pissed off @ the dealer service!

[aus135i]

I was very pissed off today when I checked my oil level in the 1er(via the dash computer) it shows less than MAX.. and as we all know there is still a block infront of MAX

Reason for me been pissed off, car was serviced yesterday @ the dealer and I asked for Oil+Filter change... the car has done 14k since end of Nov 08.

Back in Feb when the car only had 1.8k I changed oil+filter as well and I did a little mark on the top of the oil filter and when I checked the mark was the same (it didn't get screwed on or off) I asked the service dude at the desk and he says they don't change that part(as in the filter cover) so I let it go... (couldn't really check, coz the 1er don't have a dip stick)

but this time it's BS, had a quick vent at the sales manager, who said maybe they didn't top it up to max... but i asked and paid for an oil CHANGE! not a topup...going back there 1st thing Monday...

anyone else had problems like this with trivett @ parra?

[d3syd]

Sounds dodgy. Maybe they let a trainee do your car or something.... bad.

[amk2912]

I wonder whether the 135 is afflicted by the same electronic dipstick issues that the M3 has? There is a whole thread on the issue on M3Post.

The electronic dipstick on the M3 needs about 20 minutes of driving to reset after an oil change or top up. After my 2000km oil change I noticed the oil level was less than when I went in and I queried this. They ended up adding an extra 200mL to make up for the apparent underfill. Of course when I had been driving the car for 20 minutes the level reset showing just over MAX. Not really a problem as a huge overfill gives a different warning but none the less this issue highlights the problems of the electronic dipstick.

Just my 2c.

[TimMc]

Maybe I'm missing something here Aus135, but having just performed my own oil & filter change (@ 6,000km), the filter cover certainly doesn't get changed. I put in exactly 6 litres and this brought the level up to MAX again - which is where it was before. I was lucky I got it right 1st go and didn't need to add more or drain some off.
How do you know they didn't change the oil & filter? I'd put a small bit of tape across the back of the filter cover and engine interface next time and see if it is disturbed when you get it back.

PS. Mattyv, I'll help you do your's if you like as discussed...

[Lester]

Better yet, place a small drop of hot wax from a hot glue gun on the back of the filter housing and see if that seal is broken when you pick the car up.

[aus135i]

hmmm really? needs 20mins of driving? this i didn't do/know....

TimMc: i dont know for sure! however when i checked the oil lvl this morning, it showed as the same as before i put the car into service... so clearly if they changed it and put in 6L of oil it should show at least MAX... but amk2912 is saying there could be a bug with the e-dipstick...

something is not right...

[05C4R]

you got ripped off for sure, don't be surprised to find that even the friendliest dealers play hardball, they are all arseholes. for example i used to work with an ex junoir dealer car mechanic and he had a room at home full of expensive oil he never put in cars, he said all the mechanics did it, if the oil looked half okay they just topped it up and pocketed the rest. i asked my dealer to show me the old oil when i had mine done. i just hope it was the oil from my car. you cannot trust anyone these days, not anyone.
My uncle marked the oil cap on his mercedes to check if it got done at the dealer a few years ago, the tape was undisturbed. you gotta remember dealers are used car salesmen = scumbags.

[whiteknight120]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Maybe I'm missing something here Aus135, but having just performed my own oil & filter change (@ 6,000km), the filter cover certainly doesn't get changed. I put in exactly 6 litres and this brought the level up to MAX again - which is where it was before. I was lucky I got it right 1st go and didn't need to add more or drain some off.
How do you know they didn't change the oil & filter? I'd put a small bit of tape across the back of the filter cover and engine interface next time and see if it is disturbed when you get it back.

PS. Mattyv, I'll help you do your's if you like as discussed...

How much did you pay for your oil filter? did you buy it from a dealer? I was shocked at the $53 price I paid at a melbourne dealer

[aus135i]

alright, maybe i jumped the gun alittle... =)

after reading amk2912's comments I took the car out for a 20km drive and when i come bk..chked the oil lvl it was up to MAX... so i guess they did topup/change the oil... my invoice says 7units of oil .. so i guess thats 7L?

but come on they should tell the owners about these things, i mean how the fk was i suppose to know this? its not in the user manual is it?

[jksgoh]

Originally Posted by aus135i

alright, maybe i jumped the gun alittle... =)

after reading amk2912's comments I took the car out for a 20km drive and when i come bk..chked the oil lvl it was up to MAX... so i guess they did topup/change the oil... my invoice says 7units of oil .. so i guess thats 7L?

but come on they should tell the owners about these things, i mean how the fk was i suppose to know this? its not in the user manual is it?

think it may be in the users manual....

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by whiteknight120

How much did you pay for your oil filter? did you buy it from a dealer? I was shocked at the $53 price I paid at a melbourne dealer

I think I paid around $60 for the two filters I bought from Brisbane BMW ($30 each). I'll let you know if that was wrong. As a member of the local BMW club I get 10% discount on parts and service. So there's no warranty hassle I only wanted to buy genuine. Filter comes with two new O-rings and a new sump plug crush washer.

[Zuzu]

Tim I did the same thing after my oil service at the dealer...Went back and jumped up and down..

BUT, like they are saying it took about 15 to 20 km's to show MAX on mine aswel..

[AussieRacer]

Originally Posted by TimMc

Quote:
Originally Posted by whiteknight120
How much did you pay for your oil filter? did you buy it from a dealer? I was shocked at the $53 price I paid at a melbourne dealer

I think I paid around $60 for the two filters I bought from Brisbane BMW ($30 each). I'll let you know if that was wrong. As a member of the local BMW club I get 10% discount on parts and service. So there's no warranty hassle I only wanted to buy genuine. Filter comes with two new O-rings and a new sump plug crush washer.

I paid $32 for two recently and didn't even need to use the car club discount. Dealer had them on special as they said they ordered a "truck load" and got great pricing from BMW Aust.

[aus135i]

all up i paid $276 for filter and 7L of oil and their time of coz...

hahah really Joe? did u swear at them? coz i did hahahaha

[Zuzu]

Originally Posted by aus135i

all up i paid $276 for filter and 7L of oil and their time of coz...

hahah really Joe? did u swear at them? coz i did hahahaha

Na... But I went upstairs and complained to the dealer principle..

$276?? which dealer...I paid $195 at Sylvania..

[aus135i]

trivett...

[Alpine*]

Originally Posted by aus135i

trivett...

Haha


M3 = Oil and filter change $540 priceless!

[aus135i]

Originally Posted by AlpineM3E92

M3 = Oil and filter change $540 priceless!

WOW... how do they justify that?

[rawbert54]

i always change my own oil. 15000 miles is way to long to wait between oil changes. its funny that before bmw started doing the oil changes for free, they recommended shorter intervals between changes

[TimMc]

Originally Posted by TimMc

I think I paid around $60 for the two filters I bought from Brisbane BMW ($30 each). I'll let you know if that was wrong. As a member of the local BMW club I get 10% discount on parts and service. So there's no warranty hassle I only wanted to buy genuine. Filter comes with two new O-rings and a new sump plug crush washer.

Checked my Visa statement last night. Paid $50 for the two filters. Normally ~$56 ($28 each).

[oldman]

Originally Posted by AlpineM3E92

Haha

M3 = Oil and filter change $540 priceless!

Must mean M (money) x 3

I've just recently changed my oil at 5,000Km. Figured that seeing the first service interval has been reduced to 15,000Km, I would do my own
at 5,000 and 10,000 and then the dealer service at 15,000 then back to me at at 20,000. You get the picture.

I was going to go to the dealer, but after he quoted me $240 to do it, I thought I would do the change myself. After all, it's not rocket science. I did ask what oil they use so he brought out a 1 litre bottle of "Castrol SLX Professional BMW LL01" @ $29.00 a litre.

I rang around and got a quote from Supercheap Auto for 20 litre drum @ $245.00 so I ordered it and it arrived from Melbourne the next day.

Bottom line is I will get 3 oil changes for my $245.00 @ 6.5 litres per time + $34 each for filters x 3. Total cost $347 vs $720 at the dealer.

A saving of close to $375 or half price just for a bit of my time. I wasn't any big deal to do either. I found the oil cap could be removed
by hand without any filter removal tools as could the reverse on tightening it right up to where the green markers line up. I'm 58 and certainly not Superman so I wonder if others have found they could also do it by hand.

The engine plug to drain was also easy to undo and my crush washer ended up in the drain pan as well but it was easy to see that it had gone somewhere due to the fact that the drain plug facia was like shiny aluminium and the crush washer is copper.

Also, I used cut out top off a ice cream container in a concave around the drain plus so oil does not run out all over the floor pan as I could see that was definitely going to happen. Old oil was black, but was clean as I could actually see right through it against the sunlight whilst it was draining.

I have a set of old fashioned Castrol oil bottles if you know what I mean. The ones with the screw on funnel type tops with caps. Two of them are 1 litre and 1/2 litre measures so it was easy the do the 6.5 litres except that I had to be very carefull to know how many I had already added so I marked each one off on a piece of paper.

I did use exactly 6.5 litres because that's what it says in the BMW TIS for the N54 as "Oil change volume with oil filter 6.5 litres"

Car started up fine and checked for leaks, checked the oil level through the iDrive as all is well. Without going anywhere, it came up to max within a few minutes.

[amk2912]

Originally Posted by aus135i

WOW... how do they justify that?

Simple...they use Castrol TWS 10W-60 which is "exclusively" developed by Castrol for M engines. The stuff retails from the dealer at about $50 a litre. With a filter change the M3 takes about 9.5 litres of the stuff so that's how they arrive at that price.

Of course, you can't get TWS 10W-60 anywhere else...that I know of.