Service due

[Mahmood]

Hi there

Quick question.

My 318i was last serviced at 83,000 miles (Service I). I now have two green lights on permanently and the inspection light flashing intermittently. The mileage is now 89,000. What service is due?

Is is just oil and filter or a full Service II? If it is, anywhere recommended in East London? I usually go to Sytner City but a Service II will not give me much change from Ԛ£500 I'm sure.

Thanks

[Simon]

Next service due is an Oil service.

Just for info, I'd try and get out of London for servicing, it cost me for an Inspection II at a BMW main dealer Ԛ£219.99.

[ProfDMW]

Just to 'tag on' to this post..... As a E30 newbie, at what mileage are the different services typically carried out?

I'm probably just being dim but when do Oil Services / Inspection I / and Inspection II services fall?

My recently acquired 325 Touring had an Oil Service (& all its belts changed) in Sept 2004 @ 110000miles - what service is next? How, apart from asking the E30 zone experts, would I know?

My apologies once again if this is a 'dum' topic to be asking questions on, but if I don't ask I'll never learn!

Regards, ProfDMW

[Davenotouring]

If you have 2 green lights on permenantly, it sounds like your Service Indicator Board is playing up.

I could be wrong, but if you are still on green lights then you aren't due a service.

If you are still on green lights, they should go out after you start the car.

Although I wouldn't go past 6000miles or 6months personally regardless of what the lights say if you look after your car.

The service routine goes:

Oil service
Inspection I
Oil service
Inspection II
Oil service
Inspection I
Oil service
Inspection II

And so on.

The indicator board works out how long you should go between services from the distance driven, how many times car is started, etc.

[ProfDMW]

Thanks for that! Much appreciated, don't feel quite as 'dim' now!
I've still got 4 green lights - so I guess I'm ok for a little while yet!

[Davenotouring]

Indeed you are!

The service lights don't nesscessarily mean the cambelt has been changed, or the brake fluid, or coolant etc etc etc!! And they can be done manually.

But it is good to keep an eye on them, so long as you know what has been done.

[Mahmood]

Thanks for the helpful posts. Sorry, to be asking 'basics' but it's important that I know.

OK, with regards to my car, I guess you are right. The lights should extinguish. Maybe the board is playing up. It's going in on Friday for a service.

When I called Sytner today and asked them about the service lights, I was told I needed a Service I. They last serviced it in May 2004 with a Service I and have my service history on their computer. Maybe it just needs oil and an air filter and they are trying to con me. He did say it'll cost me approx. Ԛ£200 ish for a discounted 4 Plus service!

It's going to a recommended E30 specialist as it also has some other bits that need doing.

Cheers guys.

[Simon]

Just for info, the inspection light can come on along with green lights, this is for the annual check! (lights up with a little clock) Just another excuse for the dealer to get you to spend some more money!!
Also cambelt is every second Inspection II though I'd change it more often!

[Davenotouring]

I wouldn't take my car to a main dealer.

I'd either do it myself, so you know it's done properly, or at a specialist you really trust.

You pay TOP rates at main dealers, and on things like normal servicing you don't know if the apprentice is doing it all! Rediculous!

[Simon]

I've got to put my hand up here and say I was very pleased with the service I got from my local dealer, the mechs know theyre stuff, the prices were good, and I always had a good service, not looked down on because I owned an old E30. I only used the dealers because my sport had a full service history from new, and I wanted to keep it up, and that's all I had them to do, was the plain service, anything else needed doing and I would do it myself.

Now the M3..that's a different story, I was curious to what they charged to service it....erm..no thanks! Ajec racing will be taking care of my servicing on that.

[Davenotouring]

I'm not saying they're always bad! Sorry if it came across like that.

I'm sure people have had good experiences.

It's just that at a main dealer, you can pay more than double, and you don't know who working on your car in the majority of cases.

Most of the time the staff are overly polite, it's not my scene!

[Simon]

I had to put that in, it's good to hear the good comments for a change!

It seems that BMW dealers vary from area to area from prices to customer care, so it's down to the individual at the end of the day, and the previous experiences you've had.