Dilemma - Steering Wheel (archive)

At the moment I have done nothing actually start the repair except for reading the diagrams and instructions sent. I am armed with a lot of good advice and information from Lez, Mark, Justin and others if I do the repair myself. However, accompanied by the headache that usually shows up when I am forced to think.....I have decided that the dealer involved should really be involved in this repair as it happened shortly after they had it apart and they guarantee their work for a year. One would hope that someone there didn't specifically desire me to lose my steering as I drove?.....however when I read the paper it's full of stories of such people. Perhaps just as disturbing would be the inept and retarded approach to this particular repair by the service technicians that may happen again to another person trusting this dealer.

Of course the dilemma is that if I take the car to the dealer if they find that something came loose and they fix it free, they are also admitting guilt, therefore they become liable. So, it seems highly possible if not probable that they will mysteriously or definitely find something broken inside....among steering pieces that are mostly if not completely unbreakable...so that there is no liability for them and so they can make more money for their time.
-Vs-
Also My taking it apart could somehow remove their liability as they could say I damaged it in removing it or opening it up from below. If I have someone else do it then I must pay them for their work and then present the bill to the dealer who will say "we won't pay because you didn't give us the opportunity to fix it" So..... perhaps this must be approached through BMW or BAR.

I have been contemplating the BMW 800 number for the factory Reps and consumer relations etc. and I have also been contemplating the BAR (bureau of automotive repair) which in Calif. which is actually a fairly good and useful organization. I could make both organizations aware and either they can help to create a situation in which either I am there when the car is opened and I witness the problem first hand or the car is opened and examined by an independent and unbiased and uninvolved third party who will prove what the problem is. Then if it's a broken part I should pay, if it's been left loose or re-installed improperly by the dealer then the dealer should pay.

Interesting how all this BS comes into play. So at this point the main thought in my mind is "how do I care to spend my time? What is my time worth? There is such a thing as being dead-right! Whats it worth to make them be responsible and correct and fair and professional. It's really not my job to monitor them,....but if everyone said that then who would stop or will stop the dealers irresponsible and fraudulent and abusing designs??

However, it seems that armed with the information and knowledge that has been given to me by the other posters here and my many years of mechanical experience and (we hope) skill that it would be easiest to fix it myself. Then I would know that it's done properly and I won't have to deal with the stealers nor the beauracracy involved in monitoring the repair. Everyone knows that they are the "Stealers" anyway I suppose. Hmmmmmmmm

My thoughts this Saturday morning. Kurt

Follow Ups:

Re: Dilemma - Solved!! Kurt 21:32 6/10/2000 (0)

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