I have a 2001 E46 325i. I met John when he was working at a local BMW dealership. Car had a little electronic problem and had to be diagnosed.
About 2 hours into the job, John came out to greet me. It was rare to see a technician greet a customer in the waiting room. Usually, the service advisor is the person who relays the messages. John said he needed more time to find out the glitch.
45mins later he did and we went out on a test drive. Car drives perfectly fine since.
But that wasn’t quite exactly how I got to know John personally. His first question when we did the test-drive was “Do you track your car?”. Knowing how some dealerships have strict rules not honoring warranty work if the car has been tracked, I paused for a moment before taking the courage and reply “Yes, I do”.
Surprisingly, John smiled back and said, “So, do I”.
Then and there, I knew I have made a friend at the dealership. Every visit the dealership became a valuable lesson on automotive care and maintenance. John has such vast knowledge working on BMWs, I felt I should really pay him to be my tutor instead. During one visit, he even showed me his racecar in the dealership back lot!
A year later, in 2003, John left the dealership and opened his own shop, European MotorWerks. While I still brought my car in to the dealership back then, I would often visit John at the shop. Many a time, I have seen him worked on various BMWs in the shop, interact and negotiate with customers. Each time, it is assuring to see that he still maintains his professionalism until this very day.
EMW uses only original OEM BMW parts. EMW also has the latest special tools that are required to work on BMWs. John never skims on anything that are required to get the job done right. This includes a GT-1 diagnostic system that all dealerships have.
John always finds time to listen and suggest resolutions when necessary. His “no-nonsense” attitude sets him apart from some of the car technicians I have encountered in the past. Beating around any bushes is not his pastime. If you want straight and honest answers, he is there to provide them. Most importantly, his prices are reasonable.
Vincent Seah
Jan 2005