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      08-03-2015, 09:05 AM   #23
bmw1racer
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Originally Posted by JimD View Post
I don't think a few relatively quick battery replacements are a great indicator that BMWs smart battery charging setup is no-good. Unfortunately batteries themselves have very different lifespans. My record is the battery in the boat. It never had a real alternator, it used to have a system like a lawn motor with voltage that varied with engine rpm. Now even that doesn't work. So I charge the battery up when I want to use the boat. I have a replacement in there now but the first one worked about 15 years. Very low cranking duty (70hp 2 cycle).

But if you compare the lifespan of an average to good battery in an older car to a less than average battery in a new BMW, the old car system looks better. But it is very plausible that it was just a better battery in the old car. Or a not-so-good battery in the newer one.
Yeah, that's pretty reasonable... I hope my second battery from BMW is better than the first. *fingerscrossed*
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      08-04-2015, 03:01 PM   #24
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I just had the battery replaced in my car. It is a bit more than 3 years old and BMW covered it under warranty. The car has very low mileage, but nobody said anything about not driving enough. They said the battery had an internal short. The car did all kinds of weird things including not letting go of the key.
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      08-04-2015, 06:51 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by Diver View Post
I just had the battery replaced in my car. It is a bit more than 3 years old and BMW covered it under warranty. The car has very low mileage, but nobody said anything about not driving enough. They said the battery had an internal short. The car did all kinds of weird things including not letting go of the key.
You must have a good a dealership unlike my local one.
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      08-04-2015, 09:17 PM   #26
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Originally Posted by bmw1racer View Post
You must have a good a dealership unlike my local one.
You should consider complaining to BMW USA. I don't see how not driving enough let's them out of the warranty.
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      08-04-2015, 10:47 PM   #27
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You should consider complaining to BMW USA. I don't see how not driving enough let's them out of the warranty.
I did file a complaint with BMWNA, but they couldn't/wouldn't help me... Until I forwarded my complaint with the local news station and they contacted BMWNA.

I got all of my money back and a letter from the local dealership saying it was a "Goodwill" gesture... No apology at all for trying to eff me over.
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      08-04-2015, 11:33 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmw1racer View Post
I did file a complaint with BMWNA, but they couldn't/wouldn't help me... Until I forwarded my complaint with the local news station and they contacted BMWNA.

I got all of my money back and a letter from the local dealership saying it was a "Goodwill" gesture... No apology at all for trying to eff me over.
Your dealership didn't try to "eff you over". They simply followed your warranty contract, which states to replace certain components that are defective. BMW of North America sets the guidelines for when they will reimburse your dealership for warranty work. The Technician, and your dealership, correctly followed BMW's guidelines. Stop complaining about your dealership, everyone was doing their job how BMW wanted them to.
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      08-04-2015, 11:53 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silenus View Post
Your dealership didn't try to "eff you over". They simply followed your warranty contract, which states to replace certain components that are defective. BMW of North America sets the guidelines for when they will reimburse your dealership for warranty work. The Technician, and your dealership, correctly followed BMW's guidelines. Stop complaining about your dealership, everyone was doing their job how BMW wanted them to.
Anything that is "free" will have unlimited demand; that is very basic economics.

Used to be, cars were simpler and came with warranties that covered the sort of stuff that should be warranted, and didn't cover the disposables. I preferred that era.

Disposables should be fairly cheap; a new battery for $600 installed, so it can be "coded" to the vehicle, is just total horse crap, when you can buy a battery that is about as good for $100, $150 tops, anywhere in town. Designing windshield wiper inserts so that standard ones won't fit (which BMW has been doing for close to 2 decades) is also HORSE CRAP. Just because you cover the part that costs you $2 for a few years so you can charge $35 for it later (when the $5 version down the street barely won't fit, which was intentional on your part as a manufacturer) is HORSE CRAP.

So this sort of situation arises because the manufacturer intentionally designs things so that the owner, barring real independence on their part, is obligated to come to you for what should be generic parts replacements.

Again, anything that is free is going to have unlimited demand, and the response to that is to try to limit those who qualify for the "free stuff."

This results in unhappy customers who feel they have been abused, and later on, unhappy customers who think they are being ripped off on $600 battery replacements when the $150 battery down the street should suffice. All in the name of claiming to offer the customer free parts and maintenance for 4 years.

Time to rethink the design of these overly and unnecessarily complicated vehicles, and to reduce the price a bit and then eliminate the unnecessary free disposable parts as part of the warranty. If the battery replacement was something you could do reasonably anywhere for a reasonable price, because in fact batteries ARE generic, are disposable, and should not cost $600 installed, then no one would be feeling sorry for this individual who had to go buy themselves a battery for their 2 or 3 or 4 year old car; it is an expected part of car ownership. It is the "being gouged" part that irritates.
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      08-05-2015, 12:24 AM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Silenus View Post
Your dealership didn't try to "eff you over". They simply followed your warranty contract, which states to replace certain components that are defective. BMW of North America sets the guidelines for when they will reimburse your dealership for warranty work. The Technician, and your dealership, correctly followed BMW's guidelines. Stop complaining about your dealership, everyone was doing their job how BMW wanted them to.
If they were doing their job the way BMW wanted them to, then why did they reimburse me for the cost of the battery replacement if they felt that they were in the right?

Why did one of the other members here have to go to a different dealership from the original one that they went to in order to get their battery replaced under warranty and not get stuck with a $600+ bill?

Why is there an apparent inconsistency in how each dealership handles warranty work?

Seems that the warranty guidelines are totally subjective and up to each dealership to determine how they want to handle it.
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      08-05-2015, 07:51 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmw1racer View Post
If they were doing their job the way BMW wanted them to, then why did they reimburse me for the cost of the battery replacement if they felt that they were in the right?

Why did one of the other members here have to go to a different dealership from the original one that they went to in order to get their battery replaced under warranty and not get stuck with a $600+ bill?

Why is there an apparent inconsistency in how each dealership handles warranty work?

Seems that the warranty guidelines are totally subjective and up to each dealership to determine how they want to handle it.
There is obviously some subjectivity to any warranty or insurance claim. Just consider how physicians deal with insurance and how variable the end user costs can be for any office visit or procedure. Some would say this is "gaming the system," others would call it creativity, and still others would consider it dishonest or fraudulent.

Most things like this are not black and white, unless you happen to run into a totally strait-laced, toe the line person who sees everything in absolute black and white. There is usually a happy median in there somewhere, where the mfr isn't getting cheated, the dealership isn't lying, and the customer is getting a fair deal.

I have no doubt that there is variability in how the various car dealerships handle warranty claims, and given that there is more than one technician and one service writer at each dealership, there may be variation within a given dealership as well.
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      08-05-2015, 08:37 AM   #32
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Originally Posted by champignon View Post
I have no doubt that there is variability in how the various car dealerships handle warranty claims, and given that there is more than one technician and one service writer at each dealership, there may be variation within a given dealership as well.
Agreed.

What's surprising is the degree of variability: Why would one dealership claim that the battery is not covered by warranty and another say it is? And why would one dealership charge over $600 while another charges $400 for the same work?

If that's not a pricing gouge, I don't know what one is.
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      08-05-2015, 08:45 AM   #33
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I've never gotten less than 10 years out of the OEM battery in previous cars. If the battery fails in the BMW, I'm putting a $100 unit in and not registering anything. BTW, it is very simple to check the out the battery or the alternator with no more than a multi-meter:



The link above is for the alternator which should always be checked. A link is given to check out the battery.

You'll notice these are very simple tests anyone can do. Unfortunately, when you go to a local shop to have your battery checked out, the shop will do a static test with some electronic gadget which will always indicate you need a new battery. This has been a running con for years, but I have to admit BMW has brought it to a high art form!
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      08-05-2015, 01:32 PM   #34
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This is completely false.

I respect you're statement Silenus however, some BMW dealerships just want $$$ which is completely understandable as it's a business.

A few dealerships will deny you're warranty / battery issues over "bs" reasons but others will cover it, no problem.

For example, i went to Crevier BMW and they denied coverage of my battery because while AAA was towing my vehicle, the tow driver left the key in the ignition while towing it for 40 minutes which drained the battery.

I took it to McKenna BMW and the SA took care of me, no questions asked. Covered it 100% since my vehicle was still under the 4 year / 50,000 mile warranty.

Nobody is complaining, just helping other forum members out. It's a 50/50 chance. You just have to find the right dealership and SA.

-Hillstrand


Quote:
Originally Posted by Silenus View Post
Your dealership didn't try to "eff you over". They simply followed your warranty contract, which states to replace certain components that are defective. BMW of North America sets the guidelines for when they will reimburse your dealership for warranty work. The Technician, and your dealership, correctly followed BMW's guidelines. Stop complaining about your dealership, everyone was doing their job how BMW wanted them to.
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      08-06-2015, 01:00 PM   #35
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My 2011 135I is 4 1/2 years old with 14000 miles and I'm getting a new battery with installation for $189.00. I think that's a good deal.
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      08-06-2015, 04:47 PM   #36
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My 2011 135I is 4 1/2 years old with 14000 miles and I'm getting a new battery with installation for $189.00. I think that's a good deal.
That's a very good deal... Dealership?
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      08-09-2015, 08:13 PM   #37
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Not a dealership, independent, JCL Automotive, Hellertown, PA.
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      08-19-2015, 01:44 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmw1racer View Post
I did file a complaint with BMWNA, but they couldn't/wouldn't help me... Until I forwarded my complaint with the local news station and they contacted BMWNA.

I got all of my money back and a letter from the local dealership saying it was a "Goodwill" gesture... No apology at all for trying to eff me over.

All's fair in love and war.
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