Issue with Frank Keane BMW - advice?

Anan1

As some of you might remember, last month a friend accidentally put a litre of oil into his coolant. I got most of it out and told him to have the system flushed and refilled with fresh coolant. The car needed an oil service anyway so he booked it in with Frank Keane BMW for a service and asked them to flush and refill the coolant system.

He got the car back, having paid €140 for the coolant flush & refill, and all was well until the following day when the low coolant light came on. He rang Frank Keane, who said that they couldn't take the car in for a few days and to top it up with water in the meantime. When he did this he noticed that there was still emulsion floating on the top of the coolant in the expansion bottle. He called FK back, and was told that they hadn't flushed the system, as they 'don't do that', but had simply drained the system & refilled with fresh coolant.

As the car was losing quite a bit of coolant and he needed to drive a lot over the following few days he booked the car in with a Bosch service centre. They told him that the leak had been caused by a pinched O-ring on the side of the expansion tank, due to incorrect reassembly after removal. This service centre replaced the seal, flushed the system and refilled with coolant. They charged €285, and all has been well since.

After a lot of messing with underlings he finally got to speak to the service manager in Frank Keane, who has offered a credit note of €140 and a free mini valet. My friend feels that this is very poor form, given the amount of hassle that Frank Keane's mistakes have caused him.

FK deny having removed the expansion bottle and in any case are refusing to pay third party costs on the basis that they weren't given the opportunity to address the leak. My friend has lost all faith in their abilities as a result of their having replaced the coolant without flushing, their having returned the car with a coolant leak, and their having told him that it needs new pads & discs when it doesn't. What do you think would be a fair resolution at this point?

drunkmonkey

I think the credit note and free mini valet is fair enough. Frank Keane didn't cause the mess your friend caused it.
They did screw up but trying to prove that would be very hard as the information came from a 3rd Party not an authorized BMW service agent.

Anan1

Just to add a little more information - the service manager in Frank Keane was unfailingly polite and always called when he said that he would. He took the time to call the Bosch service centre, and agreed both with the mechanic there and with my friend that the only way that the O-ring could have been pinched was if the mechanic in FK had removed it. However, he said that when he checked the job card there was no mention of the expansion tank having been touched, that it would have been noted if it had been, and that therefore FK hadn't caused the leak.

Agent_47

Take the credit note and free valet and move on. No matter what service or work I have had done over the years by various franchises (dealers and non) there has always been something. Always remember the VW service on the Polo, one month later the back box fell apart just before the NCT.
Sometimes the best service is what you do yourself.
Just remember to put oil in the oil top up and water/coolant into the expansion bottle, surprising how many people like your friend get this wrong. Just be thankful it wasn't water in the engine oil or you'd be rightly stuffed with a large bill.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I bought a 60k approved used car off them and had so many issues and such poor service that I would take what they offer and run.

copacetic

as above, take the offer and never darken their door again.

edit - although that'd be difficult with a credit note. look for the cash back instead I guess pointing out that
a credit note is much use when they are incompetent and don't offer to quickly resolve issues they cause.

-Corkie-

What more do they want... Why would anyone be so stupid to fill the coolant with oil in the first place. If they know nothing about cars or driving then they should get someone who knows what there at. Btw there must have been a leak somewhere to say the op topped up the reservoir in the first place..

frank gooding

Just a sides note

I assume it was Keith and Mark in MKW motors (bosch Service Center) that sorted out the car.

The lads have a talent for sorting cars out after main stealer services.

A funny habit of diagnosing problems rather than just throwing various parts at a car until the problem goes away.

I think take the refund and token offer is fair enough. Take the lesson and move on.

Anan1

frank gooding wrote: »

I think take the refund and token offer is fair enough. Take the lesson and move on.

It's not an offer of a refund, it's an offer of a credit note. I would have thought myself that, the issue of the leak aside, the cost of any work performed but not asked for should be refunded?

unkel

I'd look for a refund (not a credit note).

I'm glad you took frank gooding's and my recommendation about that Bosch service centre

Did they sort out the A8 too?

-Corkie-

unkel wrote: »

I'd look for a refund (not a credit note).

I'm glad you took frank gooding's and my recommendation about that Bosch service centre

Did they sort out the A8 too?

I think the lesson we can all learn is the guys Frank mentioned are superior compared to these dealerships. A lot of people including myself think that youll get fantastic service in these glass palaces. Those guys have been recommended several times here before...

Agent_47

Agent_47 wrote: »

Just remember to put oil in the oil top up and water/coolant into the expansion bottle, surprising how many people like your friend get this wrong. Just be thankful it wasn't water in the engine oil or you'd be rightly stuffed with a large bill.

Years back when I worked in a factors one of the customers was a head mechanic is a local Opel garage, he had a car in one weekend. A lad had topped up his girlfriend's Aunt's at the time modern Corsa with water. About a gallon into the engine :eek:

Anan1 wrote: »

It's not an offer of a refund, it's an offer of a credit note. I would have thought myself that, the issue of the leak aside, the cost of any work performed but not asked for should be refunded?

As Unkel says I'd insist on a refund, they should agree to this reluctantly id they have half a brain cell. I'd take the free valet although they may cock that up too. Unreal that they won't actually admit to pinching the o ring, or at least to removing the bottle.

Shane732

You just have to love Frank Keane and the outstanding customer service they provide. I had a problem with them when I had my Mini - I'm sure I probably put a thread up about it at the time!

They're a complete joke.

The likelihood is that you're friend isn't going to have any use for the credit note. I wouldn't inflict a Frank Keane credit note on anyone - not even my worst enemy!

I personally don't take the credit note off them - I'd make sure that I got rid of everyone out of the showroom and wouldn't leave until such time as I got the €140 (cash) off them.

Advice would be to go North where the grass is greener for decent BMW service.

rebel.ranter

My concern with the credit note would be that the next job that got done would be exactly €140 dearer.
Also why are they offering a €140 credit note & a mini valet when they claim they have done nothing wrong? It would also seem strange to me that a fully kitted out service department (which I would imagine all BMW service departments have to be) would not be competent enough to carry out a cooling system flush? Or do they only do "basic" stuff there?
I would also be looking for a refund or failing that (which is inevitable) I would look for a free oil service, surely they could get that right?

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Use the credit note to buy cleaning products, a air filter, oil, telephone snap adapter, wiper blades, etc.....

kazul

I take it you didn't remove the expansion bottle to get oil out of the system?

danjo

Is €285 not on the expensive side for flushing out and replacing coolant? Guess the seal could not be expensive.

Anan1

Thanks to all who replied. I can't for the life of me see why anyone would advocate taking a credit note in lieu of work performed but not asked for - perhaps one the people who suggested this could explain?

I would have thought that fairness would demand at least a refund of that €140, as that clearly shouldn't have been charged. To my mind the area where there's a hint of greyness is the coolant leak. On the one hand, FK should have been given the opportunity to address this. On the other, it started immediately after the car was returned, FK were too busy even to look at it for a couple of days, and it's hard to think who else other than FK could have pinched the O-ring.

@ kazul - I used a turkey baster
@ danjo - I thought so a little myself, but I suppose when you count in time taken to pressure test, replace the seal, flush, refill, and pressure test again it's not too bad. At any rate, i'd sooner pay €285 for the job done right than half that for a mixture of fresh coolant & old emulsion in a leaky system.
@ unkel - the A8's like a new car since, I was very impressed with MKW. I've sent a couple of other people over since, who also felt the same way.