Evidence of Running-In Service

[ronk]

If it hasn't had a running in service (very important where they swap out the thinner grade oil which does the first 1000miles) which it sounds like it hasn't, then I would absolutely walk away.

without a doubt!

If somebody can't be bothered to do this, what else has been neglected or abused?

 

[Darren Slone]

My car was a dealer demo car and RIS was done at 1805 miles, in the service book I think it states 1200 +/- 600 iirc, I questioned this with Mill Sunderland, the supplying dealer and they told me that up to 2500 miles for the RIS would be fine, just a heads up really

 

[srhutch]

My car was a dealer demo car and RIS was done at 1805 miles, in the service book I think it states 1200 +/- 600 iirc, I questioned this with Mill Sunderland, the supplying dealer and they told me that up to 2500 miles for the RIS would be fine, just a heads up really

Problem is virtually all buyers will only go to 1,800 and I would suggest even that's pushing it. I'm sure it's the only reason the Ruby Black one I looked at was at a backstreet garage and not on a main dealer forecourt, which is where it had come from.

 

[Darren Slone]

Tbh Steve, I didn't even know about the RIS until I joined the forum, my car is now on 42K, 8 yrs old and all's fine and dandy, some potential buyers may be put off I know but that's something I'll have to live with, she's not going anywhere in the near future anyway

 

[Stu Boy]

Tbh Steve, I didn't even know about the RIS until I joined the forum, my car is now on 42K, 8 yrs old and all's fine and dandy, some potential buyers may be put off I know but that's something I'll have to live with, she's not going anywhere in the near future anyway

Meet too, i read about the RIS on here. I walked away from a nice zed that hadn't had its RIS for 6k (this car incidentally had to have its gearbox changed i later learnt) Mine had it done just under 1200 miles, its not just the engine oil that is changed but the gearbox and diff too. Having said that it had its steering rack and bluetooth handsfree unit in the boot changed under warranty and they have nothing to do with what they do at 1200 miles

 

[TomK]

My car was a dealer demo car and RIS was done at 1805 miles, in the service book I think it states 1200 +/- 600 iirc, I questioned this with Mill Sunderland, the supplying dealer and they told me that up to 2500 miles for the RIS would be fine, just a heads up really

I wouldn't be put off particularly by a car that had RIS at 1800 or so. I would however be extremely wary of a car that apparently has not been into the bmw network until an inspection 1, surely many thousands of miles later. Either it's some kind of mistake or it just hasn't had it done. If the latter, then I would look elsewhere myself.

 

[JayEmm]

Is the engine supplied with crappy oil in it when supplied?

I know with one of my motorbikes they put some awful oil in it which deliberately promotes wear, they then swap it over for proper stuff after a while.

I think on my bike the service was about 600 miles or so

 

[srhutch]

Tbh Steve, I didn't even know about the RIS until I joined the forum, my car is now on 42K, 8 yrs old and all's fine and dandy, some potential buyers may be put off I know but that's something I'll have to live with, she's not going anywhere in the near future anyway

It wouldn't put me off as long as it's in tolerance. My car has missed a brake fluid service, 3 years between. Didn't see it as a concern, but no doubt would put some off even though it was 6 years ago :lol:

 

[Stu Boy]

Is the engine supplied with crappy oil in it when supplied?

I know with one of my motorbikes they put some awful oil in it which deliberately promotes wear, they then swap it over for proper stuff after a while.

I think on my bike the service was about 600 miles or so

You could be right about the wearing in process, not sure they would call it crappy though More like 'running in oil' :lol:

 

[pvr]

Tbh Steve, I didn't even know about the RIS until I joined the forum, my car is now on 42K, 8 yrs old and all's fine and dandy, some potential buyers may be put off I know but that's something I'll have to live with, she's not going anywhere in the near future anyway

It wouldn't put me off as long as it's in tolerance. My car has missed a brake fluid service, 3 years between. Didn't see it as a concern, but no doubt would put some off even though it was 6 years ago :lol:

In a way, I often wonder about the brake fluid service, as even with it on time etc you still suffer from rusted pipes, seized callipers, ABS units failing so in the end, what difference would it have made.

Even stranger that on new cars, the first brake service is at 3 years, not 2. What is all that about - not just BMW either.

 

[srhutch]

I don't understand that either, and questioned my dealer as I thought it must have been wrong on the 1er. They confirmed 3 years for the first and 2 there after.

 

[YorkshireJohn]

Just to update the thread......

I went to see the car, and had a close look at the service history. The first owner was BMW themselves, and there was a stamp in the book for the running in service. I don't know why it's not showing up on the BMW system, but if I had wanted to buy the car I guess I could have rung the phone number on the service stamp to make further enquiries.

Low mileage examples of these cars seem to go a heck of a long time before needing services - more than 2 years between oil changes jarred a bit with me, but the owner explained that the car's service indicator makes the judgement partly on mileage but also on the kind of use the car is getting.

Thanks again for all the helpful comments.

 

[pvr]

Partly true, but besides what the car "thinks", there is always the overriding two years max between servicing, and that is for oil and brake fluid.

 

[CornishRob]

Just to update the thread......

I went to see the car, and had a close look at the service history. The first owner was BMW themselves, and there was a stamp in the book for the running in service. I don't know why it's not showing up on the BMW system, but if I had wanted to buy the car I guess I could have rung the phone number on the service stamp to make further enquiries.

Low mileage examples of these cars seem to go a heck of a long time before needing services - more than 2 years between oil changes jarred a bit with me, but the owner explained that the car's service indicator makes the judgement partly on mileage but also on the kind of use the car is getting.

Thanks again for all the helpful comments.

Thats not really true. They should be serviced at a maximum of 2 years if the computer doesn't say so before. The computer only goes by the amount of fuel that is burnt, and does not have an onboard calendar for the oil changes. Obviously a few weeks over won't make a difference, but if its a long time, then thats not good.

Its generally about 15k or 2 years, whichever comes first, but driven hard, the computer may come down to say 12k miles and should then be serviced.

 

[srhutch]

What PVR and Rob says is correct. However this only applies to Oil Services i.e. as a minimum the car must have oil and brake services at 2 year periods. The Inspection one and two services are mileage based. My car for example will have two/three oil services between inspections because I do low mileage where as some cars will alternate between oil and inspection services.