BMW Service

jayok

Ok so here's the story after 10 Honda's in my car history I bought a BMW E46 325 to see what all the fuss was about (and the jury is still out). Anyhow, the car will need a service soon and I was wondering about the best place to get it serviced. It's an 03 with 64k miles on it and the previous owner has a full BMW service history on it. As I can see I've three options:

1. BMW Main Dealer
2. BMW Specialist
3. Indepedent Mechanic

I would imagine that these are listed on a decreasing cost basis.

After trawling though other threads posted on the subject some of the opinions are that I may not get the best service experience from Joe Duffy (to be polite) but Frank Keane seems ok. Other posters seem to suggest that a crowd called Cartec are good. But there was no definitive answer

I am not interested in a Independent Mechanic par se (or doing it myself) as I believe a FBMWSH will help a high mileage example sell (I know I'd look at that). On the other hand I'd prefer a Indy over a Main Dealer that hasn't got a clue.

What I really want I supposed is an authorised BMW service specialist. Does such a thing exist in Ireland?

The point of this isn't really the cost involved with a main dealer (although I don't like being fleeced), but I'd like things done right and the stamp to boot.

Sorry for the waffle... any suggestions?

Ta.

BrianD3

I have heard AC cars being recommended here before, think unkel gets his barge serviced there
http://www.accarsales.com/

jayok

Unkle's barge serviced - sounds like a porn flick

But seriously, are the approved specialists or a good indy? Can't see approval anywhere.

jhegarty

jayok wrote:

I bought a BMW E46 325 to see what all the fuss was about (and the jury is still out).

That must be one tough jury.....:eek:

jayok

jhegarty wrote:

That must be one tough jury.....:eek:

Not really, Honda do some impressive cars as well. Different to BMW, but not necessarily worse / better. I bought the BMW not for the badge but for the driving experience. So I'm comparing both on driving experience and there is a comparison baseline (the amount of people that are convinced there's "no comparison is unreal).

unkel

I don't think there is such a thing as a BMW accredited specialist as such, but I could be wrong

BrianD3 wrote:

I have heard AC cars being recommended here before, think unkel gets his barge serviced there
http://www.accarsales.com/

No, I've had no dealings with them myself. But I have heard many, many good things about them

Obviously OP is thinking about resale value and ease of selling it on in a year or so. Unless OP is going to keep the car for several more years, it will have to be the BMW dealer, I'm afraid. I guess OP already suspects this

Cyrus

there is no bmw approved indy.

for what its worth i would go with a good indy like ac as opposed to some 18 year old apprentice getting his mitts on mine and being charged double for the pleasure.

any bmw enthusiast looking to buy your car afterwards will appreciate a decent indy having serviced it but joe bloggs might not like it.

i agree honda do decent mainstream cars and decent performance models but there isnt all roundes like a 325 sport or a 530 sport or the like that marry really good performance, refinement and interior luxury.

unkel

jhegarty wrote:

That must be one tough jury.....:eek:

Iirc, jayok used to own a previous model Civic Type-R. That's 200BHP for you and some very decent performance. The BMW has fewer horses for a start...

jayok

Cyrus wrote:

there is no bmw approved indy.
any bmw enthusiast looking to buy your car afterwards will appreciate a decent indy having serviced it but joe bloggs might not like it.

As I feared, but the problem there is a larger markets of average Joe Bloggs and people in the know. Hmmm.... does AC use genuine BMW parts?

Cyrus wrote:

i agree honda do decent mainstream cars and decent performance models but there isnt all roundes like a 325 sport or a 530 sport or the like that marry really good performance, refinement and interior luxury.

I agreed that Honda don't have anything in the market space of what I have (a 325Ci M-Sport) with regard to luxury and refinement. But the Accord isn't too far off the mark of a 325 saloon esp considering the extras and price.

jayok

unkel wrote:

Iirc, jayok used to own a previous model Civic Type-R. That's 200BHP for you and some very decent performance. The BMW has fewer horses for a start...

Yeah, *only* 192 BHP, but significantly more torque! At 100km/hr the engine in the BMW is doing 1,600rpm on a CTR it would be doing about 3,500!

Cyrus

indeed, i realise the accord is a very good car but the styling doesnt do it for me personally.

ac use genuine bm parts alright, maybe give richie a call www.accarsales.com and have a chat to him, nice guy.

BrianD3

Cyrus wrote:

there is no bmw approved indy.

for what its worth i would go with a good indy like ac as opposed to some 18 year old apprentice getting his mitts on mine and being charged double for the pleasure.

any bmw enthusiast looking to buy your car afterwards will appreciate a decent indy having serviced it but joe bloggs might not like it.

If I was a prospective buyer I'd be happy to see service invoices from a decent, known independent. However I mightn't let the seller know that

I read on another forum that some Dublin BMW main dealers are charging 150 euros per hour labour. Don't know if it's true or not but it's a helluva price to pay for a stamp. If you were paying this money on a regular basis any extra depreciation caused by using an indy would surely be offset by much lower service costs.

kenco

I have had one service with an unnamed BMW dealer and I have to say I was not impressed. Cost was nearly double what was indicated and then they wanted to charge me for something that had been a problem when I bought it and then was supposedly fixed!

Given the dropping costs in second hand BMWs I think any good independant service (such as AC which gets good mentions on boards) would suffice. Once there is any service history it should be enough

Linford

I have same car (2003 325Ci, face lift model) - Jury came back with unanimous verdict after very short deliberation. What other cars are you comparing it to (aside from the 200bhp civic).

unkel

BrianD3 wrote:

some Dublin BMW main dealers are charging 150 euros per hour labour

Ouch!

BrianD3 wrote:

any extra depreciation caused by using an indy would surely be offset by much lower service costs.

Over a few years (say 3 or 4) for sure. On a 4 year old car over 1 or 2 years? I don't think so. And depreciation is one thing - being able to sell on is a different thing altogether. 6+ year old non 4-pot BMWs and you're talking total buyers market

Agree with the point that an enthousiast buyer might prefer a specialist SH compared to a BMW SH, but surely one can't bank on catering for enthousiast buyers only when it's time to sell on?

Victor_M

I have heard nothing but glowing reports about AC Car Sales.

I'll be bringing my M3 there for it's next service.

If I was buying another car and I saw a service stamp from them I'd be delighted.

I am highly sceptical of the job the main dealers do. An awful lot of very young mechanics in Maxwells the last time I was there, with one or 2 experienced guys overseeing the whole operation.

Worst case, just get the bare minimun done at the main dealers, tell them not to change wiper blades, get the oil changed yourself, basically get them to do the minimum they have to do in order to stamp the service booklet and go to somewhere like AC for the rest of the work.

rebel.ranter

I know some mechanics on here don't like customers bringing in the parts to service their car but I'm sure if you want to get AC or whoever to use OEM BMW parts then they will accomodate that. Whether it means you supplying the parts of them would have to be agreed. Bear in mind that the garage will be able to get the parts at the reduced VAT rate, but also they may add a bit on too for the inconvenience of getting the parts. I'd imagine this varies from garage to garage.
Remember the Main Dealer doesn't have a magic wand to fix all either. Some dealers actually send cars out to independent mechanics if problems are too complicated for them to deal with. I have heard of an example here in Cork where a VW dealer sends any electrical/diagnostics issues to Des Golden Services.
I get all OEM parts for my own servicing (that I do myself) these days I think the quality of the parts are better than what the local motor factors sell.

jayok

Ok so it seems AC Car Sales are front runners. As I said in my original post, first and foremost, I want it done right, be it Indy or Main Dealer. The fact AC use OEM parts is a big plus IMO.

I suppose when it comes to sell maybe two years (I do about 6-7k miles per year). There'll only be about 76-78k on the clock so FBMWSH probably won't be a deal clincher.

Re the BMW vs Honda, different cars for different experiences. There's no direct comparsion for the 325Ci with Honda, but as a driving experience, you could compare the Integra or Civic. No interested in a pee-ing contest on these, but the BMW seems heavy in the bend compared to the others. Although the RWD does give it a different handling experience. But this is for another thread.

Eoin

jayok wrote:

Ok so it seems AC Car Sales are front runners. As I said in my original post, first and foremost, I want it done right, be it Indy or Main Dealer. The fact AC use OEM parts is a big plus IMO.

I suppose when it comes to sell maybe two years (I do about 6-7k miles per year). There'll only be about 76-78k on the clock so FBMWSH probably won't be a deal clincher.

AC definitely use OEM parts, and can sometimes source them cheaper. It may also give you peace of mind to know that they have a good few customers with M3s, M5s etc who get everything done there.

Mailman

jayok wrote:

Yeah, *only* 192 BHP, but significantly more torque! At 100km/hr the engine in the BMW is doing 1,600rpm on a CTR it would be doing about 3,500!

What RPM at 120kmph and is that an auto or a manual? Is it as quiet on the motorway as those rpm figures would suggest or is the exhaust note intrusive.

jayok

It's an Auto. At 120 km/hr I think it's doing about 2100 - can't remember exactly. Don't really hear anything from the engine, but you'll hear the tyre rumble!

At 120 km/hr on a CTR you'll just hear the engine and nothing else! (including your passenger)

MercMad

Again I would reccomend AC cars, I knew Alan Carroll personally, good mechanic !

I would also agree that the main stealers are a disgrace, both BMW, Merc and VAG dealers are a waste of time !

Better off leaving your car at the Zoo for a service !!

Discerning motorists are realising Main stealers are purely sales orientated and dont care about aftercare. We have so many threads here on boards about this topic.

Independents will start to become the norm !

Fey!

I've used AC's for parts (I live in Galway, so it's a bit of a trek for servicing), and their prices have ALWAYS beaten the quotes from BMW.

I know several people who bring their M3s and M5s there, as well as loads more in "regular" BMWs. Have never heard a bad word about their service.

Having dealt with both Alan and Richie, I'd have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone.

Darragh29

jayok wrote:

Ok so here's the story after 10 Honda's in my car history I bought a BMW E46 325 to see what all the fuss was about (and the jury is still out). Anyhow, the car will need a service soon and I was wondering about the best place to get it serviced. It's an 03 with 64k miles on it and the previous owner has a full BMW service history on it. As I can see I've three options:

1. BMW Main Dealer
2. BMW Specialist
3. Indepedent Mechanic

I would imagine that these are listed on a decreasing cost basis.

After trawling though other threads posted on the subject some of the opinions are that I may not get the best service experience from Joe Duffy (to be polite) but Frank Keane seems ok. Other posters seem to suggest that a crowd called Cartec are good. But there was no definitive answer

I am not interested in a Independent Mechanic par se (or doing it myself) as I believe a FBMWSH will help a high mileage example sell (I know I'd look at that). On the other hand I'd prefer a Indy over a Main Dealer that hasn't got a clue.

What I really want I supposed is an authorised BMW service specialist. Does such a thing exist in Ireland?

The point of this isn't really the cost involved with a main dealer (although I don't like being fleeced), but I'd like things done right and the stamp to boot.

Sorry for the waffle... any suggestions?

Ta.

Your BMW is still a car and not some kind of NASA prototype. Despite all the notions that BMW drivers seem to harbour about them driving something that is special or needs special treatment, to a mechanic it's just another car.

There is nothing innordinately complex or technical about a BMW that should stop you bringing it to a good independent mechanic.

Cyrus

that might be your viewpoint but i wouldnt bring any car i own to just any mechanic. be it a bmw or anything else

Darragh29

Cyrus wrote:

that might be your viewpoint but i wouldnt bring any car i own to just any mechanic. be it a bmw or anything else

I agree. I wouldn't bring any car to a crap mechanic. But equally, I wouldn't have the slightest problem bringing a BMW to a good independent mechanic. With the BMW buying frenzy that is going on over the last few years, there seems to be this notion amongst BMW owners that their car is too sophisicated to be brought to a decent independent garage, which is just pure nonsense. If you strip away the branding, its just another car, and I'd say not even a very well engineered one at that, going by the amount of them I see in my garage and the faults they come in with.

BrianD3

Darragh29 wrote:

I agree. I wouldn't bring any car to a crap mechanic. But equally, I wouldn't have the slightest problem bringing a BMW to a good independent mechanic. With the BMW buying frenzy that is going on over the last few years, there seems to be this notion amongst BMW owners that their car is too sophisicated to be brought to a decent independent garage, which is just pure nonsense.

It is nonsense, but if 90% of BMW potential buyers place significant value on "Full BMWSH" then where does that leave the seller who got their car serviced at a good independent?

The point I am making is that much of this discussion is more about market forces than anything else. It seems the market has decided that full BMWSH is desirable. Main dealers have copped onto this and may try to perpetuate it too by giving sh1t trade ins on cars without full BMWSH or else are only following what the market wants. The end result of all this is that everyone wants full BMWSH and we get a situation where a main dealer can charge 150 euro per hour labour and people are willing to pay it just so they have...you guessed it...full BMWSH.

Cyrus

Darragh29 wrote:

I agree. I wouldn't bring any car to a crap mechanic. But equally, I wouldn't have the slightest problem bringing a BMW to a good independent mechanic. With the BMW buying frenzy that is going on over the last few years, there seems to be this notion amongst BMW owners that their car is too sophisicated to be brought to a decent independent garage, which is just pure nonsense. If you strip away the branding, its just another car, and I'd say not even a very well engineered one at that, going by the amount of them I see in my garage and the faults they come in with.

do you have full bmw diagnostic software?

Mailman

jayok wrote:

It's an Auto. At 120 km/hr I think it's doing about 2100 - can't remember exactly. Don't really hear anything from the engine, but you'll hear the tyre rumble!

At 120 km/hr on a CTR you'll just hear the engine and nothing else! (including your passenger)

Sorry for being so specific but have you checked your speedo against a GPS.
If that is a true 2100rpm at 120kmph I'm well impressed; I like quiet motorway cruising.

Darragh29

Cyrus wrote:

do you have full bmw diagnostic software?

Yes, we haven't met a fault yet on a BMW or any other car for that matter that we cannot diagnose and repair. Any independent garage now has the capability to use computer diagnostics to assist in trouble shooting and repair work. This mantra of "I have to go to the main deler because they have the computer", is just pure ignorance.

jayok

Mailman wrote:

Sorry for being so specific but have you checked your speedo against a GPS.
If that is a true 2100rpm at 120kmph I'm well impressed; I like quiet motorway cruising.

I don't have a GPS to check but I seem to be doing the same speed at everyone else but it could be out. Also, I'll check the RPM again at 120km/ph I could be wrong there.