Cost for Thermostat - Gut Check

jdsbmw · 22nd October 2006, 23:56

All,

The dealer told me I needed a new thremostat as the one "I have is stuck open." They told it would be $900. $200 for parts +/- and $700 for labor.

Does this sound right? The labor sounded really HIGH.

How hard of a repair is it? Does anyone have any experience?

boostmiser · 23rd October 2006, 01:18

Well, I know the thermostat is housed in the water pump. That makes it a bit different. IIR, it's still a diy job. $900 is rediculous. Find a local euro shop to do it for you. Probably less than half that price.

ssomed · 23rd October 2006, 03:09

JD,

I found a pretty good description of replacing the thermostat (complete with pics) at BMWtips.com. There is an E39 section.

The catch is that it looks like a 540i, but how different would the water pump and thermostat be?

From reading that, the difficult part is removing the fan.

Good luck!

SSOMED

M5Pageco · 23rd October 2006, 07:26

Ya it costs a lot! I was quoted around $600.00 to have it done and this wasn't at a dealership, but someone I trust! They take off the whole housing and replace it. It's just takes a while to do. I was quote $1200.00 from my local $tealer for the "tank valve" problem (code 232) and got it done for only $650. from the same guy. So I would trust his quote. Hope this helps.

Mattkins99 · 23rd October 2006, 07:38

ya, that seems pretty high. My water pump started leaking earlier this year and while they were in there I had them replace the thermostat. IIRC it was $118 for the thermostat and another $45 for the gasket. that's insane IMO, but hey, it's an M5. I'm just glad the water pump was covered under my aftermarket warranty.

Again, IIRC, for the waterpump, thermostat, and belts it was around $1300 with my warranty covering $900

jdsbmw · 23rd October 2006, 15:15

I have the EZ Care Warranty on the car. The dealer told me it was not covered. This seemed really odd. The service advisor said that it does not cover mechnical items. Time to call EZ Care.

I also found a Euopean shop that will be doing my work going forward; I am done with the dealer.

bbh03 · 23rd October 2006, 15:50

It's a relatively easy DIY, but it is not like the pictures on bmwtips.com. You must remove the water pump as well (and the vibration dampener to remove that). I will post some pictures later.