Took my 2020 Bimmer to the dealer for an oil change…

[MSCH]

back when I lived in FT Lauderdale, I used to go pay a dollar so I could walk thru the local U Pull it junkyard.. maybe I'd find something I could use for my fleet of heaps.. maybe not but it was always fun.

all I can say is that type of self serve junkyard is full of the usual suspect cars, but what you'd find amazing is the amount of expensive euroimports that are in relatively good shape lined up in the back.

 

[jeepman3071]

Needing a differential at 29k miles is crazy. The parts prices will also be higher because it is an "M" car being a 550i, and you'll pay the M car tax whenever you go somewhere for service.

The problem with the statement "owning a BMW outside of warranty is crazy" is that the statement is slowly beginning to apply to all new cars. The Euro cars pioneer the new technology, but the other manufacturers follow suit, and many of them are not any better at making the technology reliable. I went with my father to the Jeep/Dodge/Ram dealer about a year ago since he was dropping his Grand Cherokee off for a recall. At the counter next to us there was a lady paying an $8700 bill for work done to her Durango.

 

[The Artillerist]

The parts prices will also be higher because it is an "M" car being a 550i, and you'll pay the M car tax

Out of curiosity I just looked up price for the front differential for 540 and m550 on bmwpartsdeal.com They only sell new bmw factory parts and nothing else.

2020 540 front diff is listed at $2,148.29
2020 M550 diff is listed at $2,345.50

There is a $200 difference between the two. Probably because M550’s unit is stouter(?). Or, maybe it’s the tax you are talking about

 

[edyvw]

Out of curiosity I just looked up price for the front differential for 540 and m550 on bmwpartsdeal.com They only sell new bmw factory parts and nothing else.

2020 540 front diff is listed at $2,148.29
2020 M550 diff is listed at $2,345.50

There is a $200 difference between the two. Probably because M550’s unit is stouter(?). Or, maybe it’s the tax you are talking about

Different part numbers? In 550 has to deal with more torque.

 

[dkryan]

Artillerist:

What did they charge for the oil change and what oil did they use?

 

[The Artillerist]

Different part numbers? In 550 has to deal with more torque.

Yes, part numbers are completely different

Artillerist:

What did they charge for the oil change and what oil did they use?

Oil change is $149.95 and this is the oil used (copied from invoice):

105 BMW GROUP LL01FE
0W-30:832511

 

[MSCH]

Out of curiosity I just looked up price for the front differential for 540 and m550 on bmwpartsdeal.com They only sell new bmw factory parts and nothing else.

2020 540 front diff is listed at $2,148.29
2020 M550 diff is listed at $2,345.50

There is a $200 difference between the two. Probably because M550’s unit is stouter(?). Or, maybe it’s the tax you are talking about

is that for the complete assembly? if so , that isn't all that riduclous of a price.

I priced the gear set for my AAM 11.8 inch diff in my Ram and was thinking about a rebuild on it doing it myself
and if I go whole hog and replace the gears, and all the bearings and such it is about a grand for parts and that would be name brand aftermarket, not Mopar..

 

[wemay]

Yes, part numbers are completely different

Oil change is $149.95 and this is the oil used (copied from invoice):

105 BMW GROUP LL01FE
0W-30:832511

That's not an outrageous price, IMO.

 

[IndyIan]

Out of curiosity I just looked up price for the front differential for 540 and m550 on bmwpartsdeal.com They only sell new bmw factory parts and nothing else.

2020 540 front diff is listed at $2,148.29
2020 M550 diff is listed at $2,345.50

There is a $200 difference between the two. Probably because M550’s unit is stouter(?). Or, maybe it’s the tax you are talking about

I wonder what you get if you called up a bmw dealer parts department and asked there? Although these days it does seem almost all cars can have pretty expensive repair bills from a dealership...

 

[IndyIan]

back when I lived in FT Lauderdale, I used to go pay a dollar so I could walk thru the local U Pull it junkyard.. maybe I'd find something I could use for my fleet of heaps.. maybe not but it was always fun.

all I can say is that type of self serve junkyard is full of the usual suspect cars, but what you'd find amazing is the amount of expensive euroimports that are in relatively good shape lined up in the back.

Yeah, one of the younger guys down the road picked up a ~10 year old Audi S4 sedan this spring... Looks very nice! My boys asked why we don't drive one of those? I gave couple reasons, and then 2 weeks later it was on blocks in the driveway. Over the summer we watched them work on it, hood off one week, then pulled the transmission out bottom, then 2 months later it was one the road again.
Then a week later on blocks on the driveway, and then a month later, on blocks in the back corner of the back yard...
Car looks like new, but something has them stumped or saving up for the parts... And we had Dad teaching moment on why we don't drive one of those...

 

[The Artillerist]

I wonder what you get if you called up a bmw dealer parts department and asked there? Although these days it does seem almost all cars can have pretty expensive repair bills from a dealership...

I think that $2,500 for the diff is give or take what it is, no matter the venue. There are other parts that had to be renewed with the job, I would think: hardware, gaskets, etc + the however many hours of labor the job took — that’s how I think the dealer arrived at $6,500 number

Yeah, one of the younger guys down the road picked up a ~10 year old Audi S4 sedan this spring... Looks very nice! My boys asked why we don't drive one of those? I gave couple reasons, and then 2 weeks later it was on blocks in the driveway. Over the summer we watched them work on it, hood off one week, then pulled the transmission out bottom, then 2 months later it was one the road again.
Then a week later on blocks on the driveway, and then a month later, on blocks in the back corner of the back yard...
Car looks like new, but something has them stumped or saving up for the parts... And we had Dad teaching moment on why we don't drive one of those...

My story is that my young boy (5 yo) periodically says “daddy, let’s change the orbit again!”. “Changing the orbit” that’s when I shift 4 lanes at once to transfer to another freeway with starting velocity of 85 mph and a final of about 150 mph. He likes changing orbits just like his father . However, when we’re going straight, at first he liked seeing “1xx” on the speedo. Half a year later, if I tell him: “look, it’s 1 5 0 on the speedometer”, he will raise his eyes from the tablet and tell me “I’ve already seen this number many times” and goes back to his device! LOL!

My son is having the childhood I dreamed of. Well, at least in retrospect. And that makes me warm and fuzzy inside

*not measuring/competing stories here, just sharing mine with my kid



By the way, in Europe, working class people take Audis and what not to half a million miles, the way working class here does with panthers or some such:

 

[The Artillerist]

is that for the complete assembly? if so , that isn't all that riduclous of a price.

Perhaps you could tell me? This is what the screen shot looks like. There are two different part number for #1: “final drive” and “exch-front differential”. Is it either one or are both needed for the job?

That's not an outrageous price, IMO.

Yeah, in this day and age, in some cities, not everyone will bend to pick up a $100 bill, so a $150 oil change is par for the course

 

[MSCH]

Perhaps you could tell me? This is what the screen shot looks like. There are two different part number for #1: “final drive” and “exch-front differential”. Is it either one or are both needed for the job?

View attachment 183762


Yeah, in this day and age, in some cities, not everyone will bend to pick up a $100 bill, so a $150 oil change is par for the course

not 100% sure here... but you should only need one and I suspect the top part supercedes the bottom part as the bottom part does state Replaced by 31508679973, otherwise both appearing to be one and the same thing.

 

[IndyIan]

I think that $2,500 for the diff is give or take what it is, no matter the venue. There are other parts that had to be renewed with the job, I would think: hardware, gaskets, etc + the however many hours of labor the job took — that’s how I think the dealer arrived at $6,500 number



My story is that my young boy (5 yo) periodically says “daddy, let’s change the orbit again!”. “Changing the orbit” that’s when I shift 4 lanes at once to transfer to another freeway with starting velocity of 85 mph and a final of about 150 mph. He likes changing orbits just like his father . However, when we’re going straight, at first he liked seeing “1xx” on the speedo. Half a year later, if I tell him: “look, it’s 1 5 0 on the speedometer”, he will raise his eyes from the tablet and tell me “I’ve already seen this number many times” and goes back to his device! LOL!

My son is having the childhood I dreamed of. Well, at least in retrospect. And that makes me warm and fuzzy inside

*not measuring/competing stories here, just sharing mine with my kid



By the way, in Europe, working class people take Audis and what not to half a million miles, the way working class here does with panthers or some such:

Yeah, although 20 seconds into that video we learn that the head on that car is disposable and can't be skimmed, and the mechanic never sees cars with those miles on them?
I think a simple engined, 2wd mtx commuter Audi/BMW/MB isn't that bad really, but we don't get those here. We get the more complex versions of these cars, and they tend to need premium gas... For sure I think they would be good fun to drive while covered by a factory warranty though, but my car budget isn't up there.
For how much money and/or time I want to spend on a car, unfortunately the german juice isn't worth the squeeze... YMMV

 

[SupremePossum]

That loaner looks like hell. Wow.

 

[wavinwayne]

...Yeah, in this day and age, in some cities, not everyone will bend to pick up a $100 bill...

I still pick up every random penny (any coin) I come across. Free money is free money!

 

[thunderous1335]

This is why I stick with Mercedes. BMWs are always the fastest, but thier quality control has always been suspect at best.

As someone who works at Mercedes, this is extremely laughable. Give me BMW all day

 

[The Artillerist]

As someone who works at Mercedes, this is extremely laughable. Give me BMW all day

Could expand, please. Would be interesting to hear your insights. Thanks!

 

[Redhawk454]

Usually recently divorced dads are the ones that buy those off leased Mercedes and beemers.

 

[The Artillerist]

Usually recently divorced dads are the ones that buy those off leased Mercedes and beemers.

Only those that have ~$60k of disposable income to spend on a transportation