I got pointed here by an old friend who had a BMW and found this forum to be extraordinarily helpful.

A few months back I bought a '95 740i. It's already had some work done (new power steering hose and fuel pump) at the dealer. I needed to get the power steering and fuel pump fixed right away so I was happy to pay the dealer's exorbitant prices for safety's sake.

The dealer also told me that I needed to get:

- New steel control arms replaced to fix a shimmy ($770 parts + labor)
- Valve cover gaskets replaced ($660 parts + labor)
- All belts and tensioners replaced ($472 parts, I forget what he said for labor)

There is an independent mechanic here so I thought I'd have him do the other work and save what are surely jacked up prices above. I picked up the valve cover gaskets ($60 shipped) and 10 piece front suspension steering rebuild ($410 shipped - I figured I should just replace everything at once) from FCP Groton.

I know next to nothing about belts and tensioners, however. The dealer was emphatic about it being all. Does anyone have any idea what parts I need to order or where I should order them from?

I also am assuming that I should replace the spark plugs since they have probably been sitting in oil because of the leaky valve cover gaskets. Does anyone have any suggestions on what brand are best?

Anything else I should get done while they've got everything half apart? I'm planning on having them look at the radiator, which might be the original piece, and also having them figure out why the cigarette lighters won't charge anything. The fuse for it is fine, but it won't charge a phone or anything else.

Thanks for tips.

Input your car's details (year, make, model, etc.) here: www.realoem.com Then you can view schematics/part #s for belts, tensioners, etc. Plugs: Bosch + NGK have been very well reviewed. Good idea to check/replace your radiator and expansion tank plus the other issues pointed out by the stealer.

BTW, welcome

Take it to the independent BMW mechanic and have him look it over. More than likely he'll talk you out of anything you don't need. Most indy's have this wierd "power to the people" and "stick it to the man" mentality.

As for parts, OEM is always the best. BMW put in quality parts and you usually don't need to "upgrade." I usually go to www.autohausaz.com/ for parts, and I often go to www.realoem.com to look up part numbers. And www.e38.org will soon become your best friend.

As for the tensioners, the parts are $100 (for both), and they're easy to do yourself. However, I would check to see if your belt just isn't loose. Recently a noise was coming from my engine and it made me think that I had to replace the tensioner, but as it turns out it just needed tightening.

As for the shimmy, you don't have to get a whole 10-part set. Start small and don't buy what you don't need. Start with the bushing. It's number 6 in the image below ...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/m/n/3.png

Thanks all. The dealer was convinced that the control arms needed to be replaced and everything else that came with that 10 piece kit saved me money. I may be able to return whatever the indy doesn't use.

I'll definitely have them look at the radiator and expansion tank. Will also look up part #s.