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[Sir Tigger KC]

Priced up first service for M240i from the dealer I bought the car from.

This consists of an oil and filter change and a new pollen filter........£417 for SFA really.

Apparently the pollen filter alone costs £122... taking the piss.


I'm tempted by a couple of 'indies' who assure me they have full access to the BMW database and all service records.

I'll see what they come back with.

Sooo..... you pay over 40 grand for a new car, then blanch at paying a measly £400 for a service, done by a spotty 18 year old. 

After the spotty knuckle-dragging neanderthal teen has finished the oil change he'll wash the car with a gritty sponge.

Generic pollen filters are about £12 from Ebay, up to about £35 for genuine BMW.

5 minute job to change.

If you're that tight you could take it to ATS for their basic oil and filter change which will cost about £135 and bung the £12 pollen filter in yourself! 

Who needs service history?    Just keep the receipts.    What could possibly go wrong?                                                                       

[Rangie]

MOT on the F yesterday, no issues, need to get some new rubber on it this year

That'll smart, as I bet they ain't any cheaper than what's on my XJ.

My ML could do with 4 sooner rather than later ..... looking at £1000/1100 

.

Had four Pirelli P Zeros on the Range Rover yesterday £938, I was actually expecting around the £1100 mark ,got just under 20,000 miles from the Yokahamas.

[YZ250]

Priced up first service for M240i from the dealer I bought the car from.

This consists of an oil and filter change and a new pollen filter........£417 for SFA really.

And a health check, don't forget the health check.   

I'm tempted by a couple of 'indies' who assure me they have full access to the BMW database and all service records.
.......

Reputable Indies do indeed have access to the Service Software.    They have to pay for the software rights.

Good to know.


Most of the dealers like to suggest they are the only people with access.

The ruling came in way back in 2010 I believe, to allow Indies who specialise in a certain marque to service that marque provided that they use genuine parts.    If genuine parts are used the warranty is valid for the duration, provided that service intervals are adhered to. 
A lot of Indies are run by ex main dealer employees who broke away on their own so they know the vehicles.  They pay to register to use/view the same service data as the main dealer. 

[ronnyd]

MOT on the F yesterday, no issues, need to get some new rubber on it this year

That'll smart, as I bet they ain't any cheaper than what's on my XJ.

My ML could do with 4 sooner rather than later ..... looking at £1000/1100 

.

Had four Pirelli P Zeros on the Range Rover yesterday £938, I was actually expecting around the £1100 mark ,got just under 20,000 miles from the Yokahamas.

Priced up first service for M240i from the dealer I bought the car from.

This consists of an oil and filter change and a new pollen filter........£417 for SFA really.

And a health check, don't forget the health check.   

I'm tempted by a couple of 'indies' who assure me they have full access to the BMW database and all service records.
.......

Reputable Indies do indeed have access to the Service Software.    They have to pay for the software rights.

Good to know.


Most of the dealers like to suggest they are the only people with access.

The ruling came in way back in 2010 I believe, to allow Indies who specialise in a certain marque to service that marque provided that they use genuine parts.    If genuine parts are used the warranty is valid for the duration, provided that service intervals are adhered to. 
A lot of Indies are run by ex main dealer employees who broke away on their own so they know the vehicles.  They pay to register to use/view the same service data as the main dealer. 

Think that it's Autodata, which i believe is very expensive.

[TheBoy]

Think that it's Autodata, which i believe is very expensive.

No, Autodata is a generic information system, they pay to use the marque specific tools and software (think Tech2 and GlobalTIS in the case of Omegas).

Nowadays, these tools are linked into a vehicle history database maintained by the manufacturer, including fault code history, mileage (and mileage discrepancies  ) and service/repair history.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Priced up first service for M240i from the dealer I bought the car from.

This consists of an oil and filter change and a new pollen filter........£417 for SFA really.

And a health check, don't forget the health check.   

I'm tempted by a couple of 'indies' who assure me they have full access to the BMW database and all service records.
.......

Reputable Indies do indeed have access to the Service Software.    They have to pay for the software rights.

Good to know.


Most of the dealers like to suggest they are the only people with access.

The ruling came in way back in 2010 I believe, to allow Indies who specialise in a certain marque to service that marque provided that they use genuine parts.    If genuine parts are used the warranty is valid for the duration, provided that service intervals are adhered to. 
A lot of Indies are run by ex main dealer employees who broke away on their own so they know the vehicles.  They pay to register to use/view the same service data as the main dealer. 

As usual you are a font of information.

I really dislike main dealers. They are crooks. Perhaps an Indy is the way to go.

[ronnyd]

Gave it a really good clean yesterday to remove all the salt that the local council had plastered the roads here with. Looked pretty good, until i went out today. A14 shut at jct 43, loads of HGV's on the smaller roads, pissing down with rain and hail, so now it's bloody filthy again. Grr. 

[Doctor Gollum]

Is the loom NLA from Chrysler? Have you tried Mercedes?

It's a good call and I will check but the fuse box is also a piece of american tat and in a very different place on the Merc e320 so I would be surprised if its available from Merc. Stranger things have happened though...

Going by the way they build stuff, I wouldn't be too surprised if they are all LHD harneses

Also as a thought, the yank tank may have been a development aid for the W211...

[Rangie]

Priced up first service for M240i from the dealer I bought the car from.

This consists of an oil and filter change and a new pollen filter........£417 for SFA really.

And a health check, don't forget the health check.   

I'm tempted by a couple of 'indies' who assure me they have full access to the BMW database and all service records.
.......

Reputable Indies do indeed have access to the Service Software.    They have to pay for the software rights.

Good to know.


Most of the dealers like to suggest they are the only people with access.

The ruling came in way back in 2010 I believe, to allow Indies who specialise in a certain marque to service that marque provided that they use genuine parts.    If genuine parts are used the warranty is valid for the duration, provided that service intervals are adhered to. 
A lot of Indies are run by ex main dealer employees who broke away on their own so they know the vehicles.  They pay to register to use/view the same service data as the main dealer. 

As usual you are a font of information.

I really dislike main dealers. They are crooks. Perhaps an Indy is the way to go.

.

You're right there Opti, last year when I took the Range Rover in to my indi for its MOT & service there were two virtually new Range Rovers in for servicing they knew that they get a better job done by him rather than a main dealership,  and the hourly rate is about half.

[Doctor Gollum]

Gave it a really good clean yesterday to remove all the salt that the local council had plastered the roads here with. Looked pretty good, until i went out today. A14 shut at jct 43, loads of HGV's on the smaller roads, pissing down with rain and hail, so now it's bloody filthy again. Grr. 

Washed TPC on Tuesday night and hit two sleet showers just before driving through the M25 J10 roadworks, so now it's minging again.

Mind you going up to Derby on Monday, so it's definitely going to need a bath afterwards.

[Viral_Jim]

Going by the way they build stuff, I wouldn't be too surprised if they are all LHD harneses

Also as a thought, the yank tank may have been a development aid for the W211...

Its certainly a quantity over quality item. That said, despite not turning a wheel in over 8 months it still starts fine and sounds sweet enough (that'll be the mercedes bits), albeit it needs some cranking over as the glow plug unit is currently having a little lie down.

[Doctor Gollum]

The glow plug relay should throw up a code if it's giving up.

The glow plugs are about a tenner each from MB.

It's the V6 isn't it?

[Viral_Jim]

It is the V6, OM642 soecifically.

Its the whole glow plug module that isn't talking to the scanner.

Its one of the consistent codes its thrown ever since the car let me down. The other code being to do with the alternator giving 0v. Taken together these are what's pointing me at that loom, but before I get my hand in my pocket I need to get it on some ramps to be sure. Which may be this weekend, depending on how well I get on with laying a load of decking and changing the oil and filters on the family fun bus.

The fun never seems to stop 

[Doctor Gollum]

I replaced the glowplug module on the Alabama Mumsybus. I kept the old one. It was sort of working, but it might help confirm if it's a fault with your module or the wiring...

Yours if you want it plus a genuine MB glow plug. Pm your address if it's of interest and I will send both over

[Sir Tigger KC]

I really dislike main dealers. They are crooks. Perhaps an Indy is the way to go.

I bet that the receptionists in main dealers have nicer titties though!