deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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Before people go on about "this is a Corsa forum" hear me out.
Basically, the alternator has just gone on dad's M3. This is an 2002 '02 plate car, with about 30k miles on the clock, so is well under average. Sadly it is completely out of warranty, even BMW Used Car Warranty.
Considering it is German built, BMW and supposed to be 'good quality', who would expect the alternator to go at such a young age, at a repair price of £540 which has been done?!
I'm just really confused, and dad is more angry, that it would go at such a young age. Alternators are what you generally expect to happen to D-reg Fiesta's and such. Dad is not so angry at the price of the repair, more the fact that the alternator needs replacing.
Should we query it, or will they simply say "shit happens" but in a snobbish BMW dealer's way?
Just your advice really guys on what you'd do, and if you'd expect that of a 5 year old M3!?
 
[Edited on 09-07-2007 by deano87]
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Whittie
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Registered: 11th Aug 06
Location: North Wales Drives: BMW, Corsa & Fiat
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Wouldn't expect it to go so soon, but to be fair it is actually out of warrenty...?
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Joe
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Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
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I think your just going to have to bite the bullet, it is quite early but things break unexpectedly. It has alot of electrics inside so things could easily break. It might be worth seeing if BMW will donate some money as a good will gesture but I don't think they will.
Is it definatly the alternator which is at fault? Have BMW diagnosed it?
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Joe
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Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
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Also BMW themselves won't make the Alternator's so 'german quality' does'nt come into it, it could be made anywhere in the world.
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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quote:
Originally posted by joe6886
I think your just going to have to bite the bullet, it is quite early but things break unexpectedly. It has alot of electrics inside so things could easily break. It might be worth seeing if BMW will donate some money as a good will gesture but I don't think they will.
Is it definatly the alternator which is at fault? Have BMW diagnosed it?
At a price of £540, I'd hope it was the alternator. Basically dad was driving along with the alternator/battery light on trying to get to BMW, then it died completely. On the hard shoulder, not even the hazards would work, so the battery was dead. When he took it in on the back of the AA lorry, they said it would most probably be the alternator.
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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quote:
Originally posted by joe6886
Also BMW themselves won't make the Alternator's so 'german quality' does'nt come into it, it could be made anywhere in the world.
Shouldn't they make sure the parts they put on their cars are worthy of a German name tag in one package. I can't imagine it is a cheap shitty one out of some Dihatsu (sp?) etc.
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Joe
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Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
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I'd get someone to diagnose it first then, could just be a fucked battery, loose connection, could be anything really.
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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quote:
Originally posted by joe6886
I'd get someone to diagnose it first then, could just be a fucked battery, loose connection, could be anything really.
In that case, it's BMW's fault, because it had a new battery not long ago because the old one was dead. Then suddenly this happens, battery related.
Sounds odd to me.
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Joe
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Registered: 20th Jun 04
Location: Hesketh Bank, Lancashire
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Well no not really, all companys are the same if you remove alot of parts they have other brands on all sorts. It could just be a dodgy one that failed early, I do agree that its not very old but things do break.
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AndyCorsaSport
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Registered: 12th Feb 06
Location: Horsforth, West Yorkshire
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Things break on any cars, days old, weeks, months or years. It happens. You have to deal with it, you cant go blaming BMW.
If a bulb was to go out after a year would you blame BMW for using shit bulbs? No i dont think you would. You obviously just have to get it sorted.
And if your dads grumbling about a repair cost of £540, dont buy a M3
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Chris Bingham
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Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: In Scotland
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Things can go wrong at any age on a car, BMW are generally quite good and mine was given a 50% discount a few years back when the rear wheel bearings went a 60k miles. BMW covered half the cost so maybe worth checking.
Also, I presume that this is all BMW prices? Try a specialist BMW independant, will be cheaper.
TBH, if you old man is running an M3 and is narked at a 600 quid bill, I hope nothing serious goes wrong cause it'll cost a load more than that.
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Daniel_Corsa
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Registered: 21st Apr 04
Location: Wigton, Cumbria
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Things brake, just one of those things.
BMW or not cars brake.
April '06' Corsasport Feature Car  | Aug '08' Total Vauxhall Feature Car | Spring '09' Fast Car Feature Car
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STEvieXE
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Registered: 21st Jan 03
Location: Ballymena N.I.
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quote:
Originally posted by deano87
quote:
Originally posted by joe6886
Also BMW themselves won't make the Alternator's so 'german quality' does'nt come into it, it could be made anywhere in the world.
Shouldn't they make sure the parts they put on their cars are worthy of a German name tag in one package. I can't imagine it is a cheap shitty one out of some Dihatsu (sp?) etc.
wont be a cheap shitty one from a dihatsu, but may be made by the same people who make dihatsus cheap shitty one
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Chris Bingham
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Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: In Scotland
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quote:
Originally posted by Daniel_Corsa
Things brake, just one of those things.
BMW or not cars brake.
Cars brake, cause they have brakes. They also break when they go wrong 
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Daniel_Corsa
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Registered: 21st Apr 04
Location: Wigton, Cumbria
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oops
April '06' Corsasport Feature Car | Aug '08' Total Vauxhall Feature Car | Spring '09' Fast Car Feature Car
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mazdaspeed
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Registered: 8th Jan 05
Location: Darlington
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So they changed the battery and now the new one is dead? So they're now changing the alternator? So will they refund the battery as it obviously wasn't the cause last time? They should really as they may of chucked a good battery out.
Also a new alternator is £85 (not BMW), what are they charging and is there a warranty on the alternator?
[Edited on 09-07-2007 by mazdaspeed]
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Adam_B
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Registered: 13th Dec 00
Location: Lancashire
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quote:
Originally posted by mazdaspeed
Also a new alternator is £85 (not BMW), what are they charging and is there a warranty on the alternator?
Alternators can range from anywhere from £35 to £250.
quote:
Originally posted by AndyCorsaSport
And if your dads grumbling about a repair cost of £540, dont buy a M3
Ageed.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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quote:
Originally posted by joe6886
Also BMW themselves won't make the Alternator's so 'german quality' does'nt come into it, it could be made anywhere in the world.
That and German electronics aren't exactly renound for thier reliability.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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For example the lovely engine management systems Bosch make. They never go wrong. Ever
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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quote:
Originally posted by mazdaspeed
So they changed the battery and now the new one is dead? So they're now changing the alternator? So will they refund the battery as it obviously wasn't the cause last time? They should really as they may of chucked a good battery out.
The old battery died because it was old, all the cells were dead. And that didn't cost much to repair. It just seems odd how now a battery related problem has meant it going back in the garage.
He isn't bothered about the £500-odd bill, it's just it seems to be one thing after the other with it now, and not what you'd expect of BMW build quality.
I guess he will have to bite the bullit, but I just wanted peoples advice. Like Chris Bingham who said BMW paid towards his wheel bearings which 'shouldn't have gone'.
What's more, dad is just miffed with the BMW service. He arrived on the back of an AA truck. Not once did they offer him a courtesy car, whether he pays for it or not. Also, the screw in towing eye would not screw all the way in because of the bigger M3 bumpers. They basically said to my dad that wouldn't happen, and talked to him as if he was talking bollox, even though my dad and the AA guy spent time on the hard shoulder making sure it did/didn't fit.
[/rant]
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willay
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Organiser: South East, National Events
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Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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shit happens, if its one thing after another who knows what monkey was bolting bits onto your dads M3 in the factory?
Cars arent bulletproof, accept.
Its out of warranty too, what do you expect? 
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boyracer2002
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Registered: 10th Aug 02
Location: West Yorkshire
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tell him i will buy it off him in the condition its in now for cheapness lol
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STEvieXE
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Registered: 21st Jan 03
Location: Ballymena N.I.
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bmws etc are well built cars but all these german build quality is pissing me right off. looking at modern cars theres not much in it for build quality. i strip and fit cars everyday.
cars break even ones from germany.
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