Where do you buy your parts from.

[weirdfish]

Just sitting here browsing a well known petrolheads web site and the conversation came up about buying genuine or non genuine parts for BMW's, obviously it would depend on the age etc. but what do people on here buy, genuine, or non genuine.
Personally I tend to buy most service parts from BMW, but there are quality manufacturers out there that produce things like suspension parts etc that are just as good and more economical.
If you do buy genuine, do you feel that you are getting a good deal, price wise.

[X5Sport]

For me it depends upon the part.  If it's a 'safety critical' part then I would buy genuine unless I knew that the alternatives available were at least as good - based on this sort of Forum's members reports.  Parts such as the vortex breather I don't think anyone has found other than via a Dealer, so there's no option there, and I get a 10% discount locally.

For 'routine' servicing bits like oil, filters, wipers etc then wherever I can get the best value for a quality product.  I told my old Dealer Parts Team they were taking the mick with their £250 quote for a battery and went and bought a Bosch S6 for less than half that elsewhere.

The E46 is due a service, and probably new bushes underneath at the front (advisory last year, but car almost unused since) so I will buy some bits from say Eurocarparts and some genuine - unless a better deal is available.

Richard

[weirdfish]

A local garage to me, who are quite good for most work won't fit certain parts, for instance, they won't fit gaskets that aren't genuine parts, they say that they have had so many bad experiences with them failing within a short time that they were unable to give any sort of warranty with the work, so now, in order for them to warranty there work, it's genuine or nowt.
They are ok with other parts, I think a lot comes down to experience of what to use and from which manufacturer.

[dirtymonkey29]

Mostly I will use quality oem parts such as lemforder, meyle, hengst, textar pagid etc etc.

I won't touch pattern parts.  I always price up against BMW genuine, sometimes they are cheaper for bits.

[weirdfish]

The filter I referred to in my other post that was ordered via eurocarparts was supposed to be hengst, but when it arrived they sent me desmo, not something I was best pleased with.

[X5Sport]

I don't think I would have been 'best pleased' either.. >:(. What was their excuse?

[weirdfish]

The person I spoke to was just someone that answered the phones, so about as much use as a mudguard on a tortoise, he did check on the stock list and said they hadn't had hengst in for a while.

[X5Sport]

[quote="weirdfish"]
.......about as much use as a mudguard on a tortoise
[/quote]
PMSL.  :laughing1: :laughing1: :laughing1:

[Sanj]

I'm gonna start using that one with reference to Jig!  )