Who Would Think Owning A BMW Is Expensive?
When I bought my 1998 BMW 323is in 2001, I didn't expect to run into as many repair expenses as I have. Apparently they assume that most people who buy new BMW's pass them on to aspiring BMW owners who unfairly absorb the repair costs.
The reason for my complaint is the failure of the secondary air pump in my car. Two years ago, I was a bit perplexed by the gurgling sound being emmitted from the engine compartment in the first couple minutes of start-up, but wasn't overly-concerned. I've since come to learn that the sound was that of the demise of my secondary air pump. My first question was "Why are there two air pumps?" Excellent question. It turns out that the secondary air pump is used to increase compression in the engine compartment after ignition to combust more fuel in the catalytic converter, ultimately leading to a cleaner environment for the birds, fish, whales, and stuff. Oh, and a higher credit card bill for me. Total cost of the parts (to-date) is $356 (parts + shipping). The animals of the world had better appreciate this.
I know that I'll have to replace the pump soon in order to pass the California smog emissions test in a couple months. I've been delaying the repair for as long as possible. Clearly, it's not a mandatory component. Also, judging from the number of people complaining of similar experiences on the Internet, it's quite common for the pump to fail (usually due to water leaking from the non-return valve into the pump and leading to corrosion of the pump motor).
I've ordered the parts and will attempt the replacement of the pump and non-return valve myself. Hopefully I won't break anything in the process. That applies to me and the car. I'll be following a very well-written set of instructions posted to a BMW message board.