I took my BMW 325i to a dealership for a routine check-up and they gave me a laundry list of maintenance and repairs that needed to be done immediately to ensure my car safety. Bear in mind I had no issues with my vehicle up to this point and I always got my oil changed on time (from the dealership). So I had a hard time accepting all these things were wrong with my car and the price was an even harder pill to swallow. My total estimate was $3,772 plus tax: 1. Light in rear is out $97.00 2.
Lower Radiator hose replacement $495.00 and replace the coolant $199.99 3. Lower oil pan gasket is leaking to a drop. Transmission pan and sealing sleeve is leaking $1127.00 5.
Power steering flush $199.00 6. Fuel induction cleaning $199.00 7. Differential service $150.00 I went online and watched a few guys work on their “beemers” and explain. This Bentley repair manual is actually very, very good. It's a massive book with loads of useful information about the Jetta. It is so much better than what I had (which was the web).
Documents are official BMW 3 series manuals in standard PDF format. Manuals marked as [universal] are in addition to a specific manual for that vehicle.
It is better than the typical Chilton or Hayes manuals, which I've owned a dozen of over the years. I'm fairly mechanically inclined.
I change the fluids and do all the routine maintenance myself. I had even changed the timing belt twice before getting the manual. When I go looking to a manual, I'm looking for details that can't be readily observed by a somewhat competent shade tree mechanic/driving enthusiast. When I bought the manual, I was repairing a couple electrical issues on my TDI Jetta (bad fan control module and failed fan) and despite having a decent electrical diagram, it did not have enough information to actually diagnose the exact problem. I got further information from the. I purchased the Bentley Z3 Manual to accompany my recent acquisition of a 2001 M Roadster.
This manual covers everything from basic maintainance to complete rebuilding of the engine, transmission, etc. With the assistance of this manual, I have completed replacing the filters and checking out the various operating systems on my car. Although I doubt I'll ever take on a major project like an engine overhaul, at least I'll be able to discuss any issues intelligently with my mechanic by having read this manual. Over the past decades, I have always relied upon Haynes manuals for my various rolling stuff. In this particular case, this Haynes manual actually does a better job than the $300 BMW R1200R DVD and a $25 aftermarket maintenance DVD. The layout is logical, descriptions concise, and photos clear and demonstrative. I have always done my own maintenance and repair, but realize lots of folks cannot do so, or just don't wish to.
Even though an owner may not perform their own maintenance and repair, I feel every owner should at least peruse the Haynes manual for their specific transportation vehicles to enable them to better understand their machine, better convey difficulties to their repair/maintenance person.and best of all.develop the necessary Zen to truly enjoy their wheels! Oh, and by the way.the R1200R really rocks!