[shwnst]

Hey guys, the check engine light is on for my 2018 x3. It still drives normally but I heard things could get worse if I leave it there ignored. I am planning to have it inspected but cannot decide where to go.

Option one is to go to the local dealership. My location is Kitchener, ON, so my nearest one would be BMW Grand River. The problem with dealership is that I don’t trust them and they are too expensive. That being said, I purchased platinum extended warranty and a one year maintenance package when I bought this car, and both haven’t expired. Does anyone know for sure if this will be covered by any of the two? And if the dealership deny it, what should I do?

Option two is to go to a mechanic referred by my landlord, who seemed to be reliable and affordable. I went there once for a tire change and it was definitely cheaper than the dealership. The problem with this option is that I’m worrying if I’m not going to dealership to fix the problem, they might refuse service in the future saying a third party modified your car and thus your warranty and stuff is voided.

Any suggestion would be much appreciated!

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by shwnst

Hey guys, the check engine light is on for my 2018 x3. It still drives normally but I heard things could get worse if I leave it there ignored. I am planning to have it inspected but cannot decide where to go.

Option one is to go to the local dealership. My location is Kitchener, ON, so my nearest one would be BMW Grand River. The problem with dealership is that I don’t trust them and they are too expensive. That being said, I purchased platinum extended warranty and a one year maintenance package when I bought this car, and both haven’t expired. Does anyone know for sure if this will be covered by any of the two? And if the dealership deny it, what should I do?

Option two is to go to a mechanic referred by my landlord, who seemed to be reliable and affordable. I went there once for a tire change and it was definitely cheaper than the dealership. The problem with this option is that I’m worrying if I’m not going to dealership to fix the problem, they might refuse service in the future saying a third party modified your car and thus your warranty and stuff is voided.

Any suggestion would be much appreciated!

If I may, I'll ramble on a bit about this topic. I am familiar with your area as my wife and in-law family were from Kitchener. Spent decades visiting the area near Stanley Park Mall, specifically Dooley Drive. You are likely awash in a sea of Hondas, Toyotas, and growing number of Hyundais with independent garages quite familiar with their needs. A CEL in your BMW could be anything from an insufficiently tightened fuel cap to a not securely positioned oil dipstick (if your model had a dipstick?) or something more complex. Also, once corrected from these simple issues, the CEL doesn't go away instantly. It usually takes several ignition cycles to resolve. Given that you made the leap in your area to a BMW, I think you also need to entrust it to folks who are not just general mechanics who can change a tire, but a shop who is familiar with the car and has parts and tech information specific to your vehicle. Is there now a BMW (perhaps also MB) indy shop in the area? Do you have specific reason not to trust the Grand River dealership or just a general distrust of dealers? See how you could check them out for service online from other reviews. If that fails, take a day trip to Toronto and drop it off at another dealer and enjoy the city via TTC for a few hours. Either way, the Repair Order should not be an "inspection". It should be written as "Diagnose CEL, advise customer, and repair as approved."

[DaveyGJ]

Been going to Grand River for years. They are less expensive than other nearby BMW dealers.
Went to German Auto but after Tina left their customer service has gone down hill.
Foreign Auto is a good place.
I've had the light come onand go away after a few weeks. Think it takes smething like 50 starts to clear.

Btw I'm in New Hamburg.

[shwnst]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

If I may, I'll ramble on a bit about this topic. I am familiar with your area as my wife and in-law family were from Kitchener. Spent decades visiting the area mear Stanley Park Mall, specifically Dooley Drive. You are likely awash in a sea of Hondas, Toyotas, and growing number of Hyundais with independent garages quite familiar with their needs. A CEL in your BMW could be anything from an insufficiently tightened fuel cap to a not securely positioned oil dipstick (if your model had a dipstick?) or something more complex. Also, once corrected from these simple issues, the CEL doesn't go away instantly. It usually takes several ignition cycles to resolve. Given that you made the leap in your area to a BMW, I think you also need to entrust it to folks who are not just general mechanics who can change a tire, but a shop who is familiar with the car and has parts and tech information specific to your vehicle. Is there now a BMW (perhaps also MB) indy shop in the area? Do you have specific reason not to trust the Grand River dealership or just a general distrust of dealers? See how you could check them out for service online from other reviews. If that fails, take a day trip to Toronto and drop it off at another dealer and enjoy the city via TTC for a few hours. Either way, the Repair Order should not be an "inspection". It should be written as "Diagnose CEL, advise customer, and repair as approved."

Wow, I would have to say that's some really genuine suggestions. I appreciate it!

The reason why I'm not trusting the dealers is that I feel like they are always trying to make more money out of my pocket.
Last time I went to BMW Grand River, they tried to charge me ~$700 for a fix of the musty smell in my A/C system. While my warranty clearly says A/C systems is covered and my service inclusive package says microfilter replacement covered, they tried to charged me for $100+ for a microfilter replacement and $300+ for a spray they are not sure will work or not. I argued with them and all they said was something like this was not determined by them and they could do nothing about it. I was of course very pissed off. Dealers ever after, especially the one in Kitchener, are the very last options I go to if the problem don't seem to be a serious one.

As for the mechanic, yeah youre right most of the cars I saw in his shop was Japanese so yeah he might not know a lot about BMW. I found a BMW specific body shop in Brantford, if I have no other options I might try my luck there.

Thanks again! I really appreciate your reply!

[shwnst]

Originally Posted by DaveyGJ

Been going to Grand River for years. They are less expensive than other nearby BMW dealers.
Went to German Auto but after Tina left their customer service has gone down hill.
Foreign Auto is a good place.
I've had the light come onand go away after a few weeks. Think it takes smething like 50 starts to clear.

Btw I'm in New Hamburg.

I hate Grand River's customer service. I feel like they are not willing to negotiate to put it in a nice way, either I pay the money and they fix it, or I get gone.

Thanks for Foriegn Auto and German Auto! Will give them a call later today.

[jeff3820]

If you have the extended warranty and maintenance package start with the dealer. If the repair looks extensive you can go elsewhere...

[Qsilver7]

Even if you have a simple/generic OBD II scanner/reader...you can pull the CEL code and google it to found out which sensor set a fault code.

The CEL light is OBD II which means something associated with the car's emissions has set a fault code. As mentioned above, it could be something as simple as the fuel cap is screwed on wrong 9affecting fuel), or the front grille shutter is stuck (affecting air), or a ignition coil is loose (affecting spark). If the light is flashing...that usually means the issue is more severe.

In the USA...just about any automotive store (like AutoZone/Pep Boys/O'Reilly's/Adnvanced Auto) will read your codes for free. Once you have the 5 digit generic DTC (diagnostic trouble code)...you can simply google it to see if anyone else has had that issue (OBD II came into affect in 1996 in the USA market)...so there's a lot of info out there for common issues.

If you have a more advanced tool or app (like Bimmerlink)...you can pull the more specific hex codes. But either way, if you have an OBD II reader or an app or other diagnostic tool...you can pull the codes for free.

[Rottweiler]

Originally Posted by jeff3820

if you have the extended warranty and maintenance package start with the dealer. If the repair looks extensive you can go elsewhere...

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