UAE BMW Workshops

[mankool]

Hi Aynstayn,
Any updates on the X5? Did you get estimates or even give it in for repair? Which garage?

regards,
M

[aynstayn]

Heres my final experience with my X5, sorry for the delay in posting this!

So based on the general advise on the forum I decided to go ahead with either Jano or Hoorani. I called Jano a couple of times but did not get any response and for the mere reason that somebody answered my call, I went to see Hoorani.

Hoorani is located in Sharjah off the 'Mercedes Street'. There is also an outlet which sells spares etc on the main road, and when I got lost I asked them to give me directions which didnt turn out to very helpful anyway. You take the road going towards Sharjah from Dubai Al Garroud Bridge, and turn right at Sahara Centre. You then continue straight and after 3 very heavy traffic lights, you turn right. You then make an immediate right again (i missed that!) on a murram road, something you dont expect in UAE! You will then see the workshop on the right.

I met a guy there called Naji who also seems to be the only one who can talk english relatively well. The others in the reception were not as multi-lingual. Naji obviously knew a lot about gears and how they work. He assured me that my issue was not a very serious one and they could fix it quite quickly. I took that with a pinch of salt of course and it served me well..

After the first week, he told me that the problem was with the valve body and he would need to find an alternative one or re-design a working one to fit the BMW. After a few more weeks (yes, weeks) he told me that there was none available in the market and we would need to order a brand new one, which then made me feel that I may as well have gone to AGMC! Anyway, once we agreed this was the best course of action, he did get the new valve body in fairly quickly (which ofcourse makes one wonder..) and had the car ready within a week. They also took it to AGMC to be calibrated and update the software.

The total cost was 12K Dhs which was still a far cry from the 20K quote that was given by AGMC. The X5 works like clockwork now and have not had any issues with the gears since (touch wood!) I do have other issues now, but thats a story for another day!

Final words: If you have a gear related issue, then Hoorani can certainly do the job, you just have to be very patient! Also, make sure Naji is the one you talk to, it can otherwise become an excercise in frustration quite easily!

[root]

Great to hear back your experience. This will help others who were in the situation you were a while back.

On the directions, maybe you can find it on google maps and point the coordinates. These days that seems to be the best guide.

[mankool]

Good to know your X5 is fixed now

Yeh, you are right about the communication problem. I myself had a tough time with them but managed with my broken Arabic.

I have something more to add and set the record straight (a bit). I bought a 2007 Z4 recently (after the TT) and i'm absolutely thrilled with the drive and decent fuel consumption. Before i bought the car, I put it through a comprehensive test at Tasjeel and they mentioned the engine mounting and suspension bushes needed replacement. The first owner happily agreed to get them changed and he took it over to Munich Motor Works. I told him about my past experience but he said he knew Ashley from the time he worked with AGMC and is pretty reliable. I didn't argue much about that and he gave it in for repair and a full detailing job.

I must admit that the exterior detailing was pretty impressive; the inside was not so great as the dash still had some spots that looked dry and dirty. Detailing cost was AED800 (pricey) and the mounting/bushes replacement cost around AED2200 (fair i think).

So it seems Munich is okay for the regular service (top up) and basic mechanical jobs. My Z4 is still under contract, maybe once its over i'll give these guys a try.

[alibaba]

Hi all, just want to post my experience with Munich Motors. I took a 2006 e60 M5 for a pre purchase report at munich motors and paid 500aed. After a few hours waiting there, they gave me a report and without going into too much detail, it says there is no mechanical/electrical problem or any signs of previous accidents. So, upon seeing that, i brought the car the next day. Within the week (5 days to be exact), the car ramdomly shuts down when idling. So i called up Ashley and told him about the problem and his response was "Oh, this must be a new problem" - how convenient!
Anyway, i didnt take the car back to Munich Motors and decided to sell the car after a few months as it was giving me too much problems. I managed to find a serious potential buyer and agreed a price. The potential buyer wanted to do a full test at tasjeel station (opposite mall of emirates) and i agreed. The mechanics at tasjeel found that there was a major accident and showed me where the wielding was done! So beware of Munich motors guys!!!

[alibaba]

I have a personal experience to share as well:

I had a 530 2006 that had this problem with the engine - at idle the car would just jolt and rumble and the RPM needle would go crazy jumping up and down. I took it to BOSCH and they had a very brief look and said most probably its the issue with the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor or even the ignition coils. Said the coils are around 2K i think, don't remember exactly. I never took the guy seriously.

Later, i decided to go to Munich Motor Works (AlQuoz). This British owner had opened it just a few weeks ago and boy was he delighted to see me. He took the car for a spin and he said it is definitely the Ignition coil that is causing the irregular spikes at idle. I asked him about his profile and he said he was a qualified BMW engineer with 20 years experience working with them! I was impressed and i thought my car in good hands.

After a day he called me back saying the issue was not with the ignition coil as he replaced them and the problem was still there. He said that he noticed engine sludge when he was working on the replacing the coils and the problem could be related to oil build up in the engine! That scared the hell out of me as it seemed like a BIG job that involved a lot of "cha-ching" (cash register sound). Well, i asked him to give me an estimate and he said the minimum cost for opening the engine and cleaning up the mess would be around AED10K ... i was in shock! I was so desperate that i told him that if it takes 5K i'll pay him but 10K is too much. It didn't work out with him and i tool my car back. Good thing was that when i gave the car in I asked him if i had to pay him anything in case he wasn't able to fix the problem and he said it was not necessary if he didn't fix the problem. Nevertheless, he handed over a bill of AED250 for swapping the coils in order to diagnose the problem.

Moving on, i thought I'll check out the garage in Sharjah and i took the car over to John's workshop (on the right hand once heading towards industrial area from King Faisal Road, down the bridge). I worked the same deal with him as well - fix the car and you get paid else you are gonna get 'ziltch'. He kept the car for about 5 days and changed some broken air intake pipes and leaks etc and he said everything looks ok and he suspects a timing problem. It seemed to me he was following the "trial and error" route and I didn't like that so i paid him around 2K and took the car back. Next stop was Janu in Sharjah.

I gave Janu the car and told him the story as to what i had repaired. He looked around for a day and eventually said it is a timing issue. He adjusted the timing and believe me the car as good as new! It started performing better and was even quicker! I don't know since how long this problem had been going on but after that day it seemed like i was driving a different car and all i paid Jano was 1700 compared to the 10K that Munich Motor Works was asking for!

Btw; the 530 was a second hand car that I had bought with just 65K on the odometer and with full service history from AGMC. I had even taken the car for service to AGMC and they didn't say sh!t about the car having a problem. Infact, the rumbling became worst after i got it back from them.

Anyway, the bottom line is i didn't like the way Munich Motor Works handled the job and i personally think they are only good for taking your car for an oil change.

John - i think he was ok, its just that i didn't let him fiddle with the timing .. maybe he would have fixed it? But i think his price is a tab bit high.

Finally Janu ... i think he knows his stuff and his charges are pretty decent.

P.S: No comments about AGMC here; they are an aweful bunch with problems in just about every aspect of their dealings. I will explain this once i post about the 2008 320 that i bought.

Thank for that useful info Mankool! By the way regarding your problem with the 2006 530. You said that the rpm needle jump up and down like crazy while idling. Is it only the rpm or is it also the speedometer? Also does it also happen when cruising? I have a 2008 328 coupe, American spec. The speedo and rpm needle will jump up and down like crazy during idle or cruising and also very randomly. I have taken it to my trusted local BMW specialist and he did all sorts of computer tests but cant find the problem. The car drives absolutely fine but obviously would like to find out whats wrong. Any advice you can give me?

[vkirpalani]

I have had a horrible experience with Tony Edwards.
I have visited to only get my A/C repaired. After getting a quotation and negotiating, they have sent me a final bill which is 25% higher.
Furthermore, they have delayed the delivery of the car several times and given lame excuses.. They have only 1 service manager and it is impossible to get in touch with him as they are overloaded with work. I thought AGMC was bad, but this is worse....
My suggestions, dont waste your time with this dump.

[mankool]

Thank for that useful info Mankool! By the way regarding your problem with the 2006 530. You said that the rpm needle jump up and down like crazy while idling. Is it only the rpm or is it also the speedometer? Also does it also happen when cruising? I have a 2008 328 coupe, American spec. The speedo and rpm needle will jump up and down like crazy during idle or cruising and also very randomly. I have taken it to my trusted local BMW specialist and he did all sorts of computer tests but cant find the problem. The car drives absolutely fine but obviously would like to find out whats wrong. Any advice you can give me?

Sorry Alibaba, i missed out on this thread even though i was subscribed to it.

To answer your question, the car was rough only on idle or maybe that was the only time when it was noticeable. At higher rpm it would run fine but there was certainly a loss of power. Moreover, I noticed no real problems while cruising and the speedometer didn't jump at random.

I bought another Z4 .... man, i'm in love with this car, which is why i have two Z4s now a 2007 2.5si and a 2006 3.0si.

I took it for detailing (I do it for all my cars) to my trusted detailing guy in AbuShaghara. He was strictly advised against spraying the engine bay with water or any other liquid but i guess he wasn't careful enough. When I got the car back, it had developed this prominent knocking sound (it actually sounded like an american muscle car with a deep exhaust sound ). I very pretty sure it was a blown up ignition coil so I took it over to Janu and he replaced the faulty ignition coil. After that the car was "A" okay and back to normal.

So maybe your problem is something minor like an ignition coil or it could be something worst like a timing issue. I say, take it over to Janu and let him have a look. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

[aynstayn]

My x5 is acting up again, this time with suspension issues. Really wonder whether the odo was reset as its 2007 model at a modest 65K on it when I bought it, and yet have had to change gears, tyres and now suspensions! Anyway, the 'selflevel susp inactiv' signal came up and car level started going down. I took it to Max Garage on Umm Suquim Road in Al Quoz, more because its near to where I live. They are best known for classic car restorations but have seen quite a few bimmers outside so thought would give it a go. Bad mistake.. they told me that the front trasmission needed to be changed, cost about 8K but got it done. 2 weeks later, same problem, and took it to them in a rage, only to be told its a new problem, this time its the rear ones! When i asked why they dint check that 2 weeks before, was advised that they did "check it at that time but they were ok, however, its not uncommon for both suspensions to be replaced after 4 or 5 years" .. should have suspected a rat but anyway, decided to go and get that changed as well. Car was OK for a month, then get the same warning again, this time with ABS! light also lit up. Third time at Max, this time fuming, and they told me now its some motor that needs to be changed at 4.5K! When I asked if they were sure or were guessing, they insisted they knew. I wasnt convinced, and decided to take a second opinion at MMW. These guys topped it all by saying that infact 3 parts needed to be changed at a total cost of 11.5K !! I read on bimmerforums.com (very informative website BTW!) that the solution could be as simple as a fuse (costing about 800dhs) in the rear axle, but would have thought that a specialist like MMW should have sussed that out, although now not sure of that anymore. The car is behaving quite normally, no loss of suspension or anything as previous times, excep for that sigal thats flashing on the panel! Any suggestion on how to proceed?

[mankool]

Sorry mate, but i've already spilled the beans and have nothing more for you that could help ...

Did you take it to AGMC to get their opinion?

[aynstayn]

Not yet, we all know what AGMC can be like.. plus they will charge 550 for just taking the car. Is Janu upto this kind of work? Still havent tried them yet and you seemed to have had a good experience with them. Can you give me anybodys reference there? Cheers!

[mankool]

You can check with Mr.Prem at Janu, he is the superivor there. From experience I can say that you won't get much out of him over the phone because his first response will be that he has to see the car before he can tell you if he can fix it or even give you an estimate.

I'll PM his number ....

[Diaa]

Hey,

Concerning BMW workshops I have been everywhere. From Sharjah to Al-Qouz. And I got ripped off one way or another. After months I finally found "JANO" near Zulekha Hospital in Al Qusais.
Take a Right After Mullah Plaza on Baghdad road. Left at 2nd Signal till the end of the road.Take a right and you'll find it on your right. Mobile Number 0506312956

They only work on BMWs and Ali is the manager. Very professional in terms of timing and cost. They understand everything about BMWs and will tell you up front how much its going to cost and if its worth fixing it now.

Here is the list of the workshops that i have dealt with and never again:

X-Service: Makes you feel that your car is a disaster and will cost an arm and a leg.
Octane: Never even got a call back for the parts that i ordered
Tony Edwards: Couldnt fix my car so tried to find something else to charge me.

I even tried a small dodgy garage in Umm Rammol called Al Nouras..... They are clueless and their word means nothing interms of timing or cost.


Hope this helps

[root]

Diaa! Thanks for sharing your experiences! We need more of those.

Janoo and Ali are the cool BMW guys in my view as well. Ali saved me from buying into a lemon 850Ci a few years back and I'm thankful for that.

[Diaa]

Anytime ill keep updating you guys on my quests with garages.