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      07-29-2015, 09:29 AM   #1
Swimjim
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Exclamation auto trans pan gasket



i took my 2008 128i into an indy shop to have auto trans fluid changed. "no problem," they said.

less than 24 hours later, the car has puked 3 qts of fluid! the shop claims the 1-series used a separate gasket/pan/filter in the 1-series only a couple years before going to a one-piece kit. and the oem gasket had "metal" tabs to keep it in place.

WTF?! any one ever have issues with a simple gasket change? its a frickin GM trans... how hard can this be?!

and BTW, i was charged full rate for labor. it took about 90 minutes from the time i got to shop to when i left. i'd say they worked on the car for less than an hour and was billed $335 for labor! WTF over?!

the shop claims that's what the job costs at a rate of $110 per hour. it only took an hour! they have the nuts to charge for 2 additional hours?!!! will not be going back to this shop after they fix my shit.

even the dealer does me a better deal than that - charging only for work they do.
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      07-29-2015, 01:09 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swimjim View Post
less than 24 hours later, the car has puked 3 qts of fluid! the shop claims the 1-series used a separate gasket/pan/filter in the 1-series only a couple years before going to a one-piece kit. and the oem gasket had "metal" tabs to keep it in place.
Okay, I know nothing about this trans but let's say they're right. Did they use that one-piece kit or simply reinstall your old gasket? Oil pans don't exactly puke unless it was installed improperly. You sure the vent or dipstick isn't puking? (do these trans even have a dipstick? probably not.) Either way, your shop was last to touch the transmission. It's on them, and they probably know that.

Also, check your work order (aka estimate) and repair order. It should clearly state what you were billed for. I think my shop charges 2hrs for auto and .5hrs for manual @ $105/hr. The amount of hours required for a job, like a transmission flush, is called flat rate. That's job security, and all shops do this - so if a tech working there flags 3hrs from your trans, and finishes the job in half the time, he's now free to move on to the next repair order and keep making money.

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Originally Posted by Swimjim View Post
even the dealer does me a better deal than that - charging only for work they do.
People unaware of labor rate get upset about this all the time. Trust me, they're just making you wait. Helps portray that you got your money's worth.

Last edited by Dafttt; 07-29-2015 at 01:15 PM..
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      07-29-2015, 01:33 PM   #3
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they used the new gasket from the kit, which it turns out, is not truly OEM. the OEM gasket must be bought from the dealer... it has specific metal tabs to keep the gasket from moving on the pan. i got this info from Level 10 transmissions out of NJ - thank you Level 10.

the new bmw transmissions do not use dipsticks... haven't for a long while.

the work order only has a large labor charge. its not broken down by hour or even states a rate / hour.

many years ago, i assisted at a shop back in florida. we had a labor guide book which let us know the rate per hour for a job and the number of hours it would usually take for said job. we charged the suggested rate times the actual hours to get the rate to the customer. never bilked the customer for more money... thats cheating in my opinion. i never leave my car unless absolutely req'd. got to shop at 9:30, out by 11:00am. 90 minutes. i know they didnt work on the car the full 90 minutes, since it had to "cool off" before they would work on it. so, maybe an hour tops. i have changed many a trans fluid in my 1979 scout II. doesn't take an hour. wish i had access to a shop again... or even a garage!

my car is supposed to be ready tomorrow with a factory gasket in place. and it will be the last time this shop sees my car. live and learn and back to bmw dealership where i know the tech who works on my car, the service assistants who make my appts and where i can be in the shop area without any issues - helping and getting dirty.
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      07-29-2015, 02:08 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swimjim View Post
they used the new gasket from the kit, which it turns out, is not truly OEM. the OEM gasket must be bought from the dealer... it has specific metal tabs to keep the gasket from moving on the pan. i got this info from Level 10 transmissions out of NJ - thank you Level 10.

the new bmw transmissions do not use dipsticks... haven't for a long while.

the work order only has a large labor charge. its not broken down by hour or even states a rate / hour.

many years ago, i assisted at a shop back in florida. we had a labor guide book which let us know the rate per hour for a job and the number of hours it would usually take for said job. we charged the suggested rate times the actual hours to get the rate to the customer. never bilked the customer for more money... thats cheating in my opinion. i never leave my car unless absolutely req'd. got to shop at 9:30, out by 11:00am. 90 minutes. i know they didnt work on the car the full 90 minutes, since it had to "cool off" before they would work on it. so, maybe an hour tops. i have changed many a trans fluid in my 1979 scout II. doesn't take an hour. wish i had access to a shop again... or even a garage!

my car is supposed to be ready tomorrow with a factory gasket in place. and it will be the last time this shop sees my car. live and learn and back to bmw dealership where i know the tech who works on my car, the service assistants who make my appts and where i can be in the shop area without any issues - helping and getting dirty.
Ah, I see.

Your work order should have everything. Estimated price for parts and labor, including flat rate, factory labor rate, or warranty rate. It's also required by law to be signed and authorized by you. Therefor, you should already know what you're paying for before they begin. If the shop didn't properly inform you of your estimate, they can get a hefty fine.

Flat rate for the GM auto is 2.0hrs, but the fact that you authorized the repair for 3.0hrs nullifies that.

One other thing.. Your BMW dealership lets you come into the shop and help? Geez, talk about a liability. My dealership would never allow that, for obvious reasons.
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      07-29-2015, 03:09 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dafttt View Post
Ah, I see.

Your work order should have everything. Estimated price for parts and labor, including flat rate, factory labor rate, or warranty rate. It's also required by law to be signed and authorized by you. Therefor, you should already know what you're paying for before they begin. If the shop didn't properly inform you of your estimate, they can get a hefty fine.

Flat rate for the GM auto is 2.0hrs, but the fact that you authorized the repair for 3.0hrs nullifies that.

One other thing.. Your BMW dealership lets you come into the shop and help? Geez, talk about a liability. My dealership would never allow that, for obvious reasons.
the indy shop did not line-item the work or the quote. live and learn.

as for my bmw shop, it seems most of the bmw dealers do allow the customer to enter the shop area to talk to the tech about their car. i just happen to always figure a way to get my hands dirty!!!
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      07-31-2015, 11:24 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swimjim View Post


i took my 2008 128i into an indy shop to have auto trans fluid changed. "no problem," they said.

less than 24 hours later, the car has puked 3 qts of fluid! the shop claims the 1-series used a separate gasket/pan/filter in the 1-series only a couple years before going to a one-piece kit. and the oem gasket had "metal" tabs to keep it in place.

WTF?! any one ever have issues with a simple gasket change? its a frickin GM trans... how hard can this be?!

and BTW, i was charged full rate for labor. it took about 90 minutes from the time i got to shop to when i left. i'd say they worked on the car for less than an hour and was billed $335 for labor! WTF over?!

the shop claims that's what the job costs at a rate of $110 per hour. it only took an hour! they have the nuts to charge for 2 additional hours?!!! will not be going back to this shop after they fix my shit.

even the dealer does me a better deal than that - charging only for work they do.
Do you mind to name the shop you used?
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      07-31-2015, 12:04 PM   #7
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ken baker originals, myrtle beach, sc. they have several shops in the area.

got car back and no leaks... so far. just in case, i ordered a factory gasket from ATL and should be here monday.
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      08-06-2015, 07:41 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swimjim View Post
ken baker originals, myrtle beach, sc. they have several shops in the area.

got car back and no leaks... so far. just in case, i ordered a factory gasket from ATL and should be here monday.
We have a Ken Baker Originals here in the Wilmington area also. I had the manual trans and diff fluids changed there on the wife's 128i without incident and a reasonable price. I also decided to try Wilmington Motor Works to do a simple oil service, since both Ken Baker and the Dealership wanted $125 for this, but WMW only charged $85, which is what I was used to paying back in TX. So far, so good, and I think I may continue to use them now that the 128 is out of warranty/maintenance. I know it's over an hour's drive to get to Wilmington from MB, but might be worth considering next time around.
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      08-06-2015, 10:05 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by roundel335 View Post
We have a Ken Baker Originals here in the Wilmington area also. I had the manual trans and diff fluids changed there on the wife's 128i without incident and a reasonable price. I also decided to try Wilmington Motor Works to do a simple oil service, since both Ken Baker and the Dealership wanted $125 for this, but WMW only charged $85, which is what I was used to paying back in TX. So far, so good, and I think I may continue to use them now that the 128 is out of warranty/maintenance. I know it's over an hour's drive to get to Wilmington from MB, but might be worth considering next time around.
now that i know its a relatively simple procedure, i will most likely just buy the bullet and purchase a good jack, stands, ramps and start doing this myself. my apt complex is pretty lenient as long as there is no mess; or major work like an engine overhaul!

the only thing i might have to take car to shop for is resetting computer, but there may be ways to do that myself... i have read online.

thanks.
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      08-06-2015, 10:29 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swimjim View Post
now that i know its a relatively simple procedure, i will most likely just buy the bullet and purchase a good jack, stands, ramps and start doing this myself. my apt complex is pretty lenient as long as there is no mess; or major work like an engine overhaul!

the only thing i might have to take car to shop for is resetting computer, but there may be ways to do that myself... i have read online.

thanks.
Re-setting the maintenance timer is extremely easy to do, and I would never pay someone to do it. If you can hold a button down for 7-10 seconds, scroll through the menu with your BC stalk and then press another button to reset, you can do it yourself.
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      08-07-2015, 07:05 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swimjim View Post
now that i know its a relatively simple procedure, i will most likely just buy the bullet and purchase a good jack, stands, ramps and start doing this myself. my apt complex is pretty lenient as long as there is no mess; or major work like an engine overhaul!

the only thing i might have to take car to shop for is resetting computer, but there may be ways to do that myself... i have read online.

thanks.
I can help you with that - I use an Android app (Carly for BMW) and their bluetooth OBDII adapter to not only clear codes and reset service stuff, but also to code features like digital speedo/true speed, unlock doors when key is removed, etc. PM me and I'll give you the details.

Only thing about doing it yourself is you have the whole where-to-dispose-of-the-old-fluid thing to contend with.
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      08-07-2015, 03:36 PM   #12
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Thanks.

Fluid can be disposed at any local parts store... Advance Auto will take all of it!
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      08-07-2015, 03:43 PM   #13
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Buying OE parts at one's dealer is always a good idea. It builds relationships and gets you high quality parts... not made in China quality. But... this trans place is also very good, it seems. I've never used them, but I like how they only use ZF LifeGuard fluids.

The California Transmission Supply Company
http://www.thectsc.com/catalog/6-speed-bmw-61.html


And here is another place that also sells AT service kits...
http://www.zftranspart.com/
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      08-08-2015, 07:25 PM   #14
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Thats how auto shops work, its called flat rate. Hope they did the sealing sleeve while they had the pan down.
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      08-09-2015, 06:07 PM   #15
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Sealing sleeve?
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      08-10-2015, 03:16 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dackelone View Post
Buying OE parts at one's dealer is always a good idea. It builds relationships and gets you high quality parts... not made in China quality. But... this trans place is also very good, it seems. I've never used them, but I like how they only use ZF LifeGuard fluids.

The California Transmission Supply Company
http://www.thectsc.com/catalog/6-speed-bmw-61.html


And here is another place that also sells AT service kits...
http://www.zftranspart.com/
The majority of the 128i in North America with the Auto transmission usually have the GM trans. The ZF came in the Pre-LCI 135i I believe. I'm not sure which 128i/125i cars got the ZF auto? But in any case, this thread was about the GM tranny.
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