BMW Service Schedules - anyone got info?

[gavsadler]

Hi all,

So my 130i has been at BMW for almost a week (last major service before the end of the motorplan). What all went down with this service is a story for another thread.

What I want to know is, does anyone have information on when things should be changed, apart from what get's shown on the OBC?

I checked the air filter now, and they haven't changed it. Now I've had the car since 48000kms, and it's now on 99000kms. Surely 50000kms is pushing it for an air filter. Hell, I reckon even 20000kms is pushing it given the conditions we drive in.

And does anyone know when the petrol filter should be changed?

Apparently they changed the spark plugs, but I guess I would only really know if I pulled one of the plugs out myself.

Any help would be appreciated. I'll probably get the follow-up courtesy call tomorrow, so I want to have all my facts in order before I tell them what's what :thumbdo:

 

[herr bmw]

air filter should have been replaced aswell as pollen filter,petrol and oil filter.

they are suppose to go through the job card with you,they do at my bmw dealer,and i ask for the old parts

 

[moranor@axis]

was working on my dads audi the other day and the dealers also did not bother to change the air filter...

 

[gavsadler]

The pollen filter was replaced about 10000kms ago. They have invoiced an oil filter, as per the job card.

What is bugging me most is the air filter and petrol filter. I'll definitely ask them about this tomorrow.

They did go through the job card with me. To be honest, the 'simple' things to be serviced didn't even cross my mind. I was busy reading the 3 pages of reports from the technitian - about changing the lifters and inspecting the clutch etc....

 

[JustNN]

In the e90 the petrol filter is in the tank and doesnt need replacing according to Bmw Smg, im not to sure about this, if your 130's filter is not in the tank get them to change it cause that filter costs $$$$$$

 

[Philip Foglar]

Yep, I suspect motorplan = do the absolute minimum over the longest period of time... :nonono:

 

[Swiegie]

Hi

I am also having the same issue with BMW. Our E46 is about 6 years old with 90 000km on the clock and not the plugs or air filter was changed as yet. According to the dealer the above only gets changed at the inspection 2 service, which should be at approx 95 000km depending on your driving style. According to me this is absolute madness!!

They also do not change the petrol filter on the car. According to the dealers this gets done on the second inspection 2 service at a cost of approx R1200.00!

To get hold of a full service schedule will be great!

Cheers

 

[BMW M]

E46 has the platinum tip Spark plugs, good for 100 000km if I remember correctly.

 

[gavsadler]

I spoke to the workshop foreman at Bruma Auto yesterday.

1) Fuel Filter: JustNN is correct in saying the filter is in the tank itself. It is actually an integral part of the fuel pump, some kind of carbon filter. The guy said this is not replaced, unless the car starts using a lot of fuel, or loses power. They actually replace the entire fuel pump then.

2) Air filter: he said they don't replace these as regularly as one would expect. If they are requested to check the air filter, they will pop the lid off and inspect it. If it's not too dirty, they simply blow out all the loose debris and put it back. Another guideline they use is the filter gets changed every 3rd oil service (so that means you probably end up doing at least 60000kms between filter changes).

3) Spark plugs: They did replace mine last week -and my car is on 98500kms. These are good for 100000kms. I cannot confirm if the same type of plugs are used on the E46 though.

 

[Die_Miek]

I spoke to the workshop foreman at Bruma Auto yesterday.

2) Air filter: Another guideline they use is the filter gets changed every 3rd oil service (so that means you probably end up doing at least 60000kms between filter changes).

if you say every 3rd oil service, than they only change it at about 100 000km! (oil-insp1-oil-insp2-oil again)

otherwise, maybe you meant every 3rd service????

on the E46, the air filter and spark plugs are only changed on inspection 2, which means at about 80-90000 km

 

[BMW M]

Whats the cost of a airfilter? Less than R200? Ridiculous!

The Dynamic has gone in for her second service today (23000km) will check what the invoice says about airfilter replacement.

 

[Mamba]

Whats the cost of a airfilter? Less than R200? Ridiculous!

Not that ridiculous at all, times R200 by all the cars that gets serviced per year and you will see how much money BMW SA will save a year if they stretch the time to change a filter by maximum..!

One thing about any service is that BMW does not read the fault codes, I have asked this question and I was told, no, we do not read fault codes. That is why I am trying to get people to be more informative when they drive a BMW because BMW dealers as well as BMW SA is a money machine, they look after their own interests, not yours as a BMW owner. Again take the time it would take to read each and every cars fault memory and see how much time they would save by not doing this, more time == more cars through the sausage machine == more money... !

Be informative, get a fault code reader, yes even if your car is under motorplan and stay on top of your own vehicle performance. It is true that many faults get generated when there is not really something wrong, but if you as a informed owner has reset fault codes and they come back you know something is wrong and then you can point this out to your service adviser and get it changed before motorplan expire.

 

[gavsadler]

Well I know for the 3l N52 motor, a normal air filter is approx. R400, and the BMW Performance filter is about R550 last time I got a quote.

I know on my vehicle they did a full scan for faults twice: initially before they did any work on the car, and then again after they had replaced the lifters and charged the battery.

 

[P1000]

I would replace the filter way more often, at least with every service. It will pay for itself in fuel saved. Oh, and blowing it out with a compressor doesn't do much, it is the finest particles that embed themselves in the paper that restricts flow. Those particles will not easily be moved.

 

[Sankekur]

I would replace the filter way more often, at least with every service. It will pay for itself in fuel saved. Oh, and blowing it out with a compressor doesn't do much, it is the finest particles that embed themselves in the paper that restricts flow. Those particles will not easily be moved.

+1 000 000 000