My brother has a 2.5 year old 120d BMW with a few problems!

Firstly the dashboard has started displaying a random splattering of warning lights. The car is not in limp mode at all! The mileometer has stopped working too! The car pulls quite badly to the left!

He really doesn't look after the car and I have just pumped up his tyres and checked his oil for the first time EVER! Other than servicing!

He wouln't take it to the dealers as he is worried that his ECU is fried and it will cost £000's!

Any suggestions??

Do BMW not give a 3 year warrenty ??

Any suggestions??

Tell him he's a complete idiot, he deserves everything he gets and that he's on his own.

Frankly if he doesn't look after it then he deserves to be worried.

You could get him to run it into somwhere like JKM who can read BMW fault codes.

he's a noob.

Tell him he's a complete idiot, he deserves everything he gets and that he's on his own.

Frankly if he doesn't look after it then he deserves to be worried.

You could get him to run it into somwhere like JKM who can read BMW fault codes.

I've told him to buy a Skoda, but it lacks that special something................. a penis enlarger, Sorry I mean a BMW badge!:P

Perhaps if he bought a decent car for a proper price and looked after it then he wouldn't be in this mess!

BMW dealers charge the earth for anything and thats what worries him. I have told him to get it in to them, before his 3 year warrenty is up! Perhaps I will get him to do that, although I will probably have to do that for him too!!!! I feel some beer tokens coming my way!

I found when I ran BMW's that people had a perception that they were expensive to run but I certainly thought what I paid was reasonable.

I really don't see what he's worried about... if its still under warranty and there is something wrong with the ECU then its their job to replace it witout any cost to him.

In regards to it pulling to the left... probably from hitting a curb or similar thats knocked the tracking out a fair bit... not that will cost him! lol

I'd just get it to the dealer personally, get it sorted.

You shouldnt have to look after the car *that* much anyway as long as it's serviced properly it should still last reasonably well. Sure it will help LOADS if you do look after it, but that's not the point

from what i've heard though BMW are very strict about servicing etc so if it has slipped then it could be bye bye warranty.

I don't think "not serviced as manual" would work as a reason for not replacing an ECU under Sale of Goods, since it has to work for a "reasonable time", and for a car that's clearly 10, years.

but an ecu could be damaged by a faulty sensors/wiring/hardware which could be found during a routine service and fixed/replaced, an ecu doesn't have to faulty to be broken.

either way its down to the manufacturer and that who you would have to argue with.

My brother has a 2.5 year old 120d BMW with a few problems!

Firstly the dashboard has started displaying a random splattering of warning lights. The car is not in limp mode at all! The mileometer has stopped working too! The car pulls quite badly to the left!

He really doesn't look after the car and I have just pumped up his tyres and checked his oil for the first time EVER! Other than servicing!

He wouln't take it to the dealers as he is worried that his ECU is fried and it will cost £000's!

Any suggestions??

Use the 3 year warranty all UK BMW's come with:rolleyes:

When I was looking to change my Octy to a 1 series I actually worked out all the figures and found the BMW to be quite a bit cheaper to service than the Octy and even better when compared to other VAG brands.

Oh and a BMW isn't a penis enlarger, the 120d has 177bhp and is only tax band even with RWD. The 118d is 140bhp+ and band B.

Something very right there in a time of spiralling fuel costs, that isn't present in the VAG cars perhaps

Something very right there in a time of spiralling fuel costs, that isn't present in the VAG cars perhaps

Have to agree - last weeks Auto Express matched the 118d up against the 1.9TDI Golf Bluemotion....

Care to guess which one came out on top

Been looking at BM's recently and even for the 6 cylinder 3l 5 years servicing is only £745 Bet the furball ends up costing more than that :(

Have to agree - last weeks Auto Express matched the 118d up against the 1.9TDI Golf Bluemotion....

Care to guess which one came out on top

Linky?

I've no idea which one the paper would say won. To be honest, I am guessing the BMW as it is a modern 140bhp engine vs a now quite old 1.9 (105 I assume) engine.

The outcome would no doubt depend on what they value most highly, but I like the 1 series as a 2+2 with a bit of poke and good fuel economy. The handling is a definite added bonus to me.

edit, just found it:

Bluemotion vs Efficient Dynamics | Car Group Tests | Car Reviews | Auto Express

Somehow I'm not surprised, but think that the "verdict" has as much to do with badges as with the rest of the cars.