l have recently been having problems with my bmw and my friend who is a mechanic (who is also fixing my car) told me that l need a crankshaft position sensor but that l need to get it from a bmw dealer and not a from auto shop because it may malfunction. Is this true?

Also I've had put a new battery, a starter, and just now a fuel pump (plus a fuel filter which he has not been put in. would that cause problems with the car starting?)

My car is a 1995 bmw 740i

A crank position sensor would keep the engine from not starting. The ones from the auto parts store are aftermarket, and lower quality than dealer ones. It is possible that it might malfunction, but you could get lucky and get one that will work for a long time.

You are usually better to stick with dealership parts, but sometimes those parts are not always available at the dealer. Auto parts stores deliver to car dealer garages all the time. Sometimes the aftermarket parts from the parts stores are better than original because they have the bugs worked out that caused the original to fail.

Really no difference at all but a lower price in most cases. You can buy parts made for the same manufacturer in the same assembly line & after the parts r built & piled up some go to BMW & some to other distributors. However some other part manufactures make parts for BMW but that brand or design was never used by BMW. l can not remeber right now the last time l bought directly from BMW. When is need a part only BMW has l go thru another seller that when after they get it from BMW my cost is lower than if l walked into BMW a dealerships parts department. l get customers in once in a while who tell me ''dealer parts only please'' Then l say from the dealer or another place? ''whats the difference?'' only price only price.

the part is made by Bosch and no it does not make difference if you pick it up from the dealer or auto parts store as long as it is made by Bosch.

l take that back, there is a difference in label - one from BMW has BMW Roundel logo on it and is more expensive.