Hi .. i posted a question a while ago about my car now i have it back now and have some questions. BMW 316 TI ES 2003
I orignally broke down.. i called the breakdown people. They came and said that the car properly has a sensor not working proper and needed to be taken to a garage.
They took my car to my mechanic.. told him what happened and that there is properly a sensor problem. So my mechanic without checking himself i believe changed the sensor.
Car still not working..
He then thinks there is a eletrcial problem so then he takes it to have an eletricial test, they say the cars eletric is fine.
he then finally opens up the head and sees that the timing chain had snapped.
all of this is over the course of a month.
he then gets the parts and puts them in the engine..
about another 3 weeks wait
engine is now starting however a few problems here and there.. warning lights are up etc.
after another 2 weeks wait..
another guy comes with computer and it states there is a problem with sparks plugs, plays around and the lights are off.
and the car was now ready.
Now i'm saying i don't mind paying for the parts which came to around 拢100.. and labour 拢180..
but the 2x sensors at 拢151 (which may not have been needed, i will be happy with the old ones put back in if they still work) and the 拢215 eletrical test which wasnt needed as eletrics were fine.. i'm not sure if i really wanna pay for them.
what are your views.
Timing Chain Question - The Bill?
The number of stupid things are mistakes in this story are so great I don't even know where to begin pointing out what all is wrong here. But the biggest thing is the mechanic. Yes, you did tell him it was a sensor, but my theory is that the people bringing the vehicle in are bringing it in because they don't know how to fix vehicles. I NEVER listen to a customer when he or she says %26quot;Its probably this%26quot;. Now, if a customer comes in and states specifically that he or she just wants something done or a certain thing replaced, that's different, I do the work, warranty the parts and my labor, but won't guarantee to fix any problems by doing so. If a customer is bringing in a vehicle and doesn't know whats wrong and says %26quot;Someone told me its this%26quot; I say %26quot;Ok%26quot; and promptly ignore what they say. Its MY job to diagnose and fix this vehicle, and if I have to warranty the work, then I'M gonna find whats wrong with it. Its simple, you diagnose the problem and determine what it will take to fix it. Then you call the customer and inform of what is wrong and how much it will cost to fix. Then they either pay what it takes to fix it, or they say %26quot;No thanks%26quot; and they pay the diagnostic charge ( usually about $60-$80).
And to be honest, any technician worth their pay would have been able to tell you the timing chain was broken the first time the turned the engine over. When that belt breaks, it lessens the load that the starter has to turn because now the starter is ONLY turning the Crank, connecting rods, and pistons, and some of your cylinders are still going to have valves open, so much less compression to work against. There is a noticeable difference in how the starter sounds and how quick and easy it turns the engine over. This is the biggest give away that the timing chain or belt is broken.
Sorry, you got screwed. I'm not sure about the laws concerning this on your side of the puddle, but if i had to guess, they may be little or nothing you can do. Argue the point with the shop, but remain calm and polite while doing so. Simply inform them that you don't feel you should pay for the work that was done that did not fix the vehicle for the problem you brought it in for. Good Luck
Timing Chain Question - The Bill?
well originaly %26quot;you%26quot; told him it was a sensor. pretty much you just told him to do something, and he did now it wasnt the problem, so he charged you. if you would have told him the car wont start then he would have looked into it and not just go on what you said. sorry but you did kind of did get screwed on this one but hey thats what happens. dont tell them what to do next time just tell em it wont start.
where the hell do you find these mechanics??
Do you live in an area that is more or less devoid of human habitiation and have to settle for less ???
The breakdown people dont know what the hell they are talking about so they should have just kept thier mouths shut.
And the mechanic does not test anything.He just changes parts and hopes for the best.
All this time you are sitting there shelling out your hard earned money.
Your man should really have checked a bit better before going for expensive parts.
But and it's a huge but you are sooooooo damn lucky.
Normally if something like a timing chain lets go then things start saying hello to each other inside the engine. Things like bent valves, wrecked pistons and smashed camshafts are not uncommon.
Put another way you are lucky the engine did not lunch itself completely and you might be putting a 1 or even a 2 in front of your 650 pounds.
Viewed that way you might have had a lucky escape!!
Wholly Cow! That's $1,224 of our unstable dollars! As we say in the US: The price of owning off-shore cars that are supposed to be so special!
A few thoughts on this one.
First, a properly trained tech would have done a thorough diagnosis and come up with the timing chain failure first.
Second, It is possible that in the course of failure of the chain, the cam or crank sensors may have been damaged.
Third, it's a BMW. Repairs can be costly on BMW. Did you get a full breakdown of the hours billed for the repair operations done.
