I spoke to my SA today to see what would be done at 100k service and was told that it would need O2 sensors and spark plugs. Then he told me it would cost $938 WTF? How much can o2 sensor cost and there is only 2.5 hours labor charged?
I told them I already replaced the plugs and did'nt need these and was told I could save $172 thats great since I just put in Iridium plugs for a fraction of that!
Anyone know how much sensors cost and if its possible to DIY.

I also found out that they replaced my SC belt with a stock part even thoigh I have a 15 pct pully. My wife took it in for the 60k service and did'nt tell me they had replaced the belt. (absolutly no critizism of the wife, thanks for helping) lots of disapointment with Mini service though.

 

welcome to california.

 

o2 sensors for these cars're expensive. think the cheapest i've seen are like in the $140 range per, and you need 2, tho they're identical. obviously the bmw ones'll be expensive, so i'm wondering if it's just as good to get bosch ones. i'll be coming up on my 100,000-mile service in a few months and i'm planning on doing everything myself. i'm gonna change plugs, flush radiator, change tranny oil. as for o2 sensors, it's so expensive, and i've heard that you can wait 'till they go bad so i dunno if i'm gonna do them

 

plus once you're past warranty there really is absolutely no reason to go to the dealer unless you like to make monetary contributions to them

 

Wow!

 

I've been doing my own maintenance for a while now, since I started tracking the car. Better oil, plugs brake fluid, etc. I just thought I would see what was due for the 100k service since I have the extended warranty.
Are the O2 sensors just for the emmisions? If so I'll wait till I burn them out at the track. Who cares about the pollution while going WOT and getting 9 mpg?
As for the pully belt I was really pissed that they took of my nice aftermarket properly sized belt and put on a stock belt that is to long.

 

true dat

 

Not to worry.
The stock OEM belt is fine with the 15% pulley. As far as O2 sensors go, I have over 112,000 on my 04 MCS. (with the occasional addition of some 100 octane). I'm not going to change them until I throw an O2 sensor code. And yes, they are pricey.
Jim

 

would the occassional use of 100 octane more or less likely to foul up the o2 sensors?

 

Shouldn't impact them a bit.
Leaded racing gas, yeah, that might cause an issue.


As for the O2 sensor, I definitely can't see preventative maintenance on an expensive long lived part which does not catastrophically fail.

 

Ditto!!

(Hi Eric!!)
Jim

 

O2 sensors gradually degrade from the time they are new. By the time they throw a code they are running pretty far off. I tend to replace mine if I have a "lot" of miles (say every 50k to 100K), and doing a major tune. If you're doing your own work, they aren't THAT expensive, and you're saving a bunch over having the dealer do it. Has anyone checked whether Autozone or somewhere has them?

 

The sensors are about $265 each, note that these are 4 wires instead of the cheaper three wire sensors, mine got replaced at 150K needed them to pass inspection.

 

It looked like roaduscarnivorous found then for about $140

 

Most auto part stores will only have generic O2 sensors. When I needed to replace the sensor in my son's Neon, I had to get it from the Dodge dealer. It was $103 and had four wires also.

 

O2 sensors arent hard to replace, you just need s special socket that has a slot cut into the side of it to allow the wire to pass through when you are working on it. It isnt expensive. I would to it myself.

 

There is no need to routinely replace O2 sensors. They are for pollution control and will throw a code/check engine light if faulty. While they may degrade over time, I have never heard of anyone having drivability problems from this. In fact, a wire got pulled from an O2 sensor on my car while I was on vacation. The check engine light came on, but driving for 1200 miles like that, there was no change in the way the car ran.

 

It'll change the A/F ratio the motor is running at as the O2 sensor degrades. So over time your mileage would change (not drastically unless its really far gone). I'm not advocating changing it every oil change or anything crazy-I just prefer to change mine before failing. On my highest mileage car, suburban @217K, I've put two on. It ran better afterwards. With the new emissions testing I've done a little more thorough tune than I might have otherwise too.

If it's situated right, you can also use a wrench on them sometimes.

 

Yeah, wait until they fail. Who cares about the environment and whether we're polluting the air we breathe...

 

I'm all for a clean environment, but I'm not spending $1000 to fix a problem that doesn't yet exist.

 

Just did a google for o2 sensor and the first one I found was an oe Bosch, 4 wire, heated unit for $121.69. The site also had an interesting write up on the o2 sensor and how it works and why to replace it before it takes a crap. May be bs but was interesting just the same.

http://www.autohausaz.com/html/emiss...n_sensors.html

 

Don't fret Morris, in CA we have to pass bi-annual smog checks. It's all a matter of degrees. The R56 is cleaner than the R53 - selling your JCW anytime soon to save the environment?

 

My point was that I feel we should, as responsible enthusiasts, be aware of other aspects of our cars than just performance. Neglecting a component because it only affects pollution and not the performance is, in my opinion, not the direction we should go. We can have fun in our cars and still be responsible. Replacing oxygen sensors every 100,000 miles should not be a burden on anyone.

And I'm not sure if I'm selling the JCW or not. I'll have to decide by October as that is when the balloon payment is due. If do get rid of it, it won't help the environment as someone else would just be driving it.

Have a nice day.

 

And my point is that, at 100,000 miles I am not inclined to spend $1000 to fix something that does not need fixing, when it's likely other things will in the near future. And I agree with Eric's implied point. Which is, we all make compromises. I'm sure you could lower/raise the temp in your house another degree to save energy, make one less trip with the car, etc. In fact, spending $1000 to possibly minisculy (sp?) help the environment is way beyond what most people can handle.

 

If the O2 sensor fails, it can take out your catalytic converter as well. For me, $250 after 100K miles to save gas, avoid other repairs, makes sense.