The pixels on my dash are out. I just went to my local bmw dealership and they quoted me over $1k to replace. They siad there was no help from bmw and no open campaigns to help pay for costs. I looked up a dozen threads about ways to get bmw to help. i called the numbers and emailed the person reccomended to contact and have had no response. Does anyone have a backdoor secret trick to get this done for less????? HELP ME PLEASE!
Bmw dealer pixel cluster issue
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According to multiple forums, there's been no significant change in their goodwill pixel repair program...at least as of a month ago. Most folks pay an hour labor and the goodwill for parts varies between 50% and 100% covered depending upon how long you've owned your car and the mileage. I seriously doubt anything changed because I've seen panic posts like yours over the last 5 years. Your dealer response is typical & replies may not be prompt over holidays. My guess is the secret trick is to search forums for the latest, try harder & remain patient.
The other option is to buy a $10 tool kit, study removal procedure posted everywhere and get your cluster rebuilt thru the aftermarket for about $400. This is the superior, more permanent fix because they use upgraded parts that actually correct the issue instead of using the same flawed design parts that last 3 yrs.
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Bmw has changed their goodwill policy a little while ago. The new policy puts part of the cost on the dealer so most dealers are reluctant to do goodwill as much as they used to.
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I was just at my dealer two days ago for a NYSI, and I asked them about my cluster. He told me BMW really cut back on goodwill things and that I should try calling some customer service number.
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Dude you have no idea. Almost to the point of stupidity. I lost my brakes last week because of leaves (yes! leaves caused the problem!), and they offered nothing. If I was bored enough I could easily sue them and/or get the NTSB involved. I still may file a claim with the NTSB because of this design flaw.
To me, denying certain things like brakes, steering, etc. is unacceptable regardless of miles/years. You're really on a stretch when it comes to stuff like clusters or non-safety related items.
Are you aware a major USA class action lawsuit was dropped after BMW agreed to address out of warranty cluster issues thru a special program? They fail about every 3 yrs due to seriously flawed design. Instead of reworking the design, BMW decided to address repeated failures without protest. You should not have to spend $12K for 4 or 5 cluster changes over the life of a $75K car and defects should be fixed, not replaced with more defective product in the hope that owner junks the car.
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Yes I'm fully aware. However, how they handle it is case by case. Are you aware what that means? Because I wasn't. So I asked my Northeast rep. He said, frankly, we only show you to own this one 10 year old BMW. And you havn't spent enough money with us, so you're out of luck. I informed him that I in fact own two BMW's, both purchased within the past year and that my other car was a 22y/o mint condition E30 Cab that wins car shows. And it's dash display still works
The deal offered was 50% off the parts and I pay full labor. So, roughly $600 out of my pocket. Does this sound good to you? It didn't to me, since they supposedly fail every 3 years. So, for $30 in parts, I fixed the problem myself. And it wasn't that hard, so I'm OK with spending $30 and doing it again every 3 years. They aren't helpful, they aren't your friend, and they don't give a ****. Their argument is you own a 7-10 year old car. But good luck, some have had better luck that others.
BMW, Porsche, Land Rover Instrument Cluster Repair and restoration of MID & LCD repair for the typical missing or faded pixel problem
Have not used these guys, but for about $350 with lifetime warranty it is a no brainer.
If you can live without your cluster during the the repair cycle.
Have not used these guys, but for about $350 with lifetime warranty it is a no brainer.
If you can live without your cluster during the the repair cycle.
I paid $75 for my first out-of-warranty BMW dealer cluster swap and frankly anticipated that they would slowly walk away from the goodwill agreement or transfer owership of the problem to the dealership who will quantify the worth of each customer. If you bought used from private party, you're screwed unless you have a fleet of BMW's. The original class action lawsuit lawyer J Carlos Fox was put in jail for participating in a car theft ring, unless some other lawyer has that same odd name which I seriously doubt. We have no leverage anymore. It's all sort of moot since the aftermarket came to our rescue. The labor for basic cluster R&R is a TOTAL waste of time for anyone who can turn a screwdriver. I can pull it in less time than it takes to drive to work or sit in their waiting room (30 min). I'll send it away to let a cluster expert worry about repair. Paying even $300 for a dealer fix does not make sense when it'll fail in 3 yrs.Yes I'm fully aware. However, how they handle it is case by case. Are you aware what that means? Because I wasn't. So I asked my Northeast rep. He said, frankly, we only show you to own this one 10 year old BMW. And you havn't spent enough money with us, so you're out of luck. I informed him that I in fact own two BMW's, both purchased within the past year and that my other car was a 22y/o mint condition E30 Cab that wins car shows. And it's dash display still works
They aren't helpful, they aren't your friend, and they don't give a ****. Their argument is you own a 7-10 year old car. But good luck, some have had better luck that others.
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Skip the dealer altogether. After some(maybe more) hassle, they will put in a new cluster that will have the exact same flaw. The flaw is in the design(ribbon cable) and hasn't been corrected. Go here: BMW, Porsche, Land Rover Instrument Cluster Repair and restoration of MID & LCD repair for the typical missing or faded pixel problem
and be done with it. Not affiliated with them, just passing on.
and be done with it. Not affiliated with them, just passing on.
I'm currently going through this issue with BMWNA and they are reviewing my case. They did ask these questions:
How long ago did you purchase the car? How many miles were on it then? Dealer of private party sale? How many miles on it now? How many BMW's have you owned in the past? What BMW's do you currently own? As others have pointed out, I think they really only care if you are a life long BMW owner, otherwise, you're probably screwed, but I should reserve judgement until I hear back. If they won't help, vdorepair.com will do what should be a lifelong repair for $300.
Or, Jetpilot718, I'll happily send you my instument cluster if you can repair it for $30?
How long ago did you purchase the car? How many miles were on it then? Dealer of private party sale? How many miles on it now? How many BMW's have you owned in the past? What BMW's do you currently own? As others have pointed out, I think they really only care if you are a life long BMW owner, otherwise, you're probably screwed, but I should reserve judgement until I hear back. If they won't help, vdorepair.com will do what should be a lifelong repair for $300.
Or, Jetpilot718, I'll happily send you my instument cluster if you can repair it for $30?
VDORepair.com will fix your display with a lifetime warranty right now for $250 including return shipping. Call them for the special price, good until 12/31/10. It takes 5 minutes to remove the cluster using Torx #10 and Philips #2 screwdrivers. Instructions are on their site.
No affiliation.
No affiliation.
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991 Posts
Or, Jetpilot718, I'll happily send you my instument cluster if you can repair it for $30?
Throw in a few pints of Guinness and we'll talk. cherrsagai
But seriously, it's not that terrible of a procedure. I snapped a few pics of my R&R and posted them in the big cluster DIY thread (like 14+ pages, a lot of good info there). I'll dig it up for ya in a bit. If you want, order the part and give it a go yourself. The hardest part, honestly, was taking the goddamn thing apart. Those twist-things that hold it together are a pain in the effin ***. I used like 3 bread knives to get it apart. Luckily, Im a bachelor and didn't have to fear the slap-attack from a wifey for using her knives in a manner otherwise as directed. :biggrin:
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991 Posts
OK, as promised. You buy the cable here: Give your bimmer new life!, or just let them do it for another $130. Before you do anything, read this thread: http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...5943-missing-pixels-dashboard-display-16.html I came in at around thread 16. Read the rest of the pages, good info in there.
Wow, thanks and great writeup! I'll be honest, between the need for the "special" soldering iron and the possibility of fu**ing up a $1000 display, I'll probably pass on doing the repair myself. Tempting, but not enough motivation at the moment. Do you feel confident enough to do another? Guinness is your friend
Unfortunately some links are dead.
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