BMW Full Service History Vs. Good Independent

DaveBH

Hi Guys,

To the dealer or a good independent?

Any experience/advice greatly appreciated!

eamon234

If it's that new stick with the dealer for now. Service history is becoming more and more of a factor these days especially with the market going the way it is. It will definitely affect resale value if servicing is by an independent no matter how good he is.
Even if it doesn't affect the value it will certainly influence future buyers.
If I had to choose between two similar cars at roughly the same price, I'm going for the one with the dealer service history in fact I'd be willing to pay a little bit more.
I'd always haggle with the dealer for the first service free - sometimes it works!

rabbitinlights

I would agree, for the first 3-4 years I would always go with dealers, I don't know how true it is now, but I have been told that a full official service history is worth 7-15% of the car's value, especially on the higher end stuff.

randomer

I have found BMW servicing to be cheaper than I expected, especially compared to the Mercedes dealers.

I am sure for major work they are probably expensive, but for routine stuff I found them good value.

E92

BMW are no dearer than any other premium make, actually I've found Volvo to be dearer.

And while you can get a car serviced at an Indy and it won't woid the warranty, it would be suicidal NOT to use main dealer servicing for the first 4 or 5 years anyway. After that time to go to an indy definately.

If you can afford a premium car then you should have no difficulty affording premium car dealer servicing.

Actually come to think of it OP, why didn't you go for Service Inclusive when you bought the 3 series?

Captain Slow IRL

If you look for any warranty work and don't present a full service history, bmw might not be so willing to help, should anything need replacing/fixing.

alpina

Personally, I do all my own servicing...
Purchase the parts from BMW & install, keeping all receipts to marry against personal log/service history. 1st oil change & check up, BMW quoted me €250, oil & filter purchased for €90 so really is a no brainer. The cars talk to you nowadays & actually tell you when & what needs to be done.:)

DaveBH

Thanks guys,

So it seems for the first 2 years at least (for the warranty's sake), I should stick with a dealer.

Got a quote for the oil change service, same story as you Alpina - €250.

Lord Nikon

I would be sick to pay anyone to do an oil change, but i have an older BM, and that's the way i am.

On topic...Stick with the main dealer for about 3 years, then if you deside to change for another car you have a FBMWSH to go with it, and worth alot more.

cashmni1

What is the point in staying with the main dealer for the first 3 years and then changing? OK the warrenty, but if you check with BMW and find out exactly is covered or not covered by warrenty. I would find it hard to believe that BMW Ireland would use this excuse to NOT replace a faulty part under warrenty just because you used an independant.
Anyway, I personally would never darken the doorstep of a main dealer and part with hendereds of my euros for "overheads". Fu*k them.
Espically if you are keeping the car and intend on having a mix of main dealer and independant. It should all main dealer or all independant, in my opinion, anyway.
I have had poor experiences with the main Peugeot dealer in Cork. Thats another story, not a dig @ the french lion group, but at the main dealer confidence instilled in joe bloggs on the street.
Any time I hear "Main Dealer" I have visions of a clean cut sales type person taking your keys, smiling, waiting for you to exit the building and they throwing the keys to an apprentice mechanic no older that 18.
"Here, service this and don't fu*k it up"
Now don't get me wrong, if you can afford to shell out 3 or 4 hundered euro for a full service, fine. Give them your money.
It takes about 25 to 30 min to change oil and a filter using the correct tools. You get charged over €100 for that privilage in a main dealer.
This is my opinion and I am not having a go at anyone in the trade. It is just my own personal experience.

DaveBH

As I understand it now you CAN avoid the BMW dealer service without voiding the warranty providing original BMW parts are used as appropriate. My only concern is re-sale value - I mean does FBMWSH REALLY mean more value after say 3 years?

Seth Brundle

You can use non-OEM parts as long as they are of the same standards IIRC.
As for BMW servicing, I have used them enough to know that an older car will often be dealt with by an apprentice who may not necessarily know their arse from their elbow!

bigtimecharlie

I imagine that an old M3 would be given to the apprentice at the main dealer and this is not what an owner wants. First 4 years with the main dealer and then off to the indy where the old cars are more cherished. The main dealer only keep up to date with the newer models and the older one's are used to train the apprentice.

mickdw

I would be happier with full history (with all receipts) from independant than a set of dealer stamps. In my opinion, a person who will take their car to an independant after possibly sourcing all service parts themselves and then carefully keep all the receipts with service book is much more likely to look after a car properly than someone who just opens a wallet at the dealers. At least when you have a receipt for a part you know it went on the car whereas with the dealer stamp, I would not be nearly so sure that anything more than oil & filter was changed.
Example: I bought an Audi TT some time ago. It was fairly old when I got it but had dealer stamps up to 70,000 miles or so and about 5 years old with independant service after that. I then found a fuel filter on the car dated 6 months before the car was registered, i.e. on the car from new. Now that doesnt say much for dealer or independant in this case.
Another example and this is poor.... I rang up Audi parts department at dealer and asked for the oil for the rear diff (Haldex coupling) of my Quattro TT. Parts guy said they wouldnt have it and has never got it in. I said it was a 40,000 mile service item. His answer, Ah they probably use transmission fluid then. Anyway I found a part number for the proper oil and got them to order it in. When it arrived, I had it picked up and SERVICE manager was nearby and said: Why did we need that and was the car leaking!
So my conclusion is that this audi dealer had rarely changed the oil or filter in a quattro system although it is a 40,000 mile item.

Eoin

How much extra will a main dealer cost over an independent over 4/5 years? It's gotta be at least a few hundred a year, so you are looking at probably at least €1,000 over 4/5 years. I don't see the resale value making that worth your while.

kdevitt

eoin_s wrote: »

How much extra will a main dealer cost over an independent over 4/5 years? It's gotta be at least a few hundred a year, so you are looking at probably at least €1,000 over 4/5 years. I don't see the resale value making that worth your while.

Its not necessarily the extra money you'll get - its the fact that alot of people won't touch one that doesn't have the FBMWSH - myself included. (unless you're buying an old and cheap one)

milltown

kdevitt wrote: »

Its not necessarily the extra money you'll get - its the fact that alot of people won't touch one that doesn't have the FBMWSH - myself included. (unless you're buying an old and cheap one)

Which sort of makes it the same thing as either somone will use the lack of BMWSH as a bargaining point, or you'll end up cutting the price yourself to shift it in a market with plenty of dealer history cars.

DaveBH

On a side note guys, BMW's CBS (Condition Based Servicing) system is telling me my oil change isn't due for another 13,000km, which would make mean it wouldn't be changed until I hit around 25,000km. My gut says this should be done once a year (if the indicated mileage isn't reached) - maybe wait until the car's birthday in a few weeks? Any opinions?

Plug

eoin_s wrote: »

How much extra will a main dealer cost over an independent over 4/5 years? It's gotta be at least a few hundred a year, so you are looking at probably at least €1,000 over 4/5 years. I don't see the resale value making that worth your while.

Some people will only buy a car with a FSH.

Eoin

Plug wrote: »

Some people will only buy a car with a FSH.

I suppose so - but I would prefer to get the same (if not better) quality of service for much less money over 4 or 5 years, rather than hope that I will get a better resale value. Putting that much care into what the next owner might think, rather than concentrating on your own ownership experience doesn't make much sense to me.

randomer

DaveBH wrote: »

On a side note guys, BMW's CBS (Condition Based Servicing) system is telling me my oil change isn't due for another 13,000km, which would make mean it wouldn't be changed until I hit around 25,000km. My gut says this should be done once a year (if the indicated mileage isn't reached) - maybe wait until the car's birthday in a few weeks? Any opinions?

Mine is the same. It is 20 months old and has done 19,000 kms. I asked about getting an oil change a few months ago and they said to wait until 25,000 kms.

Lumen

I would rather buy a car maintained by someone who knows what they're doing.

This could be an indy or dealer. If an indy, I would expect one specific named indy whose reputation I can check.

Often, indy maintained cars are owned by people who know cars (and dealers).

Dealers should be forced to trade on reputation, not brand.

DaveBH

randomer wrote: »

Mine is the same. It is 20 months old and has done 19,000 kms. I asked about getting an oil change a few months ago and they said to wait until 25,000 kms.

I checked my "Service Info" menu and the only item in "red", is an exhaust emissions check which was set for Sept '08. Randomer did your indicator come on after the 9 month mark and if so did you have this done?

randomer

DaveBH wrote: »

I checked my "Service Info" menu and the only item in "red", is an exhaust emissions check which was set for Sept '08. Randomer did your indicator come on after the 9 month mark and if so did you have this done?

No. The only warning that came on was the brake fluid service and I got that done.

robbie99

DaveBH wrote: »

On a side note guys, BMW's CBS (Condition Based Servicing) system is telling me my oil change isn't due for another 13,000km, which would make mean it wouldn't be changed until I hit around 25,000km. My gut says this should be done once a year (if the indicated mileage isn't reached) - maybe wait until the car's birthday in a few weeks? Any opinions?

I've been reading about this on BMW forums and it seems the CBS doesn't tally with BMW warranty requirements. Apparently the CBS is programmed to call for an oil change by the indicated mileage (at 25,000km in your case, determined by driving style) or at 24 months, whichever is sooner. But in either the BMW warranty booklet or the service booklet, I forget which, it states that low mileage drivers must have an oil service every 12 months. And AFAIK BMW's service inclusive goes strictly by the CBS and the low mileage oil change is not included. I'd change the oil at 12 months to be safe.

pred racer

eoin_s wrote: »

I suppose so - but I would prefer to get the same (if not better) quality of service for much less money over 4 or 5 years, rather than hope that I will get a better resale value. Putting that much care into what the next owner might think, rather than concentrating on your own ownership experience doesn't make much sense to me.

+1