Good BMW forum? My father's 5 series debacle....
05-19-2004, 12:13 PM
#1
Good BMW forum? My father's 5 series debacle....
Been away from BMWs for many years now so I don't know of a forum as helpful as this one. The Audi knowledge here is fantastic and I'd like to find a similar source of BMW knowledge.
My father (80 yrs old) has been driving 5-series BMW's since 1975. Some have been better than others, but the '98 he has now has been a nightmare for him. His plan was for this to be his last car, but it has left him stranded for the 3rd time. And it has cost him a bloddy fortune in repair and maintenance costs. Example- brake pads all around and new front rotors at 19,000 miles- $1100, not covered under any kind of warranty like Audi.
This past Saturday, while he was driving from his home in Northeastern PA to visit my sister in the DC area, while driving down I-270 outside of DC, his coolant temp light came on. Now, at 75 mph in highway traffic, it took him a mile or so to safely get to the shoulder. Called BMW roadside assistance who towed him to the nearest BMW dealership- VOB in Rockville.
No tech available until Monday to diagnose. Turns out that the plastic thermostat housing somehow had a dime sixed hole in it which obviously caused the coolant leak. VOB's conclusion- engine is shot and will cost $10,000 to replace! First what the he!! caused a hole in the housing? And second- $10k for a factory reman engine? And the car is probably only worth 12-14 anyway. (has 80k on the odo)
So I may buy the car from him and either rebuild the engine myself or find a used part. But don't know where to look for good used BMW engines.
The good news- He's looking at a new A4 3.0Q as his replacement. Finally, after 30 years of driving rear drive BMWs in snowy Pocono mountains- he's considering an Audi.
.
My father (80 yrs old) has been driving 5-series BMW's since 1975. Some have been better than others, but the '98 he has now has been a nightmare for him. His plan was for this to be his last car, but it has left him stranded for the 3rd time. And it has cost him a bloddy fortune in repair and maintenance costs. Example- brake pads all around and new front rotors at 19,000 miles- $1100, not covered under any kind of warranty like Audi.
This past Saturday, while he was driving from his home in Northeastern PA to visit my sister in the DC area, while driving down I-270 outside of DC, his coolant temp light came on. Now, at 75 mph in highway traffic, it took him a mile or so to safely get to the shoulder. Called BMW roadside assistance who towed him to the nearest BMW dealership- VOB in Rockville.
No tech available until Monday to diagnose. Turns out that the plastic thermostat housing somehow had a dime sixed hole in it which obviously caused the coolant leak. VOB's conclusion- engine is shot and will cost $10,000 to replace! First what the he!! caused a hole in the housing? And second- $10k for a factory reman engine? And the car is probably only worth 12-14 anyway. (has 80k on the odo)
So I may buy the car from him and either rebuild the engine myself or find a used part. But don't know where to look for good used BMW engines.
The good news- He's looking at a new A4 3.0Q as his replacement. Finally, after 30 years of driving rear drive BMWs in snowy Pocono mountains- he's considering an Audi.
.
