Here we go again!!!!!

[Mr Tidy]

Luckily Smartbear i extended the warranty when it expired in Sept 2017. Money well spent I think, so I bought extra bottles of brandy to compensate?

Forward planning at it's best - enjoy the brandy until you get Waminda back.

[sad_old_man]

IMG_20170906_1128536.jpg (414.65 KiB) Viewed 526 times

My beloved Waminda returns home. New head unit fitted and sporting a brand new battery as well.............. Everything works only having to re-tune radio stations, pair phone and saved sat nav locations and it only took the stealer 3 days to do it??? Remarkable.............

[sad_old_man]

Yep new battery needed

Strange you should mention that!

[bob4333]

Latest breaking news update.................... I wont get my car back until tomorrow? It would appear that the battery drain is due to the main head unit failing? The dealer doesn't stock the main head unit due to the cost of it!!!!! £2500! Total bill when Waminda returns tomorrow will be £3485.35p?

So this happened at how many miles..............?

And can you clarify what the dealer means by "main head unit".

Thanks

[Gaffa22]

Yep new battery needed

Strange you should mention that!

Yes but never would have guessed it needed a new £2500 head unit ffs

[sad_old_man]

Latest breaking news update.................... I wont get my car back until tomorrow? It would appear that the battery drain is due to the main head unit failing? The dealer doesn't stock the main head unit due to the cost of it!!!!! £2500! Total bill when Waminda returns tomorrow will be £3485.35p?

So this happened at how many miles..............?

And can you clarify what the dealer means by "main head unit".

Thanks

So this happened when the car had completed exactly 22100 miles?

They mean the main onboard computer that controls everything the car does. Its "Brain" as the stealer called it. I had it happen in my M5 when it was only three months old? No dealers stock them due to their cost so they have to come from Germany.

The thing is that with both "main brain" failures, the problems it causes are only minor problems. They don't just stop working and the car wont start or it suddenly breaks down Its more like having gremlins in the system. With my M5 it was the sat nav that gave the indication of a problem. It would suddenly start giving me directions when no journey was programmed and it wasn't even active? The rev counter would also periodically stop working along with the fuel gauge and after 10 mins would start working again?

With my Z4 it was several little gremlins. Firstly i got a tyre pressure notification followed immediately by the seat belt warning light coming on along with the annoying bong bong bong? Stop the car, remove the key, restart the car problem fixed. Second gremlin was the screen display. Normal driving I have the screen on the main menu but periodically it would choose either the radio or telephone menu all on its own. Third gremlin was in the telephone that would again periodically ring my own mobile number? Why I have no idea because i was in the car? And last but not least the lights failed to come on when the car was unlocked.

The car still functioned perfectly as a car it just had the annoying little gremlins misbehaving every now and then so they could be overlooked as minor quirks of the Z4 but having been through it with my M5 alarm bells went off as soon as it started.

All I can say is "God bless BMW extended warranty" which I set in place the day after the factory warranty expired. £800 well spent in my world!

[bob4333]

Thanks for the explanation. At such a low mileage I think it seals the case for extending the BMW warranty.

[sad_old_man]

I personally would never own what i class as a sophisticated BMW, ie anything other than your bog standard 1.8, 2.0, 2.5, 2.8ltr cars without it. Once you step into 3.0, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5ltr engines then the equipment that comes as standard with them is very very expensive to maintain. I could have got extended warranty for as little as £350 per year but with that you have to pay the first £350 of any claim? For £800 per year I get full warranty + BMW emergency breakdown cover anywhere in Europe without any excess charge.

The cover includes put you up in an hotel while your car is fixed, take you to your destination and bring the car to you when its fixed, take you home and then bring your car to you when its fixed or give you a car of equivalent value to use until your car is fixed and then bring your car to wherever you are and exchange vehicles.

Not worth not having in my world!

[maxman]

It's says a lot about the build quality of BMW when they charge £800 a year warranty.People should stop buying them until they start having faith in the product they sell and start giving a 5 or 7 year warranty as standard,after all they charge enough for the cars in the first place.

[sad_old_man]

It's says a lot about the build quality of BMW when they charge £800 a year warranty.People should stop buying them until they start having faith in the product they sell and start giving a 5 or 7 year warranty as standard,after all they charge enough for the cars in the first place.

In a perfect world that would be fine but unfortunately we don't live in one so we have to use the cards we are dealt the best way we can. Personally I would be very pissed off if I had to pay £800 a year for extended warranty on a standard spec BMW but I am more than happy to pay it for my 35is. Then again KIA give a 7 year warranty? but I wouldn't want to drive one for 7 minutes let alone 7 years. Each to his own eh?