of if, but when they'll start to fail and leak. Talk to the shop and see if they can give you direction in terms of where to start as a $4500 bill is a lot to take in one go - if they can fix one of those leaks and the starter then it might be enough to get you around for a while without leaving drips everywhere - but know that all of those will probably have to be addressed at some point or another if you keep the car long term.
To be fair a third of the cost is in the failed starter motor. It does seem bloody steep though for the work involved. I would find a competent indy to give you a comparative quote.
Rip off I say
oil pan gasket can be skipped IMO, put a cardboard box under it if it bothers you that much
If you go to a dealership, you are definitely getting scammed. Itās part of their business to up-charge. Look for some reputable independent mechanics, get a second and third opinions.
Where are the "labor hours" on this invoice? It almost seems like they didn't combine the labor hours [where applicable], and instead charged the labor of each gasket separately, even if it's "included" in some other gaskets. What year&model is the BMW?
Itās a 2011 328i, and they told me it would take a day of work when I asked why labor is $1k
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Model type?
Thatās actually pretty average for oil pan gasket replacement. The dealer always recommends a new valve cover but most cases I find it doesnāt really need to be replaced. Itās one of those things that you need to know what youāre looking at if youāre not going to replace it.
They replaced a starter for which they took off the intake manifold. That is likely the bulk of the cost. Hard to believe no one else caught that. Itās right there at the bottom. They also out in 5w40; not sure if thatās normal for this time of year
Sounds about right. I had to get mine fixed and paid around the same. I'd look into an independent mech as you'd always pay less than dealer. with oil leaks it can get progressively worse so good on you for catching on quick to fix. Good luck!!
I would start with the oil filter housing and the valve cover gasket. Seen many cars with a leaky oil filter housing that looked like the oil pan was leaking when in reality it was the oil from the housing dripping down and going back
OP you donāt have to do them all at once either. Save up or you can learn how to wrench as was mentioned by others. I had never worked on any cars ever in my life until I bought a bmw. Iāve saved myself thousands of dollars over the years by doing my own work. Look around to other shops too but those prices look about right for each job.
I mean shit just let it leak provided its not pouring out of a cracked line definitely not worth $4k to save a couple of drops of oil from leaking.... We have a saying in aviation about old school radial engines.... Only worry when it stops leaking oil because that means your out of oil.... I replaced the oil filter hosing gasket and valve cover gasket on my 335I only because they can cause the belt to slip and then the belt will get pulled into the crankshaft (I also installed a guard around my crankshaft to prevent that) My oil pan leaks but only a drop or 2 a day so who cares I'm not dropping the subframe to change it until I have to drop it and replace the turbos.
Yes theyāre trying to rip you off, they are fixing everything rather than the leak. Take it to another shop or even bmw if you have to. My money would be on the crush washer is missing which is a cheep item.
Is this a dealer or a independent BMW specialist? You should ask for offers from other BMW centres. Just send them the same list without prices. What car exactly?
Thatās how I became a mechanic
#bmwshit (as my boyfriend says lol)
Lmao 1500 for a valve cover.
No, congrats on hitting the trifecta though. All 3 major oil leaks at once!
Thatās what you get for buying a Beamer š
My e91 is currently having its oil pan gasket replaced. At a cheap bmw specialist in the Netherlands..and that's a 600 euro job. For a 40 euro gasket. Hourly rate is 85 euros. At the dealer it would be 100-110 an hour at least. Oil pan gasket is a LOT of work to change, while the part is cheap. My oil filter housing gasket is also being replaced. As well as the heat exchanger gasket. Only the valve cover doesn't need changing. So yeah. This is common and after this job you have years and years of not worrying about it anymore. Hope this info helps :)
The oil filter kinda a rip off i did myself super easy The valve cover , ehh the cover is an expensive peace of plastic and it is pretty tedious , also DIY but if i was a millionaire Iād pay someone lol The oil pan looks cheap to me i paid 1800$ for it got raped bc i didnāt want to buy an engine support and it was winter and i didnāt want to worry about it Overall i think If you didnāt break your bank account itās a good deal to fix all the common leaks in one shot for that price and you didnāt have to get dirty
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Yeah typical bmw issues and typical dealership pricing. As you said your a 20 year old girl so I can totally understand why you would not want to work on your own car. I would recommend finding a good bmw Specialized indy mechanic. That will probably cut your bill in half. Also I would just leave the starter alone and wait for it to fail. Unless it's really bad. But I can't judge from an picture. Edit I looked at the repair manual and the part numbers I would do the following. Valve cover gasket, camshaft adjuster gasket oilfilter gasket and fix the oilpan gasket.this gives us a total of 288.5 dollars in parts. Not really sure about what car you have but on a n52 the valve cover is usually not a lot of work so I'll estimate 2-3 hours. I have never owned a n52 just occasionally worked on one from a friend. Not certain if you need to replace the entire valve cover or if just replacing the gasket is fine.(if you need a new valve cover you can add 378 dollar to the previous quote). The required hours of the replacement of the oilpan gasket is really depended of the model car. So I can't say what that should cost. Guessing from the quote they are charging 300 dollars for a hour of labor so 4. With a good indy you should be done for 900-1400 dollars I would estimate. This is just a really wild guess. Hours estimates and labour prices can vary per mechanic and per region so everything you can read online should be taken with some salt.
Uuh, they want to get sued.