fwiw, here’s a link to an interesting article about plastic timing chain guide technology
If I had OP’s engine configuration I’d probably change the oil and filter every 3K miles.
1 Like
I am in Oklahoma and we only have 2 BMW dealerships in the entire state . I know you are in a heavy population area but that seems like a lot of BMW dealers even for that area. Like I said I just was curious .
Thanks for posting the link to that teardown texases. I enjoyed watching that.
I winced a bit when he described the engineering change to etch the face of the gears to give them more friction and “eliminate” the chance of them slipping on the shaft. Seems way too marginal of a change to be robust- more like a weak band-aid IMO.
No worries, I didn’t take the inquiry in a bad way. If you’d said “there are only 2 BMW dealers in my entire state,” I would have wondered the same thing! lol
Most of these dealers have been around for decades, and none of them seem to be hurting for business.
The same is true of a lot of different types of car dealers. There are about 7 Mercedes dealers, 6 Audi dealers, and easily 4 Porsche dealers in the same 30 mile radius. If I wanted to drive an hour, there are a bunch more of all of them. The same holds true for American and Asian dealers.
It makes buying cars interesting. When I want a new car, I email the fleet managers at the various dealerships and ask them to give me their best price and give my business to the dealer that offers the best price. It avoids the commission issues (fleet managers don’t work on commission), and pisses off some folks who think I’m looking for a free meal, but most see it as an opportunity to do a quick deal. Drive 30-60 minutes in a different direction to save a couple grand? Sure, right? I bought a VW about an hour from me and (before COVID) bought a car for a few grand under invoice (not sticker). The guy told me he knew I’d never walk through the door. He gave me a unbelievably competitive price in email, I called him, gave him my credit card to secure the car, and picked it up a few days later. It was the quickest deal he’d ever done and I was a customer he never would have had otherwise. No haggling.I’ve done the same thing with Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Honda, Subaru, Volvo, and others, as well. I’m not sure the strategy would work in Oklahoma! 
Btw, I had a 2005 Volvo S60R MT, Mountain Grey, Nordkap Blue interior for about 10yrs. Still one of my favorite cars. Such a sleeper…and, honestly, the best seats I’ve ever sat in. Miss that car.
1 Like