After an engine light came on last week, it seems that we now have a faulty "intake Camshaft Sensor". However, this was meant to have been fixed during the 12 month warranty period we got with the car, so it wasn't that long ago.

Wait for it....

£580.00 - It was £900, but after I told Sue to question it, they told her that the "engineer had put 2 line items in when only one was needed".. That's the biggest load of B.....ks I've heard in a while.

I'm going to get it done outside of the dealer, but I think Berry have just lost the sale of its replacement... If I hadn't of queried that figure they would have charged that for it.

Time to move it on I think....

I'm afraid Steve most dealers are as bad as each other.

The person I'd trust totally is will at TWG, bit far out for you I'd guess but I'm sure you'd save money to counteract travelling. Of course no good if it's warranty.

Example, brakefluid change at dealers was about £75/80 TWG £40 and that is using BMW equipment!

Berry... interesting I phoned them today not very helpful.

Right, so I am now being told that if the sensor is changed then the Valve/Cam timing needs to be checked.

This is getting expensive, it's not like we can't afford it, I'm just reluctant to do it not knowing if they really do need to do all this work, and what it entails. Thing is they are in walking distance, and going anywhere specialised means taking 2 cars etc.

It's a right PITA....

It might be worth giving Will a call and having a chat with him Steve, he might be able to just give you some advice that you can go armed with back to Berry

I have been in the same boat with mine, both dealers here on the south coast are as bad as each other, and thats why mine may be soon gone, moving away from the brand.

Hi Steve, sorry to hear your bad luck. I don't know how near you are, but I've had some great service in the last month with Snows in Portsmouth. The service manager, Allan I believe has been excellent. It may be worth getting a second opinion?

Could you describe the issue and the current status? I might be able to have a look at my work into the issue if you'd like (BMW Group Plant)? Checking the timing would be a simple ish job, unless they've quoted you something crazy for it. Maybe an hour tops?

George W wrote:

Hi Steve, sorry to hear your bad luck. I don't know how near you are, but I've had some great service in the last month with Snows in Portsmouth. The service manager, Allan I believe has been excellent. It may be worth getting a second opinion?

Could you describe the issue and the current status? I might be able to have a look at my work into the issue if you'd like (BMW Group Plant)? Checking the timing would be a simple ish job, unless they've quoted you something crazy for it. Maybe an hour tops?

I have used Snows for the last 11 years, bat last year was the last, single engine light, £500 later all done, that 600 miles later the lights back, "hmm" we think its this, another £450, "Can i have my money back for the other bit you changed then as it wasn't that, ha ha ha NO!
So hence it did not get fixed. I could say a lot more, but i won't.

And as for Chandlers, they are a F*****g joke, i could type a whole story on how a simple MOT and oil service went so wrong. did they say sorry bollox did they.

I need to find another dealer for next year if we still have any Minis.

Hi John,

That's a shame! What were the two things that were diagnosed? It might have been a case of two things. I had my fuel pump go, replaced, then the temp sensor unknown to me was stuffed, which caused similar issues.

There's possibly a good market for another decent Indy around here. Goodness if I had the time I'd give it a shot!

First time round they reckoned that the cylinder head cover was blocked, new one required.
They replaced it, i have the old one and there is not one bit of carbon to be found? there also left the bolt loose to the cam sensor, and lost the clip that holds a pipe on on the head cover, and when challenged they did not say sorry !!!

As i said 600 miles later that then said air mass needed, they thought but were not sure.
I asked for the print outs from diagnostics for the first time they looked at it, funny they can not find them, i have the second lot but nothing to compare them with.
So around 400 miles later the light back on, car runs fine etc.

Chandlers, joke! rude, and just incompetent they said air mass but gave no explanation.

Spoke to others Will @ ?? and SRR both said it won't be that. so after nearly a year of the engine light on it was booked in at Walkers, and guess what the light only went out all by its self

So if anyone wants a pristine low milage JCW 2011 there one going.

My view is today it just keep replacing things till it works, back in the distant past when I was in a workshop we repaired things, I guess the labour cost to repair is to high now or they don't know how to!

Chandlers, Barons etc all owned by http://www.group1auto.com

Davyboy wrote:

My view is today it just keep replacing things till it works, back in the distant past when I was in a workshop we repaired things, I guess the labour cost to repair is to high now or they don't know how to!

Chandlers, Barons etc all owned by http://www.group1auto.com

All so true.
Thing is a JCW air mass is only available from Mini, @ £420 I tried Bosch in Spain, France, Germany and the Uk, no-one could source one.
Thing is it works, no one knows what was wrong with it.

That's some irritating workmanship you've had there John. and it looks like there's several different theories of diagnosing your issue. I'd guess if they took a reading off their diagnosis machine, they'd probably be looking at a screen and not printing off anything, although I'm sure you can save it somehow.

So did the issue eventually just go away?

Diagnostic tools are excellent when they're used properly, and combined with a methodical manner, can save a lot of guesswork.

I suppose there's not a lot of repairing you can do to a mass flow meter or a temperature sensor in a garage. Which is generally the cause of a lot of problems. Plus as Davyboy said, anything that could be fettled back to life would be hit with a high cost of stripping, repair and rebuild Labour. And you probably won't get a warranty on a repaired part.

George W wrote:

That's some irritating workmanship you've had there John. and it looks like there's several different theories of diagnosing your issue. I'd guess if they took a reading off their diagnosis machine, they'd probably be looking at a screen and not printing off anything, although I'm sure you can save it somehow.

So did the issue eventually just go away?

Diagnostic tools are excellent when they're used properly, and combined with a methodical manner, can save a lot of guesswork.

I suppose there's not a lot of repairing you can do to a mass flow meter or a temperature sensor in a garage. Which is generally the cause of a lot of problems. Plus as Davyboy said, anything that could be fettled back to life would be hit with a high cost of stripping, repair and rebuild Labour. And you probably won't get a warranty on a repaired part.

Yes, annoying it was not simple, thing is car ran ok.
Parts being fixed at 500 a time can soon add up.

Yep last week it just fixed itself, so at the moment its ok, guessing that maff is ok after all lol
I am told the maff sensors just don't break, BMW Germany apparently only have 2 in stock, also that was the thing, no one could try a new one to see if it was that because "if we fit it you got to have it" weather it was broken or not.

So the stupid thing was they can not test it to see if it works, they can not fit a new one to see if the old one don't work!
modern cars a!

You could also try Station View Garage in Dorking. We did a meet there some years ago and I take my cars there for MoTs. They recently fixed the aircon in my sisters A Class - a new condenser was needed. Parts and labour they were half the cost of the Merc dealer part only price, and they used the Merc part!

When I was last in there they had ordered new discs for a customers car. The existing ones were above scrapping size so they left them in situ and sent the parts back. I doubt a main dealer would do that.

They also seem to know their MINIs.

I've used SVG in Dorking - they are very nice guys and looked after Mitzy a couple of times, and let me bring her down straight away sometimes - unlike MINI having to book it in etc... They've ordered parts for me too and were cheaper than MINI would be even for genuine bits