[rwalker]

I was under my hood today looking at the area around my power steering reservoir (scoping for space for a Conforti-style CAI) when I noticed that the driver-side air temperature sensor was lying there next to the reservoir, unmounted from the cowl cover.

When I went to replace the sensor in its proper location, I noticed that none of the little rubber tabs that attach the main cowl cover to the smaller, rubber side cowl covers were in their proper place. Hm.

I kept digging.

I found that the passenger side air temp sensor had had it's little lock tab broken off. Further, the passenger side cowl cover bits were all askew (tubes not in their slots, rubber tabs wedged under the hard cover).

I pulled the microfilter cover and started to take off the cowl cover when I found that the passenger-side tab that hold the cable stay over the engine was broken, hanging there. The driver-side screw hole for securing the microfilter to the cowl cover is stripped and cracked from over-tightening. After I got the cowl cover off I found that the cowl cover's center tab on the firewall side had been subjected to a forcing and so was also broken, hanging there.

In short: when the techs at my dealership went into my cowl area (we all know what for), they did a hack job of dis-assembly and re-assembly.

Things I find funny (not ha-ha) about this:

1. I actually paid $650 on this visit, as it was an "iPod my BMW" retrofit
2. according to my invoice, nothing in the cowl area was serviced
3. I wasn't contacted by anyone for feedback on my visit.

I used to go through this shite with my 2000 Audi S4. The techs were total hacks. Every time I went in for service, I had to go back again to fix something broken during service. After 5 years of being treated this way, I decided that I couldn't in good conscience own an Audi anymore.

I hope that this is an isolated incident. Until I can trust this service department again, I'm going to insist on receiving my car with my SA, to double-check that nothing on the car is worse than when I gave it to them.

-Rob

[jadeddjay]

they were probably looking for a piggyback or something

[rwalker]

Originally Posted by jadeddjay

they were probably looking for a piggyback or something

Yes, I assumed so. This doesn't excuse the butchery.

-Rob

[e90AW335i]

If they were looking for a piggyback they hacked it up enough to never know if you were in there....

[jadeddjay]

freal..
esp when youre not even there for warranty work. they had no reason going in there except to just try to blacklist you or something (but that is me being very pessimistic)

does your car have any other mods?

[rwalker]

Originally Posted by jadeddjay

freal..
esp when youre not even there for warranty work. they had no reason going in there except to just try to blacklist you or something (but that is me being very pessimistic)

does your car have any other mods?

I have an OEM strut tower brace, SPP 19" CSL replicas, and my own version of the so-called golf tee mod.

-Rob

[rwalker]

Originally Posted by e90AW335i

If they were looking for a piggyback they hacked it up enough to never know if you were in there....

Heh. Only works if I can get them to accept responsibility, though.

-Rob

[Kerosene Hat]

Rob, I feel your pain, man. Had my car in for seat-belt retractor fix, they f'd up reinstalling the weatherstripping (saw the indents from a flathead AND philipps screwdriver they used to "reinstall" the weather seal gasket) and came back with a fooking whistling in my cabin...then I got into an accident...then I asked the dealer's body shop to resecure the weather stripping - then I see a fricking slit in the weather stripping...coulda been there after the seat belt visit, but fuckin' A...I feel like I have fricking WEEKEND CUSTODY of my vehicle...wish the work could be DONE RIGHT in LESS THAN 3 DAYS whenever I have to go to the dealer...And I thought the VWAG service infratstructure was bad.

BMW is just damn lucky they build such engaging, addictive automobiles - if service, warranty work and post-sale customer experience were > driving experience to me, I'd jump ship in a heartbeat.

Damn me and my need to drive ass-haulin', killer-handling vehicles...argh

[LambOfGod]

Originally Posted by rwalker

I was under my hood today looking at the area around my power steering reservoir (scoping for space for a Conforti-style CAI) when I noticed that the driver-side air temperature sensor was lying there next to the reservoir, unmounted from the cowl cover.

When I went to replace the sensor in its proper location, I noticed that none of the little rubber tabs that attach the main cowl cover to the smaller, rubber side cowl covers were in place. Hm.

I kept digging.

I found that the passenger side air temp sensor had had it's little lock tab broken off. Further, the passenger side cowl cover bits were all askew (tubes not in their slots, rubber tabs wedged under the hard cover).

I pulled the microfilter cover and started to take off the cowl cover when I found that the passenger-side tab that hold the cable stay over the engine was broken, hanging there. The driver-side screw hole for securing the microfilter to the cowl cover is stripped and cracked from over-tightening. After I got the cowl cover off I found that the cowl cover's center tab on the firewall side had been subjected to a forcing and so was also broken, hanging there.

In short: when the techs at my dealership went into my cowl area (who knows what for), they did a hack job of assembly and disassembly.

Things I find funny (not ha-ha) about this:

1. I actually paid $650 on this visit, as it was an "iPod my BMW" retrofit
2. according to my invoice, nothing in the cowl area was serviced
3. I wasn't contacted by anyone for feedback on my visit.

I used to go through this shite with my 2000 Audi S4. The techs were total hacks. Every time I went in for service, I had to go back again to fix something broken during service. After 5 years of being treated this way, I decided that I couldn't in good conscience own an Audi anymore.

I hope that this is an isolated incident. Until I can trust this service department again, I'm going to insist on receiving my car with my SA, to double-check that nothing on the car is worse than when I gave it to them.

-Rob

I've had the same problem. Everytime the techs had my car they would break tabs and plastic pieces. My bimmer had some work done last fall and some of the wires that were remover were never put back properly. The tape that held the wire in place were cut and never re-tapped. Butchers I tell you!

[David 12]

"Heh. Only works if I can get them to accept responsibility, though."

Take some pictures of the damaged areas as evidence - They could come in handy down the road.

[vase330]

some tech probably a newbie or quarter-brained old time mounted my rear wheels upfront and my fronts back in the rear on mt E46 330ci. I had the ZSP with staggered wheels. I only noticed after I had trouble steering, thought something was wrong like maybe flat tire? Went outside to check and immediately noticed the mistake and drove back to the dealership and asked the SA to have them remount the wheels. Really bone headed. How could a BMW dealership make such a stupid mistake?

[rwalker]

Originally Posted by vase330

some tech probably a newbie or quarter-brained old time mounted my rear wheels upfront and my fronts back in the rear on mt E46 330ci. I had the ZSP with staggered wheels. I only noticed after I had trouble steering, thought something was wrong like maybe flat tire? Went outside to check and immediately noticed the mistake and drove back to the dealership and asked the SA to have them remount the wheels. Really bone headed. How could a BMW dealership make such a stupid mistake?

Walking around the car at service pickup is an absolute must. On my walk-arounds I've caught egregious wheel curbage and brutal door dings (all the way to primer!).

On staggered wheel oblivion: I see a bunch of Mercedes SLKs and CLKs around here with their staggered wheels on backwards. Once at a gas station, I mentioned to the female owner of an SLK that her wheels were on the wrong ends (it was obvious to me). She said, "Oh, really? The dealership rotated them for me."

Funny, huh?

-Rob

[rwalker]

Originally Posted by David 12

"Heh. Only works if I can get them to accept responsibility, though."

Take some pictures of the damaged areas as evidence - They could come in handy down the road.

Not likely that the damage will heal itself. It's still there, I'll just show the SA.

If he's inclined to brush it off, I'll turn into a heater.

-Rob

[vase330]

Originally Posted by rwalker

Walking around the car at service pickup is an absolute must. On my walk-arounds I've caught egregious wheel curbage and brutal door dings (all the way to primer!).

On staggered wheel oblivion: I see a bunch of Mercedes SLKs and CLKs around here with their staggered wheels on backwards. Once at a gas station, I mentioned to the female owner of an SLK that her wheels were on the wrong ends (it was obvious to me). She said, "Oh, really? The dealership rotated them for me."

Funny, huh?

-Rob

Scarely shit for sure. That little experience scared me so much any time someone or shop touches my wheels I personally check they torqued them tight. Don't want a wheel popping off while I am cruising at 90mph down the interstate. To be totally honest, I've almost always had a Toyota in the garage, and it never seizes to amaze that the Toyota guys seem to be more qualified at what they do. I can't remember them ever screwing up something so damn basic as wheel sizes. In fact I have never had anything broken on the car by Toyota dealership, and I have also had dings put on by BMW dealership who subsequently denied it. Its just a damn shame, we all expect more from BMW but they consistently fail us. I have always hated BMW service while still loving the car.

[StarrDlux]

attach a map sensor to the outside air temp sensor

[clark192]

yea, all this stupidity seems its inescapable, even gets me out here as well. I took my sister's x5 in for service, and the dealer ended up puncturing her tire, and then denying they did it! so that tire leaked air so much that it needed to be topped up every other week thanks to the hole. and i can only shudder to think at what they do to my car every time it goes in. im not a mechanic so i cant spot the problems right away.

[rideelement247]

Well look at it this way.... at least jacque from VIP tuning isn't working at your closest local dealership like it is for me. I have to drive out of my way to effing avoid the most incompetent BMW dealer in the world. There, they take customer's cars out for lunch and take their girlfriend's out to lunch, etc... especially with the 6 series.

[rideelement247]

Originally Posted by StarrDlux

attach a map sensor to the outside air temp sensor

At least no one removed the airbox to check for evidence of a CAI and forgot to put it back on but remembered to jam a hamster into your intake tubing.

[StarrDlux]

nah i'm saying route the appropriate ohms with a couple of voltage sweepers and a map sensor and you'll see a (celsius)/farenheit # on your dash that could represent a boost number.

ie 200kpa map sensor sweeped to 0-2000ohms to ambient air sensor you'd get a reading perhaps on your display.

you can also route the ambient air sensor to the airbox area to see what under the hood temps really are like

[kitw]

You know, the service people get paid on CSI just like the sales people do... If they F something up, tell your service advisor and let him know that he's getting zeros if they don't fix it. It's their bonus on the line, so they'll do whatever they can to make it right.


(that said, that didn't stop my advisor from NEVER fixing the 2nd gear grind on my M roadster)

[tintivilus]

Originally Posted by Kerosene Hat

but fuckin' A...I feel like I have fricking WEEKEND CUSTODY of my vehicle...wish the work could be DONE RIGHT in LESS THAN 3 DAYS whenever I have to go to the dealer...And I thought the VWAG service infratstructure was bad.

I wish I had weekend custody... My 335's working on its sixth week in the shop for pothole-damaged wheels.

[daves335i]

Switched from winter tires to summer tires...

Two days later, 3 of the lug nuts from one rear wheel fell off in my driveway, with another 10 minutes of driving, the wheel would have come off. 3-4 other lug nuts on each of the remaining tires were also hand loose.