1200 mile service rant

So I take my manual transmission E92 M3 in for the 1200 mile service to the local dealership last week. They change the engine oil and the differential fluid but not the transmission fluid. When I question my "service advisor" he says oh we don't do that anymore. Well I figure he's the expert maybe I am reading out dated stuff. But it bothers me so I investigate more and even send him the service bulletin released in 2009 which says this needs to be done. Well he ignores me. So I start sending emails to BMW NA and finally get directed to the owners section on the website where I find the actual service and warranty manual for the 2011 M3 (why dont they just give this to us ?). There it is in BLACK and WHITE page 6 change the F--king transmission fluid in the 6MT at 1200 mile service (doesn't actually say F--K). So the guy finally gets back to me again says "does not need to be done". He has spoken with the expert tech in back. Says what I am referring to is only if thay had to REPLACE a transmission. At this point I am like WTF it says it right here in the service manual "do you have a service manual ? " Silence. So I have to send a PDF copy of the service manual to the "service advisor" (I'm sorry who's advising who ?) Of course after I email it to him blows me off all day and won't return my calls. I know call someone else. Well I did. Guess what they said ? Dude you should have had your transmission fluid changed at your 1200 mile service. What is the world coming to ? But what really pisses me off is that I actually gave the dude a $20 tip thinking it might help me get better service in the future. End rant, thanks for listening because now my wife just ignores me when I start talking about the car

This is a legitimate rant. Not that you need my validation. When I had mine done I gave my SA a little hint. Without that I feel it possibly wouldn't have got done.

I hate when SAs don't listen to the customer.

Truth be told, M owners tend to know more about they cars than THEY do.

tisk tisk.

sorry for your experience OP, but you're probably better off finding a new service center. If that's the only one in town, then you should schedule an appointment with a different SA and demand to have it done, and bring with you the service manual, tech bulletin, and all supporting docs.

Wow, maybe I don't lurk around this forum enough but I've never heard this before.

First of all, you've got to realize most SA's know less about M3's than you do. After all most BMW's sold today are luxuary cars with auto trans. He probably sees 1 or 2 MT's a week, if that many. The DCT (automatic?) M3 doesn't require a fluid change at 1200 mile service. Therefor in his mind you don't get a transmission fluid change.

Secondly, you didn't receive a "Service and Warrenty Information" book when you took delivery of the car?? I've owned five BMW's (three M3's) and have always gotten a warrenty book. I even get them to stamp the book every time I get service.

I don't know who your dealer is, but you might seriously look for someone else to give your business too!

I understand it should have been done but you sound like you were in total stalker mode. Chill out bro. Not the end of the world if your tranny fluid isn't changed at 1200. Take it to another dealer or just call the service manager. No need to harrass the guy since he obviously is not on the same page as you.

rhird wrote

End rant, thanks for listening because now my wife just ignores me when I start talking about the car

Sorry to hear about your mishap. Things definitely happen. It's good to find out early if they know what they're doing. If they can't handle the small stuff, can you trust them for something complicated? Hope you find a dealer that knows what they're doing.

Sucks man. You need a new SA/dealer. I've been using the same dealer for a while. SA is cool he drives an e36 m3

The fact that the SA said "Oh we don't do that anymore" makes me think he read the bulletin about not making sure not to do DCT flushes and thought it also applied to 6MT. Or worse, maybe he was one of the SAs doing what REALLY caused BMW to put that bulletin out -- not only replacing DCT fluid unnecessarily, but replacing it with 6MT fluid!

Ateam wrote

I understand it should have been done but you sound like you were in total stalker mode. Chill out bro. Not the end of the world if your tranny fluid isn't changed at 1200. Take it to another dealer or just call the service manager. No need to harrass the guy since he obviously is not on the same page as you.

maybe the SA should get another job if he's this crappy at what he's doing currently.

problems like this are caused by people like you letting it slide.

I didn't say let it slide. However if you come off like a stalker maniac calling the service dept and emailing them all day than you lose credibility with the next step.

Simple fix is when you do not like what you hear than ask to speak to the service manager on the phone.

If that does not work than the dealership manager.

And take it from there

Calling the SA who does not know what he is doing is not going to get you anymore and this clearly illustrates that.

On an off note, why do they reccomend the tranny fluid change? I have never heard of that in any car including exotics to change tranny fluid at 1200 and then have no real service interval thereafter

Just had my 1200 mile service done today with the tranny flush. I had to remind the SA about it, though. He also didn't believe me at first but had to talk to their head tech and quickly came around. Pretty surprising experience, nonetheless.

Ateam wrote

On an off note, why do they reccomend the tranny fluid change? I have never heard of that in any car including exotics to change tranny fluid at 1200 and then have no real service interval thereafter

Hey bud, it's in the manual. Change transmission fluid at 1200 miles and then every third oil change. So, 1200, 30k, 75k, 120k miles etc.

Every BMW had tranny fluids changed at 1200 miles and then at every 30k miles prior to their "free scheduled maintenance" marketing. We're lucky that they still do break in changes of fluids for our cars.

Ateam wrote

I understand it should have been done but you sound like you were in total stalker mode. Chill out bro. Not the end of the world if your tranny fluid isn't changed at 1200. Take it to another dealer or just call the service manager. No need to harrass the guy since he obviously is not on the same page as you.

Ouch. Been called many unflattering things in my life but never a stalker. Actually I liked the young man I was working with and was quite patient with him giving lots of little hints and always ending with a thanks. Nice kid just not real good at his job. I am amazed in this day and age of information technology that a service adviser can not simply click his mouse a few times and come of with the answer. Maybe in the next generation M3 BMW engineers can design the car to talk the tech through the service process. Oh well I'm gonna go CHILL out so my world doesn't end.

I hate when they start pulling crap like that. My original dealer tried to say that they don't do oil changes at the regular intervals anymore and was full of crap cause while he was out, another SA took my case and said I don't know what he's talking about cause we definitely do. I guess it depends on who you get. This was the same guy when I asked why my daytime running lamp needed to be replaced a 3rd time due to the sensor going off, he said maybe the tech dropped the other lightbulb when he put it in. So, he's basically admitting that they knowingly put broken parts into my car. How nice.

I hate going to dealerships especially BMW ones because they always talk to me like I have not owned two m3s and tracked vehicles and worked on cars for the past 8 years of my life!

amglol wrote

maybe the SA should get another job if he's this crappy at what he's doing currently.

problems like this are caused by people like you letting it slide.

jphughan wrote

The fact that the SA said "Oh we don't do that anymore" makes me think he read the bulletin about not making sure not to do DCT flushes and thought it also applied to 6MT. Or worse, maybe he was one of the SAs doing what REALLY caused BMW to put that bulletin out -- not only replacing DCT fluid unnecessarily, but replacing it with 6MT fluid!

Silvertige wrote

Just had my 1200 mile service done today with the tranny flush. I had to remind the SA about it, though. He also didn't believe me at first but had to talk to their head tech and quickly came around. Pretty surprising experience, nonetheless.

I wonder if you fellows can scan your service invoice area that list what oil was changed? and post it here as a image ... that would be great.

Silvertige wrote

Hey bud, it's in the manual. Change transmission fluid at 1200 miles and then every third oil change. So, 1200, 30k, 75k, 120k miles etc.

Every BMW had tranny fluids changed at 1200 miles and then at every 30k miles prior to their "free scheduled maintenance" marketing. We're lucky that they still do break in changes of fluids for our cars.

You make a good point. I will check my manual and have it with me when I get my oil changed.

No matter what I will insist the the transmission oil be changed even if I have to pay for it. As a mechanical engineer I know there be foreign particles small burrs etc in the oil if even in micro format that over time will harm the transmission so I like that to be flushed out and recharged with fresh oil.

This question is for the Canadian M3 drivers ...

I don't know why there should be a difference between a Canadian and a US delivered car ...

US M3 drivers feel free to comment if you like

I read in this forum that after 1200 miles break in (2000 KM) mark in Canada the oil will be changed. What I read was Engine Oil, Transmission Oil and Differential Oil.

When I asked my SA what will be changed when I have 2000 KM on the odometer he said "Only the Engine Oil"

So the question I have what oil was changed on your cars after the break in period was completed.

Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Rolf-Dieter

My 1200 mile service was only engine oil. Diff oil not changed due to build month (Aug 11), Maintenance Computer system showed not required for my VIN. Service Mgr checked with Munich on this as I kept asking about it. AG stated that it already has the oil type that they put in to fix the noisy ones...no need too change unless there's a problem. Have M DCT also.

They dont know that M type cars are different from other series of cars. I hate these newbies SA too.
So when i go in service i always print out the service bulletin #s to them, this way they dont fuk up.

NeedMoreToyz, my diff oil was changed when I got mine 1200mi service done two weeks ago

NeedMoreToyz wrote

My 1200 mile service was only engine oil. Diff oil not changed due to build month (Aug 11), Maintenance Computer system showed not required for my VIN. Service Mgr checked with Munich on this as I kept asking about it. AG stated that it already has the oil type that they put in to fix the noisy ones...no need too change unless there's a problem. Have M DCT also.

DCT fluid should not be changed @ first service- Manual fluid is changed @ 1200 mile service along w/diff & oil.

You should get either a phone call or an Email survey regarding your recent service. BMW actually pays a lot of attention to these surveys, so I would strongly comment on your experience, and request you be contacted by someone at BMW. I will bet you will hear back. Sorry you had the problem. Very bad.
vz