When is it time to stop going to a main dealer for a service

Hi all,

Just wondering at what stage is it not worth going to a main dealer, i.e at what age of the car.

I have a 182 530e, when I bought it last year it had full BMW service history and obviously this gets stored in the computer.

It's due a service now and I'm torn between going to BMW to continue the logs in the on board computer as there is no manual to even stamp I don't think ( I think it's just a manual book)

There is no mileage on it, not even 45k km , for resale do you think I should stick with the BMW service or just go to my local guy who is great.

I will probably only hold on to the car for another year if that makes a difference.

Thanks

User1998

I believe there are independent mechanics who can upload the service history to the onboard computer.

On a car with such low mileage tho I wouldn’t be afraid to just ignore the time limit and service it when the mileage limit is reached? Like every 15k km’s or whatever it is.

Atlantic Dawn

I'd be inclined to stick to main dealer if changing next year so you can maintain the full history as a selling point. If I was going to hold on to it for say 4 or 5 more years I'd go independent as at that stage the additional cost in full history will outweigh the extra you will get for it.

goochy

I wouldn't be keen on buying a new enough car where someone had tried to save money on servicing

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121688043#Comment_121688043

The independent garages in quite a few cases have better mechanics and will source the same BMw parts as the main garages.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121687662#Comment_121687662

Yes a number of them have access to the system, from recollection it cost 30 euro or something to upload. My own garage used to keep a record and then upload all at once if you wanted to make sure system was updated but save you the fee each time.

goochy

It doesn't matter. Why cut costs on a prestige car . Its a bad sign

tomhammer..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121688073#Comment_121688073

Cos it's cheaper ?

Not advocating it he should stick with MD as he's selling soon

Green Peter

Main dealers are a rip off, they'll screw you on the trade in either way. If you have a good mechanic get them to do it and keep the receipts with what has been done to show potential buyers especially when selling private, if selling to a garage as I said they will screw you anyway.

goochy

Car will be worth less without full bmw fsh so false economy

tomhammer..

Would be pointless switching service at the last minute to save a few euro

goochy

Take no notice of green Peter. Put it this way a bmw main dealer won't retail.a used bmw with full bmw service history so you get less of a trade-in as Its sold in the trade

Whocare

Personally I would think about moving away from main dealer went car is 5/6 years old

djan

Once main warranty is up I'd switch to independent garages, ideally those that specialise in BMW and can update the iDrive.

If selling private it makes little to no difference and personally, I would prefer seeing a BMW specialist over a dealer. The main thing is what was serviced and how often, the actual parts often make little difference unless you really go budget or full on wrong.

JVince

Low mileage - so probably once a year or less for service. In that case stick with main dealer but be very careful about their "recommendations" especially around tyres and brake pads where they will "recommend" when there's at least 10k km safe use left (get them done independently if required)

Titzon Toast

One it's serviced in a good garage and you have a receipt you be good to go imho.

History is history.

hoodie6029

Once the warranty is up, go to an independent. Plenty of them can update idrive so just find one that can.

tomhammer..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121688501#Comment_121688501

Is that alway true though

Isn't there sometimes goodwill after warranty expires if you've main dealer service

Also selling soon you'd better stick with MD to have it as USP

Wanderer78

know a couple of lads that trained in my local bmw dealer, both said run!

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121688515#Comment_121688515

In this case, the OP has it a year and is planning on selling. Doubt there’d be much good will from the dealer here.

As long as it has stamps from a reputable garage, that should be enough for anyone except the most ardent anorak!

bazz26

I've a 2017 430d that I have maintained a full main dealer service history on too. The main reason being that local independent specialists to me are not that much cheap than what the main dealer is charging these days. Some of them have invested in equipment that they want to make back. I do tend to get basic things like brake pads, discs etc changed outside the dealer network as they are a rip off but for fluids, etc I stick with the main dealer for the service history stamp. Goodwill becomes less of a reason too as the car gets older because it's less likely that any manufacturer will offer it as the car ages.

As for making it more valuable when selling on, it may or may not. While a BMW dealer may retail it on their forecourt and ask more for it, that doesn't mean they will give you more for it when trading it. Many indy dealers won't ask or care either about a full service history in my experience, they will just look at the age, condition and mileage. Having a full main dealer service history might be a bonus for them when selling to the next owner but not to you when buying it off you.

In saying all that, with low mileage and you selling it next year, I'd tend to stick with the main dealer this time to keep it.

mickdw

I'd go main dealer with a 530e to avoid any questions relating to battery warranty that goes to 100k km .... if I recall correctly.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121688094#Comment_121688094

The vast majority of the car buying public won't be focused on a comprehensive dealer service history and the dealer will buy the car on the likleihood of it being sold on.

rob316

If you are going selling it in a year I'd go the main dealer service, if not I'd go to a good independent. There is a BMW specialist in our industrial estate and he is landed over cars from the main dealer constantly to sort. Main Dealer isn't all that cracked up to be, it'll be an apprentice servicing the car still. You can insist on your independent to use OEM parts if you want too.

tomhammer..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121688769#Comment_121688769

Agree but it's the paperwork sometimes that counts

colm_mcm

I’d stick with BMW for now as you might need goodwill on battery etc.

Casati

I know somebody who got goodwill from BMW on a ten year old 3 series (for timing chain) as the car had BMW service history from day one. He if he had serviced it with the local Indy, the main dealer wouldn’t even have applied for goodwill. The goodwill was worth thousands to him.

Penny wise, pound foolish

Green Peter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121689688#Comment_121689688

Sorry, but I find that very hard to swallow.

djan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121689688#Comment_121689688

That's a big risk to take especially as unlikely for full cost of changing timing chain being covered. 10 years worth savings on independent servicing would cover a timing chain service and have plenty left over.

CalamariFritti

I dont know if its the same everywhere, but where I live the main BMW dealer charged €120 per hour last time I used, I believe its gone up since to €135. My local indy has all the electronics gear and also worked in BMW for many years and he charges €70 an hour. So on that front it's a no brainer.

What also needs to be said is that I didnt always get quality service from the main dealer. I had a couple of repairs where they must have let an apprentice do the job or something and it had to go back for fixing up. On one occasion a tracking job ruined all 4 tyres within a month. New quality brand tyres, Contis. To be fair they gave me new tyres (same brand/type), but still, shouldn't have happened in the first place and made me wonder.

I understand I may be lucky with my indy and not every indy may know BMWs the way he does, but with all things being equal I think you can stop going to BMW when all warranties have run out. Thats what I did. I bought mine 3 years old from BMW and had 12 months warranty on it. So from year 4 onward I went to the indy.

You have to weigh up a number of factors I think. One of those factors is when is it that you're planning to move the car on? My one is 10 years old now and I'm likely to drive it another 10. At which point it wont matter whether it has full BMW history or not. But if your car is 3 years old and you're planning to move on after another 2 or 3 it may be more important.

Casati

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121690129#Comment_121690129

I felt the same but it was an amazing how well BMW looked him. Certainly his experience made me consider a used BMW myself.

He got the standard Inspection services with the main dealer but went elsewhere for other stuff - eg like the above poster he wouldn’t go near the main dealer for tracking, or stuff like brakes, suspension or air con recharging. BMW dealers charge a lot per for that sort of stuff as they charge they cost per hour, but the standard inspections might work out 100 quid a year more than an Indy. In the past they have offered special deals for older cars too

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121690400#Comment_121690400

I heard, no idea if true Joe Duffy was looking at 190 an hour

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121690485#Comment_121690485

ahh here the story gets more unbelievable with each post, he didn’t have a full bmw service history so

Casati

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121690524#Comment_121690524

What’s unbelievable about that?? If you get all the Inspection 1 and Inspection 2 services completed in a main dealer, that is considered a FSH by BMW.

Do you often have trouble trusting people?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121690524#Comment_121690524

As long as you get oil & filters every year at the dealers then its considered a full main dealer service history.

By your logic someone who buys their tyres from a tyre shop does not have a full main dealer service history

galvo_clare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121690129#Comment_121690129

I got goodwill on my 08 520d late last year. On its third timing chain now. Went away from the dealer after the five year service pack ran out.

In 2014 BMW we’re doing the chains foc for a few weeks but last year it wore again. Cost me €600 but the balance was covered by BMW.

PsychoPete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121690400#Comment_121690400

There's plenty of main dealer work that's questionable. I worked in one workshop that let first year apprentices do timing belts,servicing,brakes etc unchecked while the qualified techs do the big jobs. Letting an a first year apprentice do that kind of work was madness! The quality of the main dealer work isn't worth the price most of the time

Ubbquittious

Yesterday.

drunkmonkey

Not sure how BMW work, we've kept up the service on a 16 Volvo , 210km on the clock, service cost €300 last week but if it breaks down between now and it's next service we're covered with Volvo assistance, they'll collect the car and cover the cost of a rental while it's being repaired. We've had to use this a couple of times, feels worth it for the piece of mind.

It's also got things like a timing belt, break discs outside of Volvo and it's not a problem, we've used genuine parts and just got the local Indy to do the work.

Casati

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121691349#Comment_121691349

Amazing service by BMW on a 15 year old car

Hurrache

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121693206#Comment_121693206

Mercedes do similar, you're covered by their assistance at long as the car is serviced by them.

intro

I had a timing chain done under warranty on a 08 320D estate with 160k miles in December 2018. 3 years main dealer servicing from purchase and independents after that.

Post number 7 on this thread for more details : https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057951065/bmw-timing-belt-chain#latest

I do believe this may have been due to them losing parts of a court case (in respect of disclosure of the number of timing chain failures in IRL & GB if memory serves me correctly) that was running in the courts in relation to timing chains. This is a just a guess on my part!

They had been refusing to give goodwill for years before this. I'm not sure how long they continued with this policy.

Thanks for the replies all.

Think I will stick with main dealer service but if the discs or pads need replacing on the mean time I will just get my local indy to do it, just use BMW for oil changes. I assume be no issues..

I think however if I was going to keep it longer I would just go indy as I dont think when selling it would get the difference in cost back between dealer and indy.

Although apparently if you go to an indy that can upload the service history if you ever go back to BMW for a service they wipe it, or at least that's what I was told. Don't know if it's deffo true

I have a BMW motorbike aswell and the service prices are hilarious, think it's 300 quid for an oil change and pair of front discs changed is north of a grand, told them to go jump when it got out of warranty So god knows how much the dealer will be for the car

Yeah Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121688043#Comment_121688043

It's not always about costs, OP never mentioned money or savings, so it's a bit presumptuous to start claiming that's the reason.

Like most industries in Ireland, I've found if the person doing the work isn't the person getting paid, then the work is much more likely to be substandard. I.E. your man working as a mechanic in the BMW main dealer doesn't give a bollocks about your car or the work he's doing on it. He's getting paid at the end of the week, it doesn't matter if he does a shite job or not, he gets the same wages either way.......and both he and BMW couldn't give a monkeys about your return custom. Why would they, they're booked out the door with lads trying to maintain the main dealer full service history.

The local guy with the lockup behind the housing estate? If he does a shite job he won't get the full whack from his customers. Plus, if word gets out that his work is shoddy, he'll lose custom and end up going out of business. So he takes care and pride in what he does.

I've a long list of issues with Audi North Dublin/Joe Duffy, they're an absolute pain in the gee to deal with. One of the biggest red flags is that they wouldn't reply in writing to emails or complaints raised via their website. Everything was done over the phone, presumably so there's no record of it. I learned this the hard way, so by the end of everything I was emailing them to say "just so I'm clear, as per our conversation earlier, we have agreed upon the following....1....2...etc". They would phone me to confirm this was the case, most of the time.

No responsibility, no accountability, no budging on certain things because 'corporate have our hands tied' etc. I booked in for a major service in 2018 after I'd gotten the car (151 D), followed by a minor service in 2019. Didn't do much mileage in 2020, so just an oil change and another major one in 2021. In 2022, I received a call saying it was due, so I booked another minor one and dropped the car off. When I collected it, they were charging me nearly double (€500 instead of €260 or thereabouts). Turns out, they'd logged it as a major service by mistake, so I said I wasn't going to be paying for it. I told him that's not what I'd asked for, but he said it was my fault because I'd signed the sheet of paper when dropping off my keys which said major instead of minor. They couldn't adjust the price down because the work had already been done. I lost the rag with them and swore I wasn't going near them again. He deducted SOME of the labour costs after much arguing, and said he'd give me a major one next time as well for the price of a minor one. I asked for this in writing, and he refused, said it's on your file.

The following year, drop it off for service and a different guy knows nothing about a major one for the price of a minor one. I insisted it was 'on file' and he said "what file?". I had recorded his name at the time, so I asked to speak with him. He'd been promoted to a different branch and didn't work there any more. I asked the new guy to ring him and he refused. So I rang the different branch myself, put the phone on speaker and asked him about it in front of about 6 staff and the entire waiting area of customers. Before he could answer, a manager came over to me and said they'd honour it, presumably worried about the impending shouting match

I swore I was done with them, until a new issue three days later made me go back in. They made a balls of that too, so I was without a car from start of November until 14th December............nearly ten days before Xmas without a present or a bit of shopping done. Error on car "fault with start/stop system....please contact workshop". Reported on 26th October, couldn't get a slot until 10th November. Phone call, 15 mins before they close: "Problem is start/stop button, which only comes as part of a set that costs €250 or something and has to be ordered as they don't keep them in stock". They won't take payment over the phone, so have to make it to the showroom beside the Finglas M50 exit to pay. If I need to use the car tomorrow, he tells me, I'll have to get a taxi. I ask what time they close, he says ten minutes. "So, when you say get a taxi, what you mean is 'get a taxi tomorrow because we'll be shut by the time you get here and you'll have to get a taxi home and then another one out here tomorrow morning?" Response:......"uhhhhhhhhhh".

Call out to pay and collect car. Part arrives 4 days later. Drop car off again. Collect it that evening. They replaced the start/stop button, but same error comes up on the drive home. They never even took it out for a test drive. Drop it off again and get a call 2 hrs later. Initial diagnosis was incorrect, requires a new 'control unit'. Have to call out to pay for that in person also, then wait another week for an available slot. This is now 5 full weeks after the initial phone call was made.

1st December, get call at 5.15pm AGAIN to come collect car 15 mins before they close. I'm away that weekend, so car doesn't get much use.

Monday 5th December, car won't start at all. Not even a whimper. Call them up, no slots until Friday 9th.

Get car towed to the showroom on the 8th so they have all day on the 9th to work on it.

No word for the guts of a week, phone them on Wednesday 14th and I'm told it hasn't been looked at yet. No explanation of delay, no apology, nothing but "he might get to it today". Spoiler alert "does he, fcuk get to it today." I'm now down the guts of €900 quid for parts, another €150 on taxis, two days' leave from work in the run-up to Christmas and I'm WORSE off than when the problem first appeared (three days after a major service, mind). No even offer of a courtesy car to tide me over.

In the end, I fired off a snotty email and copied as many Audi email addresses as I could find. I got three phone calls within the hour, but not one email response. Bottom line: They fixed the problem with the replacement control unit, but wouldn't refund any of the cash paid. No refund for the taxis either. They refunded the new stop/start button charge and said I could keep it as a courtesy.

About three weeks later, I was telling the story to my Da while we were in the car. He said "what, this stop/start button" and pointed at it. It was only then that I spotted the circular bits in the O and P in STOP had been worn down from use, exactly like my old one. Fcukers charged me for it, refunded it when that wasn't the issue, said I could keep it, then swapped it back out for the old one when they realised it was functioning correctly.

Shower of pricks, and that mentality only proliferates when it doesn't affect their bottom line.

It's not all about being a stingy so-and-so. I'll never darken their doorstep again.

Deep Thought

Interesting comments, I have 171 Merc GLC

had it serviced by MD, who also told me I need a gearbox oil change this year .. €700😳

I looked online and it’s done under vacuum? and the they change sump etc.

costs of parts online is €280, and I reckon most lads if they could do it, will charge a bit

so prob best to go to MD and have the security of going back there if there are problems.

gerryfr

We have used BMW main dealers for years but the level of service over the last 36 months has deteriorated to such a degree that we have sourced an independent BMW technician. The quality of the work, the communication and the cost have made the switch worthwhile.

goochy

Maybe so but its important to have full Bmw sh on a fairly new car for resale .

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121701584#Comment_121701584

What defines fairly new though, is a 6 year old car fairly new. I don't think so, will a person get back the extra money they spend on main dealer service when it comes to a resale, that's the question..

At this stage of something went wrong with the car I highly doubt BMW would give me goodwill on anything, so it's weighing it up against an Indy

goochy

No but up to say 5 years old