[German_clan]

Here’s another story of being ripped of by the bmw service centre.

One fine day the bearing on the drive belt tensioner of my bmw 530d(f10) decided its job to keep the drive belt in place is done and it gave way which caused the drive belt to come off the pulleys. Thankfully without damaging anything else.

Since my FNG pride cars was quite far from my house and i did not want to damage the engine by overheating it i decided to give it to RING ROAD MOTORS (deutsche motoren) BMW.

The bmw service advisor (Naresh Nigil) advised me to change the belt along with the tensioner for a tension free experience, for which i gave the nod.

Spent around 30k including labour and parts, a whopping 7.5k for the belt itself without the labour charges for fitting the belt.

Pictures of the bill





The next day i open up the hood for inspection and guess what the drive belt had a manufacturing date of 18.09.2017 ie approximately 3 years back. I drove down to the dealership to raise my concern and was told that it comes with a 2 year warranty and I shouldn’t worry about it.

Pictures showing the manufacturing date


My questions to fellow bhpians:

1. Dont rubber parts (in this case drive belt) deteriorate over the years even when not in use?

2. Would bmw also insure the other parts in the engine bay if the belt breaks and damages anything?

3. Should i take this up with the head office or let it go?

Mod please move this thread if necessary, I couldn’t find the appropriate thread for this.

Best regards
German clan

[anandpadhye]

Hmm!
Good you took a look at the belt and you were really lucky to have stoped the engine exactly when the date stamp was visible. I would say, write to customer care and ask for a new belt or a clear confirmation that the belt and everything dependent on it (which is the complete engine really!) will be covered in the 2 year warranty. However, belt life is generally more than 2 years (assuming 15/20000 annual mileage), so this is still a tricky situation to be in!

[Hayek]

I don’t think you should worry. Remember they stopped making the F10 in 2016 - so they may have stocked up some parts which can be used for a few years. I would be shocked if BMW would let a dealer use a part which is past its shelf life. Relax and enjoy your drive.

[lapis_lazuli]

The belt is an EPDM belt. It will easily have a shelf life of 6/8 years. I don't think there is much reason to worry.

[Turbanator]

I will agree with anandpadhye, better send an email to BMW India. Most rubber parts have a curing/ manufacturing date. Don’t know if it has a shelf life so it will be a good idea to get a confirmation from BMW.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by lapis_lazuli

It will easily have a shelf life of 6/8 years.

But the other way to look at it - almost half the shelf life was over before it was sold to the customer, right?

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

But the other way to look at it - almost half the shelf life was over before it was sold to the customer, right?

IIRC shelf life and actual service life are differently rated.

From a famous manufacturer:

http://www.warco.com/articles/shelf-...bber-products/


Shelf life is just that: recommended storage time under acceptable conditions.

[Maverick5490]

There is no specific shelf life for Drive belts, but these can be stored up to 6 years. Also since this model no longer in production, recent production of spares will be limited. Since you have also changed the tensioner, you need not worry about the life of the belt.

However, since the car has already crossed 1,00,000 kms, has the main vibration damper been checked? This is the part that drives the belt, it gets worn out, cracked and breaks off. So check with the dealership if they have inspected this.

[nirmaljusdoit]

The longer the belt is stored, there will be a slight depreciation in the service life.

Considering this is a phased out model and the parts kept in stock, its normal and acceptable practice to use an older belt. Most of the newer generation EPDM belts would last quite a long time.

Visual inspection every service should be sufficient to understand the condition if any cracks or wear and tear are present. Sometimes rats like to chew on them too.

[Tassem]

The service report mentions a weak vibration damper and that it needs replacement. Perhaps the OP will have that replaced at his FNG, considering he said he visited the service centre only because this could've led to a critical failure if not addressed immediately.

Originally Posted by Maverick5490

has the main vibration damper been checked? This is the part that drives the belt, it gets worn out, cracked and breaks off. So check with the dealership if they have inspected this.

[German_clan]

Originally Posted by Tassem

The service report mentions a weak vibration damper and that it needs replacement. Perhaps the OP will have that replaced at his FNG, considering he said he visited the service centre only because this could've led to a critical failure if not addressed immediately.

I will get this done at Pride Motors. I have ordered an original Conti-Tech (oem for BMW) vibration damper with a warranty of 5 years.

What is weird is the MRP of the part is 13-15k but BMW wants 58k for the same part. All in all to change a vibration damper they want close to 1 lakh rupees!!! WHY.
It seems the company is running only on profits made by the service centres.

Estimate given by BMW to replace vibration damper

[Tassem]

Wow, that's quite the markup even for BMW! I guess a lot of owners just have the vehicle dropped off and settle whatever bill is sent later. I've seen many cases where ridiculous add-ons find their way into the bills. Often times on questioning, these are removed too.

Just sad.

Originally Posted by German_clan

All in all to change a vibration damper they want close to 1 lakh rupees!!!

[adi58]

BMW has this program going on where they issue good discounts based on your cars age. Do check with them.

[Moontan]

Originally Posted by Tassem

Wow, that's quite the markup even for BMW! I guess a lot of owners just have the vehicle dropped off and settle whatever bill is sent later.

That's why I completely subscribe to OP's philosophy of sourcing your own parts and having a trusted FNG perform the work. You only end up paying labour. From my experience, it makes a huge difference in the cost of ownership of these very reliable machines. Just on an annual service, using very good Liqui Moly for oil and MANN filters, servicing the brakes and fluid top ups, when done on your own will save you 15K at the very minimum. This includes the regular complete inspection of all boots and belts and greasing of moving parts. You also get to see it happening and learn so much more about your ride. This I enjoy doing on a weekend anyways.

OP: I may hit you up for some pointers on a few parts. FCP Euro is my normal shop, but with the current shipping uncertainties, I'm looking at alternatives. My annual service is coming up and I'm looking at replacing my timing chain tensioner on my N20 block. Any pointers?

[German_clan]

Originally Posted by Moontan

OP: I may hit you up for some pointers on a few parts. FCP Euro is my normal shop, but with the current shipping uncertainties, I'm looking at alternatives. My annual service is coming up and I'm looking at replacing my timing chain tensioner on my N20 block. Any pointers?

General Auto Parts on J.C road is the best place in my opinion. Ask for Mr Joshi, you will find OEM parts for a third of what BMW wants for them.
Pride cars Mysore Road is my FNG and they have never disappointed me .
Please share the experience with your FNG as they aren’t too experienced with BMW’s.


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