ScorpioBMW1

Haven't been on here in a while but I'm back again with a new set of problems. My 2004 545 has 48k on the clock. I noticed a few oil spots under the car recently and took it into a friends shop to investigate. He put it on the lift and removed the bottom covers. What the covers were hiding was a nightmare....the bottom of my car looked as if it was the undercarriage of a NYC taxi with 200,000 miles. It was such a mess we ended up using a case of brake cleaner to clean it up.
After cleaning it up and driving it around for a day we lifted the car again and saw transmision pan leak, rear differential leak, valve cover gasket leak and possibly the head gasket...not 100% sure. I do have an aftermarket warranty from Mercury direct....it's the platinum exclusionary plan. My friend recommended I take it into the dealer so I took it to Rallye BMW in Wesbury. They just called to confirm all the above and to also tell me that my coolant overflow was also leaking.
How does a $60,000 car with under 50k miles have all these leaks?
Do you think my insurance will cover them. The policy does state that it does not cover non-electrical, non-pneumatic, non-mechanical and non-hydraulic components.
Any help would be appreciated!

e6t.lab.rat

wow sorry to hear about all the problems. but didn't the car throw you some kind of warning, like on the dash (CEL) or idrive? Like maybe something related to low oil pressure/level, etc? For it to build up like that means that the leak(s) may have been happening for a while.

It's just wierd how all these gaskets failed in sealing the joints. Were repairs ever made to these components you listed? If so, then someone may have used the wrong type of sealant/gasket.

Regarding your insurance policy you stated "it does not cover" non-electrical etc. etc. So in essense you are saying it DOES cover the electrical, pnuematic, etc etc.? that is one good insurance plan you have and i'd suggest you take full advantage of that.

BTW, i have an '05 545 and so far so good as far as no leaks go. (knocking on wood) good luck with the repairs and keep us posted

response_surface

holy sh*t dude, i just bought a 05 545i with 34k miles on it, i may be in for a living hell just like you're in now.

sorry to hear about that, good thing you have a warranty, maybe i should get one.

ScorpioBMW1

No warning lights at all....I was down 2 quarts of oil!! The covers on the undercarriage of the car kept the leaks from becoming noticeable sooner.
There was a repair done to adjust valvetronic....whatever that means...about 3 years ago...the engine lost pressure and the car would barely move when I floored the gas pedal. The policy I have is an exclusionary policy...only the items stated are not covered.... Wish me luck guys.

ScorpioBMW1

A warranty is a must on these cars. Repairs can get quite pricey.

e6t.lab.rat

relax bro! no disrespect to the '04 545, but i think just maybe BMW got the kinks out of the 545 the second year they built it ('05). People say the first gen of any product is what you want to avoid because of the unknowns as far as potential problems go. But, as with any and all things mechanical, cars do breakdown and/or need repairs. So its vitally important you maintain the car as scheduled. For piece of mind, get the extended warranty from your BMW dealer.

porsche911targa

Sorry to hear about all these problems. I'm surprised that there are so many leaks. Just out of curiosity, how often do you take your car in for service, oil change, anything that requires them to remove the pans?

acuteperformance

i had the same warranty plan. it SHOULD be covered if i recall. did you give them a call yet?

ScorpioBMW1

[quote name='acuteperformance' date='Nov 10 2009, 08:25 PM' post='1052010']
i had the same warranty plan. it SHOULD be covered if i recall. did you give them a call yet?
[/quo
I haven't contacted Mercury directly. Rallye BMW is handling it for now.

ScorpioBMW1

Here's the latest from the "stealer"....SA just called to say that Mercury agreed to pay for the valve cover gaskets, rear diff seals, tranny gasket and sleeve, coolant overflow bottle. Here's what pissed me off....Mercury agreed to pay them for 2 hours to diagnose.....BMW wants me to pay them 2.5 hours at $130 PH :thumbsdown: . When I first sat down with my SA she mentioned that it would cost $130 per hour and be about 4 hours to diagnose...I was under the assumption that if I decided to go ahead and do the repairs that I would have to worry about a charge to diagnose. BTW Mercury is paying them $2,650!!!! Am I getting shafted or what!!!? I just got into a big argument with her....she's gonna speak to her manager and get back to me.