is your dealer/ indie replacing your gaskets on inspections 1/2??

Beedub

Lifer
 Sutton Coldfield
well, as most of you know, i recently did some valve clearance work myself.. Part of this was removing the valve cover, on removing my valve cover i noticed 2 crush washers on the side of the valve cover on a 17mm banjo oil fitting, they looked pretty discoloured... Now id assumed inspections 1/2 come with new valve cover gaskets, crush washers ( since their like 1 quid), spark plug gaskets and the rubber tension washers that fit under all the Valve cover bolts ( basically the gasket kit for the valve cover) , this lot comes to around 80 quid id guess? for o.e parts..

well i fired redish an email and asked the question and was pretty surprised that they didn't replace the gaskets as part of the recent inspection and do not in terms of the s54 engine at all due to their experience of them being able to be re-used and they are able to offer a cheaper inspection service price... it was never discussed as i naturally assumed this would be part of the service, but it seems in their experience they don't change them and re-use the old gaskets. Personally this seems crazy to me for sake of the little extra but also why not offer it or at least let the customer choose? i mean the copper washers definitely should be replaced as part of good practice imo as they deform once Tq'd.

whats everyones opinion on this?? And are you having new gaskets on your inspections or do you even know what your indie / dealer is doing Re this ??

personally for me the gaskets should be replaced on inspection 1/2 and its another thing to ask on your future service work. The gasket re-used on me car must would have been on the car for 4 years at that point and been heat cycled more times than i care to imagine, unless simpson re-use them too in that case it would have been on the car since new...

Whenever i work on my cars i replace gaskets as part of good practice and just how I've learned things tbh, i replaced ALL the gaskets on my car during my recent work even though i Assumed they'd just been replaced, again just a precaution..... no-one will love your car like you do i guess. Maybe it just me but this really surprised me, i wonder what the dealers do?
 
It could be worse...they could charge you for it and still not replace them.

Most owners would be none the wiser.

Don't know what the dealers did to mine, but you may have read my experiences that meant I started to put UV dye on certain parts that I was being charged for replacement. Never had a problem once I'd mentioned that too them that "It's not you, but I've had bad experiences with other dealers, so I'm paranoid".

This was caused by one dealer phoning me up about an hour before I was due to pick my car up and telling me they'd need tha car for another day as they had to order in a gasket set as mine was split :?
 
I didn't have time to read the full post but from the title ... The dealer did insp 1 and so the clearances. They changed the gasket (said they didn't have to but he tried to call to OK the charge for the part as he would rather do it .... Quite an expensive part just for a gasket )
 
mmm-five said:
It could be worse.

They could charge you for it and still not replace them.

Most owners would be none the wiser.


absolutely agree..... the charge isn't the issue is more the practice of them not being replaced.... lets not forget this items are being compressed and heated and according to the bmw service schedule should be replaced on each valve cover removal... I'm just wondering what every else view on this is?
 
-Tom- said:
I didn't have time to read the full post but from the title ... The dealer did insp 1 and so the clearances. They changed the gasket (said they didn't have to but he tried to call to OK the charge for the part as he would rather do it .... Quite an expensive part just for a gasket )


this is what id expect, and yes they aren't cheap as their a decent amount of parts for the gasket kit.
 
If it's part no. 11127832034 (which it seems to be) mine was changed at last Inspection 1 at BMW Sytner Newport.
 
I have been charged for the gaskets each time the top has been apart, and I have seen them myself in the kit and I have zero worry they were not fitted. But my indie has ocd like me and pride in his work so I am confident this isn't a problem.
 
personally i think its strange practice to not do it, however redish were very open about not doing them and making it clear they never do change them as part of their inspections on the s54.....

ill make sure in future this is done, no way should VC gasket sets be being re-used as general practice imo.
 
My dealer changed mine and listed it with the other parts used in the service which was for an agreed total beforehand. It was a new gasket as well.
 
Still naughty as they could've asked you if wanted to have them done and say price that would be extra?!?

I've seen indies cut corners before
Ie crap oil, fram utterly crap filters fitted etc
I always main dealer my cars as now adays the prices are so similar I'm not risking it
Try https://www.bmw-service.co.uk/

Link to older Bmws :)
Over Xmas last year ins 2 cost me £429!!

Only had 10k on clock but pha £150 more than an oil change haha
 
Rubber gaskets are designed to be reused but should be inspected for damage any time they are removed.
Any other type of gasket really should be replaced and not reused like crush washers, as you say they are pennies.
 
D4dawg said:
I always main dealer my cars as now adays the prices are so similar I'm not risking it

Over Xmas last year ins 2 cost me £429!!
But you've got to be worried about what didn't the dealer do for that price - as (genuine) parts are a fair percentage (about £350) of that by themselves - then you've got to add in the labour (at dealer rates of £100+/hour) for the clearances and any shims that are required at about £7 each.

Gasket set - £80
Engine oil - £60
Oil filter Kit - £15
6 x Spark Plugs - £90
Diff oil - £30
Gearbox oil - £30
2 x diff plug seal - £1
Air filter - £15
Microfilter - £40
 
I don't trust main dealers at all. The wife's X3 had full dealer history and was supplied as a BMW AUC. The air filter and cabin filter were still date stamped 2006 when I took them out of the car at the beginning of this year. Ok the car had only done 29k miles but come on! The air filter was minging. When I add to this the fact that they are apparently worse than me at diagnosing issues from fault codes and charge you for their own incompetence I cannot see me ever going there willingly again.

Good Indy specialist every time for me. Simply way more competent, honest and trustworthy.
 
From my experience, whether it's a dealer or an indie, they all 'cut corners' or have their own preferred do's and don'ts.

I had my inspection 1 at a known indie and had to request they check valve clearances. Not sure about crush washers, but they definitely didn't change the rocker cover gasket... and it started leaking around 1,000 miles after the service... So I had to get it changed!

Only way to be really sure is to request everything you want doing at the start and give them a list... Which from my point of view somewhat defeats the object of paying inflated prices for an 'expert' - don't get me wrong, I don't question their training, but I do sometimes question their attitude (e.g. changing a rocker cover gasket outside the workshop when it's drizzling, isn't what I expect for the prices paid :headbang: )

I only go to the 'recommended' indie with the Z4M to get the stamp in the book / for re-sale... For every other car I've been happy to do the work myself of use a mechanic I have known for a long time and trust - but I'm sure a potential buyer would knock the price down with his stamp in, because he's not 'in the community'.

Anyway. Rant over!!!
 
Hey hmmmmm5:)

Keep an eye on the link I put up
As that was an Xmas offer
And I did ask if included all pats of insp2 as normal
Luckily know service manager and he simply said to do it, is costing him £629! Haha
 
Yep, mine was changed at last inspection 2, then the new one had a fault and leaked, so I had to take it back and another one was put on. All under the warranty.
 
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