Hi. Question: Need advice if I just sell my 2011 528i or do I pay for more repairs with uncertainty of how many more miles I can drive it. Background: My car has 135k Miles and I bought the car brand new in 2011. I was disciplined with routine maintenance. When my car hit 100k Miles and no more warranty, I started bringing my car to local mechanic who is experienced in BMW and German cars. I have spent at least $10,000 and replaced many parts between driving the car 100k Miles upto today 135k Miles. I used to drive a lot in Los Angeles, but I don***8217;t drive much now here in Sanfo Bay Area. I have replaced the tires, brake pads, motherboard of left and right signals, alternator relay, alternator, battery, halo lights, headlights, radiator and fuel pump. The past 3 weeks my car has been jerking when I accelerate. Then 3 weeks ago I had ***8220;drivetrain malfunction***8221;. Yesterday I finally got an appointment are BMW and brought in My car. They said they need to replace coils and spark plugs for $1900 (all in) plus replace a leaking gasket valve cover for $1600 (all in). That***8217;s a total of $3500 (all in parts, labor, tax). Question: What should I do? Appreciate your advice.
2011 528i 135k Miles problems and repairs
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I know the San Francisco Bay Area is an expensive place to live. I used to live there!! Those are outrageous prices! Find another shop at www.bimrs.org.
How handy are you with wrenches? Those 2 tasks-coils & sparkplugs + valve cover gasket-aren’t that difficult if you have the proper tools and instructions. I checked the Bentley manual website and they don’t publish a manual for your car. However, you can ask the experts in this forum and Bimmer Forums for instructions. You should invest in some quality (Craftsman in the minimum) basic metric tools and a torque wrench. Parts made by the suppliers to BMW can be bought online from FCPEuro. Thee are referred to as “OE” parts.
How handy are you with wrenches? Those 2 tasks-coils & sparkplugs + valve cover gasket-aren’t that difficult if you have the proper tools and instructions. I checked the Bentley manual website and they don’t publish a manual for your car. However, you can ask the experts in this forum and Bimmer Forums for instructions. You should invest in some quality (Craftsman in the minimum) basic metric tools and a torque wrench. Parts made by the suppliers to BMW can be bought online from FCPEuro. Thee are referred to as “OE” parts.
Check out YouTube for how to videos. See if it's something you would be comfortable with. Getting replacement parts on Amazon is definitely a good alternative to dealership. I know it can be intimidating to work on BMW, but I would at least get it running smoothly before attempting to sell it. Good luck, and maythe force be with you....
Coils and spark plugs for $1900??? Valve cover gasket $1600??? Seriously??? 
WTF???
I***8217;m not fully up to speed with the newer BMWs beyond M54 engines, but do you have to disassemble half the car to do those jobs? Or are the parts made out of unobtanium, or something?
WTF???I***8217;m not fully up to speed with the newer BMWs beyond M54 engines, but do you have to disassemble half the car to do those jobs? Or are the parts made out of unobtanium, or something?
How much do you still enjoy the car? What can you expect to get for it if you tried to sell it or trade it in?
It looks to me that you have been soured because your repair shop has been charging a high price for their work. As others have said, you could get it up to snuff for a lot less money.
But, the bottom line is, that now that the car seems to be draining your pocketbook, is it worth it? Unless you can find an alternative shop or do more yourself, you're not going to be happy. But your question about the uncertainty of "how many more miles (you) can drive it" would not be based on it reaching its peak due to mileage. I would think that at 250,000 miles you might start asking that question. Just my 2 pennies worth.
It looks to me that you have been soured because your repair shop has been charging a high price for their work. As others have said, you could get it up to snuff for a lot less money.
But, the bottom line is, that now that the car seems to be draining your pocketbook, is it worth it? Unless you can find an alternative shop or do more yourself, you're not going to be happy. But your question about the uncertainty of "how many more miles (you) can drive it" would not be based on it reaching its peak due to mileage. I would think that at 250,000 miles you might start asking that question. Just my 2 pennies worth.
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