inspection II

[robcarync]

im due for an inspection II servicing soon, i was just wondering how much this will set me back? im a working man now, so my parents said i have to pay for it. i was just looking to get an idea how many of my pay checks ill be saving up to get it done.

[ClubSport]

Too much.

Do it all yourself, it's not too hard and it's a great way to get in touch with the inner workings of your car.

[brucelee]

I agree that most of this list can be done by mechanics as unskilled as, well, me!

[96cali]

If you have the time and means, DIY. If not, like me, I paid a highly regarded independent mech about $300 I think. Dealer wanted over $700. :shock:

[ClubSport]

$300 seems like a pretty good deal, but yeah, $700 is nuts.

[Travis]

Another reason to DIY...

1. You can do some other things while you are in there that are not (necessarily) covered in the inspection II procedure and still stay under $300 like...

Change brake fluid (don't forget the clutch)
Exchange coolant
Replace transmission and differential oil
Replace fuel filter
Change spark plugs and wires (if your AM radio static
changes with RPM, you are WAY overdue).

2. A hired mechanic will not pay as much attention to detail as you will.

[robcarync]

that is interesting. im a 17 year old kid that doesnt know much about cars...my dad knows stuff about cars and with both of us we could get it done, but he is always working and wouldnt have the time. 700 is ridiculous...

6 bucks an hour x 5 hours a day x 5 days a a week x 5 weeks = $750

thats nearly half of the summer of working just to pay for an inspection...rar!

i better be looking for a second job...

or an independent mechanic...

[Travis]

The items on the inspection II checklist are all either really easy to perform (let the oil out, put new oil in), or are pretty easy once you know the trick to it (changing coolant requires jacking a corner of the car to get the bubbles out).

Finding "the trick to it" is as easy as surfing the web, or getting a Bently or Haynes service manual - From the library, even. Everything isn't in the manual, of course, because the ti is kind of an odd car as E-36's go, but there are lots of archives, and I think every question has been asked some time or another here or on the yahoo group.

ISBN for the Bently is...0-8376-0326-9
For the Haynes... Well, I've gone and lost it, but it's a good manual.

Go ahead and do it a little at a time. You will be glad you did and you'll get to keep your money.

-Travis

[robcarync]

well i got my car to the beamer dealer because i had some suspicions that i may have other problems.

i got the service done which was 685. they called back and had a list of 9 things that needed fixing.

it was some ridiculous amount of money that i didnt have...

among them were bad front left ball joint on the suspension, breaks, radiator hoses, and some other stuff...

we (my dad and i) only got 3 out of the 8 things fixed because only 3 were potential safety hazards or had a potential to cause more damage.

now my mom is really pissed off about the car because we spent 1500 working on it, and we spent 1k dollars on it about a month before. of course she always goes off about her toyota mini van that went 15 years without having any major problems.

and now it has been out of the shop for about 2 weeks, and the check engine light comes on every time i drive it.

it seems kind of sketchy how the CEL wasnt giving me any trouble until AFTER i got it serviced. this car is giving me so much trouble lately.

my parents are making me get rid of it after i graduate i think... :x

[montjuic]

Hope you don't have to lose it! yeah, it sounds like you gotta find an honest ind. mechanic. I'd recommend doing the INSPCT. II yourself like the others, but it sounds like that's not going to work for you.

As a rule (now) i think most dealership garages are sketch: they want their commission on parts; they fiddle with the DME and electrics to do more work; and they're
not to keen on us TI owners (and our mentality), anyways.

Are you a member of BMWCCA? maybe another member in your area can help out. radiator hoses and the like are absurdly easy to fix--ball joints, less so, but do-able.

don't lose that TI!!
-B

[robcarync]

yeah, my pops said that he thought some of the other stuff on the list we could get done cheaper/do it ourselves (IE: radiator hose)

not a member of bmwcca...not even sure what it is exactly. one of my friends mom has a bmw and she reccomended another place (non dealer), which i will try out next.

it just really sucks because my mom didnt even want to buy this car because she heard bmws arent very reliable and are expensive to maintain and repair. needless to say, i havent heard the end of it since we've had to spend about 3k on it in the last two months.

i love the car and everything, but im hoping the expenses will go down soon...so far my parents have paid for everything, but they are saying the next time something is wrong im paying for it, and im a poor 17 year old kid only working 25 hours a week at 6$ an hour...

i cant afford to maintain a bmw like this

[1996 328ti]

As others said you can do some or all of Inspection II yourself. Mom can't compare a Toyota to a BMW. Parts on a BMW are much closer in tolerance and simply wear out. There is so much slop built into other cars that you don't even notice the wear. I'm driving a Chrysler Sebring this week with only 4K miles and it feels like crap. There is a reason a BMW handles the way it does. They do require maintenance but a BMW with 180K miles will still handle like it did when it was new as long as you replace worn parts. Other cars never handled well in the first place so there is no comparison.

And Inspection II is good for another 36K miles. You can really skip Inspection I but I would replace the microfilter.

[318tibimmer]

Do whatever you can to keep that car, I know how you feel - I bought my Ti when I was 18 almost 19 with no help from my parents, I am now 22 and the car is almost paid off - if you work hard you can make it happen. I love my Ti. also don't be afraid to work on your own car. Most of the work that has been done on my car has been done by myself. Hang in there man...

[robcarync]

the inspection I service was done by the previous owner...the only real reason i took it to a bmw dealer to get the inspection II was because i had some suspicion of other things wrong with it, and some things that i would not catch if i did the stuff my self. hopefully the car will be good for a while because i cant handle many more of the thousand dollar trips.

ive been putting in some more hours lately...i want to keep this car.

[96cali]

Look into that independent mech and definitely into bmwcca. Where is Cary NC? Near a larger city? If so you you must have several german/bmw shops around. It will save you 50% at least. I used to assume that the dealer knew best- they don't always. The upside is that they tend to be easier to deal with if something goes wrong. Just shop around with your dad for a mech with a good attitude and some experience with e30s or e36's.

Oh, and make up some excuse to trade cars with your mom for a few days. Once driving and appreciating the ti she'll sympathize and want to hang onto it. :P

[robcarync]

Cary is really close to RDU (raleigh/durham and even chapel hill), so there are more German car mechanics. I have talked to my dad about it and we are planning on doing break pads, ac belts, and radiator hoses ourselves. Im still worried about the check engine light...

it comes on at random times, but at least once every time i crank it somewhere throughout the drive...i called my bmw service advisor named mel, and he said it iss most likely an oxygen sensor or he suggested to mess with the fuel cap because if it isnt on all the way, it causes pressure disrepencies which can make it trigger the CEL. after messing with the fuel cap, the CEL still comes on sometimes, but it has only come on about 3 times in the last few days, which is much less than before, so the fuel cap did something im thinking...not sure though because performance wise, i cant tell a difference at all.

i was talking to my mom about selling it but i pretty much told her we wouldnt get much at all for it because we are the third owner, the hood and fenders had to be repainted because someone backed into me, and no one would want to buy it with the recent repair history. i think i convinced her it would be cheaper to keep it and fix it than to try and sell it for a honda.

last comment...waht is bmwcca (what does it stand for) and how do i go about becoming a member?

ok i lied, one more question. the dealer told me my brakes are going out and i will need new ones soon. question...would i be able to get by with just new pads or will i have to replace the whole brake? my dad thinks we can get buy with just pads but i was looking for you guys opinions.

[2ndBimmer]

Probly best to replace rotors and pads together.

[montjuic]

Hey,
so BMWCCA is the BMW Car Club of America. Check
out the website: bmwcca.org. There are local chapters
within the club, so I'm certain there's a group in NC.
Some places discount parts and labor with a membership.
By the way, an ind. mechanic probably
has the tool to read the fault code for the CEL and
reset the service lights...further bypassing the dealer.

just a thought,
B

[robcarync]

ever since i got my car back from the dealer, the CEL has been coming on constantly. it seems to drive normal, but the light comes on all the time, nearly every time i drive it. its werid, because it is random...it will come on while im driving, and 15 seconds later, it will be off. sometimes the car has trouble cranking like the battery is dying, but i got a brand new battery about 5 montsh ago. this car is so frusterating.