Value Servicing on a 4 Year Old M2?
Discussion
MikeE said:
My M2 will need servicing in January when it hits 4 years old, does anyone know if I can switch to 'Value' servicing or does this exclude M cars? I've only done 15K miles in 4 years and 1K this year so not really wanting to spend full price for a 4 year service!
Is it an "OG M2" with the N55?Just take it to any specialist and have them service it.
It takes same oil and same quantity as any of the other tens of thousands of N55 equipped cars.
BMW dealers will just add a tax.
320d is all you need said:
MikeE said:
My M2 will need servicing in January when it hits 4 years old, does anyone know if I can switch to 'Value' servicing or does this exclude M cars? I've only done 15K miles in 4 years and 1K this year so not really wanting to spend full price for a 4 year service!
Is it an "OG M2" with the N55?Just take it to any specialist and have them service it.
It takes same oil and same quantity as any of the other tens of thousands of N55 equipped cars.
BMW dealers will just add a tax.
Yep it doesn't make sense to me to pay inflated BMW service charges particularly wot the low mileage it's done.
I'm in Woking, Surrey - can anyone recommend an independent BMW specialist I can trust?
MikeE said:
Yep it doesn't make sense to me to pay inflated BMW service charges particularly wot the low mileage it's done.
That's one way to look at it. However if you either have the extended warranty and/or want to sell soon, the "saving" might be a false economy.My car is also due the 4 year service in March and my trusted official dealer will do it for £550, which will effectively also go down to £500 if I supply my own oil as I can get it for half the cost that they charge.
A reputable indy will charge £350 or so. The £150 delta may buy you goodwill if you don't have the warranty but more importantly it protects the value of the car. Private buyers really like FBMWSH, rightly or wrongly. Also, if you part ex then the BMW dealer can sell it as AUC so may offer a little more.
Edited by nickfrog on Monday 30th November 16:04
nickfrog said:
MikeE said:
Yep it doesn't make sense to me to pay inflated BMW service charges particularly wot the low mileage it's done.
That's one way to look at it. However if you either have the extended warranty and/or want to sell soon, the "saving" might be a false economy.My car is also due the 4 year service in March and my trusted official dealer will do it for £550, which will effectively also go down to £500 if I supply my own oil as I can get it for half the cost that they charge.
A reputable indy will charge £350 or so. The £150 delta may buy you goodwill if you don't have the warranty but more importantly it protects the value of the car. Private buyers really like FBMWSH, rightly or wrongly. Also, if you part ex then the BMW dealer can sell it as AUC so may offer a little more.
Edited by nickfrog on Monday 30th November 16:04
You just need to use genuine parts.
"Good will" maybe, but if the car is under warranty, who cares.
320d is all you need said:
Extended or AUC warranty doesn't require the car to be serviced at dealers as I understand it.
You just need to use genuine parts.
"Good will" maybe, but if the car is under warranty, who cares.
Yes sure although good will may be easier to obtain if the warranty is then interrupted further down the line. And as the BMW dealers effectively have delegated authority for warranty work on behalf of Mondial, a continued "relationship" might be useful if the warranty is still in place. You just need to use genuine parts.
"Good will" maybe, but if the car is under warranty, who cares.
Which still leaves the value retention aspect anyway, which alone is worth the £150 every 4 years (and the £50 delta on the small service in between) in my opinion.
nickfrog said:
320d is all you need said:
Extended or AUC warranty doesn't require the car to be serviced at dealers as I understand it.
You just need to use genuine parts.
"Good will" maybe, but if the car is under warranty, who cares.
Yes sure although good will may be easier to obtain if the warranty is then interrupted further down the line. And as the BMW dealers effectively have delegated authority for warranty work on behalf of Mondial, a continued "relationship" might be useful if the warranty is still in place. You just need to use genuine parts.
"Good will" maybe, but if the car is under warranty, who cares.
Which still leaves the value retention aspect anyway, which alone is worth the £150 every 4 years (and the £50 delta on the small service in between) in my opinion.
To me, none.
I don't believe that a main dealer does a better job than a good independant. In Fact quite the opposite in many cases.
Certainly having all the services carried out with invoices means it's done and it makes no difference to me if it's done at BMW or an indy.
320d is all you need said:
Is there any value to a "Full BMW service history" over a "Enthusiast owned service history"?
To me, none.
I don't believe that a main dealer does a better job than a good independant. In Fact quite the opposite in many cases.
Certainly having all the services carried out with invoices means it's done and it makes no difference to me if it's done at BMW or an indy.
I did say "rightly or wrongly". To me, none.
I don't believe that a main dealer does a better job than a good independant. In Fact quite the opposite in many cases.
Certainly having all the services carried out with invoices means it's done and it makes no difference to me if it's done at BMW or an indy.
What about "enthusiast owned with FBMW SH". The two are not mutually exclusive.
Some indies are indeed excellent, but the better ones are not that much cheaper than official dealers. My "local" one is Munich Legends and they are the same price as my local BMW dealer. They both have an equally excellent reputation. In fact, I totally trust my local BMW dealer, they're part of a small group and are genuine enthusiasts themselves, not your average large group corporate dealers.
Conversely there are some poor indies out there, ask me how I know. It is not black and white either way unfortunately.
But the bottom line is that a huge majority of private buyers expect FBMW SH on a recent M car... rightly or wrongly. And that will affect the value of a car from a perception POV if you're in this market.
Edited by nickfrog on Tuesday 1st December 08:55
How long are you planning on keeping the car? Specialist vs main dealer wouldn't bother me, although I would wonder whether the owner was just cutting corners and being cheap if the car was relatively new. For the sake of £150, I reckon you'd get that back in sale price with the main dealer history if you were to sell in the near term. If you're planning on keeping it for 10 years, just go specialist!
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