BMW Service Query

paddyjoesoap

I called into a BMW garage today to ask a general question about serving with them.

They said a simple oil change and micro filter would be over 200 euro.

They said the oil was long life and would last around 18000 miles.

My question is can I get regular oil (change every 6000 or 7000 miles) or long life oil from typical auto shops like Halfords that would suit a 2005 320d.

(I am currently thinking of purchasing a 320d once I check it out on Saturday).

As far as I can tell, one can reset the service indicator on the BMW without having to bring it to a garage.

However, from my conversation with the BMW garage, they swipe the key of the car and know when (in terms of miles) other parts of the car are due a service. For example, break pads, fluid etc.

Would a reset of the service interval also reset other information on the ECU?

I was hoping I could do my own regular service and then bring the car to a BMW garage once a year to look more closely at other issues that are flaged by swiping the car key or using a diagnostic kit.

Note, I have always done my own servicing on the cars I had in the past (02 golf, 01 grand vitara and a 03 Mazda b2500). For example, oil, oil filter, air filter, glow plugs, break pads.

Any comments on servicing and maintaing a BMW, particularly a 2005 320d are welcome.

regards, Patrick.

bmw535d

don't go near BMW stealerships for services, from my personal experience of graham BMW in letterkenny(now closed) their work is of bad standard. they charged me 400 euro for an oil and filter change and a couple of service reminder resets basically 4 hours work, i only had the car a week and it broke down due to a crank shaft sensor going, so that was the only reason i was in with them as it was still under warranty. you can do all your own servicing and reset the service reminder yourself, just search online how to do it, as regards the key, its supposed to hold the service history and mileage in its memory, but if you keep all your receipts for oil etc it would attract a buyer quicker than a full service history of a dealer, something which i could get in the morning for my car with a brown envelope and my empty service booklet.

paddyjoesoap

Indeed the good old brown evelope ;-)

Like you, I always keep my reciepts.

So is oil expensive?

I am used to getting 10w40 (I think) for my previous cars for around 30 euro. I typically change oil and air filters including oil every 6000 miles.

Is this type on oil (as in short life or normal oil) ok for a BMW? Will it cause damage in the long run.

I'd get the more expensive oil if necessary. Any ideas of the price?

I typically do a 100 miles a day from Tipp to Cork (50 each way), all motorway miles.

Also, I presume I can do the break pads myself. Presumably these pads have an electrical component to them to notifiy the ECU when woren. I presume a typical auto shop will have cheaper spurious copies of BMW pads at 1/2 the cost.

Thanks for your reply.

bmw535d

paddyjoesoap wrote: »

Indeed the good old brown evelope ;-)

Like you, I always keep my reciepts.

So is oil expensive?

I am used to getting 10w40 (I think) for my previous cars for around 30 euro. I typically change oil and air filters including oil every 6000 miles.

Is this type on oil (as in short life or normal oil) ok for a BMW? Will it cause damage in the long run.

I'd get the more expensive oil if necessary. Any ideas of the price?

I typically do a 100 miles a day from Tipp to Cork (50 each way), all motorway miles.

Also, I presume I can do the break pads myself. Presumably these pads have an electrical component to them to notifiy the ECU when woren. I presume a typical auto shop will have cheaper spurious copies of BMW pads at 1/2 the cost.

Thanks for your reply.

i use castrol edge 5w-40 fully synth and change it every 15000miles. its recommended by bmw and the service booklet says you can use long life up to 20,000 miles but i wouldn't as i am keeping the car till its fit for the scrap yard. it costs me 40stg for 4liters but its worth it for piece of mind.

yea the brake pads are like any other car eg a passat with the wear sensor in the genuine pads, but unlike a passat you cannot just cut the connector and twist the two wires together to get away with using non genuine pads and the brake pad wear alert will not reset unless genuine pads are used:(

paddyjoesoap

Thanks for the heads up on the pads.

ostoplad

Hey,when I was driving home this evening the EML light came on in my dash and the start lose power and then the light beside came on which is the Exhaust emissions light....has anyone had this kind of problem before.
Would it be ok to Drive?

Thanks.

bmw535d

ostoplad wrote: »

Hey,when I was driving home this evening the EML light came on in my dash and the start lose power and then the light beside came on which is the Exhaust emissions light....has anyone had this kind of problem before.
Would it be ok to Drive?

Thanks.

sounds like a dpf problem(diesel particulte filter) probably clogged up from loads of short cold runs, you need to get it reset and possibly remove the dpf and either replace or clean it. then to avoid this make sure you take your car for a good long 40 min run at least every fort night to clean it out.

AL 555

What pads you use makes no difference, you can buy spurious wear pad sensors that use the original plug that the BMW ones go into, these can be got from any decent motor factors but you may need to get someone to knock the light off on the dash depending on year and model of the car.... on some cars leaving the battery disconnected for a while can solve this issuse.

danjo

OP,
if you do invest then sign up to BMW-Driver.net . A great source of information for the BMW user.

Heroditas

paddyjoesoap wrote: »

Would a reset of the service interval also reset other information on the ECU?

No, it shouldn't.
Also, any independent worth their salt will have a diagnostic kit and can reset the particular values for for dates to service things like brake fluid, brake pads, oil etc....

paddyjoesoap

Thanks lads.

Dublindave2

I recently had the rear brake pads and sensors of a 2007 X5 replaced for €100 in Wicklow Town. Took 15 / 20 minutes, by a properly trained mechanic not a so called BMW technician. He was happy for me to watch him at work. I reset the service indicator when he was finished. By the way, BMW quoted €305 for the same replacement.

Gumbo

Heroditas wrote: »

No, it shouldn't.
Also, any independent worth their salt will have a diagnostic kit and can reset the particular values for for dates to service things like brake fluid, brake pads, oil etc....

In the hidden service menu of the E90 Theres options to reset each service item ie. Oil, micro filter, pads etc. On their own.

Your car is an 05 and well out of warranty so you can buy a cheaper brand of oil from the factors that conform to BMW LL04 standard and you can still use the long life intervals. Castle is about 75e for 5 litres for my E90 or I van get a cheaper version for about 45e.

Up to you what one you want to use.