Interesting Convo w/ Indy BMW Shop Sales Manager

I am in the market for an e90 M3 and wanted to get an idea of the cost of some maint. items from a local shop that was actually recommended on here (as a result I won't be providing the name of the shop). I left the convo with more questions than answers and curious if you guys agree/disagree with some of the info he provided:

-I asked about RB replacement. He stated it was an issue but not with a lot of cars and seemed to suggest it was just something you could address if they go bad. (First red flag). Went on to say the cost would be $3k - 4k and said they only recommended OEM RBs as a replacement.

-He stated that anyone who owned an M should expect to spend $2-$2.5k on maint/service on an annual basis. Went on to say that over a 5 year period, you could expect to spend $15-20k on your M.

-Even though I mentioned I was shopping for an e90... he mentioned he liked "M5"s from that year and kept referring to SMG transmission (I did correct that I was only shopping for MT to end that part of the convo).

-Stated valve cover gasket replacement was ~$1k ... this may not be that far off since it is labor intensive...

Having done my research on what I am looking to buy, I didnt find my convo with him to be particularly accurate although some of his comments are subjective.

Curious what you guys think? Would you give this shop a chance or should I be looking for another option?

Hahahahaha!







Run as far away from this shop as you can.

you don't have one of these cars and you know enough about them to be suspicious of that guy.
he supposedly works on them and doesn't seem to have a solid grasp.

that should tell you everything you need to know.

I mean, the estimate for valve cover gasket replacement for an indy may not be that far off. So there's that.

MikeyDawg wrote

I am in the market for an e90 M3 and wanted to get an idea of the cost of some maint. items from a local shop that was actually recommended on here (as a result I won't be providing the name of the shop). I left the convo with more questions than answers and curious if you guys agree/disagree with some of the info he provided:

-I asked about RB replacement. He stated it was an issue but not with a lot of cars and seemed to suggest it was just something you could address if they go bad. (First red flag). Went on to say the cost would be $3k - 4k and said they only recommended OEM RBs as a replacement.
First red flag? You mean right after you throw a rod and destroy the crank? Suggested use of OEM RBs indicates he has not kept up with the last ~4yrs of developments in the S65/S85 world and is not in the know, or just has an unpopular opinion. $2-3k is the average cost of RB replacement.
-He stated that anyone who owned an M should expect to spend $2-$2.5k on maint/service on an annual basis. Went on to say that over a 5 year period, you could expect to spend $15-20k on your M.
Estimate is high but it totally depends on the car.
-Even though I mentioned I was shopping for an e90... he mentioned he liked "M5"s from that year and kept referring to SMG transmission (I did correct that I was only shopping for MT to end that part of the convo).
E60 M5s are a nightmare to maintain by all accounts. Sweet car though, minus the SMG.
-Stated valve cover gasket replacement was ~$1k ... this may not be that far off since it is labor intensive...
Sure, close enough.
Having done my research on what I am looking to buy, I didnt find my convo with him to be particularly accurate although some of his comments are subjective.

Curious what you guys think? Would you give this shop a chance or should I be looking for another option?

Find a different shop.

PACarGuy wrote

I mean, the estimate for valve cover gasket replacement for an indy may not be that far off. So there's that.

Gaskets and Spark plug tubes are $190.00....


With the tech saying "Around $1000" let's say that it's about $940.00.

$940.00
$190.00
$750.00

So let's say labor is about $70 an hour. You mean to tell me that this is going to be a 10 hour job? Come on....

IanMan wrote

Gaskets and Spark plug tubes are $190.00....


With the tech saying "Around $1000" let's say that it's about $940.00.

$940.00
$190.00
$750.00

So let's say labor is about $70 an hour. You mean to tell me that this is going to be a $10 hour job? Come on....

Where are you getting labor on a BMW for $70/hr? $125 would be more realistic which results in 6hrs of labor using your math. Book time is somewhere between 6-8hrs for valve cover gaskets IIRC. For reference, my dealership quoted me $1,272 parts and labor at $145/hr.

IanMan wrote

Gaskets and Spark plug tubes are $190.00....


With the tech saying "Around $1000" let's say that it's about $940.00.

$940.00
$190.00
$750.00

So let's say labor is about $70 an hour. You mean to tell me that this is going to be a 10 hour job? Come on....

Iyzmi wrote

Where are you getting labor on a BMW for $70/hr? $125 would be more realistic which results in 6hrs of labor using your math. Book time is somewhere between 6-8hrs for valve cover gaskets IIRC. For reference, my dealership quoted me $1,272 parts and labor at $145/hr.

Seriously for $70/hour labor I wouldn't DIY anything.

its also good practice to replace the valve cover bolts (come with rubber seals) which will increase parts prices, maybe even new oil separators for preventative maintenance which would also increase parts prices

LMAO $70 a hour? Where???
Even regular gas station shops here charge min $90 a hr

OP, as others have stated find another shop.

Iyzmi wrote

Where are you getting labor on a BMW for $70/hr? $125 would be more realistic which results in 6hrs of labor using your math. Book time is somewhere between 6-8hrs for valve cover gaskets IIRC. For reference, my dealership quoted me $1,272 parts and labor at $145/hr.

For what it's worth, my indy shop just quoted me $780 for valve cover gaskets. He's doing a few other things for me, so maybe throwing me a bone on this part of the job, but figured I'd throw it out there for comparison sake.

As others have stated, I think you should find another indy.

OP, you can buy mine with the warranty and not worry about a thing

Seriously though, as others said this guy doesn't seem to have a grip on whats going on with this chassis. Your first order of business would be research as much as possible on this forum, there is a TON of information regarding common failures, fixes, maintenance costs, DIYs, etc... Thats what I did when I started looking for an E90. Its ultimately why I decided to get a warranty with mine and its paid for itself x3. Finding a well maintained car with records should be a priority of be prepared to do a lot of DIYing to get it up to par. That said, don't be scared of the E90 chassis, its a great dual duty car that'll leave you feeling rewarded every time you got WOT. Good luck on your search

Yeah, my labor was off, sorry, haha. I was trying to remember what I was last quoted years ago at an INDY shop. Even at $125, that's still way too long for valve covers.

I think you went wrong when you stated you spoke to the Shop Sales Manager - In my experience, most sales people or service advisors do not have a clue about the specific details of a particular vehicle type. Obviously there are some out there that are going to be very passionate and knowledgeable but those are few and far between.

I've never heard of a sales manager at a repair shop. Was this the owner of the shop or basically a glorified cashier? Seems like the answers you were given were not based on any actual experience with these cars, making me think that the guy you spoke with doesn't actually work on cars--especially since you mentioned that the shop was recommended by people on this forum.

New2Roundel wrote

I've never heard of a sales manager at a repair shop. Was this the owner of the shop or basically a glorified cashier? Seems like the answers you were given were not based on any actual experience with these cars, making me think that the guy you spoke with doesn't actually work on cars--especially since you mentioned that the shop was recommended by people on this forum.

I would agree that the individual I was speaking with wasn't an actual mechanic which is why I wasn't sure if I should write the shop off just yet.

I was actually trying to get some specific quotes but didn't have the patience to speak with the guy after a few minutes into the conversation where I didn't get the best impression.

OP this thread should give you more of an insight
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1418410

Theodor is such a superstar. Can't help myself posting another one of his collections as a little reminder:
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1343867

....and yet another one...: https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1330067

IanMan wrote

PACarGuy wrote

I mean, the estimate for valve cover gasket replacement for an indy may not be that far off. So there's that.

Gaskets and Spark plug tubes are $190.00....


With the tech saying "Around $1000" let's say that it's about $940.00.

$940.00
$190.00
$750.00

So let's say labor is about $70 an hour. You mean to tell me that this is going to be a 10 hour job? Come on....

Just had it done last week @ the dealer (warranty covered it). Nowhere around here will you find labor for $70/hr unless you have a good friend working there. Most indy shops here are at least $90-100/hr.

Amazing how much labor rates vary. In WA we pay $115-$140/hr. Those aren't just bmw Indy shops either. A good domestic shop still charges $130

PACarGuy wrote

Just had it done last week @ the dealer (warranty covered it). Nowhere around here will you find labor for $70/hr unless you have a good friend working there. Most indy shops here are at least $90-100/hr.

A head cover gasket is something entirely different. Interesting bill