[F31-340i]

Just hit 38k miles and 2nd service is due.

Nothing really to report, nothing gone wrong etc.

How much should this service be and what does it involve? Any tips on things to look for, as car is in its last 6 months of factory warranty.

I do think the engine sounds quite tappety, especially when cold, but it has always been like this and it does seem/appear to be normal. Anyone had any concerns with this?

Cheers

[DaveH28]

Originally Posted by F31-340i

Just hit 38k miles and 2nd service is due.

Nothing really to report, nothing gone wrong etc.

How much should this service be and what does it involve? Any tips on things to look for, as car is in its last 6 months of factory warranty.

I do think the engine sounds quite tappety, especially when cold, but it has always been like this and it does seem/appear to be normal. Anyone had any concerns with this?

Cheers

Mine is a 440i but I guess it should be same.
I had my second service at exactly same mileage...I got it done for £500 all in. Including vehicle inspection...
I had to haggle though..worst quote was £740.

Log onto bmw website, bmw service part and you can get quotes and book it in online... I think you need to select oil service and spark plugs..

I was same as you, no problems, nothing really to look for..

[F31-340i]

Scope from BMW Dick Lovett, Bristol.

Oil
Oil Filter
Air Filter
Microfilter
Spark Plugs

In parts these stuff can't be worth much more than £100 worth.

Labour that's about 2 hours "While you Wait" - let's call that £50/hour, or £100.

£200 is what I seem to recall an "inspection II" in the E46 days would cost, and seems about right for the value of this work.

Quote from BMW is £620. This is just ridiculous.

I understand that as a fairly new car it should stay in dealer network and get the stamps etc. but part of me just thinks it is just daylight robbery.

Can a third party update the service record - I seem to recall there was some legislation to prevent manufacturers blocking access to the kit needed to do servicing outside the dealer network. Anyone done this?

The work is so menial and without skill there is no real case to say it needs the dealer to do it.

I may well cave in but fancied a moan! Thoughts?

[rdabbm]

There are BMW authorised dealers that use OEM parts and can update iDrive with a service history.

There's a couple here in Swindon but best thing is to shop around and give a few a call. Normally if they use OEM parts they can upload the service history to iDrive.

[F31-340i]

Thanks for heads up.

£269, including the service update it looks like.

EDIT - looks like its £269 no matter what details you put in.

https://www.apautocare.co.uk/service

That is more like it price wise. I wonder if BMW would try and get a bit nearer.

[speedski]

Should be a fair bit cheaper if they let you take your own oil too.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Check if your dealer price matches? Audi do it across all their dealers. I just got our Q7 through its first service for £130, instead of £412.

It didn't go down well with the service manager when I produced the quote as I booked the car in, but they still matched it.

BMW don't do it as standard, but I know a few of the individual dealers mention it on their websites.

[DaveH28]

Originally Posted by F31-340i

Thanks for heads up.

£269, including the service update it looks like.

EDIT - looks like its £269 no matter what details you put in.

https://www.apautocare.co.uk/service

That is more like it price wise. I wonder if BMW would try and get a bit nearer.

It's £20 per spark plug for the right ones,
Oil is about £65 cheapest for ll04 if you scour net yourself... so that's nearly £200 cost price before filters and labour .

I would say anyone doing it for less than £400 won't meet the warranty standards.

I looked into it myself and offered to take my own oil, but it wasn't worth it..

[Ss66]

My local dealer price matched another dealer nearby no problem.

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by Ss66

My local dealer price matched another dealer nearby no problem.

Yeah that's what Id expect

can't see my local bmw dealer matching an independent's price, however

[Pizzaeatingking]

Originally Posted by F31-340i

Scope from BMW Dick Lovett, Bristol.

Oil
Oil Filter
Air Filter
Microfilter
Spark Plugs

In parts these stuff can't be worth much more than £100 worth.

Labour that's about 2 hours "While you Wait" - let's call that £50/hour, or £100.

£200 is what I seem to recall an "inspection II" in the E46 days would cost, and seems about right for the value of this work.

Sounds super cheap, I've not looked into it all properly yet but I thought decent oil was £75 - £80, add spark plug and you're nearly at £200 without the rest of the parts or labour.

I'd assume the hourly rate will depend on location but specialists towards London were charging £50 an hour these days, a dealer is going to be a fair chunk more than that.

I'm not due a service yet but I think I wanna do an oil change between the condition based services so I need to start looking at pricing stuff up. I have a fantastic garage I use which makes life as little easier.

[Jeff123]

Dealers are probably more like £130 per hour! Even our local garage charges £50 per hour.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

Yeah that's what Id expect

can't see my local bmw dealer matching an independent's price, however

Worth checking, loads do. Just checked on Google now, in just a few minutes I could see that Coopers do, Knights do and Bowkers do.

To get a written quote for the Audi version, I just went into a local VAG independent specialist. Said I'd take the car in to him for brake pads or discs when required, but servicing at the dealer. He agreed to give me a written quote for a service while I waited.

Audi dealer didn't want to match, but their price match promise meant they had to. A BMW dealer with the same guarantee would have to do the same.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by Jeff123

Dealers are probably more like £130 per hour! Even our local garage charges £50 per hour.

It isn't just the cost per hour though, they inflate the hours needed.

Audi said 2 hours Labour at £110 per hour for first service, basically oil change and an inspection. Independent said 30 mins for oil change and 30 mins for inspection, at £53 per hour. Big difference in the end.

When I booked in at Audi with the price match the service reception tried to tell me that it needed 2 hours not 1. When I asked why she said they also did a health check and a clean and vacuum.

I said both of them are advertised as free, are you now saying they're charged out at £110 per hour? She became a little quieter then.

Serves them right, nothing is free, the health check, the clean, all cost something, so they shouldn't advertise it as free.

[A13x]

around 500 here from manchester for main service without replacing any breaks. around 200 for minor service.

the 3year service was just under 600 due to the fluids being drained and released from breaks.

you can get a bosch service and ask them to do bmw checks for about 30 quid cheaper and still get bmw service updated online.

[F31-340i]

I had a look around the country - Cooper Reading want £723!

https://cooperreadingbmw.bmw-retaile...k-appointment/

I may well suck it up this one time to keep the history given its just within warranty, but the parts and oil (whilst I fully get the need to meet the BMW specs) are just not that special and I really resent this blatant price gouging! They are absolutely milking the fact that many want to keep a official FSH.

I may just have to wear a clothes peg on my nose whilst in the service centre

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by F31-340i

I had a look around the country - Cooper Reading want £723!

https://cooperreadingbmw.bmw-retaile...k-appointment/

I may well suck it up this one time to keep the history given its just within warranty, but the parts and oil (whilst I fully get the need to meet the BMW specs) are just not that special and I really resent this blatant price gouging! They are absolutely milking the fact that many want to keep a official FSH.

I may just have to wear a clothes peg on my nose whilst in the service centre

Cooper Reading price match any garage within 10 miles. I'd be calling a few independent garages for quote. Saved me £280 when I did it.

You don't have to tell Coopers over the phone if you do get one. Just produce it as you book in and they'll match.

[DaveH28]

Originally Posted by F31-340i

I had a look around the country - Cooper Reading want £723!

https://cooperreadingbmw.bmw-retaile...k-appointment/

I may well suck it up this one time to keep the history given its just within warranty, but the parts and oil (whilst I fully get the need to meet the BMW specs) are just not that special and I really resent this blatant price gouging! They are absolutely milking the fact that many want to keep a official FSH.

I may just have to wear a clothes peg on my nose whilst in the service centre

My local dealer is Rochdale...

They were one of highest in the country and quoted £740..

I got some quotes from other franchises within my commute... bowker being one...

Williams Rochdale tried bullshitting me, and wouldn't budge so I ended up ringing bowker Preston which is local to where I work and they matched the cheapest I could find from the website..

Got it for £500 all in, and again I took the hit because I was in warranty.. can't believe Rochdale could justify £240 difference..

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by DaveH28

My local dealer is Rochdale...

They were one of highest in the country and quoted £740..

I got some quotes from other franchises within my commute... bowker being one...

Williams Rochdale tried bullshitting me, and wouldn't budge so I ended up ringing bowker Preston which is local to where I work and they matched the cheapest I could find from the website..

Got it for £500 all in, and again I took the hit because I was in warranty.. can't believe Rochdale could justify £240 difference..

Such a rip off. Don't know why they do it when they know we can ring around and haggle
I guess there are enough mugs who pay what they're told
Same applies to buying - will always remember over-hearing a couple paying list price for a 1 series when I was with an account manager once. Criminal

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by DaveH28

My local dealer is Rochdale...

They were one of highest in the country and quoted £740..

I got some quotes from other franchises within my commute... bowker being one...

Williams Rochdale tried bullshitting me, and wouldn't budge so I ended up ringing bowker Preston which is local to where I work and they matched the cheapest I could find from the website..

Got it for £500 all in, and again I took the hit because I was in warranty.. can't believe Rochdale could justify £240 difference..

Again, Bowkers price match any VAT registered garage, generously in their case, within 25 miles. It doesn't appear that Williams operate a price match guarantee where they're obliged to price match indy garages.

I'm surprised more people don't try this route instead of just price matching BMW against BMW.

I'm guessing BMW dealers need to make a big profit in service centres to make up for the massive discounts they often give to cars. Dealers own contributions might be less if they only charged £50 an hour for maintenance like most places that don't have a car sales department attached!

[chris-c]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

Cooper Reading price match any garage within 10 miles. I'd be calling a few independent garages for quote. Saved me £280 when I did it.

You don't have to tell Coopers over the phone if you do get one. Just produce it as you book in and they'll match.

Coopers reading are a bunch of cunts but if they price match phone grovesnors to see what price they do. Im going to take my car to grovesnors because they actually seem to care about their cars and everything is logged with BMW hq

[Jeff123]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

It isn't just the cost per hour though, they inflate the hours needed.

Audi said 2 hours Labour at £110 per hour for first service, basically oil change and an inspection. Independent said 30 mins for oil change and 30 mins for inspection, at £53 per hour. Big difference in the end.

When I booked in at Audi with the price match the service reception tried to tell me that it needed 2 hours not 1. When I asked why she said they also did a health check and a clean and vacuum.

I said both of them are advertised as free, are you now saying they're charged out at £110 per hour? She became a little quieter then.

Serves them right, nothing is free, the health check, the clean, all cost something, so they shouldn't advertise it as free.

Good point...