Quote:
Originally Posted by PowerfulF22
What kind of "preventative maintenance" do you usually do? I don't really trust dealer services either but there's a list of problems that I need them to check out  . BJ also told me they will also change my brake fluid??? It is kind of strange that I need to change my brake fluid every 2 years |
Well aside from the oil change, I usually do or check the following (on such a new car, I glance at a lot of this, but once she gets a bit higher in mileage I'll do this on a methodical basis);
Inspect undercarriage for coolant or oil leaks
Grease all moving hinges, hood/trunk latch, etc.
Fluid levels and condition checks (I use test strips for the coolant)
Inspect the Serpentine Belt
Inspect charge piping (especially if you have the OE plastic pipes)
Front End check, for play in ball joints, tie rods, end links, check all bushings for separation, etc..
Check and set Tire Pressures
Check brakes, grease pins if completely dry (best practice, some never do this)
I Re-Torque Wheels to 105 (103 is OE spec)
I shampoo my engine after an oil change, completely unnecessary, but hey.
Don't forget that most of what the Dealer is doing is overlooking the car, looking for deficiencies in the drive line, fluid leaks, etc, not so much "servicing" the car, which is just the oil change service itself.. They follow a pretty specific guideline, provided by BMW.
The dealer did my brake fluid once while in for an oil service, without mentioning it, and they actually flushed my race fluid (Motul RBF660), I was pissed but couldn't really justify making an issue of it, as I could open doors to conversations I'd rather not have with my SA
And don't forget, they get paid by BMW NA for doing these services, as per the maintenance plan, which is why they're KEEN on doing them, when they can.