If you want a reputable qualified service center that most of Fields BMWs "prior customers" (for a reason) go to for their service needs on their beloved Bimmer I recommend Magic Mechanic at 1432 Lee Rd, Orlando, FL 32804. (407) 629-2661. They are a full service center and work on most of the luxury brands including Bentleys. My 2014 BMW 328d goes to them every since the manufacturer warranty ended. They are likely to most qualified and honest place for Bimmers. And for the DEF like others have said - dont pay anyone for that job. If you can pull a bottle you can do your own DEF refills for a fraction of the price anyone will charge you. Here is what I did. You do need the special fill bottle for the input filler tank. I bought one liter of DEF off Amazon. Look up you tube to see how it works. When that bottle is empty go to Walmart and buy a gallon of DEF fluid (less than $20). It is the same stuff the dealership issues EXACT same ingredients and same stuff. Then that liter bottle you still have. Unscrew the top (yes they want tell you those are refillable) and pour the Walmart stuff into the same liter bottle and repeat until your DEF tank is full. My tank used about half a gallon the first time I did a refill so every refill should cost you about $10 going forward. Oil changes however I leave to the professionals. Cheers!*Bump*
Now I'm ready for an oil change. The dealer wants $250 for the oil change and diesel fluid fill. Does anyone have a good independent mechanic in the South Orlando area they recommend?
(I don't like doing them myself even though I am perfectly happy to get dirty on other parts of the car)
Hey i was Wondering if you did the tranny flush yet? Im curious what the price will be for that. I know it is never 100% flush due to the fluid that remains inside the internal parts. Thanks.Great thread!
I switched from an old e39 (2001) to a 2014 328d (45k miles) in January AND just moved to Orlando 2 weeks ago! Let's stay in touch on mechanics and service centers in the area. I'm located in the SE corner (Lake Nona).
One item that I found so far is that because I have the Msport option, some of my parts are unique to my car only. Found out the hard way when a rock went through my AC condenser and the only part I could find was from the dealer at $650.
The diesel X-drive models dominate and there seem to be very few 328d RWD models out there on the road. Parts are fairly hard to find, so check around different sites if you need minor parts (like underbody plastic panels).
So far the car has been fairly good with great mileage. And luckily diesel is cheaper here than in the Midwest.
Thanks to everyone for posting all the different issues to look for. I'm approaching 60k miles now (I bought the diesel in Ohio because I had a long commute) and need to look into brakes, filters, and a possible transmission flush.
Right now I'm in a desperate need for a Navigation update as the roads here are constantly under construction and the previous owner never updated (I'm on NEXT 2013-1). I'm considering getting the code from BMW because it seems to be the same pricing as the other guys. The threads on this topic are a bit all over and none seem to have links to where they got the maps. (I guess I'll keep plugging away).
So verdict is in. Indy shop tells me that the thermostat housing has cracked at the upper feeder tube and is leaking. What i dont understand is no error codes flashed and the car didn't seem to overheat nor did the oil temp go beyond normal range. BTW bill is going to be $1200 to replace the feeder tube and thermostat and housing and gaskets. Seems like a ton of money for parts that cost less than $150. Any techs out there feel like this job is really over 5 hours of labor?High coolant useage has been a symptom of a failing/leaky EGR cooler. Might want to check around there.
So surely i am no technician but from what i can tell this is no more than a 2 hr job including refilling the coolant and purging the system. Am I off on that assessment? I got a quote from another indi euro repair facility and they said about 2 hrs but they would have to put eyes on it to confirm. Just wondering if i should get it towed to another facility. I am really appalled this shop would tell me 5 hrs of labor for this job and they also preferenced that with saying that might not be the main issue but we have to stop the leak first amd go from there.You can check for the procedure(s) here and see if you think it'd take that long.
SA informed me today that a SB was published and likely a recall forthcoming for the EGR cooler in multiple diesel models and years. Curious has any diesel owners been informed of the recall as of yet? Reading the news i'm getting different report of which manufacturer years for which models. Thanks.Welcome! I have a 2014 328d. I love it. 66,000 miles. I bought it new in late 2013.
I did need the transfer case replaced twice. I would get hesitation that was linked to the transfer case. No issues since the replacement about $20k ago. I think this was rare though.
The brakes stink IMO. I'm due for rear brakes for the second time. First time at 37,000 (front and rear) and the second time now at 66,000 (rear only). I plan on replacing them myself with non-OEM. We'll see if that helps. My 2007 335 had almost 100k on it on the factory brakes.
High mileage especially on a diesel would not worry me too much. I'd be more worried about low miles on a d.
SA informed me today that a SB was published and likely a recall forthcoming for the EGR cooler in multiple diesel models and years. Curious has any diesel owners been informed of the recall as of yet? Reading the news i'm getting different report of which manufacturer years for which models. Thanks.My wife's 2014 328xd only has about 45K on it. The one you purchased is one of the higher-mileage ones I've heard about. Keep us informed.
If older models with different engines are any guide, watch the harmonic balancer (crankshaft pulley), turbo oil feed lines, and NOx sensors. They re-designed the DEF/SCR system, so I expect it to be more reliable than the older ones.
