BMW service: car was in overnight, mileage has increased!!!

[wantmorepower]

I had my BMW serviced at BMW. No comment on where. It had to stay in overnight. The mileage recorded on the service invoice is one number...the mileage reading on the dash is 200 miles higher than that, as I discovered when I arrived home (a very short distance of a couple of miles). I regret that in unbelievable stupidity I did not check the dash reading before I left the car with them, not expecting it to be in overnight and not expecting any dishonest behaviour.

It is quite a high ranking model and no doubt a desirable take-home prospect for a naughty young employee. After all it would only have sat in the car park overnight...

However, am I completely wrong in assuming that this is the only explanation? I have not yet quizzed the dealer. Is there some technical and innocent explanation for such a discrepancy? Has anyone else experienced this?

[burriana]

Have you ever seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off by any chance?

I make it a point to let the service manager know that I have made a note of the milometer reading (sorry just habit) if it is going to be in for a long time ... though at 223,000 I don't usually bother with the Tourer!

[Vesuvius 996]

wantmorepower said:

I had my BMW serviced at BMW. No comment on where. It had to stay in overnight. The mileage recorded on the service invoice is one number...the mileage reading on the dash is 200 miles higher than that, as I discovered when I arrived home (a very short distance of a couple of miles). I regret that in unbelievable stupidity I did not check the dash reading before I left the car with them, not expecting it to be in overnight and not expecting any dishonest behaviour.

It is quite a high ranking model and no doubt a desirable take-home prospect for a naughty young employee. After all it would only have sat in the car park overnight...

However, am I completely wrong in assuming that this is the only explanation? I have not yet quizzed the dealer. Is there some technical and innocent explanation for such a discrepancy? Has anyone else experienced this?

Someone's enjoyed your car to the fullest. They've driven it to the limit, beyond anything you would ever subject it to.

Learn your lesson. MARK THE DEALER'S CARD BEFORE YOU HAND OVER THE KEYS.

[Penguinracer]

I know a guy who's M5 was in for a service. He received a call from "Tracker" asking him if was driving down the M20 at 140 mph! He wasn't amused. It was expensive for two employees at the dealership - it cost them their jobs!

[Vesuvius 996]

Penguinracer said:

I know a guy who's M5 was in for a service. He received a call from "Tracker" asking him if was driving down the M20 at 140 mph! He wasn't amused. It was expensive for two employees at the dealership - it cost them their jobs!

Similar siutation.

My mate had the first EVO FQ400 in the country. He ran it in like a baby. It went in to have a rattle under the dash sorted. He dropped it off at the Mistu dealer and told them he'd wait. They said it would be a couple of hours, so he said he'd be back later.

He went for a walk, got himself a panini and an espresso and sat outside in the sun.

Next thing he sees is his not yet run in EVO bouncing off the limiter in first with who spannermonkeys inside.

He drinks his coffee, wealks briskly back to the dealership and storms into the garage and remonstrates with the Service Manager. "What the fvck etc..."

The Service Manager yells back, "your car is over there round the corner being valeted sir.... how dare you.... blah blah.... JUST as the EVO returns into the garage with a screech of tyres, and stinking of burning clutch and red hot exhaust.


They got fired. He got a new car.

[Donut]

It is highly unlikely that your car has been used by someone for a jolly. They probably noted the mileage down wrong.

[wantmorepower]

Donut said:

It is highly unlikely that your car has been used by someone for a jolly. They probably noted the mileage down wrong.

that's what i thought at first. then i went and called about three other dealers, spoke to technicians in their service areas, described the circumstances and they were unanimous in their conclusion: that car has been driven.

anyway, i have just remembered it has quite a fancy tracking device fitted so - if all is working - we will have a definitive answer as to when, and how fast, it has been driven!

[wantmorepower]

Vesuvius 996 said:

Penguinracer said:

I know a guy who's M5 was in for a service. He received a call from "Tracker" asking him if was driving down the M20 at 140 mph! He wasn't amused. It was expensive for two employees at the dealership - it cost them their jobs!

Similar siutation.

My mate had the first EVO FQ400 in the country. He ran it in like a baby. It went in to have a rattle under the dash sorted. He dropped it off at the Mistu dealer and told them he'd wait. They said it would be a couple of hours, so he said he'd be back later.

He went for a walk, got himself a panini and an espresso and sat outside in the sun.

Next thing he sees is his not yet run in EVO bouncing off the limiter in first with who spannermonkeys inside.

He drinks his coffee, wealks briskly back to the dealership and storms into the garage and remonstrates with the Service Manager. "What the fvck etc..."

The Service Manager yells back, "your car is over there round the corner being valeted sir.... how dare you.... blah blah.... JUST as the EVO returns into the garage with a screech of tyres, and stinking of burning clutch and red hot exhaust.


They got fired. He got a new car.

he was lucky, there was no option for the staff to close ranks and deny everything ... no doubt hundreds of people have suffered such things going on without ever finding out

in any case somethings happened with the tracking on mine too, so a further piece of the puzzle falls into place, as well as the numbers being too different for someone simply to "write it down wrong"

we are dealing with crude people here, spannermonkeys is a nice expression...insufficient sophistication to realise the risk they are taking: with their life, with their employer's insurance/reputation, and with at the least their own job

[fixedwheelnut]

Anyone taking a car home overnight without the owners permission [as if for a long road test] would be up for instant dissmissal.

Did the car have any coding/programming done ? if a new cluster is fitted or updated then this can cause mileage discrepencies up to 500 miles on the display.

[Donut]

wantmorepower said:

Donut said:

It is highly unlikely that your car has been used by someone for a jolly. They probably noted the mileage down wrong.

that's what i thought at first. then i went and called about three other dealers, spoke to technicians in their service areas, described the circumstances and they were unanimous in their conclusion: that car has been driven.

anyway, i have just remembered it has quite a fancy tracking device fitted so - if all is working - we will have a definitive answer as to when, and how fast, it has been driven!

It will of been driven, it will of had a road test but I would be amazed if someone would of taken it home or out for a long drive.

If you can prove they have the person will rightly be sacked, stoopid tw4t!

[terry220]

i recently worked at a pub in batersea london
in the same road is batersea bmw and in the two weeks we were there we saw every model of bmw have the arse ragged off it down that road
m5 m5 included you dont miss the sound of one of those babies at full chat

[CIS121]

Hi,

I recently posted about a similar experience with a BMW franchised dealer in mid Surrey. I now keep a mileage log that I get them to sign and advise that it's for logging mileage for my accountant.

[Kinky]

I thought they could temporarily disable the mileometer?

K

[Slurms]

This isn't a new issue.. I had my old M3 booked in for a service with my local dealer and while driving one of their curtousy cars was overtaken by my own car. When you consider I was doing 70 at the time I was "unimpressed" to say the least when I got back to the dealership. The service manager kindly waved the labour charges on my service for me.

[turbo tim]

wantmorepower said:

Donut said:

It is highly unlikely that your car has been used by someone for a jolly. They probably noted the mileage down wrong.

that's what i thought at first. then i went and called about three other dealers, spoke to technicians in their service areas, described the circumstances and they were unanimous in their conclusion: that car has been driven.

anyway, i have just remembered it has quite a fancy tracking device fitted so - if all is working - we will have a definitive answer as to when, and how fast, it has been driven!

Mine was in a high-profile BMW dealership last week - won't name and shame in accordance with PH policy, but they're the main ones that deal with Alpina in the UK ("nitSer" let's call them).

Put the car in on the Tuesday night (the work was to be done on Wednesday). Didn't bother checking the odometer as I thought there was no need. When I picked up the car on Wednesday evening, huge crack in the windscreen and about 1/8th of a tank of petrol gone.
They assured me the car hadn't left the premises, and the crack in the windscreen may have been caused by "putting the sun-visor down too quickly" (I kid you not - this was from the Service Manager).

[Vesuvius 996]

turbo tim said:

wantmorepower said:

Donut said:

It is highly unlikely that your car has been used by someone for a jolly. They probably noted the mileage down wrong.

that's what i thought at first. then i went and called about three other dealers, spoke to technicians in their service areas, described the circumstances and they were unanimous in their conclusion: that car has been driven.

anyway, i have just remembered it has quite a fancy tracking device fitted so - if all is working - we will have a definitive answer as to when, and how fast, it has been driven!

Mine was in a high-profile BMW dealership last week - won't name and shame in accordance with PH policy, but they're the main ones that deal with Alpina in the UK ("nitSer" let's call them).

Put the car in on the Tuesday night (the work was to be done on Wednesday). Didn't bother checking the odometer as I thought there was no need. When I picked up the car on Wednesday evening, huge crack in the windscreen and about 1/8th of a tank of petrol gone.
They assured me the car hadn't left the premises, and the crack in the windscreen may have been caused by "putting the sun-visor down too quickly" (I kid you not - this was from the Service Manager).

Go and see the Dealer Principal. This is taking the p1ss.

[turbo tim]

Vesuvius 996 said:

turbo tim said:

wantmorepower said:

Donut said:

It is highly unlikely that your car has been used by someone for a jolly. They probably noted the mileage down wrong.

that's what i thought at first. then i went and called about three other dealers, spoke to technicians in their service areas, described the circumstances and they were unanimous in their conclusion: that car has been driven.

anyway, i have just remembered it has quite a fancy tracking device fitted so - if all is working - we will have a definitive answer as to when, and how fast, it has been driven!

Mine was in a high-profile BMW dealership last week - won't name and shame in accordance with PH policy, but they're the main ones that deal with Alpina in the UK ("nitSer" let's call them).

Put the car in on the Tuesday night (the work was to be done on Wednesday). Didn't bother checking the odometer as I thought there was no need. When I picked up the car on Wednesday evening, huge crack in the windscreen and about 1/8th of a tank of petrol gone.
They assured me the car hadn't left the premises, and the crack in the windscreen may have been caused by "putting the sun-visor down too quickly" (I kid you not - this was from the Service Manager).

Go and see the Dealer Principal. This is taking the p1ss.

Yup, probably. I insisted they either replace the windscreen or pay whatever it costs me to get it fixed. (£60 excess as it turns out).

[CIS121]

turbo tim said:

Vesuvius 996 said:

turbo tim said:

wantmorepower said:

Donut said:

It is highly unlikely that your car has been used by someone for a jolly. They probably noted the mileage down wrong.

that's what i thought at first. then i went and called about three other dealers, spoke to technicians in their service areas, described the circumstances and they were unanimous in their conclusion: that car has been driven.

anyway, i have just remembered it has quite a fancy tracking device fitted so - if all is working - we will have a definitive answer as to when, and how fast, it has been driven!

Mine was in a high-profile BMW dealership last week - won't name and shame in accordance with PH policy, but they're the main ones that deal with Alpina in the UK ("nitSer" let's call them).

Put the car in on the Tuesday night (the work was to be done on Wednesday). Didn't bother checking the odometer as I thought there was no need. When I picked up the car on Wednesday evening, huge crack in the windscreen and about 1/8th of a tank of petrol gone.
They assured me the car hadn't left the premises, and the crack in the windscreen may have been caused by "putting the sun-visor down too quickly" (I kid you not - this was from the Service Manager).

Go and see the Dealer Principal. This is taking the p1ss.

Yup, probably. I insisted they either replace the windscreen or pay whatever it costs me to get it fixed. (£60 excess as it turns out).

Or contact BMW UK. This is probably the most ridiculous thing I've EVER heard! Unless of course the chap was holding a 15kg iron mallet in his hand whilst putting your visor down with massive speed and force.

[BlackSpider]

wantmorepower said:

I had my BMW serviced at BMW. No comment on where. It had to stay in overnight. The mileage recorded on the service invoice is one number...the mileage reading on the dash is 200 miles higher than that, as I discovered when I arrived home (a very short distance of a couple of miles). I regret that in unbelievable stupidity I did not check the dash reading before I left the car with them, not expecting it to be in overnight and not expecting any dishonest behaviour.

It is quite a high ranking model and no doubt a desirable take-home prospect for a naughty young employee. After all it would only have sat in the car park overnight...

However, am I completely wrong in assuming that this is the only explanation? I have not yet quizzed the dealer. Is there some technical and innocent explanation for such a discrepancy? Has anyone else experienced this?

We have 2 ways of reading mileage....The one used by the the service is a key read via SAM this can be upto 250 miles out/behind the current mileage(all the service and mileage info is stored in your ign.key when then put it in a key reader and put that on the job card which then goes onto invoice).It sometimes catches us out when carrying out MOTs.
The other could be dependant on what you had repaired-if the instrument cluster was replaced the mileage can increase by 400 miles.
As we work on time based repairing I doubt they would have taken it for a joy ride

Edited by BlackSpider on Wednesday 15th August 13:43

[ACEparts_com]

They either noted the milage down wrong or used the last recorded milage info (from previous work). I have had my car looked at four times by a well known Porsche speicalist and they've used an almost random figure each time!