Horrible Repair Shop (long)

[Xpist@xxxxxxx]

This describes the experiences I've had with the SF East Bay Repair shop named
Autohaus Stuttgart.

I purchased my 1986 535i 5sp used about 2 yrs. ago.  My first thought was to
take it to Autohaus Stuttgart in the SF east bay town of Moraga, CA where I
lived.  This repair shop has been in my town for many many years.  I figured
the longevity of this shop meant that it was very good.  I found out
differently the hard way.  Let me say that at the time I thought my car was in
good hands.  Only recently (with knowledge gained from repair manuals, the CCA
and this digest), do I realize what a horrible repair shop this really is.

Let me describe the problems the car had and the
solutions/responses/recommendations offered by Autohaus Stuttgart.  I will
paraphrase the responses they gave me and include the real solution in
parenthesis.  You can judge for yourself.

CHECK SYSTEM BRAKE LIGHT (!) REMAINS ON - All the brake light bulbs were
working properly.  The problem is with the braking system if all the bulbs are
ok.  (Broken tail light lens that allowed water to accumulate and creates an
imbalance in the circuit - haven't replaced yet)

OBC WILL NOT LIGHT UP - The OBC is bad and needs to be replaced.  A new one
costs $600 and replacement is not worth it.  We have never replaced any of
these before because of the cost.  Most people just stick a clock on the
dashboard.  (replaced the special light bulb - $18)

WATER IN THE TRUNK - The trunk seal needs to be replaced.  (Actually the tail
light assemblies were loose and not sealing the gaskets - $0)

SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER WENT OUT - You need a new speedometer that costs $500.
(Actually, the connector for the speed sensor in the diff. was unplugged - $0)

SMALL OIL LEAK - These cars are old an old cars leak.  There is nothing you
can do about this.  (Hydraulic pressure switches were leaking.  Replaced -
$35)

CAR OVERHEATS - Radiator, water pump, fan clutch, thermostat, and hoses were
all new.  No solution identified.  (Wrong thermostat in the car.  I have the
'A' housing. - $12)

SUNROOF WON'T OPEN OR CLOSE (VISIBLY MIS-ALIGNED) - We can't repair the
sunroof without destroying the inside header.  (upolstry shop repaired with no
damage - $40)

SLOPPY SHIFTER - This is a common problem on these cars.  There are bushings
that need to be replaced which will fix the problem.  

- -This is the biggie that deserves some more detail:  I had Autohaus Stuttgart
replace the shifter bushings.  As they worked on the car, they told me my rear
transmission seal was cracked and it was leaking oil onto the rear
transmission mount bushings.  I agreed to replace the seal and the 'oil
soaked' bushings.  When I picked up the car, I noticed absolutely NO
improvement in the shifting.  I questioned them about this and they assured me
that it was much better.  Anyway, when I left with the car, I noticed
something funny.  I would put the car in gear and the shifter would move
forward and backward as I applied and released the throttle.  When I returned
the car, they told me they had put the seal on backwards.  They corrected the
problem and I was back to my original sloppy shifting.  It gets worse.  Just
recently the shifter really got sloppy.  I could see the whole console moving.
I am currently replacing the shifter myself with a short shift kit.  When I
removed all the necessary pieces to get at the shifter mechanism, I noticed
some very interesting things.  First, the transmission mount bolts were almost
completely screwed off.  Next, I realized the whole transmission support
bracket was loose and almost completely unscrewed on the right side.  This
movement probably explains why the shifter console mount bushing on the right
side was broken off from the shifter console.  The other shifter console
bushing was halfway unscrewed.  Who knows how long it would have been until
the transmission bracket gave way and damaged the driveline, transmission,
etc.  The last people to work on the car, Autohaus Stuttgart.  My fear now is
that they may have replaced my transmission with an older one.  A little
paranoid, I know, but it seems as though I have an 'early' Getrag 260 and I
should have a 'late' 260 or a 265 based on my 9-85 production date.

Anyway, after seeing all of this, I felt compelled to write this note.  There
were more examples that I have forgotten, but this sample should give you the
idea.  

I have since repaired or identified all of these problems with information
from the FAQ and help from digest members.  I don't need to tell you the
repairs were much simpler and cheaper than the recommendations I received from
Autohaus Stuttgart.

Whatever you do, DO NOT TAKE YOUR CAR TO AUTOHAUS STUTTGART!  This is the
worst and most incompetent repair shop I have ever seen.  I will definitely
report Autohaus Stuttgart to the proper agency and do whatever I can to have
their operation examined.

Thanks for listening.

Chris Apostol
BMW CCA# 0151219

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End of bmw-digest V9 #351
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