[dape90]

Hi All,

Firstly I hope you all have a nice break over this festive period.

Now onto my issue.

I took my car for its very first service yesterday. Now this is quite a minimal service, oil, oil filter and micro filter (to you and me this is called a pollen filter).
Ok, so not a difficult service. However, when I asked them to check out the gearbox and the issue I have when selecting second on very cold mornings (it crunches) they said “unless it did it on the day they would not be able to do anything about it”. I asked them to at a minimum check the oil level of the gear box and if they did then I would be very surprised.

I also asked if they could update the firmware (assuming a new version was out) to address what feels like a slight flat spot in the map but again they would not do it. Something to do with unless there is a problem it would not be necessary.

And lastly, I collect my car at 5pm so it was quite dark. However it was cleaned and vacuumed for me which was a nice gesture.
Imagine my shock this morning when I pulled into the petrol station and saw swirl marks over every panel including the lip spoiler! It looked as though the car had been cleaned with wire wool!!!!

Honestly, this is just poor dealership at work. I have complain about the paintwork and I am sure I will be fobbed off (which I don’t take kindly to) with something about why the paint looks like it does now.

My wife has a Mazda 2 and when that needs a service the Mazda dealership treats her like royalty by comparison to the BMW dealership I use.

If you give a customer 100% you fine they will come back again and again. I get the feeling that the service department in this dealership is like a poor cousin to BMW UK and that they struggle to make ends meet.

To the dealership,

Girl in short dresses, free cups of coffee and 40in TV's on the wall mean sod all. Spend the money you waist on these pointless things and perhaps plumb this back into providing a decent and investigative service department. Or go and have a chat with the Mazda dealership my wife uses, they might teach you a thing or two about customer service!!!!

I can honestly say right now that another BMW will not be at the top of my list when I start looking for a new car in a year and a half’s time.

D

[xenon]

Name and shame.

[dape90]

Hi,

I would name and shame normally but I would like to give them a chance to resolve the paintwork first.

D

[IceMan007]

Originally Posted by xenon

Name and shame.

This and

[xenon]

And if they do you'll be totally happy? If not then name them anyway, if you will be happy then why post at all?

[dape90]

Hi Xenon,

You raise a very good point. and I agree that pics would help.
and no, I won't be totally happy even if they do sort the paintwork out. however, think of this as a long game.
I need the paintwork sorting out, its a must, shaming them now might work against me rather than for me. I know that one of the salesmen at the dealership looks on this forum.
I will see how it goes later next week then go from there.

D

[Kerr]

How can one wash cause the paint to be left so badly damaged with swirls?

[xenon]

Originally Posted by dape90

Hi Xenon,

You raise a very good point. and I agree that pics would help.
and no, I won't be totally happy even if they do sort the paintwork out. however, think of this as a long game.
I need the paintwork sorting out, its a must, shaming them now might work against me rather than for me. I know that one of the salesmen at the dealership looks on this forum.
I will see how it goes later next week then go from there.

D

Fair enough.

[xenon]

Originally Posted by Kerr

How can one wash cause the paint to be left so badly damaged with swirls?

The "Jet Black" paint on my F10 gets badly damaged just by bloody looking at it.

[Chris100]

I never let the dealership clean my car, I have it written in big bold letters across my service slip and the tag they attach to my key ring.

Every dealership is the same, the wash process is like a production line. You might as well wash it with wire wool, as some pleb washing your car with the same sponge as he has used to wash the previous 30 cars that day is pretty much the same thing.

[E92Fan]

Originally Posted by Kerr

How can one wash cause the paint to be left so badly damaged with swirls?

All it takes is for the wash mitt (if they used one - a sponge is even worse!) to be dropped on the floor and consequently picks up grit. If this grit is then incorporated into the wash, say hello to swirl marks. Then if they dry the car with a grit-laden chamois or micro fibre then say your second introduction to swirls! It is SO easy to damage the paint...

[EddieL]

Even if the sponge/mitt hasn't been dropped just moving the surface dirt across the paintwork will cause swirling. The spnge/mitt needs regular rinsing in a seperate bucket plus a whole lot more that most folk aren't interested in.

The only way you are going to be rid of them now is if you get it corrected and I will fall down flat if they agree to this.

I could go in with a swirlly car not noticeable to anyone in normal light get my car serviced then comp washed then claim they did it all for a free paint correction.

If I were the dealership I'd need to see evidence of your cars condition prior to the damage they are meant to have caused. If you have this you have a chance but most folk who keep their cars 'detailed' request that the car isn't washed at services.

I had to put it in writing to get my car delivered to me dirty when ordering new as they actually weren't allowed to do it.

[335ier]

Originally Posted by Kerr

How can one wash cause the paint to be left so badly damaged with swirls?

I very stupidly put my 335i through a car wash in Italy. I nearly cried with what I was left with. The swirls looked so deep. A detailing company sorted it for me when I came back to the UK. Took them ages to get it right but lovely results in the end.

[DavS1]

I make sure they don't wash the car if it ever goes in, I have a friend who works inmy dealership and he looks after me well which is nice! He's printed me some stuff off PUMA (internal system for recognising and sorting faults on the cars) which states my car is due some upgrades to the fuel rail, also spoke to his boss about condensation in the headlights and indicators, result - book the car in and we'll fix the lot under warranty

[Anneka @ Sytner]

When I first got my car, it had been washed at Thorne which is where BMW's and MINI's are prepared when they first arrive in the country, under the halogens the car was in a terrible state, it took me 2 days to correct but I accepted that this wasn't vehicle damage.
I don't allow anyone but myself, Flyfs6 from this forum, or a professional detailer to go anywhere near my car with a sponge. I always ask for my car not to be washed when I take it anywhere someone might be tempted to "clean it" for me.

Recently I had to give it a quick stage 1 detail on some areas to buff out some minor swirls that I've picked up over the year. Even being as careful as I am, you'll still get swirls (they simply can't be avoided, the paint is just too fragile).

[Nickhub]

I never let any dealership wash my car, Sytner Nottingham uses an automatic carwash to clean customers cars !!

[Mr Plum]

You also see most valeters lay the chamois on the floor andd jet wash it to clean it.. they then pick it straight up and dry a car - arghhh!

[Baby Dave]

Hope you get it sorted

[jonl1983]

Sytner Newport use an auto wash, I forgot one day and they put mine through there, came out a right mess and took me a day to sort it put. I think it's terrible that they put the cars through them.

There was a M5 in the show room last week and the paintwork was absolutely terrible under the spotlights. I commented on this to one of the sales guys I know well and he agreed. You would think on such a premium car they would make sure it is in pristine condition, not swirls and surface scratches all over it!

[acerboo]

i had this, i bought a dark blue z4 spent a whole day buffing and polishing it, when i finished it looked fabulous, a few months later it went to bmw to have a warranty job and when i got it home under the garage lights it too looked like they had cleaned it with a brillo pad, another hard days buffing anf it came right. always take the car in clean and tell the reception you dont want them to clean it AND leave a note behind the steering wheel not to clean it. ive watched their cleaners washing the sale cars, drop the sponge on the ground pick it up and carry on, thats one of the reasons i would not buy s/h from a dealer.