[StevePSB]

Been thinking about the battery/oil temp guages for a while, and whilst my car is in for warranty work this week I decided to get the guages fitted.

Can't wait to see them. Has to be better than an empty space.

[ianfretwell]

Might be worth asking for the oil gauge to be on the left...as this is the most useful one it's better if you can actually see it past your knee!!!

Mine is on the right (my own fault really since I fitted it myself) and it just spoils it a little.

[TheBlackKnight]

Apparently these are a bugger to fit as the wiring on them is geared for the left-hand drive cars!

[ianfretwell]

Would say it didn't make any difference at all. Could have wired it either way with no more problem in either case.

[TheBlackKnight]

Just passing on the 'official' word from BMW - maybe they just didn't want to fit them on my car ;-)

[ianfretwell]

Funny that, spoke to two dealerships about having them fitted - neither had ever fitted them to a car and were very cagey about the prices they were giving me. In the end I couldn't believe that they were wanting £80/hour and £100/hour respectively for the labor. This of course on top of the gauges which are ridiculously expensive in the first place.

Not only that but in the supplied kit the screws that are supposed to hold the gauge panel to the centre console aren't long enough!!! Really poor.

Looks nice once it's fitted though....

[TheBlackKnight]

Ian, I had almost exactly the same caginess from my usual dealer; I'm wondering whether the wiring loom story was just a cooked-up fantasy to discourage me!

I do like the look of those guages; they really finish the interior nicely, might have to push for them to be fitted....

Interesting to hear you were given the run-around as well from BMW...

[StevePSB]

It took me aaaages to get a labour time for fitting, MINI customer sdervices were their usual helpful selves 'sorry, we don't have access to labour times, ask your dealer' when I'd told them in the e-mail that I'd already asked two dealerships and neither knew how long to fit them.

I hear they are hard work if you have climate control, which I have. I've got a firm total cost from my dealer though.

[ianfretwell]

I have the official instructions (still waiting for them to be posted on here though....where are they Paul....you've had 'em ages now!!!).

It quotes 1.5 hours to fit. It took me and a friend approx 4 hours but we were being really careful to make a good job and not affecting anything else at the same time.

Go on, elighten us with the cost .... I'll guess at £350 as a minimum.....

[StevePSB]

Well, the dealership I use has a relatively low (relatively being the operative word!) labour rate of £55 per hour plus VAT I think, and I they said it would be £115 for fitting.
As I work for a Vauxhall dealership, I've asked for, and got trade discount on parts. The kit is £165 + VAT retail I think, so I'd imagine I'll be paying about £170 all in.

That equates to about £300 by my calculation.