[DickieGibbo]

Today my vehicle was due its second service which was at 37000 miles. On the phone two weeks ago, the BMW dealership quoted me £320.00 but by the time I took it in they and took data off the key this had increased to £520. This was because my car was due a major service and they need the car all day and haven't quoted me for filters etc? Surely they should have known what was required when I read them from my OBC with my vin number?

Anyway my service consisted of:

1. Carry out Duty of Care Healthcheck
2. Service- Standard Scope
3. Engine Oil Service
4. Microfilter Service
5. Intake Silencer Service
6. Service Fuel Filter
7. Service;vehicle check

Parts used (apparently) were:

a) FILT.ELEM x 1
b) BMW LL04 0w-30 (5.20 litres)
c) WINDSHIELD?? x 1
d) FILTER x 1
e) FILTER ELMLN x 1
f) FILTER x 1
g) PIPE CLAMP x 2


I thought I would leave my dash cams recording all day to see what they are doing etc.

So my question is how long do you think it took to service my F30 30d?? (he wasn't rushing around my car either)

I don't know if to have a moan about it but I thought I would ask all of you knowledgeable F30 Buddies first just in case this is correct? Also on the cameras I did not see them remove any filters/parts etc? but guess they could have done this all from underneath?

So how long do you think is reasonable for my £520!?

Any starters?

Dickie

[Broncho]

2 hours.

[....,,,,..,,..]

About 1 hour 15 minutes if that.

[Thehoss]

2.5hrs at a push!

[73henny]

3.5 hrs

[Tengocity]

My second service was at 37k miles and just checked- it was invoiced at £524 and covered much the same as yours as far as I can tell, though as I had a service pack it didn't cost me anything.

But I think there is about 17 AWs on it (units of BMW service time, which is about 6 mins each), so in theory they should have been working on it for about 1hour and 42 mins...

I'd guess 42 mins!

[Rbrown]

30 mins of direct work.

[ajfoggy]

30 mins. Is my guess.

[Broncho]

Don't forget the 45 minutes going out for lunch to KFC in it just to check that it's all fine.

[DickieGibbo]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

My second service was at 37k miles and just checked- it was invoiced at £524 and covered much the same as yours as far as I can tell, though as I had a service pack it didn't cost me anything.

But I think there is about 17 AWs on it (units of BMW service time, which is about 6 mins each), so in theory they should have been working on it for about 1hour and 42 mins...

I'd guess 42 mins!

You are bang on!! 42 Minutes!!!

I dropped the car off at 8am and said I need it back ready for 5pm.

It was parked up until 12.45pm where it was taken for a jet wash (Even though I told them not too!) Returned to same parking bay at 1.30pm.

At 4pm the car was driven into the workshop. At 4.42pm it was taken out and returned to same parking space.

I feel I have been totally ripped off. In the camera footage I did not notice much going on at all with the car. Bonnet was up to obscure view but when the car was took off ramp I didn't see any spare parts or an oil container etc. It was serviced by one person too not an F1 Pit team.

I presume with your guess Terry that this is probably normal?

Dickie

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by DickieGibbo

You are bang on!! 42 Minutes!!!

I dropped the car off at 8am and said I need it back ready for 5pm.

It was parked up until 12.45pm where it was taken for a jet wash (Even though I told them not too!) Returned to same parking bay at 1.30pm.

At 4pm the car was driven into the workshop. At 4.42pm it was taken out and returned to same parking space.

I feel I have been totally ripped off. In the camera footage I did not notice much going on at all with the car. Bonnet was up to obscure view but when the car was took off ramp I didn't see any spare parts or an oil container etc. It was serviced by one person too not an F1 Pit team.

I presume with your guess Terry that this is probably normal?

Dickie

It's one of those things that each technician will do many times every week so they can do it very quickly, but there is a set time interval allowed for it by BMW.

But it's swings and roundabouts as there are other jobs where the technicians will be supposed to do it in x amount of minutes and it's totally unrealistic!

These are almost all set out by BMW and the dealers can't deviate from them.

So, I'm certainly not particularly surprised.

My Dad spent 37 years of his life as a BMW tech and workshop manager so have a certain understanding!

Ultimately, the regular service is a pretty simple and straightforward job, and many of the things can be down simultaneously- many of the checks are done whilst the oil is draining for example.

And most are paid for by lease companies, or are on service plans, and the importance of maintaining FSHs makes it a very inelastic captive market I'm afraid.

[DickieGibbo]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

It's one of those things that each technician will do many times every week so they can do it very quickly, but there is a set time interval allowed for it by BMW.

But it's swings and roundabouts as there are other jobs where the technicians will be supposed to do it in x amount of minutes and it's totally unrealistic!

These are almost all set out by BMW and the dealers can't deviate from them.

So, I'm certainly not particularly surprised.

My Dad spent 37 years of his life as a BMW tech and workshop manager so have a certain understanding!

Ultimately, the regular service is a pretty simple and straightforward job, and many of the things can be down simultaneously- many of the checks are done whilst the oil is draining for example.

And most are paid for by lease companies, or are on service plans, and the importance of maintaining FSHs makes it a very inelastic captive market I'm afraid.

Okay thanks for your thoughts. Guess it is quite normal then.

Very misleading though how they "big up" the service by saying it is a major service and they need it all day! My first service at a different dealership was longer as I timed this too so guess that is what I am comparing too. Minor v Major? (Reminds me of my Porsche ownership!)

Also, my vehicle is booked into an independent for brake pads tomorrow. They were not happy with them not having the work. Before I took my vehicle to them the OBC stated 1000 miles until brake pad change. However, when I got the vehicle back tonight, I now have warnings and a red brake light warning stating I now need to take it immediately to BMW for new pads! Thanks BMW!

I don't know what the fuss is about I have 1mm of pads left!

Dickie

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by DickieGibbo

Okay thanks for your thoughts.

Very misleading though how they "big up" the service by saying it is a major service and they need it all day!

Also, my vehicle is booked into an independent for brake pads tomorrow. They were not happy with them not having the work. Before I took my vehicle to them the OBC stated 1000 miles until brake pad change. However, when I got the vehicle back tonight, I now have warnings and a red brake light warning stating I now need to take it immediately to BMW for new pads! Thanks BMW!

I don't know what the fuss is about I have 1mm of pads left!

Dickie

Yes that's bollocks and will be done so that they can flex workshop resource more easily by not having to stick to a set time, or just makes life quicker and easier for the service adviser- so that bit is just shite customer service.

But what you're doing with the brakes is exactly what you should do- service history is just about the log in the computer that the oil and filters were changed at the right time, so that's good to get done at the dealers, everything else at BMW independent. It's certainly what I do.

[dangerous_al]

Confirmation that the service pack is good value no matter how many miles you do. In 5 years the minimum will be 1st service (around £2-300, Brake fluid flush (around £70) and 2nd service (around £500)

[Tengocity]

Originally Posted by dangerous_al

Confirmation that the service pack is good value no matter how many miles you do. In 5 years the minimum will be 1st service (around £2-300, Brake fluid flush (around £70) and 2nd service (around £500)

Yes, I got mine as part of my deal when we bought it, but I've squeezed in 3 services out of it, which invoiced over £1000. So even if you paid £500 or whatever you'd still not lose out as such.

[davyk31]

How much labour is shown on your invoice? If it's more than 42 mins then it seems you need a chat with them.

[planemad]

Our bmw garage has fast lane service. No routine service work takes more than 90 mins.
You can sit there and eat their cakes, drink their fresh coffee and stare in amazement at the lady on reception.!

[Kal101]

Originally Posted by planemad

Our bmw garage has fast lane service. No routine service work takes more than 90 mins.
You can sit there and eat their cakes, drink their fresh coffee and stare in amazement at the lady on reception.!

Where is this place

I like looking at ladies on reception while eating cake and drinking coffee.

Do they have a slower lane as well

[DickieGibbo]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

Yes, I got mine as part of my deal when we bought it, but I've squeezed in 3 services out of it, which invoiced over £1000. So even if you paid £500 or whatever you'd still not lose out as such.

Yes it is good value. However brake pads are not covered IIRC from my service inclusive on the F10 I previously had.

My lease ends in June and just having a look about now what to do. Gonna go back to PCP as I add too many extras for a lease to be cost effective. I will have the service pack again next time too.

Today my courtesy car was a 220d Coupe and for the first time since my E90 I was reminded how soft the suspension is with XDrive. ACS springs will be a must too!

Dickie

[gromit2468]

Originally Posted by planemad

Our bmw garage has fast lane service. No routine service work takes more than 90 mins.
You can sit there and eat their cakes, drink their fresh coffee and stare in amazement at the lady on reception.!

slightly off-topic, but that last bit reminds me of the time that I want with a mate to look at a Mazda people carrier thingy. The lady salesman was rather lovely and the view when she demonstrated the folding rear seats was so good, we asked her to give us a second demo.

[TouringPleb]

Originally Posted by Tengocity

It's one of those things that each technician will do many times every week so they can do it very quickly, but there is a set time interval allowed for it by BMW.

But it's swings and roundabouts as there are other jobs where the technicians will be supposed to do it in x amount of minutes and it's totally unrealistic!

These are almost all set out by BMW and the dealers can't deviate from them.

So, I'm certainly not particularly surprised.

My Dad spent 37 years of his life as a BMW tech and workshop manager so have a certain understanding!

Ultimately, the regular service is a pretty simple and straightforward job, and many of the things can be down simultaneously- many of the checks are done whilst the oil is draining for example.

And most are paid for by lease companies, or are on service plans, and the importance of maintaining FSHs makes it a very inelastic captive market I'm afraid.

This is absolutely right. I was a service adviser and the techs can bang these services out in no time. From what I remember when setting the AWs time for a job they get 3 competent techs to do the job from driving it into the workshop to driving it out and take the average time.

For all the services where a tech will make up time, there are plenty of jobs where the book time might be 30 mins but it might take the tech 2 or 3 times longer for which they loose out. Suspension jobs were hated because with seized nuts and bolts and bushes etc they would take much longer than the book time. On the other hand they loved an air con regas which I think was 12 AWs but they could put the car in the corner of the workshop re-gassing whilst they got on with something else on their ramp.