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finbar

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Could someone tell me if BMW's have to be serviced in BMW
garages , ie to reset the service light indicators , or can
they be serviced by non bmw or indeed any mechanic working
from his own home?
 
Depends on the model i suppose. I know my own (2000 E46 generation) service indicators can be reset manually by pushing the normal milage reset on the dash (there's a preset sequence you have to follow, it's not hard).

For anything more complicated like diagnostics then bmws own software would be required. Some indys may have this but the vast majority won't.
 
I can reset the service indicators on my '97 5 series by shorting 2 pins in the diagnostic socket under the bonnet for the oil & Inspection lights. Air bag & Brake fluid needs to be done by a mechanic. Tell us where you live and I'll give you the name of a recommended independent BMW specialist in your area
 
finbar said:
Could someone tell me if BMW's have to be serviced in BMW
garages , ie to reset the service light indicators , or can
they be serviced by non bmw or indeed any mechanic working
from his own home?
Click to expand...

Anyone with a bit of savvy can do it.
 
just thinking of buying a '04 316 as my next car but
if i cant get it serviced at a non bmw dealer im not that
interested.Also the new 318 'late '05 onwards has runflat
tyres as in the 5 series poster, if you get a flat you have to
get a new tyre ??surely that will be turning away bmw fans
run flat tyres are very expensive + you have no spare , no
room for one either???
I would like to hear peoples opinion of this
 
Finbar - you are 100% spot on - I am on my 3rd BMW and LAST!! because of the run flat tyres (which give a bad drive) their expense, no spare, cant fix punctures etc exactly as you say
 
Runflats are exactly welded to the car you know. Quite a few people i know have simply changed them for normal tyres. Plus a can of 'ultraseal' tyre sealent or simliar product takes care of having no spare (and is a damn site less work/mess to use!).

Finbar there are plenty of indys around happy to service a bmw for a helluva lot less than a dealer.
 
Would you know of a good, cheap dealer to service a diesel bm?

have a full service history with her so would ideally like to keep it that way but have been quoted over €600 for a service. Car is a '01 with 60k. It seems a bit excessive.
 
Any bmw dealer will typically be quite expensive. I service my own myself for the most part and use a mates garage here in balbriggan for anything where i'd need someone with more experience (and a car lift!).

Depending on where you are in the country you'd almost certainly be able to get a recommendation for a good indy on the forums at http://www.bmwcarclubireland.com/ or [broken link removed]
 
former rover dealers could do it too. the 75 diesel used the same engine as the 00 320d
 
just NEED to get this off my chest with BMW independent mechanics !
I have 1996 318i convertible. About 4 weeks ago Water temp gauge went into red - about 3 miles to home ... I put heater on full , temp came down and got home.
Looked under bonnet - saw water + steam coming from back of engine (close to bulk-head) beside a plastic pipe.
Let engine cool down , topped up with water and took it to BMW Mechanic. He opened the bonnet he said "its yer water pump mate"
...what about the steam + water... " that was just pressure getting out"
..."hope ya didnt drive it" ...as if I could carry it " might have done the headgasket" !
New waterpump and thermostat (220 euro) 2 weeks later same thing, this time no heat inside car .... I checked oil cap and dipstick no water and checked exhaust, no water . Brought it back to mechanic ." leave it with me" ..next thing the head is off, sent to be skimmed and pressure tested etc. Junior mechanic said parts were ordered and as he picked up a plastic pipe he said " its only when you strip down things you see whats wrong" ....this got me thinking my first explaination to the mechanic was right ...probably just a split hose .
(Sorry for going on) when the Main mechanic came back -I asked him why he took the head off , he said he pressure tested it and water was pouring into 4th cylinder , I asked him how come it wasnt coming out exhaust or why no water was mixed with oil ..... " thats just the way they go sometimes" ...
I have my own opinion on what it takes to damage a BMW headgasket ...
and would a pump + thermostat go together then two weeks later a headgasket ????????
 
amcs, it really depends on the mechanic. I had a bad experience with one near me a few yrs back and I never went back. As for your problem, I had a similar issue with mine last year in France. Driving through a town, started to smell coolant and then steam followed up thro bonnet. Pulled in to car park and let it cool down for a few hrs. Remembered I had seen a BMW dealership a few 100yrds back the road so when I topped up, drove to them. They took the car from me and discovered a small pin hole leak in a small pipe that had ruptured. They also checked the stat but said it was fine. Replaced the pipe and its been no problem since....(grabbing wooden leg).
There are some BMW dealers in Dublin I would recommend getting my car serviced and some not. Same with independents.

Finbar, where do you live?
 
sounds similar - I live in Dundalk, so today, while my car is off the road , borrowed my wifes (BMW 316SE) went to work , put some stuff into the boot, closed it and realised the keys were in there ! ( no spare key ) .BMW say it will take 5 days to get a key.
I cant take much more :(
Locksmith said if BMW gave me a key number he would cut one ( to open boot ) , but they cant/ wont .... anybody know how to open boot of 316se ... without the can-opener ?
 
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