[JD6]

My Mini Cooper D has had its engine warning light on (orange) for a week or so. It appears to me to be less efficient than usual and takes longer to get to the usual temperature. The car is 5 years old but has an extended comprehensive Mini warranty with a £100 excess.

I was a little surprised on booking it in that they want a £99 diagnosis fee, despite the car being under warranty, so it appears to me that if they find a fault, I'll have to pay that fee plus the £100 excess. I have asked for a call back from the service manager as I haven't been charged a diagnosis fee in the last 20 years of BMW/Mini ownership, although I am sure others here have mentioned it.

Given that there clearly is a fault, and presumably their diagnosis will take 3 minutes of plugging in to the OBD port, it doesn't seem reasonable to me to charge for both the diagnosis and the £100 excess. I'd appreciate views on this.

[KRS_SN]

I always knew that the bmw dealer would charge me £149 diagnostic fee at a minimum when car was under extended warranty.

[KCH1984]

The last time I encountered this I think it was with a 1 series which was under the AUC warranty. I'd had an issue with the start-stop system, they took it in and warned me that if they couldn't find fault, I'd be charged a diagnosis fee. Where fault was found, this would be covered by the warranty (along with the repair).

In your case, I'd assume that if fault is found you'd pay your £100 excess and that would be it. If they couldn't find a fault, then you'd have a bill for £99. It would seem unreasonable to pay for both a diagnostic, be told there was a warranty issue, and then have to fork out another £100 in excess.

[DougMcL]

Just no. There is an obvious fault as there is an EML on. They need to find the fault and fix it. If there is no fault, then they need to reset the EML.

[Drek]

Pfft, standard practice pretty much everywhere, LR do the same.

Picture this: my RRS is under extended warranty and EML light comes on. LR Assist come out, diagnose exhaust issue so needs main dealer to look at it. Dealer points out £165 diagnostic fee to be paid if not warranty item. Confident that it is, I say whatever. Fault found with pressure control valve which is a non-warranty item and £3.5k please. Oh no says I, through clenched teeth and buttocks. I think not I insist. Cue sales drone 'doing me a favour' by submitting claim for goodwill which eventually gets accepted and bill paid in full. Except for...the diagnosis fee which I have to pay. The reasoning? Because it was goodwill and not warranty - which would have covered it.

You can't make this bollocks up.

[KRS_SN]

https://carbuzz.com/news/bmw-driver-...t-catches-fire
some things arent covered under warranty.

[TouringPleb]

I used to be a service advisor and this was standard practice for cars with extended warranty.

We would tell the customer there was a diagnostic charge or investigation charge. Then if the fault was covered under warranty then the warranty would pay for the diagnostic charge. If not, it was down to the customer.

[Kendo67]

Cant you get the codes read with an ICarsoft or similar , that way you will know what to expect. Or possibly reset the EML and see if it come back on at a later date.

K

[Drek]

Originally Posted by KRS_SN

https://carbuzz.com/news/bmw-driver-...t-catches-fire
some things arent covered under warranty.

Incredulity aside, all those saying EML is automatically a warranty item are talking out of their hoops. The simple fact is that extended warranties have T&Cs and is most certainly not a manufacturers warranty where just about everything IS covered. An EML light is categorically not an indication that whatever is causing it will be a warranty item.

[335dX]

Originally Posted by DougMcL

Just no. There is an obvious fault as there is an EML on. They need to find the fault and fix it. If there is no fault, then they need to reset the EML.

And if they just reset the EML ergo they have carried out work to diagnose there is no fault and spent time working so the customer still pays £99.

Would you work for free?

[SantaEugence]

Originally Posted by Drek

Incredulity aside, all those saying EML is automatically a warranty item are talking out of their hoops. The simple fact is that extended warranties have T&Cs and is most certainly not a manufacturers warranty where just about everything IS covered. An EML light is categorically not an indication that whatever is causing it will be a warranty item.

This!
So much small print in extended warranties annoyingly, but you should get the £99 diagnostic fee refunded if it's covered under warranty. Or in your case you'd just pay them £1 extra and that would cover the full excess

[DougMcL]

Originally Posted by 335dX

And if they just reset the EML ergo they have carried out work to diagnose there is no fault and spent time working so the customer still pays £99.

Would you work for free?

No. But connecting up to a laptop for three minutes should not cost £99. Not a wonder these big businesses lose custom.

[JD6]

Thanks for all of the responses. I find it hard to imagine what kind of fault could light the EML and not be covered by the top level of three (comprehensive) warranty. The car has 38k miles, is 5 years old, has full SH with this dealer and isn’t modified. The comprehensive warranty now covers wear and tear up to 100k miles except for obvious stuff (tyres brakes etc).

Interesting to hear the experiences of others. I appreciate that there are T&Cs of these warranties, probably running to many dozens of pages, but my general approach to life is to deal with decent companies so that I don’t have to waste time ploughing through this junk. If ultimately I consider that they have acted unreasonably then I’ll just vote with my feet. I don’t intend to pay both the diagnostic fee and the excess though - I’ll dig my heels in over that.

Cheers

[KRS_SN]

sadly I think the diagnostic fee is there to deter people rocking up with non events.
BMW covers the manufacturers warranty. Allianz I think cover/underwrite the extended warranty(for bmw) and you know how insurers are like.
A service advisor told me that even if it isn't covered by extended warranty T and C bmw will goodwill it if you have an extended warranty.

[MY340i]

Originally Posted by KRS_SN

sadly I think the diagnostic fee is there to deter people rocking up with non events.
BMW covers the manufacturers warranty. Allianz I think cover/underwrite the extended warranty(for bmw) and you know how insurers are like.
A service advisor told me that even if it isn't covered by extended warranty T and C bmw will goodwill it if you have an extended warranty.

This and or modifications

[Kal101]

For what it’s worth had the wife’s M140i in for a check (out of warranty) at Sytner’s and the investigation charge was “only” £50.

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by JD6

Thanks for all of the responses. I find it hard to imagine what kind of fault could light the EML and not be covered by the top level of three (comprehensive) warranty. The car has 38k miles, is 5 years old, has full SH with this dealer and isn’t modified. The comprehensive warranty now covers wear and tear up to 100k miles except for obvious stuff (tyres brakes etc).

Interesting to hear the experiences of others. I appreciate that there are T&Cs of these warranties, probably running to many dozens of pages, but my general approach to life is to deal with decent companies so that I don’t have to waste time ploughing through this junk. If ultimately I consider that they have acted unreasonably then I’ll just vote with my feet. I don’t intend to pay both the diagnostic fee and the excess though - I’ll dig my heels in over that.

Cheers

Here's a possibility - the fault could be due the the DPF being clogged up, caused by the car not being used enough.
Certainly a chance of that being the problem with the low mileage on a 5 year old car, and I believe it's something which is not covered by the warranty

[KRS_SN]

Originally Posted by robbiep

Here's a possibility - the fault could be due the the DPF being clogged up, caused by the car not being used enough.
Certainly a chance of that being the problem with the low mileage on a 5 year old car, and I believe it's something which is not covered by the warranty

you are right I believe that the extended warranty excludes exhaust related items.

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by KRS_SN

you are right I believe that the extended warranty excludes exhaust related items.

Just checked, and the 'exclusions' states that the following are specifically NOT covered :

All exhaust components (except catalytic converter)

So the DPF will not be covered.

To the OP : The policy handbook for the extended warranty states that :

Reasonable diagnostic charges will only be accepted as part of a valid claim

So if you have a valid claim, then you will be able to get the diagnostic charge as part of that claim

[JD6]

The car went in yesterday and they still have it. Apparently a build up of carbon in the manifold (presumably exhaust manifold). The dealer have approached the warranty company and I should hear back later. I'll expect them to go to BMW for goodwill otherwise.

It is interesting that when they sell the warranty, it's very much Mini branded (although it's called Mini Insured Warranty) with Mini logos and no other reference to a third party, but once you claim, it's we'll approach the third party company and see what they say...

I imagine it will end up being covered by one or other. They can't exactly use the low mileage to decline the claim, since they asked the mileage when quoting the premium. They could try the exhaust thing though. In true forum style, perhaps this is a sign that I need to switch my second car to a petrol one...

I did speak to the BMW Forces line to see if my girlfriend being a teacher qualified me - apparently only if we live at the same address.

[isleaiw1]

Originally Posted by JD6

I did speak to the BMW Forces line to see if my girlfriend being a teacher qualified me - apparently only if we live at the same address.

when is she moving in?

[Sasquartch]

Probably inlet manifold

The EGR system puts dirty exhaust gases into the intake to lower combustion temperatures, this cokes the inlet system up and when it gets too bad it will cause the EML to come on