I have a BMW 523 automatic, which I bought from new in 2000. It has a
low mileage (42,000) and a full BMW service history.

Following the 40,000 mile oil service, the car has been running like a
dog in the mornings.

For the first 10 minutes of driving, it refuses to go above 25 mph
(pressing the accelerator simply results in additional revs). During
this period the manual facility for changing gear is inoperable.
However, at a certain point, the car rights itself, and performance is
"as normal".

When I took the car back to the dealer, it (after a day's
investigation) replaced the airflow meter. No difference.

I returned the car and was informed (after another day's investigation)
that the gearbox needed to be replaced.

Credit to the dealer, it contacted BMW, who in the interest of goodwill
(the car is out of warranty) offered a free replacement. All I had to
do was pay the difference between the "airflow service" and the cost of
fitting the new gearbox.

The car was off the road for a week. The gearbox was replaced. It made
no difference.

The dealer suggested that I bring the car back. Whoa.

I am not particularly inclined to fund further research (I'm £1000
down already, including the oil service).

Does anyone have any opinion (half-baked is as good as the dealer's) as
to what might be wrong?

Thanks, all
John

wrote in message
news:1121964263.727807.118690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
I have a BMW 523 automatic, which I bought from new in 2000. It has a
low mileage (42,000) and a full BMW service history.

Following the 40,000 mile oil service, the car has been running like a
dog in the mornings.

For the first 10 minutes of driving, it refuses to go above 25 mph
(pressing the accelerator simply results in additional revs). During
this period the manual facility for changing gear is inoperable.
However, at a certain point, the car rights itself, and performance is
"as normal".

When I took the car back to the dealer, it (after a day's
investigation) replaced the airflow meter. No difference.

I returned the car and was informed (after another day's investigation)
that the gearbox needed to be replaced.

Credit to the dealer, it contacted BMW, who in the interest of goodwill
(the car is out of warranty) offered a free replacement. All I had to
do was pay the difference between the "airflow service" and the cost of
fitting the new gearbox.

The car was off the road for a week. The gearbox was replaced. It made
no difference.

The dealer suggested that I bring the car back. Whoa.

I am not particularly inclined to fund further research (I'm 1000
down already, including the oil service).

First off I do hope you're not going to stand for being charged for work
that didn't achieve anything. It couldn't possibly have been the airflow
meter and clearly wasn't the gearbox. Your first step is a letter stating
that neither of these jobs cured the fault and you expect your money
refunded within 14 days or you'll claim it back in the small claims court.

Does anyone have any opinion (half-baked is as good as the dealer's) as
to what might be wrong?

Fraid not but if it wasn't the box itself it might lie in the electronic
control systems. How they work on a modern BMW I haven't the faintest idea
though.

Thanks, all
John

john.mullin@gmail.com wrote:


> When I took the car back to the dealer, it (after a day's
> investigation) replaced the airflow meter. No difference.
> 
> I returned the car and was informed (after another day's investigation)
> that the gearbox needed to be replaced.
> 
> Credit to the dealer, it contacted BMW, who in the interest of goodwill
> (the car is out of warranty) offered a free replacement. All I had to
> do was pay the difference between the "airflow service" and the cost of
> fitting the new gearbox.

> I am not particularly inclined to fund further research (I'm 1000
> down already, including the oil service).



Sorry, this post will not help in the slightest, however, I'm struggling 
to understand the "credit to the dealer" bit? They've fitted two parts, 
one of which they've billed you for, and the total including labour is a 
grand?, and yet they haven't the competence to repair your car?

There ought to be a bloody law against this.

yeah Was any oil put in the engine at the oil service?
 wrote in message 
news:1121964263.727807.118690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
I have a BMW 523 automatic, which I bought from new in 2000. It has a
low mileage (42,000) and a full BMW service history.

Following the 40,000 mile oil service, the car has been running like a
dog in the mornings.

For the first 10 minutes of driving, it refuses to go above 25 mph
(pressing the accelerator simply results in additional revs). During
this period the manual facility for changing gear is inoperable.
However, at a certain point, the car rights itself, and performance is
"as normal".

When I took the car back to the dealer, it (after a day's
investigation) replaced the airflow meter. No difference.

I returned the car and was informed (after another day's investigation)
that the gearbox needed to be replaced.

Credit to the dealer, it contacted BMW, who in the interest of goodwill
(the car is out of warranty) offered a free replacement. All I had to
do was pay the difference between the "airflow service" and the cost of
fitting the new gearbox.

The car was off the road for a week. The gearbox was replaced. It made
no difference.

The dealer suggested that I bring the car back. Whoa.

I am not particularly inclined to fund further research (I'm 1000
down already, including the oil service).

Does anyone have any opinion (half-baked is as good as the dealer's) as
to what might be wrong?

Thanks, all
John

Thanks Dave (and all who took the time to reply)

I also posted this problem to alt.autos.bmw. There's an interesting
difference in the tone of the replies:

Mike Dodd (this group): There ought to be a bloody law against this.
zerouali (the other group):  I doubt a gearbox is cheap so I reckon
that was fairly good goodwill!

During it's 42,000 miles, my car experienced the following: sensor
failed (causing over-revving during normal operation), air-conditioning
failed (twice), noisy and erratic electric windows (numerous
occasions), bulbs failed (numerous occasions) and the current problem.

I spoke to a taxi driver this week (for obvious reasons) who said that
his last cab did 1.2 million miles (without major surgery).

The next car is a Lexus. Or a cab :-)

TTFN - thanks, all (I'll keep you posted)
John


> First off I do hope you're not going to stand for being charged for work
> that didn't achieve anything. It couldn't possibly have been the airflow
> meter and clearly wasn't the gearbox. Your first step is a letter stating
> that neither of these jobs cured the fault and you expect your money
> refunded within 14 days or you'll claim it back in the small claims court.
>
> Does anyone have any opinion (half-baked is as good as the dealer's) as
> to what might be wrong?
>
> Fraid not but if it wasn't the box itself it might lie in the electronic
> control systems. How they work on a modern BMW I haven't the faintest idea
> though.
> 
> Thanks, all
> John

"Mike Dodd" <no-address@lo0> wrote in message
news:42dfdbfe$0$6482$cc9e4d1f@news-text.dial.pipex.com...

> john.mullin@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > When I took the car back to the dealer, it (after a day's
> > investigation) replaced the airflow meter. No difference.
> >
> > I returned the car and was informed (after another day's investigation)
> > that the gearbox needed to be replaced.
> >
> > Credit to the dealer, it contacted BMW, who in the interest of goodwill
> > (the car is out of warranty) offered a free replacement. All I had to
> > do was pay the difference between the "airflow service" and the cost of
> > fitting the new gearbox.
>
> > I am not particularly inclined to fund further research (I'm 1000
> > down already, including the oil service).
>
>
> Sorry, this post will not help in the slightest, however, I'm struggling
> to understand the "credit to the dealer" bit? They've fitted two parts,
> one of which they've billed you for, and the total including labour is a
> grand?, and yet they haven't the competence to repair your car?
>
> There ought to be a bloody law against this.


I agree. I simply wouldn't pay.

*****************
 wrote in message
news:1121964263.727807.118690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
I have a BMW 523 automatic, which I bought from new in 2000. It has a
low mileage (42,000) and a full BMW service history.

Following the 40,000 mile oil service, the car has been running like a
dog in the mornings.

For the first 10 minutes of driving, it refuses to go above 25 mph
(pressing the accelerator simply results in additional revs). During
this period the manual facility for changing gear is inoperable.
However, at a certain point, the car rights itself, and performance is
"as normal".

When I took the car back to the dealer, it (after a day's
investigation) replaced the airflow meter. No difference.

I returned the car and was informed (after another day's investigation)
that the gearbox needed to be replaced.

Credit to the dealer, it contacted BMW, who in the interest of goodwill
(the car is out of warranty) offered a free replacement. All I had to
do was pay the difference between the "airflow service" and the cost of
fitting the new gearbox.

The car was off the road for a week. The gearbox was replaced. It made
no difference.

The dealer suggested that I bring the car back. Whoa.

I am not particularly inclined to fund further research (I'm 1000
down already, including the oil service).

Does anyone have any opinion (half-baked is as good as the dealer's) as
to what might be wrong?

Thanks, all
John
***************************


The problem is you're using a BMW dealer. Get your money back from the BMW
dealer, they did nothing to fix your car. Then go to an independent dealer
which will be cheaper and they will fix it or at least tell you what the
problem is.

Don't buy a BMW again though, their dealers rip you off, you get ripped off
for extras when you buy the car, reliability isn't very good and they're
common as mud these days.

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:16:46 +0000 (UTC), "neutron" <neutron(not
real)@a.b.c.co.uk> wrote:


>*****************
> wrote in message
>news:1121964263.727807.118690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I have a BMW 523 automatic, which I bought from new in 2000. It has a
>low mileage (42,000) and a full BMW service history.
>
>Following the 40,000 mile oil service, the car has been running like a
>dog in the mornings.


If nothing else has changed it looks like something happened to cause this
during the "service". Can you ask them exactly what they did?


>For the first 10 minutes of driving, it refuses to go above 25 mph
>(pressing the accelerator simply results in additional revs).


I've never worked on an auto, but for such a thing to happen I guess the g/box
does look sus. If the revs are coming up in response to the accel pedal, this
reinforces this guess. AFAIK the correct oil in autos is critical - is the
correct oil in there? 


> During
>this period the manual facility for changing gear is inoperable.
>However, at a certain point, the car rights itself, and performance is
>"as normal".


Try and find out what sensors are involved in warm-up. BMW's have many, it could
simply be a faulty sensor of some kind.


> reliability isn't very good


That really is rubbish! I had an '89 325i for 10 years. It did over 200K
including much high speed driving in Germany and crawling through UK traffic
jams and never let me down. I did all my own servicing.


> and they're
>common as mud these days.


What relevance has that got? Sounds like jealously to me :-)