E39 - BWM Service or Indy

[Origin Unknown]

Had my E39 for around 8 months now and I'm down to 2 green bars now. Actually that is damn good considering my commute is 70 miles per day and I will regularly doing 100+ in a weekend. Anyway, the service book is fully stamped up, all main dealer and every time BWM have found something wrong, there is a corresponding receipt for the dealership sorting it there and then.

Early 2001 with 149K on the clock – so do I keep up the main dealer stamps or do I goto my local indy? I have a lot of trust with my local indy as they did all the servicing and work on the E36 M3 I had for 4 years so I trust them. And without wanting to sound lame, I like these people and try to support businesses local to me when I can.

Given that in a lot of peoples opinions, I am approaching starship mileage and 10+ years, is there any value in maintaining FBWMSH? I guess it does come down to what I plan to do with it in the future. Right now, I have no plans to sell it – she’s been very good to me (touch wood) and is a good place to be for 4 hours of the day, every day. But a 3L petrol wasn’t the most sensible idea given the price of petrol and I do have my 3rd child due in September so I'm not 100% sure if it will still work for me come the end of this year.

So out to the E39’ers – do you keep going back to BWM for your servicing or is it Indy all the way.

• This, of course, supposes I am actually able to part with it

[Heathwood]

Given the age and mileage, using an indy you know and trust would get my vote every time. I also wouldn't expect it to devalue the car; in fact, in many ways I'd be happier buying a car of that age that had been looked after by a reputable indy.

[Hawmaws]

Indy with a good reputation every time for me.

The guys I use in Windsor are far better than the BMW I used before..better attention to detail.

I'd much rather buy a car that they had looked after.

[MarkwG]

I use an independant - the e39's two models old now, chances are a main dealer won't even know what they're looking at. I kept my e36 M3 in dealer servicing all the while it was under the BMW warranty scheme, although even then they weren't particularly clever at times. The guys I use now know all the ins & outs, & can diagnose with/without a laptop.

[Cemesis]

Exactly. Most of the good mechanics who serviced the E39 are now out on their own.

I'd never consider paying dealer prices for work on an E39.