My final free maintenance service - feel good story

[mdosu]

I just wanted to share a positive maintenance story performed at my local dealership BMW of Alexandria (Virginia).

I have a 2008 with a in-service date of May 2008. The car has been on a low mileage maintance track and currently has 23k miles.

I took the car in today for the following:
1. plastic rivet from underbody panel fell out, I provided the rivet (23 cents) and asked them to pop it back in for me for free (this is difficult, as more rivets have to come out to put that one in)
2. windshield wiper motor noise (2nd time this occured, "gremlin-type" issue)
3. swap summer tires (of course, I paid for this out of my on pockets)
4. CBS service notification ,what surprised me was with no need for negotiation, I was offered:
a. low mileage oil change (less than 1 year since last change!)
b. rear differential fluid change (also was given the modifer formula for grinding sounds)
c. spark plugs (manual states 37k)
d. brake fluid flush (last performed in 2010, never been tracked)
e. standard inspection

I have to say, I did not expect the freebies (plugs, brake fluid, oil change). I was walking in ready to plead them to change all this out before my plan expires in May, but I've never imagined BMW/CBS would allow this. They really could have forced me to pay for all of it had they stuck with the in-service date schedule. All I had to pay for was the cost of mounting my tires.

I hope all 2008/09 owners will be able to squeeze out this type of service before your free maintenance plan ends.

[pbonsalb]

My dealer was not so kind.

[PhillyNate]

I'm glad that particular dealership is behaving as if they want your continued business.

[aus]

Congrats on the plugs, oil change and diff change. Not sure how they got that past BMW. The brake fluid is based on date of pour; not date of sale or when the dealer punched the car.

[mdosu]

I'm starting to think maybe all this was not "given" to me. Since all of it was condition-base, if the car said "I need a fluid change", then they'll change it. I guess the only wierd ones are the early oil and plug change.

[Day Laborer]

Originally Posted by mdosu

I'm starting to think maybe all this was not "given" to me. Since all of it was condition-base, if the car said "I need a fluid change", then they'll change it. I guess the only wierd ones are the early oil and plug change.

Who was your SA at BMW of Alexandria?
My service adviser is not so generous.
The CBS on my car says its due for its 3rd oil change in June (1st) 2012, my warranty runs out in May 28 2012. He consistently tells me that they cannot give me the oil change.

My spark plugs are due in a few miles (at 37000) and since my CBS says I am not due until June, no oil change, no differential fluid or MT fluid change... I'm SOL.

I seriously gotta bring this up to the Service Manager.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by Day Laborer

Who was your SA at BMW of Alexandria?
My service adviser is not so generous.
The CBS on my car says its due for its 3rd oil change in June (1st) 2012, my warranty runs out in May 28 2012. He consistently tells me that they cannot give me the oil change.

My spark plugs are due in a few miles (at 37000) and since my CBS says I am not due until June, no oil change, no differential fluid or MT fluid change... I'm SOL.

I seriously gotta bring this up to the Service Manager.

how many miles are on your car? It's funny, b/c aside from mileage differences, I think we have the exact same schedule. My plan expires on May 28th as well and my oil changes has been on an annual July schedule. Just for some reason, my CBS said I have all the other maintenance due this month.

My SA has changed a few times (not due to issues, mostly on who's free). I generally deal with Rudy, though this time I was assigned Kevin (I think this is his name, he sits 2 desks to the right of Rudy). He was pretty accomodative. Again, the more I think about it, the more I think my driving habits kicked off an early maintenance prompt by the CBS for all the other fluid and plug change. I don't know why though, considering my in service date was May.

[Day Laborer]

Originally Posted by mdosu

how many miles are on your car? It's funny, b/c aside from mileage differences, I think we have the exact same schedule. My plan expires on May 28th as well and my oil changes has been on an annual July schedule. Just for some reason, my CBS said I have all the other maintenance due this month.

My SA has changed a few times (not due to issues, mostly on who's free). I generally deal with Rudy, though this time I was assigned Kevin (I think this is his name, he sits 2 desks to the right of Rudy). He was pretty accomodative. Again, the more I think about it, the more I think my driving habits kicked off an early maintenance prompt by the CBS for all the other fluid and plug change. I don't know why though, considering my in service date was May.

As of right now, I have 36,870 on the odometer.
I am planning to drop it off this Thursday for the spark plugs- I am going to beg them for transmission fluid, oil, and differential fluid change.
I'm not familiar with those other SA's but I am thinking to change to another SA.
Is there a proper etiquette for changing SA's?

My car's in-service date according to the driver's door sicker is April 2008

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by Day Laborer

As of right now, I have 36,870 on the odometer.
I am planning to drop it off this Thursday for the spark plugs- I am going to beg them for transmission fluid, oil, and differential fluid change.
I'm not familiar with those other SA's but I am thinking to change to another SA.
Is there a proper etiquette for changing SA's?

My car's in-service date according to the driver's door sicker is April 2008

I'll be going back on Saturday to do the plugs, they were out as of last weekend. BTW, before you go on Thursday, can you call and ensure they have enough for both of us? IE they need at least 16 on hand for the two of us this week? They ordered it on Saturday, let's just hope they ordered more than 8.

[Day Laborer]

I just called the parts department and asked them to order more.
They currently only have a quantity of 8; and my service is on this Thursday
So the Parts department ordered more spark plugs under my name; so that those one's will arrive prior to Saturday and will be for your car.
Since you and I are both under the same boat- PM me with your number.

Both of our warranties run out on May 28th; my next oil/differential/transmission fluids change is due on June 1st

I am thinking we can both go to the Service Director Mike Winters or BMW NA and request that oil/diff/transmission fluids be changed when they do our spark plugs.

Worst case senario; I know someone who is Mike Winter's friend and may ask him to reach out to him.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by Day Laborer

I just called the parts department and asked them to order more.
They currently only have a quantity of 8; and my service is on this Thursday
So the Parts department ordered more spark plugs under my name; so that those one's will arrive prior to Saturday and will be for your car.
Since you and I are both under the same boat- PM me with your number.

Both of our warranties run out on May 28th; my next oil/differential/transmission fluids change is due on June 1st

I am thinking we can both go to the Service Director Mike Winters or BMW NA and request that oil/diff/transmission fluids be changed when they do our spark plugs.

Worst case senario; I know someone who is Mike Winter's friend and may ask him to reach out to him.

no need, I just got them all changed for free. That's what I was saying in my original post, I was able to get the diff, brake, and oil changed before May 28. My plugs are getting changed this Saturday which completes the final service requirements. Thanks for calling for me, I know I would be pissed had I found out I got up early on a Saturday to take my car in for non-existant plugs 2 weekends in a row.

[askjeeves]

Drive more aggressively and perhaps the computer will call for the oil change a little earlier.

[dnvrdrvr]

Originally Posted by mdosu

I hope all 2008/09 owners will be able to squeeze out this type of service before your free maintenance plan ends.

Nope. My car is no longer covered as of 5/21/2012. My car is due for an oil change no earlier than 5/20/2012 (Sunday, service dept is closed). I requested an oil change while it was in for Increased Emissions this past weekend, no dice. And my SA was pretty blunt in telling me I'd not get another "free" oil change. He did say he'd reset the indicator for me if I did it myself though. yay.

[Day Laborer]

Originally Posted by mdosu

no need, I just got them all changed for free. That's what I was saying in my original post, I was able to get the diff, brake, and oil changed before May 28. My plugs are getting changed this Saturday which completes the final service requirements. Thanks for calling for me, I know I would be pissed had I found out I got up early on a Saturday to take my car in for non-existant plugs 2 weekends in a row.

What are you getting done this Saturday? Spark Plugs? If you are; there will be a set of spark plugs that have been recently ordered for you by Saturday.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by Day Laborer

What are you getting done this Saturday? Spark Plugs? If you are; there will be a set of spark plugs that have been recently ordered for you by Saturday.

only plugs.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by Day Laborer

What are you getting done this Saturday? Spark Plugs? If you are; there will be a set of spark plugs that have been recently ordered for you by Saturday.

Hey Mr. Laborer,

I just noticed something on the maintenance schedule. Per the 6MT SIB reminder, we were suppose to get a free transmission fluid change on the 3rd anniversary of the break-in service. That would put all 6MT cars into the free maintenance plan for this service! I missed this in 2012 when we wrote all this for our final servicing, but i'm overdue since 2011.

I've emailed Alexandria to see if they're willing to do this for me after the plan expiration. My point to them was, I've always taken my car in for servicing with them, but the SA failed to remind me to perform this service...I'll let you know.

[FogCityM3]

When you use the BT tool, aren't condition based service items based on both mileage or time? ie if you don't hit the mileage, certain things (spark plugs, brake fluid, etc) must be done by a certain time?

[1MOREMOD]

i had similar experience with my last service before going off warranty. not that it mattered!

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

i had similar experience with my last service before going off warranty. not that it mattered!

you mean, you were able to get them to cover it? or you talking about my last post on 6MT fluid change after expiration?

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by mdosu

you mean, you were able to get them to cover it? or you talking about my last post on 6MT fluid change after expiration?

i meant they did my plugs, and rear diff, and oil and brake fluid and such. dont remember if they did tranny or not.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by mdosu

Hey Mr. Laborer,

I just noticed something on the maintenance schedule. Per the 6MT SIB reminder, we were suppose to get a free transmission fluid change on the 3rd anniversary of the break-in service. That would put all 6MT cars into the free maintenance plan for this service! I missed this in 2012 when we wrote all this for our final servicing, but i'm overdue since 2011.

I've emailed Alexandria to see if they're willing to do this for me after the plan expiration. My point to them was, I've always taken my car in for servicing with them, but the SA failed to remind me to perform this service...I'll let you know.

so, this is what my SA said about doing the 6MT change at every 3rd oil change, keep in mind, I'm on the low-mileage plan:

A "full engine oil service" is what we perform when the vehicle shows due for Engine Oil in the CBS data (Vehicle Service Menu). It is a conditioned based service based on how the vehicle is driven. If you do not go through the amount of miles needed to reach a full oil service in a year then BMW will pay for a "low-mileage annual oil service" but your count down in the CBS data does not get reset. It is only reset when the full engine oil service is performed. So based on the SIB the transmission fluid is only changed at the 3rd Engine Oil Service, low mileage annual oil changes do not count as full engine oil services. The next time your vehicle is due for Engine Oil in your vehicle service menu is when you will be due to perform the 1,200 mile break in service again. .

[Day Laborer]

Getting my transmission fluid changed was an uphill battle with Alexandria, as well as it would be with any dealership.
Fortunately I had a SA that compromised after I brought it up with the Service Manager and BMWNA + BBB.