Do I heed the car or the shop re servicing?

[bmck 0]

Make: BMW

Model: 318ti

Year: 2003

Chassis: E46

We've just got a used Compact. I'm getting conflicting information about when I should service the Compact:

* The last service was 17.01.07 (oil, inspection 1) at 24,000km

* A windshield sticker says next service due 17.07.07/ 34,000km (actual already 34,556km) i.e 6 months or 10,000km later

* At ignition residual distance B4 next "use based" service is 18,700km to go (oil service due next)

* I rang the shop where the car has been taken previously. They said it needs a service and to ignore what the car told me as 'sometimes the odometer is out-of-sync with the service indicator'!

Is a service every 6 months/ 10,000km normal for this car? In the UK my cars were serviced either annually or every 10,000 miles (I think).

The Compact's service manual says "The service Interval indicator tells you when an Oil Service, an Inspection (always Inspection I or II alternately) or a brake fluid change in necessary. Its special feature is that the servicing intervals are not fixed distances, but take the actual conditions in which the vehicle has been operated into consideration... If you drive only very low annual distances (well below 10,000km), you should have the oil changed every two years, since it ages regardless of the distance the vehicle has covered".

What do I choose? Do I believe (1) the car's use-based computer, go with (2) distance-based servicing, or (3) time-based servicing?

Can anyone recommend a shop in Wellington that has the right gear and won't rip me off?

Cheers, Bruce

[hotwire 352]

Best to go by car instruction, surely manufacturer has calculated ideal milage/interval. Doesnt specifically need dealer but you may want to start with clean sheet with appropriate vehicle service /service reset

[kiwi535 538]

the service indicator normally tells you if an oil service or inspection is due.Sercices go pil service ,ins I oil service ,ins II oil....etc Normal interval is about 12000kms.If its just had an oil service a inspection is next.And evry year you should get a clock symbol which indicates an annual service(brake/coolant/safety )

[jochen 4]

Make: BMW

Model: 318ti

Year: 2003

Chassis: E46

We've just got a used Compact. I'm getting conflicting information about when I should service the Compact:

* The last service was 17.01.07 (oil, inspection 1) at 24,000km

* A windshield sticker says next service due 17.07.07/ 34,000km (actual already 34,556km) i.e 6 months or 10,000km later

* At ignition residual distance B4 next "use based" service is 18,700km to go (oil service due next)

* I rang the shop where the car has been taken previously. They said it needs a service and to ignore what the car told me as 'sometimes the odometer is out-of-sync with the service indicator'!

Is a service every 6 months/ 10,000km normal for this car? In the UK my cars were serviced either annually or every 10,000 miles (I think).

The Compact's service manual says "The service Interval indicator tells you when an Oil Service, an Inspection (always Inspection I or II alternately) or a brake fluid change in necessary. Its special feature is that the servicing intervals are not fixed distances, but take the actual conditions in which the vehicle has been operated into consideration... If you drive only very low annual distances (well below 10,000km), you should have the oil changed every two years, since it ages regardless of the distance the vehicle has covered".

What do I choose? Do I believe (1) the car's use-based computer, go with (2) distance-based servicing, or (3) time-based servicing?

Can anyone recommend a shop in Wellington that has the right gear and won't rip me off?

Cheers, Bruce

Bear in mind that it is very easy for anyone to reset the service indicator on the dashboard, and someone may have reset it to make the car 'look good' so as to sell it. Resetting the service indicator requires only a few minitues, and a paper clip. No other tools required.

You could look at the oil on the dipstick - if the car has 18,700kms to go before the next service, your oil will still be clean and yellow.

If you have any doubts about the cars service history, you are better to get a service done, get a new label and get the service indicator reset.

Then you have peace of mind.

Always ask the garage if they know how to reset the service indicator, and if they can do it. If in doubt, go to an independent BMW garage - the independent BMW service garages are often lots cheaper than the BMW NZ garages.

My BMW garage never writes kms on the label, they simply write 'according to service indicator', which is the correct approach that the manufacturer intended.

[bean 0]

I went to Page European in Mt Vic, they seemed really good not too expensive and gave some good advise.

Worth a call to them.

[Carl 3]

I would say that judging by the windscreen sticker the car wasn't serviced at a BMW place. I'd suggest that it being a recent model you should get the car serviced now at a BMW place, especially for your own peace of mind, then you can definitely rely on the car's obc to calculate when your next servicing should be as BMW will use the specific oil and fluids that the car is designed for and hence calculates deterioation of.

[bmck 0]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I phoned AA Technical and by chance spoke to a guy who used to be a dealership service manager. I put the above questions to him and thought his replies were quite reasonable and practical.

SERVICE INTERVAL

He said if we wanted the car to last we should ignore the car's service indicator, because this reflects a minimum level of servicing. A typical modern car has servicing at 15,000km or annually, but the AA man said his personal practice and recommendation is 10,000km or annual.

OIL

The AA guy said don't be fooled by the colour of the oil; it needs to keep dirt afloat so a dark oil means it's doing its job. But it still deteriorates with time: he would change the oil every 10,000km, using a semi-synthetic good quality oil such as Castrol Magnatec or Shell Helix.

GARAGE

He said the garage doing the service, whether it specialises in BMW or not, is not important. It's the mechanic doing the service you need to be able to trust , who understands your needs and gets enthusiastic about your car. Most garages _can_ use the Beemer's diagnostic plug; he suggested asking the mechanic outright if they are comfortable working on BMWs.

OUTCOME

The oil is dark and has grit/ crystals (?) on the dipstick. As it has done 10,000km since the last change, we're going to get that seen to now. For the next 6 months the car will get a weekly run while we're away. When we return to NZ and start using the car regularly we'll arrange for a "clean slate":

1. A full service (Inspection II)

2. A coolant change

3. A brake fluid change

In future we'll then get the car serviced/ oil changed annually or every 10,000km.

So do you agree: reasonable independent advice from the AA?

[bravo 34]

Seems to be good, safe advice. it's not as if a service costs the end of the earth - I do it standard proceedure for every vehicle I buy unless I'm certain its just been done.

Maybe it's wasted $, but maybe its cheap peace of mind.