[Gingerale]

In July I had the HPFP recall completed. I also asked if they could do the 15k oil change (about 2k early). They did the "annual" oil change but didn't reset the service counter. I noticed about a day later that my next service was due in 2,000 miles.

Jump forward 1,400 miles and I'm getting the service reminder and a phone call. I speak to the SA and ask if I can swing by to have the service reminder reset. He says no problem, stop on by. When I pull in, they check my previous paperwork and say "Oh, they just did the annual mumble, mumble, mumble. We can do the cough, cough, scheduled 15 k mumble mumble.

So, after 1,400 miles they're going to change the oil (again) and do a few other things that they just mumble about. I even asked what is different about what they're doing now vs two months ago. His response...oh, you're scheduled for brake fluid and cabin filter in 4 months, we can go ahead and do that too. I sarchastically asked whether I would be coming back in 4 months to have that redone too.

So I told him DONT WASH IT and knock yourself out.

I get the feeling they're double charging corporate for maintenance work. Not that I'm complaining about free (albeit unnecessary) service, but it's knd of a waste of my time and I don't like being their tool

[Edward]

I'll bet it's just pure incompetence that is leading them to this erratic service schedule.

There are easier ways for them to make money as a dealer...like selling more cars, more maintenace plans, higher priced CPO cars etc.

[Ron1n]

There is a limitation to what they can and can't do. They should have reset the counter on the oil when you were in before, but unless the car is within 2,000 miles of the service that needs to be done, they can't do it. That's what you're bumping up against (again, except for the oil change, which seems a bit excessive to me, but hey, if you're getting fresh oil after 2,000 miles, why complain?).

[be1ieve1111]

Doubt they're scamming corporate, sounds like you got through the cracks since they forgot to set the service reminder. You won't be getting a free brake fluid change in 400 miles as long as they remember to reset it. It's more so a mistake than anything else. As far as them scamming BMWNA they're not, they are performing the service they're getting paid to do "albeit unnecessarily."

[E30M3Driver]

I had kind of a reverse experience. Came in just short of the one year mark since my last oil change and they wouldn't change it. However, I was going to be out of the free maintenance period when the 1 year mark rolled around. The next week I got an oil service notice based on mileage ~18K miles (the only notice I have ever got), brought it in and got my oil changed for free.

My SA said they don't reset the oil service life on annual changes on purpose, only based on changes due to mileage.

[John 070]

I think I understand this a little better (because SA's are sales oriented (upsell), not customer service oriented).

If you buy into the fact that you CANNOT (from what I heard) reset a service reminder until you are at least 80% into it, then it would stand to reason that the reminder would not be reset if you got a normal oil change, drove 6,000 miles and paid for an interval change. 6/15 = < 80%.

If you buy into CBS, then you should not be able to alter it with a cable and $287 worth of software. Can you? I'd like to actually know.

Just like in a database you can't simply pull an enron on the records because you felt like it.

I got my car serviced Sat. and they didn't reset anything. My oil service says 11/2012, which it said last year. Gotta love 2 yr. intervals for oil. It'll be 3 in no time if the economy doesn't shape up.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by Ron1n

There is a limitation to what they can and can't do. They should have reset the counter on the oil when you were in before, but unless the car is within 2,000 miles of the service that needs to be done, they can't do it. That's what you're bumping up against (again, except for the oil change, which seems a bit excessive to me, but hey, if you're getting fresh oil after 2,000 miles, why complain?).

That happened to me last year, free oil change, 3 mos. and 1,800 miles later, another free oil change. Waste of natural resources. This weekend the SA tried to talk me out of changing the oil. He said, you've only driven 6k, why in the world would you want to pay for an oil change? I said that's ok, just change it because I don't mind paying $69.99. I better stop here in case he's reading the post.