# Is CBU solution really just $1500?



## 3ismagic# (Mar 17, 2011)

I've been absent for a few months.

A couple of resent thread posts have mentioned CBU cleaning for only $1500.

Where does this number come from? Has any actually got their CBU solved at that price?



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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

It's only an inferred guesstimate based on feedback from others on the amount of time it takes. Early on it was REAL expensive and BMW balked at covering it. Now that there is a well established process, in almost all cases BMW covers it so there does not seem to be anyone on the boards who has recently paid to have this done. Once there are a lot of cars over the extended warranty period most have, then more of these will become out of pocket and we will find out for sure. 

Part of this is the cost of replacing the intake manifold. I would hope that BMW would establish a process to pre-clean used ones and have them on the shelf as refurbished to keep costs down.

There have also been mention of independents doing this for under $1000. But unless there is one in your area who knows how, this does no good.


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## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

I asked my local BMW dealer to quote me the price to complete the SIB on the 335d carbon issue while I was getting my oil changed. He said he was guessing around $4500. I responded that I was serious about having the work done as a preventative maintanence since I was over 70,000 miles with no issues yet. I asked him to take the time and give me an exact quote via email. He sent me an exact quote 2 days later of $7187.22 with only $387.22 of that being parts. This included manifold cleaning, not replacement.

As you can imagine, I am not doing the carbon clean. And I have found myself dreading the thought of an engine light. That's over 1/3 the value of my car to fix an item that is a design fault....crazy


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

firstbimmer said:


> I asked my local BMW dealer to quote me the price to complete the SIB on the 335d carbon issue while I was getting my oil changed. He said he was guessing around $4500. I responded that I was serious about having the work done as a preventative maintanence since I was over 70,000 miles with no issues yet. I asked him to take the time and give me an exact quote via email. He sent me an exact quote 2 days later of $7187.22 with only $387.22 of that being parts. This included manifold cleaning, not replacement.
> 
> As you can imagine, I am not doing the carbon clean. And I have found myself dreading the thought of an engine light. That's over 1/3 the value of my car to fix an item that is a design fault....crazy


This is exactly why many earn the title of being Stealers instead of dealers. OK, Even if you replace the intake manifold that plus gaskets are around $700. As I recall we're talking about 5-6 hours of labor, but let's call it 8 hours. In my neck of the woods it's $125/hr, but let's call the mechanics brain surgeons and make it $175 an hour. That's $1400 labor and $800 in Parts (added $100 for the walnut shells) for a total of $2200.

But more realistically 6 hours @ $125 plus about $300 in parts and $300 to clean the intake yields $1350.

Find another dealer, FAST!


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

firstbimmer said:


> I asked my local BMW dealer to quote me the price to complete the SIB on the 335d carbon issue while I was getting my oil changed. He said he was guessing around $4500. I responded that I was serious about having the work done as a preventative maintanence since I was over 70,000 miles with no issues yet. I asked him to take the time and give me an exact quote via email. He sent me an exact quote 2 days later of $7187.22 with only $387.22 of that being parts. This included manifold cleaning, not replacement.
> 
> As you can imagine, I am not doing the carbon clean. And I have found myself dreading the thought of an engine light. That's over 1/3 the value of my car to fix an item that is a design fault....crazy


What dealer? That's an outrage. What information was included in the quote? Even at $140/hr that's 48 hours. That's about the most absurd amount of hours for the project possible.


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## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

Hansel BMW...6800 in labor was for doing the SIB for the carbon build up on the 335d. There was no breakdown beyond labor and parts. He said he spoke with service manager to come up with that figure. Obviously I told him he was crazy.


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## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

Sorry...labor also included cost of sending parts for cleaning.


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## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

I haven't got a quote from Sonnen yet...in addition to the 5 or 6 other bmw dealers in a 50 mile radius.


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

That would make it well worth the drive to SoCal for the shop doing it for $750.


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## FredoinSF (Nov 29, 2009)

I would try independents as well. Bill Arnold in San Rafael and Bavarian Professionals in Berkeley.
I've been going to Bav Pros for many years and while their labor rate is not the lowest, they really know what they are doing. Not sure how much diesel experience they have, although one of the two main guys there has an X5d.


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## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

If anyone has any recommendations for someone in the bay area or north bay that has experience with the full cleaning and isn't charging my first born, I would love to get the service done. I have not had any issues but am over 76000 miles and would rather clean the system out now before something breaks. The difficulty is finding someone who knows how to do a thorough cleaning of the whole system and has experience. I would keep this car forever if I could get a local shop to do the cleaning every 60000 miles for a reasonable price.


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## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

Hoooper said:


> That would make it well worth the drive to SoCal for the shop doing it for $750.


I would really consider it if this truly is a complete cleaning. I have a hard time believing that 750 would cover a thorough cleaning of the full system and parts. I would love to read up on them if I knew the shop name. Maybe they will have more reviews as more and more of these cars start to come off warranty.


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## FredoinSF (Nov 29, 2009)

firstbimmer said:


> If anyone has any recommendations for someone in the bay area or north bay that has experience with the full cleaning and isn't charging my first born, I would love to get the service done. I have not had any issues but am over 76000 miles and would rather clean the system out now before something breaks. The difficulty is finding someone who knows how to do a thorough cleaning of the whole system and has experience. I would keep this car forever if I could get a local shop to do the cleaning every 60000 miles for a reasonable price.





FredoinSF said:


> I would try independents as well. Bill Arnold in San Rafael and Bavarian Professionals in Berkeley.
> I've been going to Bav Pros for many years and while their labor rate is not the lowest, they really know what they are doing. Not sure how much diesel experience they have, although one of the two main guys there has an X5d.


My first call would be Bavarian professionals. I'm not sure how much diesel experience they have, but it's the only place I would trust for anything other than dumb bolt on parts. Ask for Michael or Nat. Won't be cheap, but will be less than any local dealer and they will probably talk you out of doing it until there is some sign that it's time to do it.


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## 9mmkungfu (Sep 11, 2014)

There are about 3-4 dealers in my area that charge $1000-1250 for this service on the 335D.


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

firstbimmer said:


> If anyone has any recommendations for someone in the bay area or north bay that has experience with the full cleaning and isn't charging my first born, I would love to get the service done. I have not had any issues but am over 76000 miles and would rather clean the system out now before something breaks. The difficulty is finding someone who knows how to do a thorough cleaning of the whole system and has experience. I would keep this car forever if I could get a local shop to do the cleaning every 60000 miles for a reasonable price.


Nothing really breaks with CBU, you can wait until it causes noticeable issues. But you already have a impact from CBU in reduced MPG.

This $7000+ quote would be enough to make my next car a Tesla (which I am thinking about). Fortunately in NJ, because there is such a high density of dealers, they would not survive long ripping off customers like that. The local dealer in area of VA where my son is wanted to charge him $80 to change a burned out license plate bulb (After flunking him for inspection for the same). Next nearest dealer is over 50 miles. Bulb cost me $2.50 and I changed it in 90 seconds, never having done it before. That dealer was being a complete idiot as they just lost a potential future customer, the car (E46) now was 200K miles on it.


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## jfxogara (Oct 26, 2012)

kungfu are any of them in the D.C. area? I got a quote of $1900 from a local independent, Excluservice. They have a really excellent rep but that is too high frankly when people in LA are paying $1,000.


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## 9mmkungfu (Sep 11, 2014)

jfxogara said:


> kungfu are any of them in the D.C. area? I got a quote of $1900 from a local independent, Excluservice. They have a really excellent rep but that is too high frankly when people in LA are paying $1,000.


That's interesting. They quoted me $750-850 but I was leery about using a non dealer since the procedure was only a few months old at the time I was inquiring.

Yes, I received the following quotes in the DC/MD/VA area, along with who I spoke with:


BMW of Fairfax - *$2,000* 
BMW of Alexandria - They never returned my call
BMW of Rockville - *$1,100* 
BMW of Catonsville - *$790* - Brittany - after taking my car in, they revised their quote to $3k. I promptly left.
BMW of Silver Spring - *$1,120* - Thomas Grant
Fairfax Service Center - *$385* - Reese - numerous bad reviews swayed me away
Passport BMW - *$1,000* - Pantelis
Mach V - *$700* - Will - later confirmed they could not do it
Excluservice - *$750-850* - Isaac


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## jfxogara (Oct 26, 2012)

Kungfu thanks. Were those quotes relatively recent?


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## 9mmkungfu (Sep 11, 2014)

jfxogara said:


> Kungfu thanks. Were those quotes relatively recent?


I would say so. I started to get quotes in October of 2014 and had the work performed around November. Since this was actually a repeat instance of carbon build up, BMW NA offered 50% good will assistance.


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## KeithS (Dec 30, 2001)

The dealers that were under $1000 were likely quoting for a gas engine, not diesel. If they do not know the difference that alone is a good reason to stay away. Also the prices may or may not have included cleaning intake.


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