Need help to find a clean E46 M3 / Besoin d'aide pour trouver une E46 M3

I'm not sure what you are talking about garages changing stuff that doesn't need to be done but as I said these cars are 13 years old at their youngest. If something is looking a bit crusty or I know fails at mileage I will suggest changing it. How many M3s do I get in with ORIGINAL fuel filters and psi regulators, pissing oil psi valves that the cheaper "Euro Shop" changed the RMS, Clutch delay valves still installed, or my personal favorite big ass hose clamps around the throttle bodies.... I really enjoy working on these cars, I really really do but knowledge isn't cheap neither are repairs. I do agree that there is lots of DIY stuff that owners can and should do but don't call me up asking for my tools or my old school paper manuals.

I shouldn't have included all garages, because it would not be true, and I was aiming most franchised regular shops. But lets face it finding a trusty place you can get big jobs done isn't easy. Nowadays, cars are a lot more reliable than 20years ago, and more and more stuff can't be done by your regular shop. So some of them have a hard time to keep up financially, and do what they can to inflate your invoice. Happened to me before many times that a 150$ job became much more expensive than that.

And it's now just any garage that will touch an euro. Brought my S4 to my neighborhood garage and he didn't even want to take a look at it.
 
Sans aller dans les modèles à 40K$ il y a moyen d'avoir de quoi de potable pour 20k$ plus mettre la maintenance à jour (refresh)

C'est ce que j'ai fais avec la mienne, voiture en bonne état, refresh de suspensions, refait le Vanos plus maintenance. Au pire des cas elle me coute 25k$ . Je roule en masse avec et je ne suis jamais tomber ne panne. Jamais eu de bris qui m'ont fait perdre du temps dans la saison.

Ont est loin de 80k$ plus taxe + les intérêts et la dépréciation d'une neuve.
 
I shouldn't have included all garages, because it would not be true, and I was aiming most franchised regular shops. But lets face it finding a trusty place you can get big jobs done isn't easy. Nowadays, cars are a lot more reliable than 20years ago, and more and more stuff can't be done by your regular shop. So some of them have a hard time to keep up financially, and do what they can to inflate your invoice. Happened to me before many times that a 150$ job became much more expensive than that.

And it's now just any garage that will touch an euro. Brought my S4 to my neighborhood garage and he didn't even want to take a look at it.
I find specialty shops don't inflate invoices but rather tell you honestly how "it's going to be take it or leave it" which is how it should be within reason. My friends in the UK can get pretty brutal with attitude... Here we are nice

the Mr Ti Joe Mech on the corner doesn't want to deal with a long lingering job on a euro. They want fast in and out stuff that keeps the lights on and lifts free. Everything now requires a specific tool and software...

I've been doing this for 15 years , be fair with clients but don't work for free. Advice I give to everyone.. if the shop says they specialize in something make sure those car brands are on the lifts/parked outside

Sadly sometimes quoted jobs can end up costing more. If something gets opened up and another issue is found etc. We don't have magic wands or crystal balls. Imagine if rod bearings are to be replaced and then I find the crank journal is scored or some jackass cross threaded a bolt/nut. Sadly some people will moan and grown but that's just how the business is. This is why it's important to continue using ONE shop and only own shop. Don't bounce around
 
Haha reading this remind me one day I brought a s38 head in v8 shop , the guy after 3 week didn't do the regrind , I ask him wtf is wrong that you don't do this heads and I keep see v8 engine heads coming in and out , he told me your not a worth it job I can get v8 heads out more in a day (8 valves) vs doing yours (24v), so like gregster said not every shop want to spend alot of time playing with euro
 
I find with specialty stuff like that it's just better to suck it up and either send it to someone who understands... The premium price for service is worth it for piece of mind. We had that issue with shocks off a Lambo, got the run around locally... Sent them to an awesome shop in Sonoma CA, no nonsense and quick turn around
 
Yeah your right about that... Trying support locally but when you get answers like this you remember after why you used to send your stuff somewhere else and far away from local to get the job done.
 
Imaginé trouve une bonne shop d'euro en region .... bonne chance aussi bien faire quelques heures de route lol
 
Yeah your right about that... Trying support locally but when you get answers like this you remember after why you used to send your stuff somewhere else and far away from local to get the job done.
I find locally lots of places will say "yah yah I can do that" because they just want the job and are paranoid a competitor will pinch the work. Then what you end up with is a car sitting on the lift for months or getting the run around.
 
Sadly sometimes quoted jobs can end up costing more. If something gets opened up and another issue is found etc. We don't have magic wands or crystal balls. Imagine if rod bearings are to be replaced and then I find the crank journal is scored or some jackass cross threaded a bolt/nut. Sadly some people will moan and grown but that's just how the business is.


Tell me if I'm wrong, but I understand most jobs are estimated with the books, and the time is often more than enough to do the job. I have no problem with that and know that if the mechanic can do it in less time, it's because he's efficient, knowledgeable, experienced and has the right tools.

When it becomes an issue, is when they charge you the time in the manual and any issue they encounter is added. They end up doing it in the time required, but charge you much more for those few small issues. That I don't think is fair, but I'm no mechanic, so maybe your view on this is different.
 
There are 2 type of mechanic these day , there's that know mechanic and are passionate about there job and love what they are doing and can fix ,search deep for diagnostic but most people these day are so cheap that they go see the other type of mechanic that he's good for changing parts but don't ask him finding a problem and at the end it will cost you more or even the same as the good one and passionate that charge a higher rate
 
Tell me if I'm wrong, but I understand most jobs are estimated with the books, and the time is often more than enough to do the job. I have no problem with that and know that if the mechanic can do it in less time, it's because he's efficient, knowledgeable, experienced and has the right tools.

When it becomes an issue, is when they charge you the time in the manual and any issue they encounter is added. They end up doing it in the time required, but charge you much more for those few small issues. That I don't think is fair, but I'm no mechanic, so maybe your view on this is different.
The problem with book time is they aren't real world for many things. A good example is something like 2hours to change plugs on a Ford 3v where all the plugs will break in the head...


If they are are knowledgeable they'll make it clear "if will take this amount of time if such and such is jammed or rusted to shit" if it takes less time you will be billed for less but be prepared for worst case. Sometimes though if the job takes longer you just suck it up and charge quoted time to keep people happy. It happens .. or if bolts need to the replaced don't moan about an extra 50$. Its not like I'm going to retire off that.

This is why it's important to have the car come in before vs giving a random price out over the phone... You can evaluate the condition of the car, check if it's the actual problem as described on the phone and hammer out a fair price. Its happened many times when people will show up with their own parts based off an internet diagnosis and it turns out it's not the issue.
 
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