Inspection 1 due in 150 miles. Good garages in G.London

R

rasoliman

Member
 London
Hi guys,

Apologies for the absence. Haven't been on the forum for a bit. Been busy with new car and job! Done best part of 3.5k in 6 weeks including a Euro road trip with 2 other Z4M's (pictures to follow). This car is addictive.

However, the M is now due an Inspection 1 service and I wondered whether any members could recommend an AUC garage in the London area. I live in South East London and so my closest is Stephen James (Blackheath). I'm ringing them tomorrow to get a quote but wondering what is a ball park figure these days for an Inspection 1. Do the London labour costs make a significant difference.

I'm willing to travel outside London if it's worth the discount and the service is better. I'm originally from Sheffield and Sytner have an outpost there (no experience of them though).

On a separate point. If the car goes past 0 miles till service, does this have any implications on the warranty?

Thanks for your help and knowledge!
 
I believe the going rate for an inspection 1 (including the night before drop-off for valve clearances) is £650-£750 (with a bit of negotiation).

It also seems strange that the dealers with the highest hourly rates are not necessarily the most expensive (e.g. one in Liverpool is 20% more expensive that the one in Cheltenham even though the hourly rates are the same).

Here are the ones from when I did my ring-round last year.
mmm-five said:
Williams Liverpool – £850
Williams Bolton – £835
Cooper Colchester – £780
Halliwell Jones Southport – £778
Halliwell Jones Warrington – £766
David Holmes Stockport – £760
Costwold Cheltenham – £705
Click to expand...
 
Some dealers will allow you to price match. I recall a guy at Battersea BMW telling forum members on the now defunct BM3W forum that he would do so. I got Wood BMW Bournemouth to match Cotswold BMW (Despite it being nowhere near them) as they were doing Insp 1 for £600.
 
Thanks gents,

Knowledgeable as always!

I'll phone a few garages tomorrow and see how the southern prices compare to the rest of the country and see if price-matching can be done.

On another note, has anyone had any problems connecting an iPhone to the Bluetooth in their cars? I recently upgraded and the phone can't see the car and vice versa. I had no problems with my previous one (a SonyEricsson) but this iPhone4 is doing my head in!
 
I just had an inspection I done by Cooper Croydon. Not the cheapest at £700 with me supplying my own oil (well worth doing from Opie Oils whoever you go with), but I was pleased with the fact they had it overnight to check the valve clearences properly and they treated me very well.
 
Thanks Big T.

I've got 4 litres of Castrol Edgefrom Opie. Will I need more?

I'll give Coopers a ring and see what they can do.
 
I reckon you can get the price of an Insp 1 down a bit more than those mentioned here, I got mine for £450 at a BMW dealer near Glasgow but that probably was exceptional. They're much more willing to haggle than in the past.

The iphone 4 connects to the bluetooth on my 06 car so I would expect it to do so on yours. It did take a bit of messing around to get the prompt for the BMW passkey to come up on the phone. Initially there was nothing but I turned the phone off and on before activating bluetooth and the prompt appeared.
 
rasoliman, if you haven't booked already give Anneka @ Sytner a try - see if she'll do you a forum price :wink:
 
Thanks guys for the info,

DGM - I'll try again tonight. I think its more my phone than the car. When the BT is switched on, it doesn't seem to find anything!

Big T - just ordered 2 litres from Opie.

Pawn Sacrifice - Is this the Sytner in Sheffield?
 
rasoliman said:
Pawn Sacrifice - Is this the Sytner in Sheffield?
Click to expand...

I was thinking more of this one...
Sytner Canary Wharf
20 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5AB
Tel: 0845 481 2033
Fax: 0207 718 5601

If you PM / email "Anneka @ Sytner" - sorry, am not sure if you saw, but she's a member on here now. Be good to see what they can offer.
 
Give BMW park lane Battersea a call. I use them for all my requirements and they can offer discounts.
 
Rags said:
Give BMW park lane Battersea a call. I use them for all my requirements and they can offer discounts.
Click to expand...

Another recommendation for BMW Battersea (Stewarts Rd), good service including tube station drop off/collection, and seem friendly (and reasonable enough)...
 
mmm-five said:
Here are the ones from when I did my ring-round last year.
mmm-five said:
Williams Liverpool – £850
Williams Bolton – £835
Cooper Colchester – £780
Halliwell Jones Southport – £778
Halliwell Jones Warrington – £766
David Holmes Stockport – £760
Costwold Cheltenham – £705
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Are these prices with you providing your own oil?
 
Can I ask you as I'm sure you will know, are Castrol Edge 10w 60 and Castrol TWS Motorsport the same thing? I just asked a BMW chap if Edge 10w-60 was the right oil and he said NO.
 
TWS is the old (or US) name for Castrol Edge.

We have two Castrol Edge 10w60 products in the UK. The first is Castrol Edge Sport 10w60 which is not suitable for ///M cars, and Castrol Edge 10w60 for M Engines which is suitable.

So when he says 'Castrol Edge' is the wrong oil, he is both right and wrong :P
 
Excellent :) Been ringing round for quotes, most have said Castrol TWS Motorsport, but oddly one recommended Shell Helix and said as long as it was 10w-60 it didn't matter...
 
From Castrol themselves......

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/iframe.do?categoryId=9024084&contentId=7044829
 
I'm due an oil service fairly soon, let me know how you get on. Best quote I got today with Sytner (based in Romford) £233, Battersea and Chiswick offering £240 and £250...seems like a hell of a lot to change the bloody oil. Got the usual "we don't recommend supplying your own oil" crap but what do they expect at those prices?!
 
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