i have 30,000 miles now and i need to do BMW Inspection 1
i don't want to go to the stealership and pay $300+ just for an oil change and some 'checks'

any recommended independent bmw mechanics that can do this is much appreciated

1/31/2006 1:34:08 PM

hate to break it to you but BMWs are expensive

if you cheap out on the routine service/ 'checks' your car won't last

1/31/2006 1:36:36 PM

whats an inspection I consist of again? i bet any of the fools in here could do it cheap. but i dunno how BMW's warranty works w/ maintenance, etc

1/31/2006 1:41:32 PM

Inspection 1: http://www.bimmerzone.com/inspection.htm
if i had the time i'd try to do some too so i'm trying to compromise and save money/time by going to independent mechanic

car is over 3 yr warranty already anyways

1/31/2006 2:36:34 PM

its basically an oil change. you can do it if you want. my gf has changed her oil a couple times

1/31/2006 2:39:15 PM

yes, oil change, that's what i said in my first post....

just wondering if i need to get the inspection done/documented for formality sakes in case i want to sell car or whatever.....so if independent mechanic can do the same as bmw for cheaper and get it documented, then why not

1/31/2006 2:57:32 PM

i'll do it

1/31/2006 3:27:07 PM

do what, how much...send me pm

1/31/2006 3:49:05 PM

I mean you could do it your self, but inspection II I would recommend European Performance or some independent shop. My second Inspection I is coming up soon and I think I'll be doing that myself.

1/31/2006 4:26:21 PM

i called leith bmw for kicks, they want $420 for inspection 1....that's rape

1/31/2006 4:52:55 PM

bwahah. is your oil filter nicely located on top? so you can just swap that standing over the motor.

an oil change is honest to got a 10min job assuming your car is setup like mine. if you buy the oil and come over id do it real quick in exchange for you taking your old oil and some of mine to get recycled ive been meaning to do that for weeks

1/31/2006 4:59:30 PM

Shade Tree Garage out on Old Creedmoor road specializes in BMWs of all kinds.

http://www.stgbmwservice.com/

1/31/2006 6:43:48 PM

Quote :

"just wondering if i need to get the inspection done/documented for formality sakes in case i want to sell car or whatever..."

if you trade your car in the dealer won't pay more for it b/c it has documentation. neither will a private party, unless they have more money than brains.

i mean look at that silversurfer kid, he has all his records and he thinks an engine replacement is preventative maint.

1/31/2006 7:47:12 PM

Quote :

"i called leith bmw for kicks, they want $420 for inspection 1....that's rape"

I don't think I've ever heard anything good about leith bmw. they wanted to charge me $425 for rear rotors, pads, and labor. Said screw that, bought OEM parts and did it myself. lol $110 for parts. Its crazy how much dealers charge for labor!!

[Edited on January 31, 2006 at 9:16 PM. Reason : .]

1/31/2006 9:15:51 PM

What year and model? You'll need someone to reset the service light also. Depending on the year I can take care of that.

1/31/2006 9:48:08 PM

lol my car looks just like diddy's except the front bumper.....
mine...01 330ci

1/31/2006 10:21:29 PM

Ah 01+ 330s have different reset tools, so thats part of where the dealer gets you.

1/31/2006 10:25:21 PM

call first class. they in the phone book.

1/31/2006 10:38:03 PM

Quote :

"lol my car looks just like diddy's except the front bumper..... mine...01 330ci"

Mine is a 01 330ci...you might have a zhp, they have different bumpers and 10+hp

edit: plus my bottom grill is black where most of them are gray. getting that repainted again next week.

[Edited on January 31, 2006 at 11:06 PM. Reason : ...]

1/31/2006 11:02:16 PM

man ive been so busy...when can i meet up with yall other than feb fling...kinda sad now that im not driving the bmw, exhaust is being switched out for stock in the next few days

1/31/2006 11:05:31 PM

look, before i offer any help, ima need a picture of you.

and do you bwn on first mechanic dates?

1/31/2006 11:46:07 PM

^^ diddy...i uploaded only pic of car i could find in my gallery....twins! almost.

^ sorry to dissappoint, i'm using the wife's account.....unless you are into brokeback mountain

1/31/2006 11:54:24 PM

totally fucking gay

2/1/2006 12:07:52 AM

^^ word...you have the bumper I want. M-Tech bumper. You should check out nceuro.org too. Got some guys over there as well as here who know what they are talking about. I'll PM you some info.

2/1/2006 12:14:50 AM

you dont HAVE to reset the inspection light. i assume it only displays for a couple secs at start up like E36s? its just a reminder and if you have your own records, etc it doesnt mean/do crap. mine shows RED!

2/1/2006 8:54:31 AM

dan.....you can reset the light by grounding pin # 7 on the OBD connector for 10 sec for oil change reset and 15 sec for inspection reset. i made a simple tool with an alligator clip, wire and crimp pin.

2/1/2006 9:11:51 AM

^yeh, ive read that. sounds easy enough. i guess 'im just lazy. i dont know how many miles are on your car, but have you checked out your control arm and RTA bushings? i replaced those suckers last weekend and its a whole new car.

2/1/2006 9:53:06 AM

ok here's the update, places/quotes i called.
Performance BMW - $430
Leith - $420
European Performance - $200
Shade Tree - waiting on quote
German Performance (gpcauto) - $500 and clueless
Eurospeed (858-8852) - phone service disconnected

i'll call around a few more, but european is looking good....good/bad about them? what kind of oil do they use?

2/1/2006 3:17:32 PM

id skip the BS and get an oil change.

2/1/2006 3:26:41 PM

^ yeah i'm heavily leaning towards just oil change, but if i sell it or if i bring it to bmw for the 60000, are ppl gonna ask what stuff i did at 30000 and fault me for skimping out?

2/1/2006 3:33:36 PM

if you think you can get the extra $$ out of the resale value by having the records from a bmw dealership as opposed to somewhere else then do it there

2/1/2006 3:36:45 PM

you wont.

2/1/2006 3:37:20 PM

Quote :

"^yeh, ive read that. sounds easy enough. i guess 'im just lazy. i dont know how many miles are on your car, but have you checked out your control arm and RTA bushings? i replaced those suckers last weekend and its a whole new car."

i need to....how hard of a job was it? would you help me do it? i also need to do something about my tie rod ends.

2/1/2006 3:44:02 PM

Quote :

"if you think you can get the extra $$ out of the resale value by having the records from a bmw dealership as opposed to somewhere else then do it there"

sorry let me clarify, i meant to do just the oil change and skip the 30,000 inspection altogether, will this affect resale value? i know buyers always ask for records and they gonna ask me how come i did only an oil change at 30,000 instead of standard inspection...this is what i am curious about

i've already decided to use independent mechanic over stealership if i decide to do fullblown inspection

2/1/2006 3:50:47 PM

Call shadetree and see what they recommend. They certainly aren't going to rip you off, and they can tell you what exactly needs to be done.

[Edited on February 1, 2006 at 4:59 PM. Reason : http://www.stgbmwservice.com]

2/1/2006 4:58:35 PM

Seeing that European Performance is 30 seconds away from me, any problems I have I just take it to them. Always have had good service and prices are very reasonable.

2/1/2006 6:57:43 PM