I fixed my BMW!

[digitalwanderer]

Just repaired the AC on my 2001 325xi and I am ridonkulously proud of meself right now. BMW wanted $850 to repair it, I did it myself and spent $55.

I lovers my car, I even lovers working on it. Too much fun!

From now on I have a new rule, I'm only buying cars that have their own forums on the internet. The DIY guides are just too good/useful.

 

[Mize]

You just bought that thing! The dealer wanted $850 on something that broke within weeks? Lame dealer! I hate working on cars. Did that for a job for three years. Too many busted knuckles. Thank goodness for company cars...

Oh yeah, good job dig!

 

[digitalwanderer]

It's a standard/known failure point for that car/series that gives no warning before failure. (At least in my case it didn't.) I can't really fault them for that, it is a used car.

The only other thing is the brakes and we knew that one going in.

I'm just happy I got it done and it worked, I just got the dashboard all put back together and I'm disgustingly satisfied with meself right now.

 

[ShaidarHaran]

You wanted to work on a car?

Didn't I tell you to buy a DSM already?

 

[digitalwanderer]

No DSM while I have mah good buddy the intrawebs handy.

Yeah I did, I haven't worked on one in a long time. I used to have to work on 'em, it's funner when it's an option.

 

[ShaidarHaran]

LOL, I hear ya. I never did work on my own, cost me lots of money... Spent close to 10 grand fixing up my 91 Talon TSi AWD. Could've spent maybe a third that much for the same work if I had any mechanical abilities and tools.

 

[digitalwanderer]

That's the wall I'm hitting with doing the brakes. I've done brakes a number of times on a number of cars so I'm not that worried about being able to do it, but I don't think I got the tools to do the job and I think buying 'em would be too expensive.

Gonna see if I have any friends in the area with the tools I need and see if I can borrow 'em, got a couple of sources.

 

[ShaidarHaran]

Yeah, even my mechanic friends always tell me how much they hate doing brakes!

 

[Mize]

Yeah, even my mechanic friends always tell me how much they hate doing brakes!

discs = easy
drums = frick 'em

 

[Geo]

Just repaired the AC on my 2001 325xi and I am ridonkulously proud of meself right now. BMW wanted $850 to repair it, I did it myself and spent $55.

I lovers my car, I even lovers working on it. Too much fun!

From now on I have a new rule, I'm only buying cars that have their own forums on the internet. The DIY guides are just too good/useful.

#1, congrats.

#2, as I've told you elsewhere already, "Geo's Rule of German Cars: Extended Warranty and then sell it when it runs out!"

 

[digitalwanderer]

Yeah, I know G...but this is a special one for me. I thought I was gonna end up with a total beater, the BMW is still a nice surprise.

discs = easy
drums = frick 'em

I agree/disagree. Drums are a bitch with all them springs and such, but I sometimes have the damndest time compressing the calipers and getting the rotors off.

I always keep a big C-clamp and sledgehammer on hand for those problems though, so it should be no biggy.

 

[stevem]

Just repaired the AC on my 2001 325xi and I am ridonkulously proud of meself right now. BMW wanted $850 to repair it, I did it myself and spent $55.

AC blower motor resistor?

 

[digitalwanderer]

Yup, the infamous final stage unit.

 

[chavvdarrr]

hm,hm, I heard that for some BMW models, changing discs/calipers needs additional steps - like putting the ECU in service mode and telling it "see, you got new brakes"
no idea if this is true and if your bimmer is so smart (I personally, prefer dumber cars. Less chances for costly repairs)

 

[_xxx_]

Those breaks are easy, just the regular stuff. I had the same car as the 2.0 diesel (and damn do I miss it!). It was great, but it didn't survive the crash. Thankfully it saved my life. That's one of the moments when you're happy you were sitting in a well-built, safe car and not in some tin toy of a city car.

Geo, it's not about the warranty but the joy of driving with such a car like BMW or Merc or such. Also if you take care and do the usual repairs, you can drive them forever. There are many BMWs with half a million miles out there still running fine.

 

[Geo]

I had the timing chain go on an out-of-warranty Porsche, _xxx_. This after paying $600 (almost 15 years ago) for a new battery cable on the same car.

Never Again.

 

[_xxx_]

Well you were ripped off. It's like PC's, some people pay the store for installing a new gfx card, some do it themselves and also get the card for half the price on the net

 

[Geo]

There was no net to speak of yet.

 

[BRiT]

Usenet was surely around 15 years ago.

 

[Cheezdoodles]

Geo, it's not about the warranty but the joy of driving with such a car like BMW or Merc or such. Also if you take care and do the usual repairs, you can drive them forever. There are many BMWs with half a million miles out there still running fine.

Half a million is nothing, the infamous Mercedes W124 300E (1985-1995 e-class) is tireless. Ive read reports about some of those rolling that have passed the 999999 km mark a few times.