Servicing Questions

W

Weelawser

Member
 Aberdeenshire
Ok, first of all forgive my ignorance,
so last service Inspection 1 on the 03/02/12 (Brake fluid & Micro filter) 20,778 Miles
My Computer tells me next service due: Oil service in 9600 Miles
Also just noticed that the computer shows Brake fluid change 10/13

Confused :? What should i be looking at next ?
 
You should have a oil service at least every 2 years if you don't do enough mileage to trigger the OBC service indicator, so you're about a month out for that.

Brake fluid change is a minimum of every 2 years (I do mine at least annually), and the clock shows it needed one in October 2013.

Looks like you're due an oil service and brake fluid.
 
Yeah, bit annoyed that the Brake fluid wasn't changed before i bought the car in November, i bought from a BMW garage because i believed these things should have been covered in the first place !
 
Weelawser said:
Yeah, bit annoyed that the Brake fluid wasn't changed before i bought the car in November, i bought from a BMW garage because i believed these things should have been covered in the first place !
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That's why you have to check and double-check everything when you buy a car - be it from Arthur Daley Motors, a big, glossy BMW franchise, or a private individual. Don't believe a word they say unless you have the documentation to back it up.
 
Weelawser said:
Ok, Ok lesson learned :cry:
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Don't worry, we all get excited when there's a new car sitting in front of us, and it's very easy to forget something :thumbsup:
 
My 09 Roadster has only done 10K miles since new and therefore has only had one oil change and yearly aircon treatment. Why do I need to change brake fluid with such a low usage? Please don't say it says so in the service manual.
 
HAL296 said:
My 09 Roadster has only done 10K miles since new and therefore has only had one oil change and yearly aircon treatment. Why do I need to change brake fluid with such a low usage? Please don't say it says so in the service manual.
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Poached from Kwik-Fit's website, it said everything I was going to without me having to type it...

A brake fluid has hygroscopic properties - meaning that it absorbs moisture during its life in your car through the pipes, hoses and joints that it lubricates. As the water content in the brake fluid increases, the temperature the liquid boils at decreases from when the brake fluid is ‘dry’ (ie no water content when new) to when it is ‘wet’ (contaminated with water).
 
Hi weelawser, I would go back to the selling dealer and ask for evidence that the brake fluid was changed as a pre sale bmw check / prep item. I know it wasn't, but it should have been to meet the AUC terms.

I'm not sure what the official bottom line is on AUC cars, but I questioned this same thing during sale and got the go ahead to have brake fluid changed at my local dealer after the sale of car. I think you'll very likely get it unless you took them to the cleaners with the deal!

Worth a try. Like Mmm-five says, need to double check everything! I agree we shouldn't have to though. Approach it as if it was surely changed as it's an AUC car (oh if only!) and maybe just the service interval needs updating, then let them take it from there. You shouldn't have to ask outright from that point as they will know it should have been done. You may still have to spell it out to them though!
It's not a lot of cash to have it done, but it's more the principle that it wasn't done and should have been.
 
Should the service interval be reset in this case or not? I.e. would the next required service be Ins2?

Do you have to follow a strict Oil-Ins1-oil-Ins2…?

For a car that does less miles is Oil-Oil-Ins1-Oil-Oil-Oil-Ins2… acceptable, completing Ins1 and Ins2 as per the clock (mileage).
 
MHZ4C said:
Hi weelawser, I would go back to the selling dealer and ask for evidence that the brake fluid was changed as a pre sale bmw check / prep item. I know it wasn't, but it should have been to meet the AUC terms.

I'm not sure what the official bottom line is on AUC cars, but I questioned this same thing during sale and got the go ahead to have brake fluid changed at my local dealer after the sale of car. I think you'll very likely get it unless you took them to the cleaners with the deal!

Worth a try. Like Mmm-five says, need to double check everything! I agree we shouldn't have to though. Approach it as if it was surely changed as it's an AUC car (oh if only!) and maybe just the service interval needs updating, then let them take it from there. You shouldn't have to ask outright from that point as they will know it should have been done. You may still have to spell it out to them though!
It's not a lot of cash to have it done, but it's more the principle that it wasn't done and should have been.
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Even if he took the dealers to the cleaners on the deal they are still obliged to do this as it was over due.
 
Never changed brake fluid in any car I've owned since I was a baby driver. Sure I understand the science of it, but practically speaking......does that make me a bad person? :|
 
Geezah said:
Never changed brake fluid in any car I've owned since I was a baby driver. Sure I understand the science of it, but practically speaking......does that make me a bad person? :|
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No but it increases your chances of seized calliper pistons!
 
Even if he took the dealers to the cleaners on the deal they are still obliged to do this as it was over due.[/quote]

I agree it should be done regardless, but I'm not sure of the comeback being guaranteed seeing as the sale was in November. I'm not sure if the dealer would still be legally held liable now (no experience of this area), but unless they have been really squeezed then I can't see them arguing such a small job.
 
Folks,
Thanks for all the replies, unfortunately the dealer is in Kent & i am in Aberdeenshire.....My own fault for not checking the little things :x But i will bring up the fact that i believe it should have been done prior to picking up the car, in the service book the last Brake fluid change was at the end of Feb 2012, so not entirely sure why my computer informs me that it should be Oct 2013 ? Where do they take their information from with regards the warranty ?
 
It's not un common for the computers to be out. Brake fluid due February 14 then. Borderline AUC then. Really they should have done as it was due in three months. Think you will have to write it off though.
 
Not sure why the book and car don't agree, unless someone reset the indicator before feb12 (say in oct11), then the service indicator wasn't reset in error when it was last changed in feb12. Did a BMW dealer do the feb12 change? It should have been. If so, then I'd call the dealership referenced and confirm when it was done so you have a set point. If it was done in feb12, and meets the 2 year rule prior to that up to date of manufacture, then I'd leave it there and pay for it now as due in feb14.

I guess you could have tried to bundle a free early change in Nov as a pre sale thing, but no worries, it's not a big saving either way, and at 3 months early then it wouldn't be guaranteed anyway. A few quid on the brake fluid is minor.

If it turns out that it was due at the time of sale then there is precedent for one dealer invoicing another. I had the brake fluid done as it was overdue at time of sale, but wanted to use my local dealer who was a different franchise, this was all worked out between the dealerships.
 
If it's a BMW auc , have a go with customer services. They boast that all the approved cars have undergone test and check of sevice history !
 
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