Hello all,

Please tell me if I've been ripped off here or not. I drove in to a local BMW/mini dealership to replace my Cooper S factory head lamps with Phillips Visionplus headlamps. I was quotted a price of "$72 for a half hour" for the labor. I figured it couldn't be that much since it was only a 5 minute job, 10 minutes tops. Well, it took them 45 minutes to get the job done, and I was charged $70 for it. In addition, the "service advisor" told me that since the replacement headlamps were "Non-Mini" that this would void my warranty as far as the headlamps were concerned.

I feel I was ripped off being charged 30 minutes for a 5 minute job, and I disagree that this voids the warranty as there is no such thing as a MINI replacement bulb.

I just got a nasty email also from a "Sales Development Manager" when she read my critique survey.

What do you guys think?

Dean.

 

I assume you meant changing the bulbs in the headlights, not the entire lamps. Yes, $70 is a ripoff but I'm sorry to say that I'm not surprised. The labor rate at BMW/MINI dealers in the SF Bay Area is $160/hour, with a minimum charge (half hour is typical minimum).

 

I don't get it why didn't you install the bulbs yourself? You gain nothing by having the dealership do it because they aren't factory parts. You knew it was a simple job that takes a matter of minutes but agreed to 45 minutes of charged labor anyway? Did the dealer overcharge you? Well yes they did but it sounds like you basically asked them to.

 

You were quoted a price, then charged the quoted price. Doesn't sound like a rip-off to me.

 

Well, I don't know how to do it myself, but do know that this would be a 5 minute job for an experienced technician.

For me it would take much longer since 1I don't know how to, and 2I don't have the tools to.

Any comment on the warranty issue? Does this void the warranty?

 

The quoted price was for the half hour. There was nothing said about a minimum price, just the rate for the half hour, and my understanding was that if it took a half hour, then this would be the price.

 

It's a light bulb, do they even warranty light bulbs!? I suppose so. If a light bulb blew on my car before the B2B warranty was up I would probably just replace it myself as opposed to going through the hassle of making an appointment, driving the distance and waiting to have the dang thing replaced by someone else. But that's just me.....

technically, yes, I would guess that the warranty on the bulb is now void.

So I'm curious, are the Phillips Visionplus bulbs any better? I'm considering swapping out my candles.

 

The real irony is it doesn't require any tools, you don't even have to open the hood. Access is in the front of the wheel well, you turn the wheel open the lid twist the bulb out unplug it and reverse.

Your warranty actually covers bulb replacement since the factory bulbs are no longer there they are no longer obligated to replace them.

 

You sure that's not for the turn signals? I changed mine to Philips Silvervisions and I did it through the wheel well. The headlamp looked like it just unscrews from the back of the lamp assembly but I could be mistaken since I have yet to change a bulb.

 

Did you try reading the manual? I'm pretty sure it tells you how to do it yourself. It's easy-peasy and requires no tools. I installed chrome stealth bulbs for the front and rear turn signals, all in less than 15 minutes. The main bulbs shouldn't be any harder.

 

Page 103 of the 2007 Mini Cooper S manual. I know it sounds silly, but I read every car manual front-to-back cover on a rainy day after I get my car; there are so many cool things you'll learn that you never knew before. Maybe next time you can resolve your next problem yourself.

MINI wouldn't warranty a product that they didn't provide/manufacture (the bulbs in your situation) although if the Philips lights are the same wattage as the original it is unlikely they will cause any damage to the headlamp cluster or electrics and I wouldn't loose sleep over it.

Now you know that most garages have a minimum. That's pretty much standard: dealership or not. They can't really charge for 5 minutes. Next time, if you think it is something simple, I would ask if they can "help you with it". Firstly you'll see how long the actual install takes, secondly you'll know how to do it, thirdly the tech may appreciate an interested/concerned customer and if he/she's nice may cut you a break on the labor. If you start to create a rapport with your service and/or motoring advisors they'll be more likely to help you out. Or search NAM, or make a post prior to visiting the dealer.

 

Im not sure what you mean, yes they twist out of the assembly. Like I said you open the lid in the wheel well twist the bulb out and unplug the electrical connector.

 

WOW!!! $160. an hour Labor Rate!!! WOW! I feel even better about our rate then! $160.00 per hour! YIKES!!!

 

I think both of the MINI dealerships around Boston (Peabody & Herb Chambers) charge about $135 an hour. I should certainly know by now, but I just close my eyes and sign on the line!

 

This is very much the kind of situation that NAM is useful for. There is a lot of expertise here and people willing to help. Don't be afraid to ask! Next time...

Anything that is non-OEM on the car gives the dealer or MINI an opening to possibly deny warranty repairs. That doesn't stop many of us from modding the heck out of our cars . If something goes wrong with the headlights, they may try to blame it on your aftermarket bulbs. For example if some issue comes up with the wiring or electronics related to the headlights. Actually bulbs could indeed become a problem if they are much higher wattage than OEM (I doubt this applies in your case). The bottom line is, they are obligated to honor their warranty for what comes from the factory; once you've modded anything (even something as simple as light bulbs), it gives them wiggle room to back out when something goes wrong. It is very arbitrary how a dealer or service advisor handles each case. Some try to help out the customer however they can, others follow the rules from MINIUSA very strictly with regards to aftermarket parts and modifications.

 

i had to open my hood to change the headlight bulbs. no tools. twist, remove, replace. i'll do it for $70. good thing you're not in nyc, the dealer charges almost double that an hour. yeah, next time, feel free to pm me or post here before you commit. before i got the mini, i was a complete car noob until i came across these forums.

btw, the phillips vision plus blubs look nicer and do improve the visibility a little imho. also, aiming my headlights higher to the proper level helped a lot more.

 

Next time you have something like that, lights, wipers, etc, and you don't want to do it yourself, don't go to the Mini dealer, that is the last place I'd go for something like that. They have a minimum labor charge of a half hour for a reason, Sign the car in, pull it in back, technician doing the work, sign it out, paper work, and so on. Save the mini dealer for those repairs that really require experienced Mini technicians. For those simple kind of things go to a drive through oil change place, they typically have a standard fee for bulb, wiper replacement that although more expensive than doing it yourself, it is much cheaper than having a Mini dealer do it. I get my wipers at autozone or advance auto parts. You can buy the wipers and they'll come out in the parking lot and put them on for you. I suspect they'd do something similar for bulbs as well.

 

Yesterday one of my headlight bulbs exploded, yes broken glass everywhere in the lamp enclosure. Being dissatisfied with the lighting anyway, I bought the Silverstar bulbs and changed them in the parking lot of Autozone in far less than 5min with no tools. Just open the hood remove a snap on cover, reach inside the enclosure and remove the bulb with a twist of the wrist.
The Silverstar bulbs are really an improvement over the standard bulb, I've used them for about 2 years in my 911(which also has poor lighting).

 

That's good to know. What is the bulb size?

 

The dealer is charging you for the service "per the book" . The book says it's a 1/2 hour job,and that's what they are legally allowed to charge you for at the posted shop rate.
I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but you were given a quote for service, and agreed to it, either in writing or verbally. It is what it is.

 

Any good recommendation for Halogen light bulb replacement? And what type/spec is it?
I would like to keep similar color as the factory candle light but BRIGHTER.

 

If this is a first gen MINI (which takes H7 bulbs for high and low beams),
I love the Osram Hyper H7 65W bulbs. Part # 64217
They are 10W more than the stock bulbs, but the wiring can handle that.
They're also more efficient (in Lumens/Watt) than the standard bulbs,
so they put out about 2100 lumens compared to 1500-1600 for regular H7s,
and are about the same colour balance as the OEM bulbs.
Take note, however, the dealer won't like them if a problem arises, and
they are labeled "offroad application" because of their increased light output.

 

i was in same situation a few months ago and cant decide...MINI dealsership is a ripoff liek this situation.. i woudl only go there when there soemthing wrong with my engine.

so i ask the forum here and they help me with tips and advise... and i met up with a few local MINI enthusiatis and they help too

 

The the OP, sorry no pity here. If you choose to not at least attempt to do some things like this for yourself, which is perfectly OK, then don't complain when someone quotes you a price, you say go ahead, and they then charge you the price they quoted. Sounds like an honest agreement to me.

If they money is an issue, then I suggest you learn to do some of this stuff yourself... otherwise, pay up if you don't want to or can't do the task.

YD

 

Oh I didn't realize you use the wheel well for the actual headlights. I used the wheel well for the turn signals and thought the headlights were replaced inside the engine compartment by untwisting the back of the headlight assembly. (It still doesn't sound right to me)