Service Inclusive - is it worth it?
- Thread starter nunp
- Start date
I was speaking to an Indy mechanic who said you need to do at least 15,000 miles a year to break even.
I have it on my 5 series and paid £400, which seemed a no-brainer at the time. However...
a) You can not book it in for service unless the service timer is below 1,000 miles
b) It runs out at either 50,000 or 5 years... but which ever comes first.
c) Garages tell you that you should service a vehicle either annually or at key mileage stages, yet their policy is the reverse under this scheme. Try taking it in every 12 months and not when the service timer tells you and they wont book it in !
d) I had to have the rear brake pads changed at 28,000 and they quoted me £240. Where's the 'all inclusive' labour element? - I hoped I may just get away with the cost of the pads at least.
(It also annoys me that they quote you a standard book price for this, even though the vehicle is already booked in, valeted and on the ramps)
e) 2 days before it was due in, they rang and offered me a Air-Con gas change, as recommended by BMW at 2 years. Usually £235 but today at a 'special offer' price of £99 ... - If its recommended at 2 years by BMW, why is it not included in the anticipated 5 year servicing package ??? ...I asked them if they would like to do it free, to save Them replacing the whole system under manufacturers warranty further down the line !
Just be wary, its sold as an "All Inclusive servicing package" but later you find out its just a "routine servicing package"
The wife inherrited a TLC pacjage on her 2nd hand mini. We had the car 18 months but she never did sufficient mileage to be able to book it in... :thumbsdown:
I have it on my 5 series and paid £400, which seemed a no-brainer at the time. However...
a) You can not book it in for service unless the service timer is below 1,000 miles
b) It runs out at either 50,000 or 5 years... but which ever comes first.
c) Garages tell you that you should service a vehicle either annually or at key mileage stages, yet their policy is the reverse under this scheme. Try taking it in every 12 months and not when the service timer tells you and they wont book it in !
d) I had to have the rear brake pads changed at 28,000 and they quoted me £240. Where's the 'all inclusive' labour element? - I hoped I may just get away with the cost of the pads at least.
(It also annoys me that they quote you a standard book price for this, even though the vehicle is already booked in, valeted and on the ramps)
e) 2 days before it was due in, they rang and offered me a Air-Con gas change, as recommended by BMW at 2 years. Usually £235 but today at a 'special offer' price of £99 ... - If its recommended at 2 years by BMW, why is it not included in the anticipated 5 year servicing package ??? ...I asked them if they would like to do it free, to save Them replacing the whole system under manufacturers warranty further down the line !
Just be wary, its sold as an "All Inclusive servicing package" but later you find out its just a "routine servicing package"
The wife inherrited a TLC pacjage on her 2nd hand mini. We had the car 18 months but she never did sufficient mileage to be able to book it in... :thumbsdown:
Well! I have read all the posts in this thread but am still undecided.
Collect my new 20i in two weeks and intend to keep it for five years. That suggests that the five year service plan at £425 should be good value for me.
However, it will only be doing around 5,000 miles a year and as the oil change appears to be mileage/useage dependent rather than time dependent, it could be that only one change will be needed in the five year period.
My initial view was that the plan should be viewed as an insurance policy as the service requirements are so vague, being decided by sensors in the engine and a chip in the key, making normal servicing difficult to budget for.
Can anyone advise what level of servicing might be required over 25,000 miles in 5 years?
Collect my new 20i in two weeks and intend to keep it for five years. That suggests that the five year service plan at £425 should be good value for me.
However, it will only be doing around 5,000 miles a year and as the oil change appears to be mileage/useage dependent rather than time dependent, it could be that only one change will be needed in the five year period.
My initial view was that the plan should be viewed as an insurance policy as the service requirements are so vague, being decided by sensors in the engine and a chip in the key, making normal servicing difficult to budget for.
Can anyone advise what level of servicing might be required over 25,000 miles in 5 years?
New2Zed said:
If you keep for 5 years you will need 2 oil changes and 2 brake fluid changes. They will cost more than £425.
Oil and brake fluid have to be changed every two years as a minimum. Although brake fluid is every 2 years after the first change at year 3 for some reason.
1066 Country
Absolutely worth it - ad try and get it free at point of sale. The cost you pay - if you do pay - at point of sale is all part of the dealer profit. When you do go in for a service the dealer invoices BMW UK for the service who then pay the bill (well not exactly as this will all be part of the dealers return for cars with BMW UK but in essence its all profit to the dealer)
Thanks AlanJ
So what you're saying is that the oil is changed every two years regardless of mileage. I've only asked one salesperson about this but they did not give me such a clear answer, suggesting instead that the oil would only be changed at the behest of the oil degradation sensor.
Brake fluid changing is a bit mystery to me. I had an Audi TT which had bi-annual changes at the best part of £200 a time, whilst my other car at the moment, an Alfa Romeo Brera, which is driven much harder than the Z4 will be, only has its brake fluid changed after checking its condition resulting in two changes in eight years at a cost of £25 approx each time. You can draw various conclusions from that.
If I take up the service offer, which I almost certainly will, I will have to pay for it but I don't mind as I am quite pleased with the £6,500 discount I got on a new 20i.
So what you're saying is that the oil is changed every two years regardless of mileage. I've only asked one salesperson about this but they did not give me such a clear answer, suggesting instead that the oil would only be changed at the behest of the oil degradation sensor.
Brake fluid changing is a bit mystery to me. I had an Audi TT which had bi-annual changes at the best part of £200 a time, whilst my other car at the moment, an Alfa Romeo Brera, which is driven much harder than the Z4 will be, only has its brake fluid changed after checking its condition resulting in two changes in eight years at a cost of £25 approx each time. You can draw various conclusions from that.
If I take up the service offer, which I almost certainly will, I will have to pay for it but I don't mind as I am quite pleased with the £6,500 discount I got on a new 20i.
Brake fluid change on the E89 is every 3 years now and the coolant is only changed when the strength drops as all they do is test it, I only found out when I had the Zed serviced the other week as I wanted the brake fluid and coolant changing after 2 years but was told not necessary. So for those thinking all these will be done more frequently in the 5 years I'm not so sure. I think in the small print of the Service Pack certain items will only be done when deemed necessary.
Tim.
Tim.
I had the service pack on my Mini which I used all of because A) I did the miles and B) I had the car 6 and a half years. Took a service pack on my Type R, only had the car 16 months so was a waste really. Didn't have a service on my E88s, not sure why really. Had the car 5 years so would have used it but I didn't get it and it was one thing I did regret not getting. The Z'd has a service pack with it. Just means I don't need to think about it really. Just pop it in and it's covered.
ronk said:
It doesn't say in the service book you will need to check the cars OBC. Mine says brake fluid at 3 years which is daft as I've just had the Zed serviced and will mean taking it in again just for brake fluid change and will probably be charged more than if it had all been done together.
Tim.
