jayman098ma

Is $950 a good price to have a new starter (probably rebuilt) installed at the dealer (Tully BMW) or is it a rip off? Any other suggestions for shops in MA or NH?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

pjinca

#1 - NEVER use the dealer for repairs if you're out of warranty, unless you hate your money (in which case I accept donations). There has got to be a decent indy shop near you that can handle the job, look around online to get an ideea of what you should expect to pay for the part (I would have looked but you don;t list your year or model) and then you have a baseline cost and add 2hrs max for the install and you'll know about what you should expect to pay.

ktlocklear

$950....that's robbery

If you can't do the work yourself, get a few more quotes from non dealer shops and go from there. But seriously....2-3 bolts, harness plug, and + battery cable is all that usually holds a starter in place. Pretty simple IF you are at all "mech inclined"

twh

Don't know what car you have.

A 530i with N52 engine starter should be about $300 from BMW dealer. But, this starter is used all over in BMW and you can probably get a rebuilt one from a decent auto parts store. I see rockauto.com has one for $128.79 plus $111.00 core charge (you get that back when you return the bad part). You should be able to do similar locally and get a rebuilt unit for $150.

If it is just the solenoid (the thing that causes the starter to engage the flywheel), that can be ordered separate, and is only $110 from BMW.

If you do it yourself, don't forget you can't reuse the aluminum bolts on the N52 engine; so new bolts are $10.

blackedout5

My starter went out a few months ago, I took it to my indy mechanic and it was 450 for the new starter and labor to install it. I felt that was a high price considering the actual starter was about 300 and it is something I could have done in less than an hour. So yeah, 950 is way too much.