Just had a major argument with SA *DCT related*

[M3Dreamer]

Was scheduling my 1200 service today with the SA, and all was jolly until I brought up the DCT transmission fluid issue. I asked him to confirm that it is a lifetime fluid that does not need servicing, and he calls one of the technicians, whose reply is basically "I believe so, but we will only do it if the car indicates it". Knowing full well the car will probably indicate this, I try to explain the issues others have had with their transmissions based on what I have read here, when I get the whole "You should NEVER believe everything you read on the internet" etc spiel

Trying to keep calm, I then explain that I have printed copies of the service bulletin from the BMW website itself, to which he sharply replies "There is NOTHING out there you know that we don't already know". After a few more back & forths, I finally got him to agree that the fluid won't be replaced if I don't want it to, but that he will have to write this down in a "file" in case something goes wrong in the future, presumably to shaft me in the warranty process along the way

Needless to say, I'm quite worried about bringing my car in for service tomorrow. I was quite surprised by the rude tone of my SA, who basically refused to hear me out. I know people don't like to be questioned regarding how to do their job, but after reading the horror stories of DCT fluid replacement here I was only trying to protect myself and my baby.

I am planning on taping a copy of the TSB on my dash when bringing the car in, with the part about not replacing the DCT fluid highlighted. Hopefully they will abide, and not trash my car in the post-service "test drive". Needless, to say I'm not very optimistic here

Sorry for the rant, just needed to vent. Great forum you guys have tho

[!Xoible]

request another SA, one that knows their shit (might have to be imported from germany)

[phoenixbmwlife]

Originally Posted by M3Dreamer

Was scheduling my 1200 service today with the SA, and all was jolly until I brought up the DCT transmission fluid issue. I asked him to confirm that it is a lifetime fluid that does not need servicing, and he calls one of the technicians, whose reply is basically "I believe so, but we will only do it if the car indicates it". Knowing full well the car will probably indicate this, I try to explain the issues others have had with their transmissions based on what I have read here, when I get the whole "You should NEVER believe everything you read on the internet" etc spiel

Trying to keep calm, I then explain that I have printed copies of the service bulletin from the BMW website itself, to which he sharply replies "There is NOTHING out there you know that we don't already know". After a few more back & forths, I finally got him to agree that the fluid won't be replaced if I don't want it to, but that he will have to write this down in a "file" in case something goes wrong in the future, presumably to shaft me in the warranty process along the way

Needless to say, I'm quite worried about bringing my car in for service tomorrow. I was quite surprised by the rude tone of my SA, who basically refused to hear me out. I know people don't like to be questioned regarding how to do their job, but after reading the horror stories of DCT fluid replacement here I was only trying to protect myself and my baby.

I am planning on taping a copy of the TSB on my dash when bringing the car in, with the part about not replacing the DCT fluid highlighted. Hopefully they will abide, and not trash my car in the post-service "test drive". Needless, to say I'm not very optimistic here

Sorry for the rant, just needed to vent. Great forum you guys have tho

Your rant is very understandable and it's good you did what you did. I can't believe your SA was so condescending. I would fill out a survey if there is any to inform management of this type of attitude. I don't think it’s warranted.

[inmotion]

don't take it too personal. The SA in general do know what they are doing. However, if a customer tries to show that they know more than they do, then it is understandable, to a certain degree, that he becomes offended. Everyone would have a bad day here and there. We all do from time to time, but if his attitude is the same the day your car is serviced, then request for another SA.

[ismelllikepoop]

i think they probably get annoyed by all the know-it-alls telling them how to do their job. i know i would be.

[Davinhci]

I hate when they tell you don't believe what you read on the forum crap.

[phoenixbmwlife]

The interesting thing is how many times have you heard of or mentioned things to the dealer and they had no idea what you were talking about? There are so many stories on this and other forums about us talking about things and its like we know more than they do.

My personal experience is when my dealer said they got the first M3's in and he was like one is a “silver like” color and the other is red. I told him Silverstone II right? He was like no I don't think it’s that, it's something else. Of course it was the SSII color and he just didn't know the difference until he read it on the sticker.

SA included I guess they hear about stuff from us more than we realize.

[M3Dreamer]

I can understand why he would be short on patience with a customer claiming to "know" something he doesn't, but it would have been nice of him to rationally address my concerns rather than brush them off abrasively. I actually somewhat anticipated it, and was trying to be as calm and cool as possible about it but he was having none of it. Especially about things I read in a forum on the internet, that could never be accurate!

It's funny, I could detect a hint of Brooklyn accent when we first started talking (I'm from NY originally) but as soon as our discussion got heated boy did it come out! ... feisty fella he was

[MDCTFTW]

This happened to me last weekend too when I took the car in for service. The problem is that when they read your key it will say "replace manual transmission fluid" which is weird coming from a DCT car. When the tech pulls the tranny cover off there's a sticker on there that says "replace with DCT fluid ONLY and do this this and this to replace it". Now if the tech sees this properly he'll go and try to find DCT fluid and he'll find that none is in stock, try to do a PUMA and then a notice will come back saying DCT tranny fluid is LIFETIME. That's the best case scenario and he'll skip the service. Worst case is he'll misread something along the way and replace it with MTF and there goes your tranny.

I had to go through a lot of trouble after they read my key telling them not to replace the tranny fluid. I had multiple people tell me they're been working at BMW for xxx years and have always replaced the tranny fluid at the first service even on SMG cars. I would retort by saying "but this is DCT not SMG" ... they thought I was an idiot ... "we've have many new M3s in for service already" (too bad by the end of the day I found out I was the first DCT serviced). I also got the "don't believe everything you read on the internet, there's a lot of false info on there" and the "if we don't replace it you're liable for the tranny and we can't cover you". I just took it with a grain of salt. Once they tried to locate DCT fluid and couldn't I said ok fine ... do the service just for the love of god don't put MTF in there ... order the DCT fluid from Germany and make a PUMA case all you want, but I'm not going to bring the car back when you get it. Luckily in the end they realized it's lifetime.

The true techs were great and actually went through the correct process. They were the ones that checked the validity of my claims and confirmed it. The people in the office are the ones that don't know shit. I can understand that they might be annoyed that I'm informing them (not even telling them) about my car, but at least make the effort to check up on it and not just claim you know everything.

I ended up watching the entire service as well. Car looks sweet on the lift.

[atcga]

Do yourself a favor and find another dealer. I had the exact problem and told the SA at Quality Imports in Ft Walton Beach Florida NOT to go into my tranny because of the same reasons you spoke of. His stern response to me was "I ASSURE YOU THERE IS NO CONFUSION HERE ABOUT WHAT TO DO". Guess what??? They did it anyway and my car has been there for over 3 weeks and over $10,000 in repairs. The SOB's won't even talk to me on the phone! Be very careful!!!

[Dascamel]

+1

I would call BMW NA and have them bitch them out first before even thinking of handing over the keys.

[ideliver]

Speaking of Gemans in the article below...

"In a country that produces some of the world's finest cars, sleekest home appliances and most-precise industrial tools, mechanical savviness is a badge of honor."

I wonder if the same can be said today here...

Lufthansa's Labor of Love WSJ.pdf

[ihyln]

Go somewhere else. Don't tolerate SAs who are assholes.

[M3Dreamer]

Thank you for the replies. I've decided to cancel my service appt tomorrow morning, and will cite my displeasure with the SA as the reason based on our conversation today. I will then ask my CA, whom I have a good rapport with, for an SA recommendation and will reschedule the service for Wed or Thurs with that individual instead. Hopefully I will be taken a bit more seriously this time, although that may be asking too much.

[TheBry]

One thing we're forgetting to take into consideration here is that we're all enthusiasts. We go to great pains to seek out any and all information possible about our cars. This forum has been an AMAZING source of knowledge for me -- most of it first-hand knowledge transferred to me by actual owners (and I'll soon be one).

I'd be willing to bet most people employed by your dealership are NOT enthusiasts to the degree we are. For one thing, not many of them could actually afford to buy the cars they sell / maintain, so how could they possibly know as much about "breaking news" as we do? Clearly they know their jobs inside and out, but that's skill-level info that's transferred to them through factory training. However, post launch, as things change, the flow of information is slow to reach them... and they may not be actively seeking it on their own time (like we are... as enthusiasts).

[phoenixbmwlife]

Originally Posted by M3Dreamer

Thank you for the replies. I've decided to cancel my service appt tomorrow morning, and will cite my displeasure with the SA as the reason based on our conversation today. I will then ask my CA, whom I have a good rapport with, for an SA recommendation and will reschedule the service for Wed or Thurs with that individual instead. Hopefully I will be taken a bit more seriously this time, although that may be asking too much.

You're doing the right thing. After all the horror stories we've heard, it's better to make an preemptive effort to protect yourself.

[lvwirelessguy]

I would quickly remind him that since 5 is the only passing score he might want to think really hard about how he is going to address me, and that even if his ego is hurt a little bit that pales in comparison to how much of a problem it would be for everyone involved if your DCT fried due to them putting the wrong fluid in.

[umwolverine]

You would think that the guy wanted to learn the correct procedure. Guess not. That's the problem with lots of people now a days, they don't treat your car they way they would treat their own. F that guy. I would have a nice chat with the service manager if I were you.

[dawgdog]

It all boils down to lack of humility. I am a veterinarian and deal with a plethora of breeds of dogs and cats. When an informed owner or breeder brings me information I do not dismiss it. Often they know more than I do on a specific issue with a specific breed. The same is true with cars. A true fanatic (like many of us on this forum) often knows more about a specific issue than people at the dealership. This certainly was true with the e46 M3 and the engine difficulties. Luckily at my dealership I have always been treated with respect.

[RealSanaii]

Hopefully everything goes well.
I'm making my appointment soon and I too am worried about this.
If they don't treat me with respect, I will just go to another dealer while calling BMWNA about the situation!

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by M3Dreamer

Thank you for the replies. I've decided to cancel my service appt tomorrow morning, and will cite my displeasure with the SA as the reason based on our conversation today. I will then ask my CA, whom I have a good rapport with, for an SA recommendation and will reschedule the service for Wed or Thurs with that individual instead. Hopefully I will be taken a bit more seriously this time, although that may be asking too much.

I am not sure I'd want to worry about potential political issues that could arise by merely switching to a different advisor at the same dealership, instead of taking your business to a different BMW Center. I'm not saying you are making a mistake, and I'm sure you've carefully assessed the situation. Just be cautious, I guess that's what I mean.

[Big Windy]

What about trying another dealer nearby to see if they are a bit more competent and friendly?