Ugh Premium Selection warranty Crap!

[Zombie 0]

Ugh Team McMillan!

The alternator has gone on my 2005 645Ci and Team McMillan say they need to update the cars software to proceed before replacement. Its still under their 2 yr "premium Selection Warranty"

They say upgrading software carries the risk of damage to one or more control units which are pricey and NOT covered by warranty, and the risk is my responsibility.

I think this is piss poor. The car is undriveable with no alternator and I've never heard of warranties that wouldn't cover things that are fundamental to driving the car.

Any advice anybody?

P.S.

This line under exclusions from my warranty looks like it should cover me?

® Programming. Any software updates and vehicle reprogramming unless that is

required as the result of a failure which is covered by this warranty.

[matt45 1]

Sounds like BS to me and that exclusion says the opposite to what they are telling you. Maybe it was just the person you were talking to that didn't know what they were on about?

[briancol 3]

® Programming. Any software updates and vehicle reprogramming unless that is

required as the result of a failure which is covered by this warranty.

Without reading the rest of the warranty I would say you are covered.

Go back, read the riot act and if that doesn't succeed threaten to go to the MTA which they are a member of.

[Greg111 13]

The programming always follows a disclaimer with failing, we have to say that just in case it happens, it doesn't however, well not to me anyway. You can only kill control units by disrupting the programming/encoding. Those water cooled alternators were a sh*t idea, prob best you did have a warranty however, new they go for a round the 1200 mark

[318Touring 40]

So they have to replace the alternator, and get the car on the road, right?

Tell them that you don't care what they need to do to fullfil their obligations, as long as the car is back on the road. And fixed. Properly.

[matt45 1]

yea i think they may have made that disclaimer sound more worrying than it really is.

yes coding can screw some things up but it is being done by BMW with BMW equipment so there should be no issue.

I'd just say do it.

[*Glenn* 854]

yes coding can screw some things up but it is being done by BMW with BMW equipment so there should be no issue.

Incorrect... they do have problems...hence the disclaimant... common in the industry now with hi tech components

[matt45 1]

Incorrect... they do have problems...hence the disclaimant... common in the industry now with hi tech components

i stand corrected.

Regardless tho whatever it takes to get it back on the road should be covered IMO,

Edited January 20, 2011 by Matt45

[*Glenn* 854]

Not software upgrades or coding... these new policies by all the warranty companies have changed. Quite a few BMW models are now no longer covered by the companies as well.

[Zombie 0]

Not software upgrades or coding... these new policies by all the warranty companies have changed. Quite a few BMW models are now no longer covered by the companies as well.

Thanks for the info. I just can't understand how a comprehensive warranty can leave me stranded with a car that I can't drive! If the control untis and software upgrade are required to fix the alternator (as opposed to getting me more iDrive TV channels etc) then it should be covered.

Much as I love to drive the 654, it will probably be my last BMW and definetely my last from Team McMillan!

[318Touring 40]

Much as I love to drive the 654, it will probably be my last BMW and definetely my last from Team McMillan!

Have you spoken with the sales person you bought the vehicle from? Express your disappointment on this overall nonsense you get from the service department?

[*Glenn* 854]

I must edit what I previously said Phil. Coding the failed component should be covered. Recoding other associated components or software upgrades are not covered.

[*Glenn* 854]

Check my PM Phil

[Zombie 0]

Check my PM Phil

Thanks I will!

It's not been the most pleasant ownership experience.

Despite a rigorous "100 point check" at delivery the Nav DVD and CD changers were missing (eventually turned up), it wouldn't start twice in the first week (until I demanded a new battery - I'm now thinking the alternator was playing up back then)

Over Christmas the Dynamic Drive failed on my holiday (side of road for hours waiting for tow truck), traced to the battery (now a dud too apparently) and now the alternator.

Most worrying is simple battery/alternator failures are carefully engineered to cost $1000's, strand you at the side of the road,& require Windows Vista style horrors to fix. I dread being out of warranty - for what it's worth...

On a positive note the car hasn't locked me in, like the Thai Finance Minister who had to smash his way out of his 7 series!

[matt45 1]

On a positive note the car hasn't locked me in, like the Thai Finance Minister who had to smash his way out of his 7 series!

LAWL

[*Glenn* 854]

Batteries kill alternators...alternators kill batteries. Batteries and alternators kill computers and control units. I would advise anyone owning a late model hi tech vehicle to replace their battery / batteries every three years regardless of condition and only use the type / capacity advised by the manufacturer. Mercedes will actualy come up with a replace battery now error code on their OBC now.

Edited January 20, 2011 by *Glenn*

[hybrid 1039]

Hate to say it ... but every other modern car on the raod suffers from the same sh*t.

Just a sign of the times.

[westy 614]

Ima buy something from the '70s.

[Mavrick 0]

Hate to say it ... but every other modern car on the raod suffers from the same sh*t.

Just a sign of the times.

Don't I know it, our 5 hour drive to Raglan took 11 hours on the 28th Dec (the only day it decided to piss down) due to my alternator shitting itself.

[M3_Power 636]

Joy to the BMW ISIS/ISTA system ... what a horror these 1/4 of a million dollars+ systems have caused compared to the older stuff.

Is your "Premium Selection" a BMW one or a PROTECTA Product??? I am guessing it's the PROTECTA stuff which is shiet house if you ask anyone and yet BMW dealerships continue to sell these as if they are as good as the BMW ones.

I know exactly what the dealerships are worried about and I know why they are 'attempting' to utilise this disclaimer, let me see if I can explain it in layman's terms:

When you replace a component within a modern BMW, in this case an alternator (or a battery) the component needs to be activated so to speak within the control modules.

On the older Progman SSS system you could program individual modules individually to accept such a thing (I believe you can do it also on WinKFP and NCS Expert) (so be it the alternator or the battery or some other sensor) - I am fairly certain that the GT1 does the battery and alternator under service functions.

On the ISIS/ISTA system the car has to have fully up to date software for each car before it will proceed into the next stage of initialisation (whatever version they are on now I think it's v58 or v59) So if your car is running an older version of control module codes for your particular model, basically the whole car has to be updated before the latest initialisation code can be accepted through the ISIS system (well not really but it is the approved procedure) - hence the need to reprogram basically the whole car (the newest X5s are the worst of them all apparently and it can take up to two days to just do one car). This is to ensure full compatibility when the software updates (i.e. I've seen cars where the modules are updated individually on the old system only to have the car go back to the dealership and have a full software update because the car no longer operates that module on the older software).

What this disclaimer is trying to do is to cover the dealership's ass should anything go wrong.

Personally I wouldn't be too worried about the alternator initialisation - but being a 2005 car I'd say you should be able to do this on one of the old systems without the need to reprogram the whole car - anything made after 2007 is really the cut off year that you have to worry about programming individual modules vs the whole car.

Also as the exclusion provides that it doesn't cover programming "unless it is required as a result of the failure which is covered by the warranty" I would argue that this would cover a full programming if this is what is needed to have the component 'reactivated" - plus they are bound by the CGA to fix anything they break or wreck that is incidental to the original repair regardless of the warranty wording (for eg. if a mechanic was employed to fix a clutch and whilst taking the clutch out he damages an engine mount, he is liable to fix that engine mount as part and parcel of his contract - similar thing here with the programming - it is all incidental and part and parcel of the job of replacing the alternator) ...

Edited January 20, 2011 by M3_Power

[matt45 1]

hmm very interesting! i think ill stick with the good old e39

[my_e36 43]

Your Premium Selection warranty, is that the one from BMW itself that comes with servicing package? I had a few things fixed and an Inspection II done on my car at no cost to me without any hassle. I bought my car from Team McMillan too. Who did you spoke to at Team McMillan service? I had bad experience with the service advisor (some white guy) but really good experience with the team leader (Andrew).

[M5V8 337]

hmm very interesting! i think ill stick with the good old e39

my feelings exactly!

[Greg111 13]

Haha M5s are a whole different category.

[*Glenn* 854]

Haha M5s are a whole different category.

Same badge.... different list