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      03-21-2010, 06:36 PM   #3
galenpowers
galenpowers
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Drives: 2004 545I
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Louisville, Ky

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Contacting BMWNA sounds like a good idea. I have written to them twice and here are the kind of responses you get:

This is what I wrote:

Dear BMW North America

(Attached the two videos)

What I want to know is if BMW is willing to help me get this resolved. I do have a 50/50 third part warranty that will cover some of it.

The car is currently at an independent shop that has been extremely helpful. The local dealer didn't seem to have any idea what the issue was and scared me off.

I read the plugs and checked the compression before I took to to the dealer (Swope). The Cylinder six plug was black and oily and the compression was low by about 20% in that cylinder. The rest of the cylinders were very close to each other. I showed them the plugs, gave them a picture of the plugs and shared the compression data with them and they wanted $950 plus $120 to take a look under the valve cover. That just didn't make sense to me. It sounded like all they did was check the codes (which I had already done) and listened to it. You would think they would pull the plug and look at the cylinder walls or verify the compression numbers wet and dry, strange....

I know that the factory warranty is expired but you would think that this well engineered motor would last longer than 68K. The BMW service records looked good to me and the service writer up to 53K when I bought it. I have done four oil changes over the last 18K while I have been the owner of the car. I have been reading quite a few similar posts from other N62 powered vehicle owners that required an engine replacement, so someone must have a handle on this issue.

Please drop me a note. I am trying to stay a loyal BMW enthusiast .
Thanks, Galen Powers

This is the response:
Dear Mr. Powers:

Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC in regards to your 2004 BMW 545i. I was sorry to read of your concerns.

I apologize that you felt the concerns with your 2004 BMW 545i could not be resolved at an authorized BMW center. BMW adheres to a policy of supporting our national network of authorized BMW centers. Our vehicles are the product of patented engineering and require authorized care to maintain their peak performance, and our BMW technicians are trained and certified to service our vehicles. BMW does not recommend or warrant the services performed by any independent facilities. We are sorry if this causes any inconvenience.

If you have any further questions, please reply to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again, thank you for contacting BMW.

Sincerely,

Eowyn Hayden
Customer Relations and Services
Representative

So I responded with these questions:
Here are my questions:

Is there a chance that BMW will participate in this repair if it is determined that the problem is not caused by my negligence and the repairs are conducted at the dealer?

What would that participation look like?

Would BMW recommend a short block, long block a complete motor for this problem?
If I do this repair with an Independent, the most practical solution is a 30K mile used engine for about $5000 plus labor.

What portion of the dealer repair would I be responsible for?

I would be willing to work with the dealer if I was confident that I wasn't going to over pay for the repair.

What do you recommend that I do next? The car is sitting until I get this resolved.

If you can't answer these questions, please direct me to the appropriate contact.

I understand your commitment to your dealer network but it is the independent repair people that fuel the BMW enthusiast's interests and help keep the resale value up on older cars.

Thanks for your assistance. Galen Powers

And BMW North America responded:
Dear Mr. Powers:

Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding your 2004 BMW 545i repairs. I was sorry to read of your concerns.

Your vehicle would need to be taken into one of our certified BMW centers and given a diagnosis before it could be determined if assistance can be provided. We do not have the ability to advise you in a technical matter via e-mail. I suggest contacting the service team at your authorized BMW center directly, so they can review your concerns in person and provide technical support. Our service department is best suited to address all of the specific questions in your email. I do apologize for the inconvenience, but BMW would not be able to provide any assistance with work done at an independent service center.

If you have any further questions, please reply to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again, thank you for contacting BMW.

Sincerely,

Eowyn Hayden
Customer Relations and Services
Representative

These mushy open ended replies are totally annoying.
So I went back to the dealer and they said they would discuss it with the BMWNA rep that was coming in in a couple of days. I asked if it would be possible to speak with the rep and the response was "thats not going to happen" I have been calm and reasonable which is probably part of the problem. I guess you have to be a loud annoying pain in the a$$ or they just wipe their feet on you. Not my style... So much for buying a new BMW.

Last edited by galenpowers; 03-21-2010 at 06:56 PM..
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