What’s Next After Your BMW Warranty Expires?
A used BMW is one of the easiest ways to get into an enthusiast car, with rear wheel drive and a variety of interesting engines, from turbo straight 6s, V8s and even a very vocal V10. However, there have been horror stories circling about owners being hit with outrageous repair bills after keeping their vehicle past the BMW warranty. . Here, we share the best tips and tricks to owning a BMW outside of its warranty period from experts in BMW service.
Use Your Warranty While You Have It
We see it happen way too often. An owner books a vehicle in for a warranty repair, only for us to contact BMW and find out that the vehicle’s warranty expired several months ago. Just because the issue started while the vehicle was under warranty, does not mean that the repair will be honored once the BMW warranty expires.
If your BMW is still under warranty, and anything sounds or feels unusual, get your vehicle checked before the warranty runs out. We also recommend that you have the vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic within the last 6 months of your warranty so that any parts that could be warrantied out (even if you haven’t noticed them) can be.
It is also important to remember as per the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act, you are allowed to have a certified independent mechanic perform general maintenance and repair without a manufacturer voiding your warranty.
Familiarize Yourself With Your Models Common Problems
No matter how well designed and engineered a vehicle is, every model from every manufacturer has common issues to lookout for as your car ages and the symptoms that are associated with it. Depending on the generation and model of your BMW, you may need to be on the lookout for VANOS issues, excessive carbon buildup, fractures on the subframe mounting points or worn cam bearings.
Knowing what problem can arise will help you make an educated decision on the model you’d like to invest in. Catching these issues and addressing them before they cause additional issues is the best way to prevent outrageous repair bills. Owners on forums will often share their experiences of owning the cars, and may even have advice on how to avoid failures all together
Look To The Aftermarket
Aftermarket parts aren’t always necessarily for increased performance, but increased performance does require stronger more robust parts. BMW enthusiasts are second to none, and are always looking to make their cars better, faster and more reliable. The E60 M5 and e63 M6 are popular enthusiast cars for their roaring V10s. However these S85 V10, and to a lesser degree the S65 V8 in the e9x m3, are notorious for wearing out their rod bearings which can cause catastrophic engine failure.
Fortunately the aftermarket scene has come to the rescue, producing bearings that outperform the lifespan of OEM bearings. However, this brings us back to a previous point. While BMW doesn’t have a standard time frame for replacing rod bearings, the general owners consensus is that the bearings are a service item that should be replaced every 60,000 miles.
Don’t Skimp On Parts
For every quality part, there are ten cheaper and inferior parts competing with it. German cars get a bad rep for being unreliable but a large part of it is that it has become common practice to replace worn out OEM parts with the cheapest generic part the local parts store has in stock.
Cheaper replacement parts often cut corners in manufacturing, either using inferior materials, thinner housings or repurposed parts. When shopping aftermarket parts, we highly recommend you stick to trusted and known brands. While the aftermarket scene can be a lifesaver, there are too many companies out there trying to take advantage of the reputation other brands have built. When shopping parts, stick with authorized dealers to ensure you are getting genuine parts.
Find A BMW Service Specialist
This is one of the most important bits of advice we give to everyone, regardless of what they drive, find a reputable mechanic that specializes in your vehicle and stick with them. The logic behind this is very similar to finding a doctor you like and sticking with them. They can create a file on your car, monitor common problems, recommend preventative maintenance and combine repair tasks with maintenance tasks to limit the amount of time your vehicle spends in the shop.
Now I know the next thing you’ll ask is, how do I find a reputable BMW service mechanic? The first thing we recommend is to look for the ASE certified badge. ASE certified shops have to hire ASE certified technicians, and for a technician to become ASE certified they need to pass certain courses related to their area of expertise.
The next step is to follow up with reviews from fellow enthusiasts, as most BMW enthusiasts will be eager to share their favorite shops and mechanics while weeding out the bad ones.
Finally look for a shop that is an authorized dealer for your favorite auto brands. Aftermarket companies do a lot of work selecting the right shops to partner up with, as being associated with a dodgy shop will negatively impact their brand.
Certified BMW Service And Repair Center In Pompano Beach
Whether your BMW is in or out of warranty, stock or modified, a daily commuter or full track weapon, Foreign Affairs Motorsport is and has been South Florida’s go to BMW race, maintenance and repair facilities. We stock some of the top aftermarket brands from Dinan to Racechip, and are certified to complete BMW factory services and warranty repairs. Why go to three different shops, when Foreign Affairs can do it all under one roof. Don’t hesitate, book your BMW in today by calling (954) 746-0488.