Reunited with my 540! A/C Fixed! Trunk fixed! - BMW Forum

Eric S. · 08-03-2006, 08:40 PM

As mentioned in Matt's "A/C Nightmare" thread, my A/C Compressor rattle issue is now gone as of this past Monday, to the tune of $1290, plus $40 shop supplies fee, + $45 tax (thanks a lot, Governors Warner & Kaine).

Ever since the dealer finished with the AC on Monday, my '99 540 has been in the body shop getting the battery corrosion repaired (see my other post about how Sears didn't properly vent my battery, resulting in corrosion of my trunk/battery area). Well, it was finally ready this afternoon so I picked it up!

(First, note that, altho I just paid $1375 to get my 540's A/C fixed, while my 540 has been in the body shop I've been driving our spare car, a BLACK 1991 Civic Si with BLACK interior, and WITHOUT A/C. Anyone else noticed the record-breaking heat wave this week?)

Needless to say I was sweaty and happy to get my 540 back today, especially when I saw what an excellent job they did. The shop owner personally handled my repair. They had to remove the battery tray and weld in a new one, in addition to grit-blasting all the corroded surfaces. An inspection of the old battery tray shows that the corrosion would not have been stopped had they not replaced that nasty tray. Then they sealed and painted that entire area on the inside of my trunk and now it looks like new! Total cost was just under $600. Paid in full by Sears, who has been good to deal with throughout this process. I'll never let them touch my car again, but I DO respect the store a lot more now. Class act.

Maybe when I get weather that doesn't fog my camera lens, I'll take some photos of the now-perfect battery area on my car for comparison with the "before" shots...