Reasonable price for coolant flush?

[mpc007]

So the car has been great over the past few weeks, as can be read in my thread I've mainly been busy with interior bits and bobs. However I feel it's time to bring the car in to the local bmw specialist (bit of an indy shop) for a coolant and brake fluid flush because according to the booklet they're long overdue and I'm not sure if they've been done but not proper registered. Feel it's better to not take risks, since I might want to visit the track in august.

Asked for a quote from the shop, brake flush very reasonable at 55 EUR all-in, but coolant took some time to calculate (seems an easy job to me, done it myself on previous cars) and the estimate was 200 EUR for both the fluids and labor, they mentioned it would probably take 1.5 hours to complete. Well now I'm sure the coolant is of a better brand than the substance I put earlier in less expensive cars, but I'm feeling the estimate on the labour is quite generous so to say. Am I missing something or does the whole coolant flush take more on a Z4 in terms of labour hours?

I probably would let them go at it anyways since I'm very short on time myself these weeks with holiday planned as well but felt I could at least check if it's reasonable or they may be taking me for a spin on this one.

Would be great to hear your opinions

 

[Chris_D]

DIY ftw.
oke:

 

[Scooba_Steve]

Buy coolant from BMW or G48 (BMW usually works out slightly cheaper as you can dilute it yourself).
Remove undertray, drain, fill, bleed. Defo not worth €150.

 

[PDJ]

Do the coolant your self

They are covering themselves just in case they end up with an air lock and it takes a load of time to blead it out, if doing it yourself it does not matter too much if it takes 30 mins or 3 hours.

If you do it yourself catch all the old fluid measure it out and refit the same amount or a little bit more and you know you are air pocket free.
If you have a Litre left over you have a pocket of air to get out of the system.

 

[rdgreen]

Just find some one with small hands when you put the block coolant drain plug back in.....and then you realise why they charge so much. :headbang:

 

[firebobby]

Just find some one with small hands when you put the block coolant drain plug back in.....and then you realise why they charge so much. :headbang:

Because they employ small handed people ? :wink:

 

[chemical.equal277]

Proper flush will take a few cycles. They will empty old and just put new. One o those jobs better do yourself. Imo anywayz

 

[chemical.equal277]

Just find some one with small hands when you put the block coolant drain plug back in.....and then you realise why they charge so much. :headbang:

Because they employ small handed people ? :wink:

I used to do this. Gr8 money 4 small hands in mechanic businesses. Just work was neva steady. So changed jobs. :rofl: :rofl:

 

[mpc007]

Today got the car to the shop and back, his estimate was indeed on the safe side. In the end I paid €185 for the complete job (parts+labour+tax) which got me a brake fluid flush, coolant flush, and loosening of the lower DISA bolt, which was stripped. They were busy for an hour and 30 minutes give or take. All in all reasonable pricing, especially because we already found that 200 for just the coolant flush was probably a bit excessive.

 

[GuidoK]

Do can do flushes as meticulous as you want, and the more meticulous you do it, the more time it takes.
So whether it's expensive or not depends on what they're going to do.

If you're doing it really meticulous, you're disconnecting hoses, and blow the system out with pressed air.
But then you start to discover that there is so much you can take apart to blow air into and you'll still find pockets of coolant.
Do you disconnect the cabin heat exchanger and blow it out?
Do you remove block drainplugs and blow them out?

I think the most important thing is to use the same coolant all the time. So same brand and type.
That is more important than what brand. If you consistently keep using the same coolant you dont get salts and other ingredients that react with eachother. So take note of what coolant brand/type went in.
Then after a few years a less extensive flush is needed.
After refilling, the bleeding can be difficult with an I6 block because of the length. It's normal to have to put some extra coolant in after a week or so. So check that (when the engine's cold obviously)