lcubed Posted December 6, 2011 Report Posted December 6, 2011 hi all, i'm thinking that it's finally time to replace my stock shocks on my '05 cooper S with a set of koni FSD. any recommendations of a mini cognisant shop (preferably in somewhat close to rockville, md) to do the installation would be terrific. doing it myself isn't really an option since i'm having a problem with my right knee at the moment
JAB 67 Posted December 6, 2011 Report Posted December 6, 2011 Try Mach V in Sterling. JAB 67 Fairfax, VA 2004 MCS, PW/B
cmcveay Posted December 6, 2011 Report Posted December 6, 2011 Lito - the shocks are one of those things where I wouldn't too much about the folks being up to speed on MINI stuff. I'd agree with JAB though, Mach V is great with MINIs and they are one of our vendors as well. 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon "Homer" 2012 MB/CR JCW R55 "Merlin" Sold 2009 LB/LB R56 "Archie" Sold
RichSperry Posted December 7, 2011 Report Posted December 7, 2011 Heck, doughnuts and coca-cola +$20 I'll do it... If you don't mind a nice drive to the Maryland countryside... No matter where you go, there you are!
Brian0758 Posted December 7, 2011 Report Posted December 7, 2011 Another place you might check out is Scandinavian Import in Rockville. There was a mod party sponsored by Way Motor Works there a few months ago and it was a pretty nice shop. I have not had work done there but they do a lot of work on MINI's. 2012 Jeep Rubicon
CarlB Posted December 8, 2011 Report Posted December 8, 2011 I think you would be happy with Autodynamics in Rockville. I have known the owner for a long time. He has been working on BMWs forever, and now does MINI. He has all the diagnostic tools and takes care of both of my MINIs. 301-948-4744
RichSperry Posted December 8, 2011 Report Posted December 8, 2011 I really was serious... No matter where you go, there you are!
Mr. Ed Posted December 8, 2011 Report Posted December 8, 2011 Try Mach V in Sterling. +1 These folks are terrific with suspension!
RyanMBlue Posted December 9, 2011 Report Posted December 9, 2011 I really was serious... I would look into this guy [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]
GotMINI Posted December 11, 2011 Report Posted December 11, 2011 Ok, Everyone, I am Sorry !! I have been holding back, I have been taking my Mini to one specific shop. Off of everyones radar ! Bilbo Automotive 4938-A Eisenhour Ave Alexandria, 703-461-3118 Speak to Belen. I have had ALL of my Mods done at this shop. I found it through my After Market Warranty Co. I went to Passport Mini, they Suck!!! I won't go into all the details but, they charge you for as many hours of labor they can !! Not to mention Mark Up on Parts. Bilbo is a family owned (Two Brothers and Sister) they own and race 3 cars, they work on everything from Porsche, to Mercedes. They are maticulous in their work!! Get an Oil change at Passport Mini, What is it ? $128, I think I paid $56 with Mobil 1 Synthetic + Filter. They Diagnose your car, No charge! What does Mini charge you ? $100+ ? Right now, their hourly labor rate is $75/hr. They are thinking of raising it after January 1st. If you are going to have multiple Mods done to your car, they do not charge you for each individual bit of work, their philosophy, if they have apart, they will do it all at once. One Time Hourly Charges, Negotiate. This shop, the best! Tell Belen, I referred you as a DC Metro Minis member. They are looking forward to having more Minis as their clients. I hope All have a great Christmas season. Geno !
GreenCactus Posted December 11, 2011 Report Posted December 11, 2011 Ok, Everyone, I am Sorry !! I have been holding back, I have been taking my Mini to one specific shop. Off of everyones radar ! Bilbo Automotive 4938-A Eisenhour Ave Alexandria, 703-461-3118 Speak to Belen. I have had ALL of my Mods done at this shop. I found it through my After Market Warranty Co. I went to Passport Mini, they Suck!!! I won't go into all the details but, they charge you for as many hours of labor they can !! Not to mention Mark Up on Parts. Bilbo is a family owned (Two Brothers and Sister) they own and race 3 cars, they work on everything from Porsche, to Mercedes. They are maticulous in their work!! Get an Oil change at Passport Mini, What is it ? $128, I think I paid $56 with Mobil 1 Synthetic + Filter. They Diagnose your car, No charge! What does Mini charge you ? $100+ ? Right now, their hourly labor rate is $75/hr. They are thinking of raising it after January 1st. If you are going to have multiple Mods done to your car, they do not charge you for each individual bit of work, their philosophy, if they have apart, they will do it all at once. One Time Hourly Charges, Negotiate. This shop, the best! Tell Belen, I referred you as a DC Metro Minis member. They are looking forward to having more Minis as their clients. I hope All have a great Christmas season. Geno ! Geno- That's pretty harsh about Passport. Like any dealership, their labor rates are higher and their parts are more expensive. It's not exclusive to Passport or even to MINI. You're paying for techs that are trained by MINI and OEM parts. If those things are not important to you, there are lots of other options, as you've found. Also, Passport charges $80 for oil changes, not $128. I believe Mach V charges around $80 as well. I think you will find that any dealership or repair shop has unhappy customers. You cannot make everyone happy all the time. However, if you're going bash a shop, you should be able to back it up. Simply being more expensive is not a good reason to say "they suck". Many of us have found Passport to take very good care of their customers and to work with us on the costs when possible.
Wizzer Posted December 11, 2011 Report Posted December 11, 2011 I have to admit that I am knd of the same way. I have never had a good experience from a dealership. I know there are things that you are kind of tied to with a dealer, but for everything else I will always go to a local shop. I have been going to the Fair Lakes Auto shop for the last 7 years now and they have been amazing. Now, since getting the MINI I am not sure how they are with more performance vehicles but I would much rather a local shop. Average oil change with them...$30 for the best stuff too. Local shops care about you as a person too, dealerships you are just a number. Steve "Wizzer" P. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]2009 MINI Clubman S R55 "BATTPODD"
cmcveay Posted December 11, 2011 Report Posted December 11, 2011 Wow, I guess I'd better hang onto my lucky rabbits foot or something. I have not yet had a bad experience with Passport - the only MINI parts/service center that I've dealt with so I feel compelled to defend them. Yes, the dealership's price may be higher than others but you've got to keep in mind some of the facts that are behind that. Every technician is trained by BMW/MINI to know these cars and that training isn't free. When it comes down to how much time is charged for something being done, it's not the tech or the dealership that determines how long it takes, it's MINI USA. When the car is logged in for an oil change, the computer charges for xx hours of labor. If there are complaints about the actual work that's being done (poor quality or not doing what they claim), that's another story but otherwise, why bash them for running their business their way? All I'd ask is to be objective. You have a choice of where to get your work done so if you don't like the way the dealership structures their prices or their labor or other things, just go elsewhere and don't start blasting them for it. I do almost all of my own work on my car, I only use the dealership for things that are totally beyond my abilities simply because I don't want to pay that much for the labor and because I want to learn about what makes it "tick". I respect those who only use the dealership as much as I respect those that go elsewhere. As far as the dealership treating you "like a number"? Again, I must be pretty darn lucky because I've never felt that way when I've got in to the dealership. I'm treated with respect, made to feel welcome and when I've got questions, they are listened to and answered. I can also tell you that I've NEVER had another garage/mechanic/shop call or email me to tell me that they saw/read something that's directly related to a conversation we had a few weeks go. My SA at PMoA and the salesman that I've bought both of my MINIs from have each done that so I do feel like I'm treated very well by them. Of course, these are my own opinions and experiences so they could be very different from those of others but I felt compelled to defend PMoA as they are - again, in my personal opinion - one of the best run dealerships that I've ever dealt with. 2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon "Homer" 2012 MB/CR JCW R55 "Merlin" Sold 2009 LB/LB R56 "Archie" Sold
Wizzer Posted December 12, 2011 Report Posted December 12, 2011 My only dealings with PMoA was when I just bought the POD and went there to kind of check in and see what they could help me with. I asked about buying some floor mats and the salesman actually tried to sell me some mats out of the trunk of his car for $150! I bought brand new mats off amazon for $60. Likewise, when I went to MINI of Sterling and mentioned my Alarm issue they said they would be happy to go in and check out the electrical system but needed to charge labor. I wasn't keen on paying dealership rates for something that may not even be an issue. It's not just them either, the Chevy dealership where I bought the POD was kind of shifty too and when I mentioned the rust I discovered on the undercarriage only 3 days after buying they just shrugged and said "oh well". Like I said, some dealerships are great and some aren't, I just have never had a good experience with them. I would love to learn more about the inner workings but I am not as good with engines as I am with computers. Steve "Wizzer" P. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]2009 MINI Clubman S R55 "BATTPODD"
RyanMBlue Posted December 12, 2011 Report Posted December 12, 2011 Since I bought my MINI in Aug 2009, it is still under the 3 year maintenance period, so I have gone to MINI of Sterling a bunch of times, and have had good experiences every time. The only thing I have gone to Mach V for is oil changes midway between the ~16000mi recommendations from my MINI computer and to purchase/install my new wheels. If anything, I have only good things to say about MoS. They seemed like they went above and beyond any diagnoses required to fix my issues. Even the small stuff, like a slight sound like something was rolling back and forth in the headliner. (Turned out to be a small rock in the headliner rolling back and forth around corners!) I have never felt like a number, and actually have 2 service advisers that recognize me the second I walk in the door of MoS, and can recall what I was last in for and much more. I understand the desire to save a bit of money, and I can't say how my maintenance will change after my 3 year period is up, but for now, I love MINI of Sterling. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]
GotMINI Posted December 12, 2011 Report Posted December 12, 2011 Well I can give you an example: December of last year I brought my Mini to PMoA, I had my DSC warning light on. They diagnosed it as Steering Angle Sensor. $126 Diagnostic fee, right off the bat. Steering Angle Sensor $337.08, Labor $455.50. Ok, it needs to be done. I waited for my vehicle, nice accomodations, 3+ hour wait. In the interim, my service manager comes to me and says you have a couple of small Oil leaks, Valve Cover Gasket, Oil Pan Gasket, and Oil Cooler "O" Rings, $1406.84 parts and labor. No thank you at this time. I finally get the ALL Done from the service manager. They even washed my car ! I'm happy, their happy. I get into my car, start it up ! DSC warning light is on !! They take it back into the bay, 1-1/2 hrs later. They can't find the problem. I am told "Take it home, it should clear itself in a few miles". I take my vehicle home, warning light does not go off. 3 days later I find Bilbo Aotomotive. I take my car in to them, they diagnosed that the DSC Pressure Sensor was bad. No diagnosis charge ! Pressure Sensor $139.23 Labor $100 ! Now I am sitting on a Steering Angle Sensor (I always take my old parts) Was it bad in the 1st place ? ? Or was it just the DSC Pressure Sensor ? Regarding my small Oil leaks, I took my vehicle back to Bilbo to put in my new clutch (I purchased the clutch myself) In the process of replacing clutch, they pulled the tranny, replaced the tranny fluid (just because it was out) with Texaco MTF94 fluid (try to find this on the internet) charged me for fluid only, $44.72. checked out my leaks. surprise, the only leak they found was the Oil Cooler "O" Rings, $8.38 parts, I had them go ahead and replace Valve cover Gasket as well, $35. Oil Pan Gasket was dry as a Bone ! Total charge for New Clutch installation, service Tranny, replace Valve Cover Gasket and O rings was $1260.46 Wow, PMoA wanted $1406.84 just for the Oil leaks. Has anyone had a new clutch installed at Mini ? How much was that ? Parts and Labor ? I'm curious. I understand that some would prefer to go to a dealer, especially if you are under warranty. Your choice. But not my preference ! Dealers are looking to charge for every hr of labor they can. That's where they make their money. Oh by the way, if your (small) shop purchases any parts for your vehicle through Mini, Mini has to honor that part under their warranty, if the part is ever faulty.
RichSperry Posted December 14, 2011 Report Posted December 14, 2011 Like I said before, a box of doughnuts, some Cokes, and $20... (maybe just buy me lunch..) No matter where you go, there you are!
Al Darko Posted December 24, 2011 Report Posted December 24, 2011 Thanks for the info on Bilbo Automotive, Geno...I'm new to this area and was looking for an independent mechanic to do some work on my 2002 MCS ( I had an awesome one in Florida)....I will surely tell them about your recommendation....Thanks again!
Stephatron Posted January 11, 2012 Report Posted January 11, 2012 I recommend PTuning as well. They work on everything and everyone there is really nice.
Cambo Posted February 10, 2014 Report Posted February 10, 2014 Like I said before, a box of doughnuts, some Cokes, and $20... (maybe just buy me lunch..) lol, Rich, are you still around? I may need your help. Like the OP, I've got replacement shocks on the way as well as an RSB and I'm looking for some help. Doughnuts, Coca Cola and 20 bucks? Shoot, how does doughnuts, pizza, coca cola, and $40 bucks sound? That's right, I just doubled your pay! Big baller status over here! lolol jk...no but seriously...I hope you're still around. And I'm not only giving you $40 bucks, that's highway robbery. If not, I'm going to check out the Biblo Baggins place that was recommended. I'm all for supporting the small shops and I get a warm fuzzy about them from their website. For...uhh...hoots and hollers (is that alright Chris? ) I'll run by passport of gaithersburg to see what they'd charge. I'm almost certain it'll be at least double what Bilbo charges, but we'll see. FYI, passport gaithersburg has a great hill across the street for any of you longboarders out there. Another FYI, they don't let you ride a longboard in the show room. The service bay is ok though. lolol 2009 MCS - Passenger seat delete--Rear seat delete--Arm rest delete--Cup holder delete--Seat Belt Delete--Cup holder added back because coffee
TGGRRR (Ali) Posted February 10, 2014 Report Posted February 10, 2014 Don't forget P-Tuning, another of our vendors Tigger 2006 the cabrio and Riversong the 2014 Countryman
RichSperry Posted February 10, 2014 Report Posted February 10, 2014 Still here? Where would I go? I've lived here most of my life. lol But yea, I'm still here, and glad to help out. What the install plan? Shocks, springs, and a rear bar? I also recommend a set of WMW bumpstops. No matter where you go, there you are!
minime331 Posted February 10, 2014 Report Posted February 10, 2014 Passport of Gaithersburg? STella- 14' Focus ST Roush CAI, Cobb access port stage1 tune, custom Ptuning 3" exhuast, Levels FMIC, Turbosmart BOV, rally armor mud flaps, more to come.
TGGRRR (Ali) Posted February 10, 2014 Report Posted February 10, 2014 Passport of Gaithersburg? MoCo Tigger 2006 the cabrio and Riversong the 2014 Countryman
