dealership servicing with modern cars

[lawtoni]

Hi all,
I have a 2019 BMW which is due for a service. I believe there is no service book for these, and that the service history is recorded in the car itself?
Assuming that is the case, does this negate the resale value reasons for serving at a BMW dealership and makes it more sensibe/cost effective to go to a good independent?
The only reason I have previously gone to an official dealership/dervice centre Vs a good independent is this looks better come resale time, but it seems you can't check where it was serviced with the newer cars, only IF and when it was serviced?
Many thanks

[Smint]

Its out of warranty, and judging by my colleagues recent experience goodwill doesn't compute even weeks out of warranty.
I think most sensible people would be happy to see a specialist indy receipt for service, arguably more reassuring?
Maybe if you are trading it back for another new car of the same marque the dealer might make disparaging noises, can't see anyone else batting an eyelid.
Its not as if the dealer is offering to renew warranty for having it serviced by them as would be the case at Toyota.

[Pica-Pica]

Of course you get a main dealer invoice and receipt at a service!
I get a paper receipt and full itemised costs and statements of what has been done, as well as the service being logged on the iDrive.

[Court_S]

Some buyers will still expect the digital service record to be updated, some independents are able to do this although it won’t have a dealer code.

I’d not stress about it too much, especially if it’s not an M car.

[Monkeylegend]

lawtoni said:

Hi all,
I have a 2019 BMW which is due for a service. I believe there is no service book for these, and that the service history is recorded in the car itself?
Assuming that is the case, does this negate the resale value reasons for serving at a BMW dealership and makes it more sensibe/cost effective to go to a good independent?
The only reason I have previously gone to an official dealership/dervice centre Vs a good independent is this looks better come resale time, but it seems you can't check where it was serviced with the newer cars, only IF and when it was serviced?
Many thanks

You can check on mine and it will tell you if it was a BMW service or an independent.

[ChocolateFrog]

Pica-Pica said:

Of course you get a main dealer invoice and receipt at a service!
I get a paper receipt and full itemised costs and statements of what has been done, as well as the service being logged on the iDrive.

Which is great if you sell privately.

Any dealer will bin the lot the day you sell it to them.

[Dimebars]

There are some indy's out there that are able to update the iDrive system in a similar fashion to main dealers

[Dog Star]

As said - a decent specialist can update the digital records. I also keep folders of the printed records/invoices; that is golden to any future buyer.

[ian332isport]

Court_S said:

some independents are able to do this although it won’t have a dealer code.

My local independent updated the iDrive and there is a dealer code.

[MarkJS]

ian332isport said:

Court_S said:

some independents are able to do this although it won’t have a dealer code.

My local independent updated the iDrive and there is a dealer code.

Which will likely get wiped from the iDrive if you take it to a main dealer for the next service after that. Don’t ask me how I know….

[curvature]

Non BMW dealer identification codes are 0000, they do not get wiped out by BMW as it is still stored on BMW's main system.

[MikeM6]

I use main dealers as they are no more expensive than independents for my car. I also have a BMW warranty, although that does not require an exclusively BMW dealer history. I have found that independents are no more likely to do a good job either, one put regular diff oil in my limited slip differential, which caused me bother.

Smint said:

Its out of warranty, and judging by my colleagues recent experience goodwill doesn't compute even weeks out of warranty.
I think most sensible people would be happy to see a specialist indy receipt for service, arguably more reassuring?
Maybe if you are trading it back for another new car of the same marque the dealer might make disparaging noises, can't see anyone else batting an eyelid.
Its not as if the dealer is offering to renew warranty for having it serviced by them as would be the case at Toyota.

I have just had goodwill pay out for new discs and pads on my 17 year old BMW. It's also not had every service at BMW, although I have used them a lot over the last 3 years.

ChocolateFrog said:

Which is great if you sell privately.

Any dealer will bin the lot the day you sell it to them.

Mine came with a stack of invoices when I bought mine used and it was a trader, so that not always the case. I think GDPR is now better understood.

[ian332isport]

MarkJS said:

Which will likely get wiped from the iDrive if you take it to a main dealer for the next service after that. Don’t ask me how I know….

No, it’s all uploaded to the BMW servers.

[MarkJS]

ian332isport said:

MarkJS said:

Which will likely get wiped from the iDrive if you take it to a main dealer for the next service after that. Don’t ask me how I know….

No, it’s all uploaded to the BMW servers.

I have definitely had a Brake Fluid Service carried out by an Independent disappear from my iDrive after a subsequent visit to a main dealer for a service in June this year. It might well still be on BMW’s servers - but it’s not on my car.

[Maxus]

It does seem less obvious if a 0000 repairer code is on the iDrive v a buyer flicking through a service book and seeing a stamp for Bob’s Motors after a run of BMW stamps. Buyers generally prefer a Dealer history.
However, it’s really the same decision as it has always been:

How long do you plan on keeping the car?
What is the history to date?
What is the price difference of the repairers?

I take my 2017 BMW to the Dealer as I am likely to change it soon and the routine service costs are not wildly different. I also run the extended warranty so gives the Dealer the chance to spot anything that needs doing.

[lawtoni]

thanks all for your input
is it not the case though, that if you sell privately, your potential customer can only look up service history on the infotainment screen and see that it either has or hasnt been serviced and the service dates?
no distinction between main dealer and indy?

[MarkJS]

lawtoni said:

thanks all for your input
is it not the case though, that if you sell privately, your potential customer can only look up service history on the infotainment screen and see that it either has or hasnt been serviced and the service dates?
no distinction between main dealer and indy?

You can tell by the dealer codes in the screen. Someone said earlier that Indy codes are 0000 - that’s not always the case. The Indy I used for a Brake Fluid Service showed as initials of their name where the 4 digit code is. Before it was wiped by the main dealer as previously mentioned…

[ian332isport]

MarkJS said:

You can tell by the dealer codes in the screen. Someone said earlier that Indy codes are 0000 - that’s not always the case. The Indy I used for a Brake Fluid Service showed as initials of their name where the 4 digit code is. Before it was wiped by the main dealer as previously mentioned…

Not all independent specialists pay for access to the BMW servers. If they do, then the history will remain when you visit a franchised dealer.

Garages that update the iDrive service history only are using a piece of software called HU Service Manager. It allows them to update the records on the car, but not the BMW servers. I believe they can enter whatever dealer code they like. These sort of updates will get wiped if the car is updated at the dealer, as they simply download the history from the BMW server.

[ro250]

ian332isport said:

MarkJS said:

You can tell by the dealer codes in the screen. Someone said earlier that Indy codes are 0000 - that’s not always the case. The Indy I used for a Brake Fluid Service showed as initials of their name where the 4 digit code is. Before it was wiped by the main dealer as previously mentioned…

Not all independent specialists pay for access to the BMW servers. If they do, then the history will remain when you visit a franchised dealer.

Garages that update the iDrive service history only are using a piece of software called HU Service Manager. It allows them to update the records on the car, but not the BMW servers. I believe they can enter whatever dealer code they like. These sort of updates will get wiped if the car is updated at the dealer, as they simply download the history from the BMW server.

This is exactly right! My independent explained this to me (partly to justify why they charge to update the iDrive). If they have the proper BMW access then you don't lose it on future updates.

[MarkJS]

ro250 said:

ian332isport said:

MarkJS said:

You can tell by the dealer codes in the screen. Someone said earlier that Indy codes are 0000 - that’s not always the case. The Indy I used for a Brake Fluid Service showed as initials of their name where the 4 digit code is. Before it was wiped by the main dealer as previously mentioned…

Not all independent specialists pay for access to the BMW servers. If they do, then the history will remain when you visit a franchised dealer.

Garages that update the iDrive service history only are using a piece of software called HU Service Manager. It allows them to update the records on the car, but not the BMW servers. I believe they can enter whatever dealer code they like. These sort of updates will get wiped if the car is updated at the dealer, as they simply download the history from the BMW server.

This is exactly right! My independent explained this to me (partly to justify why they charge to update the iDrive). If they have the proper BMW access then you don't lose it on future updates.

The fact remains - it could still happen to you if you don’t speak to and confirm with the Independent that you are using.

Unfortunately, in my experience there isn’t much in it price-wise in comparison with using a main dealer anymore. There used to be quite an advantage in that regard.