90 525i timing belt related damage advice needed PLZ.

[michael3065]

Let me first start by saying that I'm new to this forum, I'm totally mechanically challenged, and new to the "BMW ownership experience". The car i'll be refering to is my 1st BMW (bought it 8 months ago) and I truely love the car (1990 BMW 525I AUTOMATIC SEDAN 4 DR 2.5L L6 MPI SOHC ).

Now on to my problem..... My lack of knowledge regarding the up-keep on BMWs allowed the timing belt to break resulting in engine damage. I just happened to be vry near to a "Firestone" when the belt snapped and decided to let them look at it. Here is what they estimate the repairs would cost :

Machine shop labor........350.00
water pump replacement w/labor......216.71
Hoses w/labor.......136.86
Gaskets & Engine
Head Set with Gaskets....362.62 parts charge
remove and replace head gasket ....855.00 labor charge
Timing Belt..........49.55
Tune up with Belts and labor.......175.17

TOTALS PARTS 1,089.96 LABOR 1,055.95 TAX & SUPPLIES 155.26
GRAND TOTAL 2301.17

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Here is where I need advice ..........1st....is this a fair price? .........is the car worth repairing? ( Struts need attention soon also)....... If I don't fix it what could it realistically be sold for? .....And lastly if I start to look for a replacement car , what advice does anyone here have to offer at to questions I should be asking sellers?

Thanks to everyone in advance

Mike

[wingman]

Mike,
If your timing belt has snapped there is a serious risk that the valves and the pistons have connected at high speed resulting in bent valve stems, scored pistons and various other nasties. I would suggest that the quote that you got is conservative. I'd be happy to pay that if I blew mine. for a comparrison I did a timing belt on an old Subaru causing damage to one side of a boxer engine (flat four). For two cylinders it cost me Au$1200(
approx US$900) (mates rates) to get it all sorted and that's parts at cost rather than retail. You have a German car and it is highly likely that all 6 cylinders have problems. Get them to give you a written quote and if you love the car get it fixed at that price. Your alternative is to find yourself a good M50 twin cam motor. They aren't as smoothe but offer heaps more power. Correct me if I'm wrong here guys but about 60,000kms (40,000miles) is belt change time.

As for BMW ownership it can be a daunting experience for the un-initiated but don't be alarmed. My E34 is my 3rd and I have found that they are totally reliable and well worth the extra money that you spend on them. Keep abreast of stuff on this forum as there are many experts who can point you in the right direction.

[winfred]

to me $2300 sounds like about 1/2 to 1/3 too much depending on the damage, when the cam belt goes theres a few things that can happen, best case it bent a few valves, medium case a rocker shaft tower broke destroying the head casting (seen some people weld the rocker shaft to the tower, this gets it back on the road but renders the head useless when future work is needed, ie unrebuildable) this happens maybe one in three times, worst case the head of a valve broke off and destroyed a piston, this is rare and at this point getting another engine is the best direction. to put it in perspective about how much they are charging i just sold and installed a engine in a 95 525 replacing the cooling system that destroyed the old engine and doing a few other parts while i was in there and their bill may still be under 2300 (i don't do the paperwork so i don't know the exact price but it's a little over 2k)

[Kalevera]

$2300 is too much. You can buy a used engine for less than a thousand, replace the water pump/belt, and still be ahead. Heck, you can buy the more powerful M50 for less than $2300 (shameless marketing: see http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=30858 )

If you don't fix it, and everything's in good shape, it's a $500 car. What it comes down to is whether you like it enough to keep it. If you don't like it, get rid of it. Otherwise, fixing it might be a good idea.

The other thing is, if you want to have it fixed, take it to a place that knows what they're dealing with. In taking a look at the labor descriptions, you should know that they're double dipping on some of those jobs. I had a customer try to sue Firestone after they botched a water pump job that ended up warping the car's head. Check http://www.bimrs.org for shops in your area.

[Ross]

TOO much! Go to someone who knows BMs! Avoid this type of shop always.
Looks like you are being charged compound labor as removing the head requires all those other items to be removed anyway.
Chances are good whoever does this at a tirestore has never done it before either. DON'T let them touch it.
Find a independant mechanic with a parking lot full of cars similar to your own.
Good luck with the repair.

[gmannino]

I bought a used engine from Bavarian auto recycling in Sacramento, ca for about $1000. I had it installed locally by a certified BMW mechanic for another $1000. Its much better than risking a rebuilt and cheaper too. All it takes is one little mistake and you will have to have someone take that engine apart again. BTW, if the timing belt snapped off, you will probably have to replace your head components among many other things. A engine swap would be the easiest, cheapest way to go.

If you're willing to spend some extra cash, drop in a 535 motor into it. You will appreciate the extra HP.