A new customer came into our shop this week. He has a 2009 Cayenne GTS with 22,000 miles. He has always taken it to the dealer for service. Last year, he moved to Brooklyn, NY. He had taken the car to the Porsche dealership one time for regular scheduled maintenance. He also complained that his brakes were squeaking very badly, especially at low speeds (between 3-5 mph).
The service adviser told him that the squeaking was normal and cannot be fixed. He also blamed the customer's wife (she is the main driver) for driving in such a way that she is causing the brakes to squeak... claiming that she doesn't apply enough pressure to the brakes and a build up of brake dust and grime are forming on the disks/calipers. That explanation is pure BS. Granted, his wife is not an aggressive driver, she drives the GTS very normally. She applies a normal amount of brake pressure for regular normal driving, In addition, the customer stated that he drives the GTS quite a bit on weekends and often finds himself applying heavy brake pressure.
The service adviser told his wife to slam on the brakes every now and then to resolve the problem. The customer said he tried, but the brakes still squeak badly.
I am wondering if anyone else that owns a Porsche has the same problem and if their dealership has been able to remedy this...or are you getting the same lip service that this Porsche owner is getting? I am sorry but I don't accept that when you spend $92,000 on an SUV that it is normal to have squeaky brakes.
I am telling this story for many reasons. First, we here at Bay Diagnostic took the time to road test this Porsche GTS and yes, it sounded like pigs on a farm eating... With that said, we were allowed to diagnose the noise was coming from the right front wheel. We explained this to the owner and said we can repair this issue and guarantee NO MORE NOISE.
We repaired the GTS and to the surprise of the owner, the only sounds heard were exclamations of joy!
And lastly, this just goes to show and reaffirm that the DEALER is not the place to go get your European car or truck serviced or repaired if you are paying the bill. Free is never FREE.
Thanks for reading.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Why do I need an oil change?
What is the one thing people would tell us when we got our first car? The one thing parents tell their teenage children besides "don't speed" and "always wear your seat belt" is to always change the oil.
Of course, not all of us followed this rule of automotive maintenance and the end results were not always pretty. As we matured, the simple act of vehicle maintenance becomes more of a religious act and the standard 3 months or 3,000 miles is learned. Times have changed as has automotive technology. We can't always rely on technology only..
An oil change service is the most important maintenance item for the life of your BMW, Porsche, Land Rover or Mini Cooper.
As sophisticated as a modern car is today, engine oil is still what keeps the engine revving. Manufacturers have come a long way with production of more sophisticated synthetic oils that help cars run smoother, cleaner and extend service intervals. As a result, the 3 month or 3,000 mile rule is now extended to 6,000, 7,500 and even 10,000 mile intervals. Some BMW's advise 15,500 and 19,000 mile intervals. This approach certainly sells cars but in the long run will lead to a shorter engine life span.
Modern European cars of today have on board systems to keep track of driving habits and based on this, vary the oil change intervals. This is done to compensate for shorter trips and infrequent driving. These systems are not always accurate. Furthermore, following this method will NOT lead to long term reliability. Your BMW is in for service and the service light is reset after the service is completed. Your next service is Service B at 10,000 miles. Let say the car is driven less that 1,000 miles in a year with short trips. That 10,000 miles may quickly drop down to 2,000 miles. This is because synthetic oil can absorb moisture over time if not brought up to temperature. Additionally, synthetic oil doesn't mean that any brand will do. Manufacturers apply stringent specifications that must meet certain criteria.
BMW has established a maintenance system in their cars that seems to extend service intervals even longer. Condition Based Service (CBS) is a system that determines service intervals based on fuel consumption and other things. The main determining factor is the condition of the engine oil. This is done by a sensor which has the ability to detect engine oil levels and temperature But, you just can't trust these systems.
Our shop recommends doing oil change service on BMW at 5,000 mile intervals.
Bottom line - as complex and overly engineered today's vehicles are, a simple oil change should at the very least be the most important maintenance item to be done on a regular basis throughout the life of the car....that is until we start driving all electric cars or cars that drive themselves.....
For more information on vehicle maintenance, please visit our website
www.baydiagnostic.com
Of course, not all of us followed this rule of automotive maintenance and the end results were not always pretty. As we matured, the simple act of vehicle maintenance becomes more of a religious act and the standard 3 months or 3,000 miles is learned. Times have changed as has automotive technology. We can't always rely on technology only..
An oil change service is the most important maintenance item for the life of your BMW, Porsche, Land Rover or Mini Cooper.
As sophisticated as a modern car is today, engine oil is still what keeps the engine revving. Manufacturers have come a long way with production of more sophisticated synthetic oils that help cars run smoother, cleaner and extend service intervals. As a result, the 3 month or 3,000 mile rule is now extended to 6,000, 7,500 and even 10,000 mile intervals. Some BMW's advise 15,500 and 19,000 mile intervals. This approach certainly sells cars but in the long run will lead to a shorter engine life span.
Modern European cars of today have on board systems to keep track of driving habits and based on this, vary the oil change intervals. This is done to compensate for shorter trips and infrequent driving. These systems are not always accurate. Furthermore, following this method will NOT lead to long term reliability. Your BMW is in for service and the service light is reset after the service is completed. Your next service is Service B at 10,000 miles. Let say the car is driven less that 1,000 miles in a year with short trips. That 10,000 miles may quickly drop down to 2,000 miles. This is because synthetic oil can absorb moisture over time if not brought up to temperature. Additionally, synthetic oil doesn't mean that any brand will do. Manufacturers apply stringent specifications that must meet certain criteria.
BMW has established a maintenance system in their cars that seems to extend service intervals even longer. Condition Based Service (CBS) is a system that determines service intervals based on fuel consumption and other things. The main determining factor is the condition of the engine oil. This is done by a sensor which has the ability to detect engine oil levels and temperature But, you just can't trust these systems.
Our shop recommends doing oil change service on BMW at 5,000 mile intervals.
Bottom line - as complex and overly engineered today's vehicles are, a simple oil change should at the very least be the most important maintenance item to be done on a regular basis throughout the life of the car....that is until we start driving all electric cars or cars that drive themselves.....
For more information on vehicle maintenance, please visit our website
www.baydiagnostic.com
Friday, January 24, 2014
MISSING THAT ENGINE MISS
Today we were visited by the owner of a 2007 Mini Cooper R56 that was shaking, running rough and had a check engine light on.
After talking with the owner, we found out that this Mini Cooper was at another shop and some maintenance services had been performed to solve the engine miss. We diagnosed this Mini Cooper engine issue with our GTII tester and found that the R56 engine had carbon build up on the valves. We did a de-carbon cleaning service on the back of the valved, re-tested and reset the valves and the Mini Cooper and it's owner are happy again!!
This is the reason, we at BAY DIAGNOSTIC believe in TEST --NOT GUESS
Happy driving!
www.baydiagnostic.com
After talking with the owner, we found out that this Mini Cooper was at another shop and some maintenance services had been performed to solve the engine miss. We diagnosed this Mini Cooper engine issue with our GTII tester and found that the R56 engine had carbon build up on the valves. We did a de-carbon cleaning service on the back of the valved, re-tested and reset the valves and the Mini Cooper and it's owner are happy again!!
This is the reason, we at BAY DIAGNOSTIC believe in TEST --NOT GUESS
Happy driving!
www.baydiagnostic.com
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
If you own a Porsche
IMS Replace or Repair??
If you have a Boxster 911 or Porsche engine that has an intermediate shaft bearing set up and have heard about this issue
Then Bay Diagnostic has a few things we have learned and would like to share with you
1- if it goes bad.........it goes VERY bad
2- replacing it stops the oil leak
3- protect your investment
4- increase the value of your Porsche
we at www.baydiagnostic.com have the upgrade parts and tools to service your Porsche and we do it in a timely manner. Don't forget about out free concierge service for your convenience.
Yes, we know there are other shops and service centers in town, but we stand alone as an independent import repair shop under the same ownership for over 25 years.
If you have a Boxster 911 or Porsche engine that has an intermediate shaft bearing set up and have heard about this issue
Then Bay Diagnostic has a few things we have learned and would like to share with you
1- if it goes bad.........it goes VERY bad
2- replacing it stops the oil leak
3- protect your investment
4- increase the value of your Porsche
we at www.baydiagnostic.com have the upgrade parts and tools to service your Porsche and we do it in a timely manner. Don't forget about out free concierge service for your convenience.
Yes, we know there are other shops and service centers in town, but we stand alone as an independent import repair shop under the same ownership for over 25 years.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
It blows my mind...........it's not a blown head gasket
We received a call Monday morning inquiring about the cost of replacing the cylinder head gaskets on a 2004 BMW X5 E53 4.4 M62.
Our front manager took this call and after interrogating the customer found this out:
This BMW X5 owner had taken his vehicle to the "stealership" where it sat for 9 days just to diagnose a smoking condition. The dealer called him and tells him he needs to replace the engine head gaskets but also advised him that this may not be the only issue associated with his complaint. The dealer proceeded to call him twice in the next 4 hours. The BMW X5 owner was dismayed. His car had sat there for 9 days and now they were getting to it?
We suggested that he take the car out of the dealership. As history has shown, the dealer is not the optimum place to bring your BMW when it is out of warranty and the service or repair isn't "free". We suggested he get a 2nd opinion.
The car was promptly towed to BAY DIAGNOSTIC. Later that day, we diagnosed this 4.4 M62 with an
engine cross over vent hose that collapsed and had a gaping hole in it. The vacuum plate at the rear of the engine was bad, humming like a harmonica. Received an okay to repair. As we keep the OEM parts in stock, we repaired the BMW, road tested it and delivered back to the owner - all for under $800.00.
As the title says, it blows my mind.......this was NOT a blown head gasket.
Why people think they need to go to the dealer for a repair or service on their BMW, LAND ROVER, PORSCHE, MINI COOPER OR RANGE ROVER............
with a little research, you can find a repair shop like www.baydiagnostic.com
Our front manager took this call and after interrogating the customer found this out:
This BMW X5 owner had taken his vehicle to the "stealership" where it sat for 9 days just to diagnose a smoking condition. The dealer called him and tells him he needs to replace the engine head gaskets but also advised him that this may not be the only issue associated with his complaint. The dealer proceeded to call him twice in the next 4 hours. The BMW X5 owner was dismayed. His car had sat there for 9 days and now they were getting to it?
We suggested that he take the car out of the dealership. As history has shown, the dealer is not the optimum place to bring your BMW when it is out of warranty and the service or repair isn't "free". We suggested he get a 2nd opinion.
The car was promptly towed to BAY DIAGNOSTIC. Later that day, we diagnosed this 4.4 M62 with an
engine cross over vent hose that collapsed and had a gaping hole in it. The vacuum plate at the rear of the engine was bad, humming like a harmonica. Received an okay to repair. As we keep the OEM parts in stock, we repaired the BMW, road tested it and delivered back to the owner - all for under $800.00.
As the title says, it blows my mind.......this was NOT a blown head gasket.
Why people think they need to go to the dealer for a repair or service on their BMW, LAND ROVER, PORSCHE, MINI COOPER OR RANGE ROVER............
with a little research, you can find a repair shop like www.baydiagnostic.com
Monday, January 20, 2014
Do You Believe?
Last Tuesday morning a 2006 BMW 650 E64 with an N62TU engine rolled into our shop. The nice lady, I will call her Sandy, was asking for me. I am really not hard to find, I am always here!!
Sandy had just taken her car out of the dealer in Manhattan and went to another shop in Brooklyn. She was told her she needed major engine work by both the dealer and the other shop. Sandy was quoted $8,500.00 to $9,500.00 in repairs and her car only had 72,000 miles on it.
Her complaint was smoke out of the tail pipe upon start up and on acceleration. I explained to her that we need to so some system and engine checks first, and then Bay Diagnostic would be able to give a concise answer.
Sandy gave us the okay and in a few hours we had the BMW650 checked out and an estimate completed.
The N62TU engine needed a valve stem seal replaced. Here at Bay Diagnostic.com this is not an uncommon job, we do about 3 a month. Her estimate was $3,800.00. Not bad. Sandy took a day to think this over and frankly, I don't blame her. She called the next day and gave her approval to repair her E64 650. The job went smoothly and the car was picked up before the weekend.
Yes, we are open 6 days a week for your convenience.
Now, about the title..........Do you believe?? Do you believe the dealer could be so wrong? you should since BAY DIAGNOSTIC has been in business under the same name and ownership for over 25 years making our BMW, PORSCHE, LAND ROVER and AUDI customers happy in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
You can believe our reviews.
Sandy had just taken her car out of the dealer in Manhattan and went to another shop in Brooklyn. She was told her she needed major engine work by both the dealer and the other shop. Sandy was quoted $8,500.00 to $9,500.00 in repairs and her car only had 72,000 miles on it.
Her complaint was smoke out of the tail pipe upon start up and on acceleration. I explained to her that we need to so some system and engine checks first, and then Bay Diagnostic would be able to give a concise answer.
Sandy gave us the okay and in a few hours we had the BMW650 checked out and an estimate completed.
The N62TU engine needed a valve stem seal replaced. Here at Bay Diagnostic.com this is not an uncommon job, we do about 3 a month. Her estimate was $3,800.00. Not bad. Sandy took a day to think this over and frankly, I don't blame her. She called the next day and gave her approval to repair her E64 650. The job went smoothly and the car was picked up before the weekend.
Yes, we are open 6 days a week for your convenience.
Now, about the title..........Do you believe?? Do you believe the dealer could be so wrong? you should since BAY DIAGNOSTIC has been in business under the same name and ownership for over 25 years making our BMW, PORSCHE, LAND ROVER and AUDI customers happy in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
You can believe our reviews.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Should I stay...........or should I go
I am doing this blog to educate the owners of Porsche, Land Rover, BMW and Mini Cooper cars and trucks. When you are faced with a repair estimate, maintenance estimate or upgrade recommendation for your European vehicle,
consider the following:
* Everyone works hard and deserves a new car but
the cost of a new car (or pre-owned) is $$$$
* Insurance costs keep rising
* If your vehicle is used, you really don't know what you are getting even
if you try to trace the vehicle history.
* in a urban area, it's hard to maintain a car as people don't really care
about other peoples property
* the benefits to fixing the one you own:
it's already paid for
protects your investment
keeps your insurance premium down
keeps the value up
and getting your European car serviced at www.baydiagnostic.com is never an inconvenience -- with our free concierge pick up and delivery service.
It's as easy as a phone call or e-mail.
718-615-0705
www.baydiagnostic.com
consider the following:
* Everyone works hard and deserves a new car but
the cost of a new car (or pre-owned) is $$$$
* Insurance costs keep rising
* If your vehicle is used, you really don't know what you are getting even
if you try to trace the vehicle history.
* in a urban area, it's hard to maintain a car as people don't really care
about other peoples property
* the benefits to fixing the one you own:
it's already paid for
protects your investment
keeps your insurance premium down
keeps the value up
and getting your European car serviced at www.baydiagnostic.com is never an inconvenience -- with our free concierge pick up and delivery service.
It's as easy as a phone call or e-mail.
718-615-0705
www.baydiagnostic.com
Friday, January 17, 2014
Land Rover - Range Rover Make it DEPENDABLE
If you are the owner of a Land Rover or Range Rover there is one system in the vehicle that makes Rover owners very unhappy....the EAS (Electronic Air Suspension) system.
If you are tired of finding the rear of the truck down or one of the front corners down...or just tired of putting $$$ into that part of the truck............and never knowing if the vehicle is dependable............
BAY DIAGNOSTIC has the solution...a retro fit
You will never spend any more $$$ on your Land Rover EAS system again.
We GUARANTEE that by changing to our system, you will not give up ride or comfort.
BAY DIAGNOSTIC offers air suspension retrofits for other makes as well.
We also have other money saving repair innovations for PORSCHE, BMW, MINI COOPER and AUDI owners.
visit us at www.baydiagnostic.com
THE IMPORT OWNER'S ANSWER
If you are tired of finding the rear of the truck down or one of the front corners down...or just tired of putting $$$ into that part of the truck............and never knowing if the vehicle is dependable............
BAY DIAGNOSTIC has the solution...a retro fit
You will never spend any more $$$ on your Land Rover EAS system again.
We GUARANTEE that by changing to our system, you will not give up ride or comfort.
BAY DIAGNOSTIC offers air suspension retrofits for other makes as well.
We also have other money saving repair innovations for PORSCHE, BMW, MINI COOPER and AUDI owners.
visit us at www.baydiagnostic.com
THE IMPORT OWNER'S ANSWER
Thursday, January 16, 2014
More is NOT better
A Range Rover drives into Bay Diagnostic, the issue was with his HSE. There was a coolant leak and a service light. The repair was not the issue. The issue was our labor rate - the fact that we are 45% LOWER than the dealer.
The owner of the Range Rover wanted to know what he was NOT getting for the lower rate.
This is not the first time we have heard this. Our new Porsche, BMW and
Mini Cooper customers have also asked about this.
Dealer Quality for Less at Bay Diagnostic
The owner of the Range Rover wanted to know what he was NOT getting for the lower rate.
This is not the first time we have heard this. Our new Porsche, BMW and
Mini Cooper customers have also asked about this.
Dealer Quality for Less at Bay Diagnostic
The price you pay at the dealer covers
- The greeter
- The expediter who moves the car
- The service manager
- The parts dept workers
- The auto biller/service writer
- The mechanics and shop foreman
- The parking attendant who delivers your car
- The back office employees who run the dealership
- The outside advertising employees
- The expediter who moves the car
- The service manager
- The parts dept workers
- The auto biller/service writer
- The mechanics and shop foreman
- The parking attendant who delivers your car
- The back office employees who run the dealership
- The outside advertising employees
The price you pay at the Bay Diagnostic covers :
- The manager at the front desk
- The mechanics
- The owner on premises
- The mechanics
- The owner on premises
Value passed on to you:
We use same parts, equipment, tools data and yes, we wash your car too!!
Something to think about...yes.. alot of hands touch your vehicle at the dealer while your car is being serviced. Their answer is we have a large volume. The question is Why doesn't this drive the price down like Costco?
The answer is simple. It's just a repair to them -- to us it's our reputation.
Monday, January 13, 2014
More is not better!
Customer towed in a 2008 Smart car four two telling us that the car smokes out the tailpipe, is stalling and the check engine light is on. After running a diagnostic check we found the engine oil level to be overfilled by 5 quarts of synthetic oil. Changing the oil and taking an OEM filter from our stock, clearing the codes, test driving the car-- we now have one HAPPY customer. Make sure your repair shop has the information, tools and knowledge to properly diagnose and repair your vehicle.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Mini Cooper.....not so bad.....
Today at BayDiagnostic, a Mini Cooper drove into the shop with questions and papers in hand. His worry was his Mini R53 Supercharged had a check engine light on and engine miss. Being told that he was in for thousands of dollars in repairs by another shop as well as the dealer. He was asking us to check the car and give him our professional opinion. What this Mini Cooper repair shop found was carbon build up on the valve. We were able to complete this repair for a third of the price quoted by the dealer.
If you have any questions about your import car, please contact us at www.baydiagnostic.com. The import owner's answer!!!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Night over
So the day is over at
Bay Diagnostic. We just delivered
A BMW 530 XI to one of our customers that has taken advantage of our free
Concierge service
Need to find out more ,visit us at
Baydiagnostic.com
As you start your day
As you start your day.The COLDEST DAY of the year....
BAY DIAGNOSTIC IS OPEN
SO IF YOUR BMW, MINI COOPER, ROVER or Porsche
IS NOT HAPPY IN THE COLD
WE ARE HERE TO HELP..
BAYDIAGNOSTIC.COM
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Cold weather
With the subzero temperature
Upon us things to keep in mind
Whether you own a
BMW, MINI COOPER, RANGE ROVER OR PORSCHE
Make sure you warm up the engine ! This will avoid damage to such things as water pump,
Engine seals & charging systems
For information on any other systems , visit us at
Baydiagnostic.com
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Hello and welcome to the new BAY DIAGNOSTIC blog. As we welcome 2014, we are working hard to keep you informed. This will be a forum for news and updates. Spread the word! We would love to hear from you.
As we start off, we need to warn you about the first snowstorm of 2014. PLEASE don't drive unless it is absolutely necessary. Stay safe. Make sure your car is running efficiently and smoothly. Call us and we can tell you if you are due for any routine maintenance. We hope you have been receiving our service reminder postcards. If you haven't, please call us and update your information.
As we start off, we need to warn you about the first snowstorm of 2014. PLEASE don't drive unless it is absolutely necessary. Stay safe. Make sure your car is running efficiently and smoothly. Call us and we can tell you if you are due for any routine maintenance. We hope you have been receiving our service reminder postcards. If you haven't, please call us and update your information.
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