[Dan77777]

Hi
My 1st BMW has 7 months left on its manufacturers warranty and then will need its 1st mot.
Never having owned a car this new I have some questions.

For the mot, it has MOT protect. Do I need to take it to a bmw dealer, for its mot, to validate this cover ?
As for its first service. If I don’t take it to a BMW’s dealer, with service history only stored online, can my chosen mechanic update my service history on the official records ?
Thanks Dann

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by Dan77777

Hi
My 1st BMW has 7 months left on its manufacturers warranty and then will need its 1st mot.
Never having owned a car this new I have some questions.

For the mot, it has MOT protect. Do I need to take it to a bmw dealer, for its mot, to validate this cover ?
As for its first service. If I don’t take it to a BMW’s dealer, with service history only stored online, can my chosen mechanic update my service history on the official records ?
Thanks Dann

Yes, for the MOT protect to be valid it must be done through a dealer.

Some mechanics can update the iDrive history, some can't. I suggest you ask the one you're thinking of using - and get an absolutely definitive answer before committing yourself, or make it a condition of payment that the work is registered on the system.

[330XDave]

First service after 29 months? Are you sure it shouldn't have had a service already? I didn't think any car should go that long without a service.

[sensible]

Originally Posted by 330XDave

First service after 29 months? Are you sure it shouldn't have had a service already? I didn't think any car should go that long without a service.

I have a 320i LCI of a similar age. Mine had its first oil and microfilter change at 2 years old (or 18,000 miles whichever comes first)
At 3 years old it needs brake fluid, end of warranty check and MOT.

It tells you exactly what's needed and when, on the idrive.

[330XDave]

Originally Posted by sensible

I have a 320i LCI of a similar age. Mine had its first oil and microfilter change at 2 years old (or 18,000 miles whichever comes first)
At 3 years old it needs brake fluid, end of warranty check and MOT.

It tells you exactly what's needed and when, on the idrive.

But 7 months of manufacturers warranty remaining surely means the car is at least 2 years and 5 months old. I thought the maximum service interval of any car is 2 years.

[Soul_Glo]

1. BMW MOT protect is a BMW initiative. If something goes wrong they will cover parts and labour so yes you need to have this done via a BMW dealership. They will not pay out to your local MOT outfit if presented with a bill of MOT failure items. Take advantage of the scheme for your first MOT. Especially if you know of something that may cause you to fail MOT.

2. Is your car on finance? If so you likely have no choice but to go to your BMW dealer for service. Check your terms and conditions. The service history can be updated on the car or key. BMW read the key for service history. Most local garages still don't have that technology yet so update history via the OBD II port on the car itself and this then updates the key. Car and key communicate. When you take your key to the BMW dealer they read it and upload it to their system. Local garages cannot update the BMW online system directly.

[sensible]

Originally Posted by 330XDave

But 7 months of manufacturers warranty remaining surely means the car is at least 2 years and 5 months old. I thought the maximum service interval of any car is 2 years.

Yes your right...I am agreeing with you.

[Soul_Glo]

I suspect the condition based service system.

[330XDave]

You're probably right but if I owned the car I would definitely be getting it's first service done at a maximum of 2 years of age. I would be worried about the potential of any issues when it comes to selling the car, I certainly would question the service history of a car I was looking to buy that didn't have it's first service until 2 years 5 months of age.

That said, at least the iDrive uses a traffic light system to indicate whether services are done on time.

[Jeff123]

Take it to the BMW dealer. They will maybe do the MOT for a discounted £30 and will do an "end of warranty check" FOC. Its in their interests to find as many genuine faults as possible as it means more work for them.

[Dan77777]

As it’s my 1st BMW, I’m still learning what the idrive is all about.

I have checked service via : Vehicle status > Service requirements
All options are marked OK with each sub section giving a date on or after date for end of 3yr warranty.



Is there another section which gives the history ?
What has been done and where ?
Etc.

Thanks

[OneExtra]

If anything has been done its normally at the top of the screen under Service History or similar

[330XDave]

Maybe the option is not there because it has no service history?

[dangerous_al]

When did you buy the car and how many miles has it done? If it was recently then it's possible it had the first service before you bought it. Servicing is every two years or mileage based (usually around 18,000 miles) whichever comes first. Service at 3 years old is just brake fluid flush unless higher mileage warrants oil change as well, if it is just the brake fluid, get it done at BMW to preserve the service history as it won't be that expensive. If you go into the service requirements screen and then click OK on each item it will show you the mileage and date for next service, so oil should show about 18 months or so many miles if the last service was done at 2 years

[admg]

How much trust do people have in the 18,000 mile oil change?

I've been hearing from a mechanic that he reckons its rubbish and get changed at 12,000...

[Dan77777]

Originally Posted by dangerous_al

When did you buy the car and how many miles has it done? If it was recently then it's possible it had the first service before you bought it. Servicing is every two years or mileage based (usually around 18,000 miles) whichever comes first. Service at 3 years old is just brake fluid flush unless higher mileage warrants oil change as well, if it is just the brake fluid, get it done at BMW to preserve the service history as it won't be that expensive. If you go into the service requirements screen and then click OK on each item it will show you the mileage and date for next service, so oil should show about 18 months or so many miles if the last service was done at 2 years

I bought the car on 2/8/18 and it has just clicked onto 18000 miles.
I was told the first major servicing was at 19k or 3yrs ?
There is no service history in the idrive apart from what I said earlier.

Is it worth taking it to my local dealer to enquire through them ?

[Sasquartch]

If it was due it's first service and this came up on the dash then it could have been cleared using the tripmeter button. This would have reset everything back to green.

It is possible that the service was never done or if it was done it wasn't done at BMW.

If the car is still in warranty ie under 3 yrs old I'd be inclined to pop into a dealer for a key read and see what they say. If you want to claim on warranty and there's no evidence of it ever having had a service you might have problems.

Was the car bought from a dealer ie AUC ?

[dangerous_al]

Where did you buy it, private sale, local garage or BMW dealer? The service history must have been reset as it is definitely maximum 2 year intervals so would be showing as needing attention not OK. Do as I said and have a look at the service requirements, it will state when the next oil service is due. You should then go back to where you bought it from and ask where it was serviced and get the details. If it hasn't had a service it needs one urgently as it will invalidate your warranty and probably already has

[Dan77777]

I bought it from Big Motoring World in Kent.
They specialise in Bmw, Merc etc.

[dangerous_al]

Then they either serviced it in which case can provide evidence or they have lied to you or the previous owner has lied or had it serviced. Check in the idrive and see what it says

[dangerous_al]

Ignore my last comment. The oil service was reset in June 2018, that is why it is showing next service in 2 years or 19,000 miles. So if they owned the car at that time they either serviced it or fraudulently reset it, if it was still owned by the original owner, then you should contact them to see what they say. What does it say on the log book with regard to previous owner

[dangerous_al]

Also, you say there is 7 months left on the warranty, which would put the car as a March 2016, if so a service in June would have been 3 - 4 months late which has probably invalidated your warranty, that's assuming it was done.