YouTube BMW 5- series turbo coolant leak - 17-hour book time

[goodfellow]

... and people wonder why German cars are so expensive to maintain. No thanks! -- I'll stick with American and Japanese engineering.

Maic Salazar has a great channel on YouTube and he's a consummate professional.

[m_fumich]

My ‘03 Subaru Outback has similar repair difficulties. The labor guide calls for 6.5 hrs to replace both front when bearings but it’s only 1.5 hours for the ‘04 model. We recently paid $800 for a transmission swap. There was no rebuilding involved. It just took nearly 8 hours to do the swap. I’m really starting to like this ugly brown ‘99 Taurus.


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[stokester]

Yes that guy is a pro.

I like the video with him thinking out loud about how to gain access to what needs to be repaired, been there a number of times.  He is organized, concerned about the customer, torque values and recommends that all hoses be replaced.  Good mechanic.

The only thing I would not do is use WD-40 as a penetrating lubricant, I like the AC-Delco (goes on foamy) and Kano Kroil.

[muddy]

Stuff the most amount of crap in the smallest area, that's today's engineering no matter who the maker is.



Sent from the twisted mind of the Mudman

[fatfillup]

Stuff the most amount of crap in the smallest area, that's today's engineering no matter who the maker is.



Sent from the twisted mind of the Mudman

Add in that everything has to go through the computer to function and it complicates vehicles well past most people's ability to repair them.

I personally like simple things.  Example, in my 17 F250, when I turn the fan up or down, there is a delay.  I assume the switch is talking to the climate control system and in turn the computer and then it speeds up or down as requested.  Not a big deal but I like my old trucks where the switch was directly connected to the fan motor and response was instant.  On the old trucks, I could diagnose and issue and fix it.  Not a chance on the new one. 

[goodfellow]

I have several friends that drive the German luxo mobiles from Mercedes, BWW, and Audi/Porsche. When we get together for the holidays and special occasions most of them do nothing but complain about their rides -- especially maintenance costs.

Ironically, they will stand in line to purchase new/used models from the same manufacturers when the time comes for a new vehicle. My only guess is that "status" trumps logical thinking and economic value. 

[muddy]

I have several friends that drive the German luxo mobiles from Mercedes, BWW, and Audi/Porsche. When we get together for the holidays and special occasions most of them do nothing but complain about their rides -- especially maintenance costs.

Ironically, they will stand in line to purchase new/used models from the same manufacturers when the time comes for a new vehicle. My only guess is that "status" trumps logical thinking and economic value.

Brainwashed

Sent from the twisted mind of the Mudman

[bonneyman]

I have several friends that drive the German luxo mobiles from Mercedes, BWW, and Audi/Porsche. When we get together for the holidays and special occasions most of them do nothing but complain about their rides -- especially maintenance costs.

Ironically, they will stand in line to purchase new/used models from the same manufacturers when the time comes for a new vehicle. My only guess is that "status" trumps logical thinking and economic value.

There's the answer right there - people.   

[fatfillup]

Status is right.  While I like to have one nice vehicle in the fleet for trips, our DD's are usually nothing special and Mama and I both like it that way.  Both of us like to do projects and neither of us are particularly careful people.  Things get bumped and rubbed up against and with older cars, you just don't care as much. 

And my nice vehicles used to be lincolns and now Mama's Charger, all were bought used with low mileage.  We did just buy an 11 Odyssey which is a little newer then our normal DD but the deal and timing were right, and it does have a few marks and some hail damage on the roof.

[Rusty]

I showed Aubrey [The Jag Nut] the only German vehicle I want yesterday.  A Mercedes D200.

[goodfellow]

I showed Aubrey [The Jag Nut] the only German vehicle I want yesterday.  A Mercedes D200.

Probably impossible to get these days. There are people who would pay through the nose for a half decent MB four- or six cylinder diesel sedan. Legendary reliability and easily fixed -- these are cars that were in European Taxi fleets for decades.

[wilbilt]

German cars self-destruct at 10 years/100K miles. All of the plastic and rubber parts (including seals).

I have a '99 VW Passat here that youngest daughter bought several years ago for $600. I asked, "What's wrong with it?"

She replied, "It needs a thermostat." No problem, right?

Wrong. The entire front end of the car needs to be removed to access the thermostat housing. Of course, while in there, I replaced the water pump, timing belt, idlers, tensioner, etc.

A couple of months later, it developed the mother of all oil leaks. There are only about 37 different places it could be leaking from, but all, of course, require the car to be disassembled for access. Dual overhead cam 30-valve V6. Ten times more complicated than it needs to be. Some German mechanical engineering student's wet dream.

We retired the car due to the oil leak. It was leaving oil trails all over  town and I was concerned it was going to burst into flame.

German engineering. Bah. (And I come from a family of German engineers).

[goodfellow]

German cars self-destruct at 10 years/100K miles. All of the plastic and rubber parts (including seals).

I have a '99 VW Passat here that youngest daughter bought several years ago for $600. I asked, "What's wrong with it?"

She replied, "It needs a thermostat." No problem, right?

Wrong. The entire front end of the car needs to be removed to access the thermostat housing. Of course, while in there, I replaced the water pump, timing belt, idlers, tensioner, etc.

A couple of months later, it developed the mother of all oil leaks. There are only about 37 different places it could be leaking from, but all, of course, require the car to be disassembled for access. Dual overhead cam 30-valve V6. Ten times more complicated than it needs to be. Some German mechanical engineering student's wet dream.

We retired the car due to the oil leak. It was leaving oil trails all over  town and I was concerned it was going to burst into flame.

German engineering. Bah. (And I come from a family of German engineers).

You mean like this Will? Audi/VW -- same difference, and same ludicrous engineering.

[wilbilt]

You mean like this Will? Audi/VW -- same difference, and same ludicrous engineering.

Exactly. It was a good learning experience for my daughter, as I made her do most of the work.