Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

thax

Jun 9, 2005, 6:08 PM

Post #1 of 18 (1466 views)

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Auto Repair

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Does anyone know if there would be a problem getting a BMW repaired at lakeside?

Thax

trailrunner

Jun 9, 2005, 9:09 PM

Post #2 of 18 (1424 views)

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Re: [thax] Auto Repair

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Have a friend who bottomed out her Beamer on a tope and evidently mooshed the oil pan which in turn ran her engine dry and so on and so on. The car finally stopped running on the Libremiento. La policia had it towed to Guad for her. It sat there for MONTHS. Then she had it towed back to the lake where it sat in the garage of her choice for more months. All in all, it took her 2 mechanics, 2 towings, 2 lawyers and many months to get it back. Not the best car for Mexico.

PeggyS

Jun 10, 2005, 12:12 AM

Post #3 of 18 (1414 views)

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Re: [thax] Auto Repair

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First, check with your local BMW dealer to find out if there's a Guadalajara BMW dealer, which you may use for parts, etc. Before driving my Jaguar roadster to Ajijic in 2000, I found out that indeed there was a Jaguar dealer in Guad. (I have never needed to use him)

There is a super mechanic, named Roberto who speaks excellent English and has a garage across from the bypass to Guadalajara (the libramiento), next to Tony's wonderful restaurant
and in the same block as the Superlake grocery store. His brother is also a really good mechanic, as are the rest of those working at the garage.

We were really impressed one day when we left off my husband's (mexican) Chrysler which had a problem that we couldn't figure out. When we came out of Superlake, they had already solved the problem, which shows you how modern their equipment is, and how eager they are to help you and to do a good job. Reasonable too.

Another day, we needed a new battery for the Jag, and were waiting while he finished with an earlier client. Roberto asked the BMW owner if he wanted the BMW battery for $800 US or his battery for $70 US, and the BMW owner said indignantly, "The authentic BMW battery, of course". We tried to stifle our giggles without laughing out loud, and when it came our turn, we told Roberto that his battery would do just fine. The battery is still in the roadster and doing just fine.

One has to slow down for the topes, that is why they are there, and ease over them. The only car that I wouldn't bring down is a Chevy, the Corvette, which has only about 4" of clearance with the ground. Any other car is going to get into trouble trying to go flying over the topes.

1ajijic

Jun 10, 2005, 6:43 AM

Post #4 of 18 (1390 views)

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Re: [thax] Auto Repair

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Beto, next to Tony's restaurant, has always treated us fairly and efficiently. There are several BMW dealers in Guadalajara and he will go into Guadalajara to get a part for the cost of the busfare. Lastly if he can't honestly do your job he will refer you to where you can get it done correctly.

Topes are meant to slow you down. Hit them hard and you'll not only slow down but pay a nice repair bill as well. Isn't Mexican justice wonderful!
http://www.newbeginningsmexico.com

Gary Anderson

Jun 10, 2005, 9:03 AM

Post #5 of 18 (1363 views)

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Re: [1ajijic] Auto Repair

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thax -

I love sports and classic cars and over the years have owned many of different pedigrees, including a few BMW's, and still have an old Porsche, a '63, in the USA. Notwithstanding Peggy's take on the matter, there is not a one that I'd even consider as a daily driver Lakeside. IMO they are not user-friendly transportation in this area because of the topes and cobblestones. While BMW's are wonderful cars, in my experience they are fragile. If you like your Beemer, leave it home and drive it when you're there. Or bring it down and budget lots of $$$ for repairs. As you probably already know, BMW parts might as well be encrusted in diamonds for what they cost, and local driving conditions hereabouts ensure that you will need plenty of parts if you want to keep the car from falling to peices. It's your call, of course.

I think the best of all worlds, transportation-wise, in this part of Mexico is a small-to-mid-sized 4X4 SUV. But that's only my $.02.

GA
____________________________________________________________
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22 . . . ." - Joseph Heller

(This post was edited by Gary Anderson on Jun 10, 2005, 9:22 AM)

1ajijic

Jun 10, 2005, 10:18 AM

Post #6 of 18 (1341 views)

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Re: [Gary Anderson] Auto Repair

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We find the best combo to be something small and tough for around town and something bigger for cuota driving
http://www.newbeginningsmexico.com

Gary Anderson

Jun 10, 2005, 11:56 AM

Post #7 of 18 (1322 views)

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Re: [1ajijic] Auto Repair

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Chris -

Good plan for a couple. Were it not for the fact that I'm a one-person household and thus limited to one car here, I'd do the same. Meanwhile, I'll just have to be satisfied with my Grand Cherokee V8, admittedly a compromise, but it works pretty well both here in town and on the cuota roads. It sure likes gas, though.

GA
____________________________________________________________
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22 . . . ." - Joseph Heller

johanson

Jun 10, 2005, 12:43 PM

Post #8 of 18 (1307 views)

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Re: [Gary Anderson] Auto Repair

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I like Gary's suggestion. Me, I have the smallest ford Explorer, the Sport, you know a two door. It too, gets terrible mileage in town. Have you considered the new Hummer? Now before you attack me I am not talking about the H-2, I'm talking about the H-3.

I'm, told but have not confirmed, that the H-3 is quite small and will be marketed to compete with other small SUV's. Maybe when I go to the showroom next week, I will learn that it too is a tank.

Texwheel

Jun 10, 2005, 1:20 PM

Post #9 of 18 (1297 views)

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Re: [Gary Anderson] Auto Repair

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And during my visit last summer, a friend stopped a driver of a Miata near Tom's and asked about bringing his Miata down. The guy said "don't bring it".
Tom Williams
Georgetown, Texas
Texwheel@aol.com

NEOhio

Jun 10, 2005, 2:02 PM

Post #10 of 18 (1287 views)

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Re: [Texwheel] Auto Repair

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Just this week I had this shop repair the tail pipe & muffler oil change air filter gas filter and a couple other things for just under $1700MN - I wa satisfied. The 1990 Grand Wagoneer I drove down is working out well and I am happy I brought it versus the Dodge Van or the Jag. And yes it sucks gas. If you see me out and about say "Hey"!

As a person who loves to drive if I were travelling around the country on cuotas I would without question have a comfortable go-fast car in a garage here for driving events. The trip from Laredo is a driving fools dream road!!! Sparse traffic (Thurs & friday) long stretches, few Police and beautiful surface. Nothing like Ohio where even on the turnpike between the trucks and the potholes there are only 7 or 8 place to get over 100 mph for more than a few minutes. From Laredo in a day at 110 - but then a drvers car is meant for that.

Bubba

Jun 10, 2005, 5:29 PM

Post #11 of 18 (1257 views)

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Re: [NEOhio] Auto Repair

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Now, NE Ohio is a person I know and she's OK. But much of the road between Ajijic and Laredo is two lane and if she is averaging 110 MPH then she is a grossly irresponsible driver. I think what we have witnessed here is braggadocio. Anita loves to brag about herself but, I'll tell you this, we all share these highways and I'm damned if I want to have my ass nailed to the wall so Anita can get to Texas 30 minutes earlier than normal. May the Lord always insure that Anita and I are driving in the same direction.

esperanza

Jun 10, 2005, 6:41 PM

Post #12 of 18 (1244 views)

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Re: [Bubba] Auto Repair

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Now Bubba: very, very little of the road between Laredo and Lake Chapala is two lane. I've driven it at 110 myself and lived to tell the tale. I just don't drive it at 110 on the two-lane parts. I slow down to 100, for pete's sake.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Rogelio L.

Jun 11, 2005, 2:12 AM

Post #13 of 18 (1213 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Auto Repair

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I drive for a living and have seen people driving on the Ohio turnpike driving in excess of 100 mph while talking on the cellphone, and putting on makeup. Ya gotta love it. I try to stay away from those folks. My favorite one though is the guy eating a bowl of cerial while talking on the phone and driving.
You go girl. The Bite you pay is supporting someone
Growing old is manditory, growing up is optional!!

Marlene

Jun 12, 2005, 7:31 PM

Post #14 of 18 (1085 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Auto Repair

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ESPERANZA! That's KPH not MPH, right? Or does your car have wings?

esperanza

Jun 12, 2005, 7:34 PM

Post #15 of 18 (1083 views)

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Re: [Marlene] Auto Repair

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<pleads the Fifth>

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

johanson

Jun 12, 2005, 7:47 PM

Post #16 of 18 (1079 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Auto Repair

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Having lived in Europe, mostly in "D" and "NL" where even 35 years ago, when I was doing 160 (100 mph), folks would climb my bumper on the autobahn wanting to pass, and having driven on the toll roads between Laredo and Ajijic, there were times I would have gone 100 or 110 MPH were I not to have been in a new car, that I was supposed to drive slowly for the first few miles, as it was I kept on catching myself doing 95 MPH and having to slow down.

I know I would have driven 100 (160) for portions of the trip were I have had the right type of vehicle. When I have made the trip, there was almost no traffic, and the roads were terrific. They were built for these very high speeds.

Rolly

Jun 13, 2005, 7:22 AM

Post #17 of 18 (1040 views)

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Re: [johanson] Auto Repair

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In my younger and crazier days, I drove sports cars and loved speed. My record was set in my new '66 Vet on a flat stretch on the interstate East of little Rock about 3:00am on Christmas morning when I got my Vet to top out at 157mph. My reaction was the same as Katherine Hepburn’s in the African Queen after running the rapids "Exhilarating!" I‘m lucky that my present vehicle won’t go fast enough to get me into trouble. (Maybe)

Rolly Pirate

Esteban

Jun 13, 2005, 8:36 AM

Post #18 of 18 (1023 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Auto Repair

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Driving at night, in good road conditions, from Mazatlan to Nogales, I think I was hitting around 95 MPH until I had to make a rather quick adrenilin stop for some cattle. Slowed down after that. I did make Nogales in 12 hours (about 712 miles) that time.

Back in the sixties while driving a Maserati on highway 101 in California, I was doing about 125 MPH. The car wouldn't run properly in 5th gear under 90 MPH. When I had to slow down to speed limit (65 MPH in those days), it felt like I was going 25 MPH. Those cars are made for speed and sort of hug the road when you go fast. Even the seats sort of wrap around you and hold your body in place.