Independent BMW Service

capistrano

I have a 5 year old BMW 3 series, which is due a service. Joe Duffy Motors will charge me €500 or more for the honour.

Can anyone recommend somewhere in Dublin that services BMWs who aren't official dealers?

Or am I mad to sully my official BMW Full Service History?

kdevitt

If you're prepared to drive to Kells, theres a guy called Robert Furley who's cheap and extremely good at what he does.

As for the full BMW S/H, it does make it easier to sell the car from my experience, you will pay quite a bit extra as you know though.

drdre

the best thing is sticky with you full service history as it will make the car sell easier.

milltown

Tough one to call. I'm actually in the market for a five year old BMW myself at the mo'. While I would look favourably on a car with "FBMWSH" I don't think I would pay a premium for it. I would certainly expect it to be serviced by BMW for the first 50/60k miles but beyond that I don't think the returns match the outlay.
Other thing is, major services at higher milages require more work so if a 20k mile service cost you €300 you may find a 60k mile one costs three times that.
Mind if I ask what model you have and how you find it? PM me if you prefer, I'm just looking for opinions.

Good list of contacts on the BMW Club Irish site

Curran

milltown wrote:

Tough one to call. I'm actually in the market for a five year old BMW myself at the mo'. While I would look favourably on a car with "FBMWSH" I don't think I would pay a premium for it. I would certainly expect it to be serviced by BMW for the first 50/60k miles but beyond that I don't think the returns match the outlay.
Other thing is, major services at higher milages require more work so if a 20k mile service cost you €300 you may find a 60k mile one costs three times that.
Mind if I ask what model you have and how you find it? PM me if you prefer, I'm just looking for opinions.

Im in the same boat as Milltown....hoping to change to a 318Ci in a few months time.....so would also be interested in the model and how you find it!

Milltown.....want you thinking of purchasing?

Banjo013

Personally I think this is something similar to buying a pair of shoes in Dublin and buying an identical pair on Rodeo Drive .... one costs three times as much as the other, and it's just for the bag it was wrapped in !

I bought a 2nd hand BMW in January and while it does have a full service history, it's not a full BMW history. To me that's all that matters ... someone who regularly had the car serviced shows that they paid attention to the car and took care of it. Whether it's a BMW history or not I think is immaterial, and I certainly wouldn't be paying a premium for one.

If it makes you feel better, I'd suggest you get every 2nd or 3rd service done by the BMW dealer .... but I still don't think it's worth it !

capistrano

Curran wrote:

Im in the same boat as Milltown....hoping to change to a 318Ci in a few months time.....so would also be interested in the model and how you find it!

Funnily enough mine is a 318Ci - and I think it's fabulous. I should probably be thinking of trading it in about now but I like it so much and it is going so well I don't want to change. I'd recommend the leather interior - it ages much better.

Curran

capistrano wrote:

Funnily enough mine is a 3418Ci - and I think it's fabulous. I should probably be thinking of trading it in about now but I like it so much and it is going so well I don't want to change. I'd recommend the leather interior - it ages much better.

WHAT......A....3418Ci............what size engine is in that... .....typo :rolleyes:

PM with details if you are thinking about trading.....id be interested and will pay good money for a car thats been taken car of!

capistrano

Curran wrote:

WHAT......A....3418Ci............what size engine is in that... .....typo :rolleyes:

It's like it never happenned

Anyway - I'm really not thinking of trading in for another year.

capistrano

Still, other than Robert Furley in Kells, can nobody recommend anyone in Dublin to do a BMW service?

BMW's have a clock to tell you how long to the next service and what type of service is due. Would an independent mechanic be able to reset this after a service?

stratos

Dublin Automotive in Killbarrick Dublin. My 5 series costs over 500 at bimmer scheemers, They do it for a lot less.
Has full reset facilities for service indicators etc. 8392811 ask for Frank.
Frankly my dealings with bmw dealers and servicing and repairs has been, to say the least diabolical.
I do over 30,000 milles a year. The savings add up. As mine is a little older now I change the oil and filters myself every odd 10,000 service, and let the above do the even ones.
The diy service costs about 60 Euro's and takes abt an hour to do.

528i

You shouldn't skimp when it comes to BMW's, you knew full well when buying into the ownership experience the level of service to expect and that it could conceivable run you the cost of a vw punto on major servicing.

Back-yard monkeys are NOT sufficiently qualified or trained to work on high end machinery such as bmws, and you'll find their facilities are filthy.

unkel

capistrano wrote:

I should probably be thinking of trading it in about now but I like it so much and it is going so well I don't want to change

If there is a half chance that you'll sell within a year or so, you'd be a fool to save a couple of hundred € by not having it serviced by a BMW dealer given the age and the value of the car. It will make it much easier to sell if you do

capistrano wrote:

BMW's have a clock to tell you how long to the next service and what type of service is due. Would an independent mechanic be able to reset this after a service?

It's called the service indicator. For a few € anyone can buy and use a tool that will reset it. Doesn't mean anything really. A BMW specialist (non-$tealer) will have a PC with BMW software to read out the ECU which will verify mileage, report any past issue, etc.

stratos

The experiences I have had with so called bmw proffesionals would make most monkeys blush.
I can sort of live with incompetence( even the best of people can have a bad day), being lied to and taken advantage of is another thing.
Luckily I knew enough about engines to hold my own, in my particular battle , with " the smile and pay up it's a bmw" brigade !!

unkel

stratos wrote:

The experiences I have had with so called bmw proffesionals would make most monkeys blush

I have my BMWs serviced by an "arches type" family run BMW specialist and they are superb

Sound, knowledgeable (identified issues missed by BMW $tealers on several occasions), reliable, cheap (parts at cost, labour rates way cheaper than $tealer), trustworthy, personal - first name basis, etc.

Earlier this week, after having heard a slightly whining high pitched noise when steering the car at low speeds - checking the power steering fluid which seemed a bit low, I drove up to them unannounced, left the engine running, explained the issue. They agreed the cause of the issue and topped up the fluid and I was on my way again in less than 2 minutes. Noise gone, problem solved. They did not want to know about charging me for it...

I came across these guys by chance. I guess that was just lucky

stratos

oops yea that came out wrongly. when I said so called bmw proffesionals I meant Main stealers. I too use a non bimmer scheemer type family affair.

Curran

stratos wrote:

oops yea that came out wrongly. when I said so called bmw proffesionals I meant Main stealers. I too use a non bimmer scheemer type family affair.

So Stratos and Unkel.........are you going to spill and let us know who ya's are dealing with?

unkel

Curran wrote:

So Stratos and Unkel.........are you going to spill and let us know who ya's are dealing with?

What BMW do you have?

Curran

unkel wrote:

What BMW do you have?

Not quite an owner of one just yet......but hopefully soon......and hopefully a 318Ci ....01 approx

lomb

unkel wrote:

Earlier this week, after having heard a slightly whining high pitched noise when steering the car at low speeds - checking the power steering fluid which seemed a bit low, I drove up to them unannounced, left the engine running, explained the issue. They agreed the cause of the issue and topped up the fluid and I was on my way again in less than 2 minutes. Noise gone, problem solved. They did not want to know about charging me for it...

unkel that could get dear... u dont just loose ps fluid. every car i have had has maintained its ps fluid level for 100000 miles.
sounds like ur stearing rack may b about to eat it.

Cyrus

528i wrote:

You shouldn't skimp when it comes to BMW's, you knew full well when buying into the ownership experience the level of service to expect and that it could conceivable run you the cost of a vw punto on major servicing.

Back-yard monkeys are NOT sufficiently qualified or trained to work on high end machinery such as bmws, and you'll find their facilities are filthy.

I disagree, okay not all backyard mechanics should be working on a bmw but there are some genuinly good guys who give a better service at a more reasonable cost. I have an alfa romeo and its widely known that a guy called gerry campbell is the best alfa mechanic in dublin.

My dad has a new 5 series, i noted a whole load of oil under it last week, he had just gotten the first service in the dealers where he bought it and they hadnt tightened after changing the oil :rolleyes: thats a top notch service allright

ondafly

I'd recommend Furleys also. Hes the only mechanic I'd let near my M3. Having said that, your car is only 5 years old, and alot more common model/engine size. So when it comes to selling it, chances are the car with the FBMWSH will sell quicker. Granted it was one of the things on my list of must haves, when I was looking to buy the M3

BTW - you don't actually specify which service the car is due ?

Oil Service
Inspection I
Inspection II

500 euros for an Inspection II is a bargain !

capistrano

stratos wrote:

Dublin Automotive in Killbarrick Dublin. Has full reset facilities for service indicators etc. 8392811 ask for Frank.

Cheers, Stratos.

Unkel, who's your "Arches" type outfit? (mine's a 318Ci)

capistrano

ondafly wrote:

BTW - you don't actually specify which service the car is due ?

Oil Service
Inspection I
Inspection II

500 euros for an Inspection II is a bargain !

It's an Inspection I - I think the Inspection II is about €700.

milltown

Curran wrote:

Im in the same boat as Milltown....hoping to change to a 318Ci in a few months time.....so would also be interested in the model and how you find it!

Milltown.....want you thinking of purchasing?

I'm patiently looking for the right 318i, possibly an automatic, probably '00, possibly '01. Four doors is a necessity with a baby seat but surprisingly I'm finding there's a better choice of coupés of that vintage.

WRT mechanics: Regardless of price, it's the guy in the overalls that matters, not the badge over the door. I know of a dealer trained mechanic who replaced over £500 worth of suspension parts trying to cure a squeaking noise that another guy traced to a worn door hinge pin!

Curran

milltown wrote:

I know of a dealer trained mechanic who replaced over £500 worth of suspension parts trying to cure a squeaking noise that another guy traced to a worn door hinge pin!

:eek: FUNKIN COWBOY!!!!

I found the BMW 318Ci that i was looking for!
Just a pity im not ready to buy it just yet...otherwise id be crusin around in it all day long

OH YEAH BABY

unkel

lomb wrote:

unkel that could get dear... u dont just loose ps fluid. every car i have had has maintained its ps fluid level for 100000 miles.
sounds like ur stearing rack may b about to eat it.

You haven't me worried just yet

First of all, the car has done well over 120000 miles. Second, my last car (E34 530iA V8) went nearly dry on PS fluid to the extent that the steering was almost as heavy as without PS :eek:

Problem solved after a refill...

capistrano wrote:

Unkel, who's your "Arches" type outfit? (mine's a 318Ci)

Courtney motors - 01 8743407. Ask for Tom or David

capistrano

Thanks for all the input, everyone, but I've gone with the Joe Duffy main BMW $tealer option. The first thing they tell me is I need 3 new tyres on top of the Inspection service. I expecting a bill of over €1000 in total. Last year they were charging €92/hour labour - probably more now.

kdevitt

capistrano wrote:

Thanks for all the input, everyone, but I've gone with the Joe Duffy main BMW $tealer option. The first thing they tell me is I need 3 new tyres on top of the Inspection service. I expecting a bill of over €1000 in total. Last year they were charging €92/hour labour - probably more now.

They now charge a fixed rate per job, as set out by BMW - so an oil change gets charged at say 4 units, and a light realignment gets charged at 2 - where each unit is 15 minutes. Its meant to ensure that jobs that take longer than normal don't end up hitting you in the pocket, but unfortunately it means that jobs that are done quicker than normal cost more than they should. Very annoying.

Tell them you don't want the visual inspection as well - costs the guts of €100 for them to look at your car and spot problems - they told me I had a 10 inch crack in my windscreen - as you can imagine I was rightly pissed off as I'd have wanted to be Stevie Wonder to miss it.

mike65

Unkel, I'm now worried about BMWs and thier PS fluid issues! Seriously though two cars both loosing fluid? Sounds odd. And it does'nt evaporate so that really should be looked at. Chances are you have a perrished seal.

Mike.

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

unkel

mike65 wrote:

so that really should be looked at

Why? I sold the E34 about 6 months after the top-up when it was 10 years old. No issue emerged during this period. I've owned the E38 for 16 months now. It has 122k miles on it now

Sure enough if the PS fluid would run low again soon I'd have the dudes to have a look at it, but why would I bother otherwise?

mike65

Well its your choice of course but I'd not be happy knowing I had a leak of a vital (safety themed) fluid, however small. After all a small leak can become a big one...

Mike.

lomb

capistrano wrote:

Thanks for all the input, everyone, but I've gone with the Joe Duffy main BMW $tealer option. The first thing they tell me is I need 3 new tyres on top of the Inspection service. I expecting a bill of over €1000 in total. Last year they were charging €92/hour labour - probably more now.

madness, bmws service history is worth shag all on a 5 year old car. what it needs is thourough evidence of proper servicing like receipts for belts/pumps/discs at that age.

bmw themselves at maxwell motors declined trade in of a 5 year old bmw 318 i with 65000 miles on it and a full bmw service history saying the mileage was too high lol

unkel

mike65 wrote:

Well its your choice of course but I'd not be happy knowing I had a leak of a vital (safety themed) fluid, however small. After all a small leak can become a big one...

Surely the car would steer fine without any PS fluid, or have I got it wrong?

The E34 was steering fine with hardly any PS fluid. Obviously it required a bit of manual power. The E38 was only a bit below minimum PS fluid level. How can this be a safety issue?

unkel

lomb wrote:

madness, bmws service history is worth shag all on a 5 year old car

Depends. On higher class models it's still important here. In the UK you'd find it hard to sell it without complete history

Having said that, my car's last two full services before I bought it were done by Joe Duffy. The owner was early collecting it the last time and found :eek:

1. The car had been washed through an automatic car wash (hard brushes left marks)
2. Lid to read out ECU had not been closed
3. He told JD that he heard something on the rear passenger wheel - suspected ball bearing gone

The ball bearing was fine according to JD. When I bought the car over a year later and had it checked by my mechanics, the only issue was that very thing. The previous owner literally went purple with fury when I told him

mike65

unkel wrote:

Surely the car would steer fine without any PS fluid, or have I got it wrong?

The E34 was steering fine with hardly any PS fluid. Obviously it required a bit of manual power. The E38 was only a bit below minimum PS fluid level. How can this be a safety issue?

Perhaps BMWs are lighter than Mercs when driving without PS but I would'nt fancy piling through a series of sweeping bends only to have the steering suddenly weight up as the fluid loss became critical as the seal finally gives way. Not saying it would happen but there's nothing to say that a worn seal won't give way very quickly. Hey maybe its just me! The other thing to consider is monetary, a PS pump without any fluid will die quickly.

Mike.

unkel

mike65 wrote:

Perhaps BMWs are lighter than Mercs when driving without PS

I wouldn't think so, just big barges that luckily are RWD

Sure, remember a few decades ago these cars had no PS and even women could drive them, so I've no worries there. I'll check the PS fluid a few times over the next month or so to make sure it's not going down quickly. If it is I'll have the lads sort it out

I was a lot more worried when I had an engine coolant leak in the E34 (worn hose) and the engine was heating up quickly. I full well realise that Engine gone = car gone from an economic point of view :eek:

razz

any1 recommend a BMW specialist in dublin?

having a lot of trouble with my 320i e90 going into an intermittent limp mode, some times when i start the car it can be in limp mode and other times i start it it will be fine but engine light still on.
have replaced eccentric shaft sensor and still nothing

please help

bmstuff

bmmodification.ie is one of the best around.
Just off the Naas Road behind woodies. Huge place.

01 419 9000

razz wrote: »

any1 recommend a BMW specialist in dublin?

having a lot of trouble with my 320i e90 going into an intermittent limp mode, some times when i start the car it can be in limp mode and other times i start it it will be fine but engine light still on.
have replaced eccentric shaft sensor and still nothing

please help

Kintarō Hattori

razz wrote: »

any1 recommend a BMW specialist in dublin?

having a lot of trouble with my 320i e90 going into an intermittent limp mode, some times when i start the car it can be in limp mode and other times i start it it will be fine but engine light still on.
have replaced eccentric shaft sensor and still nothing

please help

We bring our E90 to Valdas in Motor Confidence- he gets fantastic praise here and other places on the web.

14b Knockmitten lane,Western ind est ,Naas road D12

chriity139

Only people I would bring my bmw (535d) to in dublin would be david courtney in eastwall and keith in dublin automotive in kilbarrack. Both bmw specialists