I've been getting an error code '114 CPS error' on my car recently but apart from a very slight difference in smoothness at tickover there were no obvious symptoms. I switched the sensor from bank 1 to bank 2 and vice versa and the good news is the fault moved over so INPA showed '113 CPS error' so at least I know it's the sensor to replace. I've never replaced either CPS in my 14 years of ownership so undecided if I need to go genuine BMW or not - genuine is around £160 but there are so many pattern parts about can anyone recommend a good brand/seller or do I just go OEM?
Perceived wisdom was always to go for OE with these as people had problems with aftermarket - not sure why they would be so sensitive to them though.
I've read that but also seen a few other suggestion such as Delphi which seem to have worked Autodoc have a rather unbelievable 46 options...priced between £12.99 (Wagner) and £109.99 (Optimal) and I've not heard of most of them options but none from Bosch.
My BM is 6 cyl. not V8 but I would definitely go genuine BM. The price tag at the lower end of the Auodoc options list should tell you all you need to know & be advised that my one & only experience of attempting to return components to AD did not go well. Not sure if your term CPS is with reference to crank or cam sensor, but I had the former changed for a reputable aftermarket item (not from AD) that lasted just two weeks .. returned & received a refund. Yes genuine is expensive, but you get what you pay for & in my case the quest to save money resulted in me paying twice for labour.
It's one of the Camshaft sensors so probably the easiest thing to do on a V8 and being able to swap the 2 sensors side to side made it simple to be sure the fault lies with the sensor. I'm leaning towards ordering an OEM one from the dealer but it does seem odd that it has to be genuine. GER on the M5 board did some interesting comparisons between OEM and Delphi and seemed to come up with a happy compromise some years ago.
It's not a question of having to be genuine, just strongly advisable in my opinion. Savings can be made by using aftermarket components on any car in appropriate circumstances but BM sensors isn't one of them. In my case the first choice I made was for a sensor marketed by NGK & I thought that a manuf. so well known should be a safe bet, nor was it dirt cheap. nb. As a precaution I also had the cam sensor (BM) replaced at the same time on the assumption that both components could well be 25 year old originals.
Might be worth asking the guys in cotswold BMW to see if you can get a better price? They have a section on the site. I live in Ireland and back when the old bmwland site was live, I could get parts from the guys in Cotswold shipped to my door cheaper than i could by strolling into my local dealership! (All pre-brexit of course). That was partly because we get ripped off here in Ireland but also because the Cotswold guys did good pricing and were great to deal with. #notoncommission ~S.
I agree, a few years ago I needed to replace the cooling fan shroud on my old E39 & secured one from Cotswold, shipped over from Germany, for less than an Ebay aftermarket item !
Thanks for the suggestion, my pricing was based on a Cotswold quote as they offered a discount to Forum5 members too so I usually go to them first
Better go with genuine, at least search for reliable BMW breakers around, many nowadays sell low-mileage parts, which sell parts 70% cheaper. I have bought many parts from www.mtautoparts.com, as I am in Sheffield and from some eBay sellers. Search what is near you, or perhaps just message them. I think going with genuine and at least used, is always better than cheap aftermarket copies... Had a cheap headlight changed by insurance, and had to redo it in couple of years. Cheers mate.
Interesting advice, I've tended to shy away from eBay for anything like sensors etc where you can't 'see' the condition. I'm fine with parts that you can clearly inspect or are low failure items but buying something like a used CPS with no way of knowing the history seems a bit iffy as the seller can't be 100% sure the item is good or how long it might last given the item will be 20+ years old but interested if others have had success going this route?
