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      12-10-2013, 10:17 PM   #1
Loft23
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1200 break-in service early, ok? & possible joy ride

I posted this as a reply to another thread, but I figured that it would get more exposure and response as its own thread.

I took my car in for a "courtesy break-in" service, 30 days after purchase, whether or not 1200 miles has been reached so that they can check the fluid levels. My car only had 922 miles and they said that they might as well do the 1200 since it's less than 300 miles from it.

a) Is this OK to do it early?
b) Are they allowed to perform service before the car indicates it? I have had dealers refuse me in the past when the mileage is on schedule but the car didn't indicate it.

They logged 3 miles in the paperwork, in 922 / out 925, but when I drove it off the lot I saw 932 and quickly pulled over 1 block down. I understood that a test drive is required, because once you change the differential fluid and others, you want to make sure that all pressure and levels remain the same after operation. They also mentioned that they need to get the car to normal oil operating temperature before doing the tests. I called my SA who checked the paperwork but couldn't explain it, so he put me in touch with the technician who worked on my car. He said that it is standard to put 2-3 miles but since the temp outside was cold (45 degrees) he had to take it a little longer. When he returned, he logged it as 3 miles just out of habit. I call BS because you need to read the exact odometer reading and not ballpark it.

I've asked some others with M5s and it sounds like a test drive was needed to do it right. Changing the differential and SMG oil probably needs to be run under normal driving conditions and re-checked for leaks and pressure after. Having it idle in the bay doesn't do much because it's more than just motor oil change.

What got me more pissed was the fact that I have swirl marks on my rear bumper deck where most dirt collect. They ensured me that they do really good washes and they do it by hand. The rest of the car looks ok, but noticed the swirls across the back bumper in bright sunlight as if they dragged a towel across to dry the car. To make matters worse, I noticed a small scratch / gauge on the driver side door wood trim panel. It's as if they were holding on to a pen or keys and pushed the door open with it between his hands and the wood trim. Just careless!

I've emailed my salesperson and the manager of my dissatisfaction. My purchase experience has been great and they have been pushing me to write yelp and other social media reviews. I've threatened to poorly review everything and even in the official BMW survey which will really impact my salesperson and the dealership. I will see how they respond, but I will at some point request a reimbursement to take the car to a detailer of my choice. I wonder if they will replace the scratched door trim.

Never again will I go to that dealership. It is BMW of Fremont for those of you curious. Will update if they make it right or explain themselves.
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      12-10-2013, 11:38 PM   #2
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OP, sorry to hear about your situation.

I also did my 1200 service early at 1004 miles because I wanted to get the car ready for a track weekend that was coming up. I also read your post previously, regarding the possibility of a dealership "joy ride" so I checked and made sure nothing like that would happen (that's how I remember the exact mileage, 1003 in, 1004 out) There is no excuse, they would need to drive your car THAT much.

Hope everything works out..
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      12-11-2013, 04:29 PM   #3
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I did mine at around 1k too no problems. You would not want to do it at say 300 or 500 miles.

Sorry for the bad experience at the stealership
Enjoy your car!
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      01-03-2014, 04:19 PM   #4
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I trust no dealer of any kind anywhere. Just because I have to for warranty, I'm going in to get the proscribed services, and do interim ones on my own. I'll take them the oil, for each occasion. You want to drive my car? I'm in it, or it does not happen... Oh, and no washes by them, period. Over the 47 years I've walked the planet, I've not found one dealer that does things in as detailed a way as I do on my own. It just won't happen.
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      01-03-2014, 06:24 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Loft23 View Post
He said that it is standard to put 2-3 miles but since the temp outside was cold (45 degrees) he had to take it a little longer. When he returned, he logged it as 3 miles just out of habit. I call BS because you need to read the exact odometer reading and not ballpark it.
Mine only had a couple of miles added after the break-in, no cosmetic damage fortunately (they know never to wash my car unless the want to pick up a large bill from my detailer), however, during the break-in period I never had the traction control light on, but when I washed it post-service, I noticed that the outer tread on the rear tyres had slightly lifted & cut in places, and, what was worse of me was that the steering was not as sharp as prior to the service and the damping wasn't as quick (checked tyre pressures and they were fine); nothing I could prove and likely to be met with a 'car drives within tolerance' from the service dept. The car has now re-learnt my driving style and is driving as it was before the service, so have put it behind me now. I may have had fewer miles on mine, but they are likely to have been much harder miles


Quote:
Originally Posted by Loft23 View Post
What got me more pissed was the fact that I have swirl marks on my rear bumper deck where most dirt collect. They ensured me that they do really good washes and they do it by hand. The rest of the car looks ok, but noticed the swirls across the back bumper in bright sunlight as if they dragged a towel across to dry the car. To make matters worse, I noticed a small scratch / gauge on the driver side door wood trim panel. It's as if they were holding on to a pen or keys and pushed the door open with it between his hands and the wood trim. Just careless!
Not good, but this can be rectified. Do not accept any dealership offer to polish the car - they are likely to remove more clear coat and use polish heavy with fillers which will suffer drop back after one or more washes, i.e. will look like you swirled the paint after they fixed it. Instead get them to agree to put the damage right (take lots of pictures of the swirls) then say you want to use your own detailer and give them the quote. If that quote is high they will be reluctant to accept, but be persistent (may be easier in the US than UK). The only issue you may have is that if you didn't instruct them not to wash your car, there may be less of a case to argue, i.e. you may have to pick up the bill yourself.

Must people do not know how to wash a car without causing swirls (I was no different until I got into detailing a few years ago) and dealerships usually cannot pay their staff or contractors enough to do a good job (in the UK, they'll tend to use traffic film remover on the body and descaling acid on the wheels to remove the break dust, then wipe down with a drying towel they have been using all day, as this is the most cost effective way to do it). My BMW salesman (who still has an American accent) did say that some US dealers use an airline to dry cars, but they still use harsh chemicals which are likely to strip off your wax, sealant, etc. Bottom line is, if you care about swirl marks, etc., never accept a dealership wash (regardless of which dealership). And don't worry, you're not alone, we have a ceramic lacquer MB that I allowed the dealership to wash - never had a problem until they tried to wash winter salt/grit from the car - all panels now heavily swirled and not so easy to fix on ceramic lacquer finish (I hadn't asked them not to wash, however, they did accept liability).

Last edited by Dionysus; 01-03-2014 at 07:23 PM..
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      01-03-2014, 08:31 PM   #6
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I always tell them no car wash and no test drive.
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