+1: BMW parts for 99% of the mods. OEM and from E60. Tomorrow or during this week I will know everything.

 

Here the whole story of the warranty: before Xmas, I brought the car to the dealer to install the heated steering wheel.

They worked 3 days but no way to do it. (idiots, 30 minutes are enough, I know now)

They asked me EUR 354.. For what? What did they do?
Nothing... And I wasted 3 days (+ I lost mp3).


Obviously I refused to pay and the boss was agree (I have a witness), so I came back home.

In January I emailed the technician, saying "You needed these parts (1, 2, 3, 4) plus mod the FA file inserting option248 then load the file on the car bla bla bla".

He replied that for future service I could go to my forum's friends, that are better than them.


Some days ago I went to another dealer.. And I found all blocked, they said my car is locked.

I: !??!??



Today this old dealer told me "I saw another dealer refused your warranty and didn't give you the FA code"
And now I understood... I didn't pay those EUR 354 (what should I pay for ?!??!) and they signaled to BMW Italy my car was highly modded.


Now there is legal problem: I have a contract with BMW Italy and not with the dealer, that is another company. They cannot 'close' a contract in this way; especially without a letter or similar.

Now I have 2 ways: a) go to the dealer and give them EUR354 and pray them to reactivate my warranty/service b) going to BMW Italy (20 km, fortunately it is in my city) and tell them EVERYTHING is happened with the dealer.
Do you think BMW will be happy of the dealer behavior and of this teasing?
The bastard dealer got EUR 150k from me. And this is the prize.
I think I will choose the second choice, going there (with another car) and tell them everything, explaining that a) the dealer cheated me b) they have a contract and I'd prefer to avoid to turn everything to a lawyer c) I am a good customer and they risk this will be my last BMW (and with spare parts I bought from 2005 you can buy another car, I'm not joking - and I have invoices).

What do you suggest?



Coming back to the transmission problem... If I move the lever S-L-O-W, after some attempts I can engage the first and the reverse with the car cold (5.5? C in my garage, surely with -10?C it wouldn't work).
But slow means you need 10 seconds to move the stick - don't ask my why, but that's it.

 

sorry your having so much problems, I hav an SMG too but I haven't had this problem... but its scary these cars are so sensitive.

goodluck with everything.

 

I guess I'll chime in to tell you a bit of SMG issues.
This is from e46 M3 smg issues and I'm guessing it should be very close if not the same.

When my friend's m3 was sitting outside in cold weather(10s F) my friend occasionally had
problems move out from 1st to neutral to start the car. Due to the cold weather, the gear was frozen
and wouldn't move. After discovering this issue, he started to put the car in N before turning the engine off
and now his gear is movable at any weather but time to time his parking brake is stuck Better than not able to start the car

If you search m3 forums, there are several threads regarding gear being stuck when the weather is cold.
They all recommend to put the gear in N and just pull the parking brake so next morning you'll be able to
start the engine.

This gear being stuck issue is not just for SMG. All manual gearbox equipped cars "can" be stuck in gear when the weather is cold, however, from what I see non of my friends, valet parking, etc put it in gear when turning off the engine.
Just put it in neutral and pull the parking brake. That's why we don't hear MT stuck in gear when its cold outside.

That's what I do during the winter. And I haven't had any problems. I would say it's normal(since you said it's working as it should be during warm weather/car is fully warmed up) but if you can convince the dealer to replace the whole tranny, I don't see why not.

 

Come back in the mountains, 6? this morning and still the same problem.

Guys, I'm beginning to think the dealer filled the SMG up with a wrong oil, that becomes too much viscous when the Temp decrease below 10? C.

It cannot be electronics imho, because it's mathematical:

- below 10?, don't engage 1 and R but just 2 till when it's warmer
- above 12? it works perfectly
- between 7-8 and 12-13? it works but the stick is stiff

If they put the wrong oil, I think the SMG can come back working well with a new oil change.

I will investigate and I will ask a sample of the oil.

Was told by a friend that BMW NA didn't ask BMW DE what oil the M3 E92 DKG needed, put the same oil of the steptronic and they broke many transmissions.
This info will be useful.

 

Ok, BMW won't cover the replacement because of the exhaust, M5 cluster and differential.

They only offered a discount at the dealer that belongs to BMW Italy, but I imagine it would be a 20% so nothing.
-20% on parts, +30% on job, be sure!

The only thing I obtained is they will continue to pay for my service (just oil change, wipers and microfilter I think, I will need an oil change in 10k km and then the contract will expire in 2010).

We told them it would be sad to lose a customer for a stupid part BMW pays EUR200 or so (the actuator). They replied bla bla there are rules you cannot mod and ask the warranty bla bla.
This is because they aren't interested in gains of BMW, because every month they get their salary in any case (I'm not talking of the dealer employee, but of the inspector of BMW Italy).
Also said I bought spare parts for almost 10 gearbox, but they weren't interested in this.

I also could tell him I will park the car in the center of the city next December with written "Gearbox faulty, buy Audi" on it and I bet they wouldn't have moved an eyelash.


Now I hope the car will be fixed replacing just the actuator, then the engine should last, the differential the same and this will be my last BMW. Not because they didn't cover the warranty, but because they are behaving like p**s (for example, they said they cannot say WHICH part of the gearbox I should replace so in their opinion I need a new gearbox) : they could say "You need the actuator, it is 1000 EUR, we can do 600 + 400 the job, so EUR1000" and it would have been honest.

Instead, they would like to prepare a 10.000 EUR invoice or so, saying "It would be 2 millions euro, BUT we love you and they are just 10k".
But they are wrong, oh how much they are wrong, if they guess I will pay 10 grands.


Chea***s, bmw dealers here and *BMW Italy employees AS WELL*.
I repeat, it isn't a money problem (doesn't matter EUR 1000 at this point), but they way they behaved. Disgusting.

Read Germans from BMW, since we know you read the forum.





Next time.. An Audi or a Maserati.
Or an Alfa Romeo if they will release the future 169 RWD with a V8 from Maserati as promised (it would be time to remember to Germans who ruled before 1990).

The car now seems fine, but I will let you know if I will remain on feet in the middle of the highway, this summer (I will drive 6-7 thousands kilometers).

And be sure, dear BMW, the car would come back home on the wrecker with "Gearbox faulty, buy Audi" on the window for 1500 km.

 

Unmounted gearbox, replaced actuator, pump, two sensors on the top.
1600 parts, 600 job, 10% off ==> EUR 2000.

I replaced also the pump because it costed not so much (250 EUR), but it was good (56k km).



NOW I really hope the car is back as factory, no trouble with cold weather, etc. etc. etc.

Will see in November.

Would be A LITTLE annoying if the car still sux next winter and I will have to replace the entire gearbox.

 

Chances are the pump fixed the issue. My understanding is the insides of the SMG similar to the manual are pretty bullet proof for the most part.

I think there stance on all this crap is from there point of view its easier to swap it all out then narrow it down to one part or bother with any internal issues.

 

This morning I left at 4 am from my house... Drove 1150 Km in 9 hours and... DLOOON, emergency mode: available just 1, 3, N and R.
Parked.
Turned off the car in D.
No way to turn it on, because it is locked in 1 (no towing possible, we had to lift it up and put some wheels below rear wheels)

I got my laptop, launched INPA and:




The *NEW* pump blasted - error and no pressure
Called the dealer 1000 km far and found there aren't new SMG pumps in Italy and no pumps in Munich at the moment!!!!!!!!!

Do you want to know where is the only pump available?

In my garage, 1000 km far, took out from the trunk this morning! - the old pump, that I replaced because it was cheap (200e) compared to the job I was making.



Now the car is at a dealership here in the South, apparently no spare pumps available... I want to die

 

omg.. that sux. i feel your pain.. i had the same kind of issuies with my baby when i had her.. when i would go to R it wouldnt go in, i would roll back and foword when this happened... but before i could get it fix.. the stole her (basterds)... hope it all works out for you