Bmw oil change for chf1,000 ?! - advice please

Complaints Corner
1
The correct oil change interval is 18,000kms for my 2011 BMW x5 (E70)

Yesterday I had my X5 diesel in for its oil change at 38,000 kms. (My first as its 2nd hand) It was in at BMW Auto-Graf in Meilen.

Oddly, they told me I am not covered by the 10yr/100,000 free BMW Premium Service. The car I bought from Emil Frey BMW in Geneva was checked on their system to be a Swiss car, but was a "diplomatic car", so does not have free servicing.

So I asked what they were going to charge me. They said around CHF1,000 (at today's exchange rate that is USD $1,070 or EURO 940).

"For an oil change and some filters?" I asked, not showing all my outrage.

They said, yes, we did the oil, diesel fuel filter, air intake filter, and the micro-filter (for the cabin), and 1.5 hrs labor cost.

REQUEST FOR HELP/ADVICE -

1) Any helpful experiences challenge this kind of thing? Any ways to escalate to BMW?

2)Can anyone here point me to the parts kit for doing this myself. I also want to quote them the price for genuine parts. From scan of the web, I understand an oil filter with heating element may cost USD$200 - is that correct?

I haven't got the bill yet, but intend to challenge it, as well as my "non Premium Service" status.

Needless to say I will not be using the BMW garage any more. My very good (non BMW) Garage across the road estimated roughly CHF350 and quite rightly referred em to BMW for free servicing. So triple the price at BMW .

2
Sounds about right to me!

If you don't have the service pack (your cars original order details would confirm this) then you'll need to pay for everything. Labour can be upto 280chf per hour; oil can be 50chf per litre; fuel filter won't be cheap - and probably incurs an additional labour charge.

I am presuming you saved a lot by buying a diplomatic car.

3
We have the same car and if it makes you feel any better, the bill for its service at an independent German garage across the border was €620 + VAT (€744 inc). I was expecting more along the €300 mark as well, so it came as quite a surprise.

4
Yep as Ken said sounds about right to me too

You've been Switzerlanded!

Take your car to a non BMW garage. I have a BMW myself with the free servicing, but you still have to pay for the liquids, usually costs me around CHF200 for break fluid and oil. Still cheaper than the non BMW garage so will have to go with them until I reach 100,000 km on the clock.

5
50chf a liter for oil is way too cheap we paid almost that in the UK 10 years ago at a merc dealer

6
Nice! I may have been Switzerlanded before, but this time I'd say I have been thoroughly Auto-Graf'd . Never again.

Yes, (my excellent) non-BMW garage across the road from me does not have a coffee service and waiting lounge or loan car, but I get to talk to the mechanic, who is very experienced and helpful, and it costs 1/3.

I only used BMW this time to avoid voiding the remaining 6 months of warranty. But I did check beforehand and was told over the phone that the free servicing (plus parts and fluids) is covered for 10yrs and 100,000 kms. THAT is my leverage point, weak as it may be.

Not that I will use BMW again, but if anyone can learn form this, it would be "get a *written* estimate first" . I usually do. Is there an emoticon for kicking myself?

7
For Swiss delivered BMWs it is. Diplomatic cars aren't classified as Swiss delivery. On Alpinas it is an option (3,900chf).

8
I know a few people who have had a special experience with that

garage. I got hit for 950 for a Nissan Navara at the local place this was meant to be all inclusive so I didn't get a quote as I have used them a few times before.

9
Sounds about right for a full service on a diesel BMW.

By the way, kick harder, you do not need to go to BMW garage to maintain the BMW warranty....If it was an Auto Graf warranty, then you do.

How old is the car, BMW would be 2 year warranty, plus an additiona 1,2 or 3 years if it was taken as an option

10
Order your own fluids and parts, and have it serviced at whatever garage you want. If you want to go to the dealer for the entry in the book service, they can't deny you installing your own parts.

Oil is max 10-12Chf/lt and filters etc you can get for ridiculous prices if you shop right. Reifendirekt is an easy way, with free shipping to your doorstep.

I got a cabin filter, an oxygen sensor, an oil filter and two hood struts from the US all for ~160CHF including customs+3 day shipping, and that with the old exchange rates, right before Christmas. Dealer prices (Swiss or otherwise) would exceed 500CHF just for the same exact sensor (Denso OEM). Old but top of the line Lexus.

Get your own parts, go to a garage that will charge you a reasonable amount, have him stamp and sign the service history book, and you're good to go. There is absolutely no reason to pay 1000 CHF out of pocket for a 20,000 Km service for a run of the mill BMW. ZERO.

For damn oil changes, I would only justify it for something like a Ferrari/McLaren/similar, not because it is a delicate operation (it isn't), but because non-dealer services on these cars will seriously hurt resale value.

11
Good tips Don Molina, will have to remember to do this next time. Will have to ask the BMW garage which fluids I should buy for them to use.

You're right I don't see why they would refuse that I bring my own stuff, people just get stung because they're too embarrassed to ask or they don't want to look like cheap skates. Smart move in my opinion, if it takes me 15 minutes to order some parts / fluids and have it delivered and save CHF200 / CHF500 then it's time well spent.

12
I bring my car to these guys in Germany: http://www.atu.de/home

Good prices and good service

13
First rule of riding a BMW: "Don't go to a BMW garage"

Second rule of riding a BMW: "DON'T GO TO A BMW GARAGE"

(Sorry, I mean driving, you guys drive your cans don'tcha?

14
See this is your error, and happened to me before as well...

There is a difference between and Oil change and a "service". In english the oil change is the service. Or a process of doing something. Here the word service at a Garage is an actual thing they do once a year that is a whole going over the car. And it is in the 700 to 1000 CHF range.

I one time had an oil change, and wanted to get my winter tires done. The mechanic, who also sold us out car said, "ok well next week I see you are having a service done, so we will do the tire change for free". I thought great. Then I got the bill for something like 700 plus and I blew my lid. I went down there personally to see him, and ask to explain this. As they did a full service. He explained it, and I told him there was a misunderstanding. Such as I just explained here. And he took responsibility for the error and only charged me the price of the actual oil change, which was also a shock for me because I was only here so far for less then a year.

I think you need to give it a try to say what you thought you were getting and what you actually need.

15
Always and will continue to do so and has worked perfectly thus far. It's ironic; having discussed this on a previous thread I got groaned at for suggesting it, yet those members now are encouraging it. Don't we just love EF.

16
Phoa 900???....I will do my car at authorised garage in........................... POLAND

17
....... STOP PRESS .......

...... Expensive cars are expensive to run ......

[why the surprise?]

18
BUT It was due for an oil change, not a full service.

Year is a 2011 (delivered to first owner 03.11.11).

I have a 1 year BMW warranty as I bought it 2nd hand at a BMW dealer in Geneva. Now only 6 months to go in the warranty and it has served its purpose, which was to fix the things the dealer/I hadn't detected when I bought it (broken ski bag, broken air outlet knob kicked off by a kid in the back) .

19
Thank you Confloozed.

I see now I could have been more precise by saying Ölwechsel instead Öl Service, which is what the Board Computer read out says in English.

I will call them. Thanks for advice and wish me luck.!

20
IIRC BMW services are:

Oil

Service 1

Oil

Service 2

(Repeat)

They are based on driving and for your average person will be every 25,000km (or 2 years).

An Oil service will include the oil being drained (not vacuumed), the sump plug replaced with a fresh washer, oil filter replaced and fresh oil added. That oil will be a high quality full synthetic oil. They will also replace the filters as per the schedule and also any other parts as per the schedule.

On top of that they'll also give the car a good check underneath - looking for any wear on the joints, bushes etc etc.

^^That can not be compared to a "cheap" oil change in the US/UK - where the oil is vacuumed out (dragging the particles from the sump back through the engine) and fresh mineral oil is added. That is OK for a OHV engine with low compression and 5,000km oil change intervals - but not for a modern car.