[lazymman345]

Hey guys,

My 2016 M235 just told me that that I need to take it in for a service and was wondering whether if I am just taking the car in for a routine service i should remove my CTS Turbo CAI & Dinan Sport Tuner? Removing both would obviously be fast, but if the dealer won't care since i'm not trying to make a warranty claim I was wondering whether it would be a problem or there could be any kinds of repercussions.

Also does anyone have any idea what this service could be? The car has 23k miles which is an odd mileage to have a service at. The message was telling me that a service is due in 02/2018 or within a certain amount of miles. Is it maybe just a time based thing?

Thanks!

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by lazymman345

Hey guys,

My 2016 M235 just told me that that I need to take it in for a service and was wondering whether if I am just taking the car in for a routine service i should remove my CTS Turbo CAI & Dinan Sport Tuner? Removing both would obviously be fast, but if the dealer won't care since i'm not trying to make a warranty claim I was wondering whether it would be a problem or there could be any kinds of repercussions.

Also does anyone have any idea what this service could be? The car has 23k miles which is an odd mileage to have a service at. The message was telling me that a service is due in 02/2018 or within a certain amount of miles. Is it maybe just a time based thing?

Thanks!

Go to vehicle info - vehicle status - service required on idrive

[USA-RET]

I have heard of instances where some dealer's have flagged owner's car that had tunes when brought in for routine service. Others do not. Unsure if when they connect car to their computer, that a code appears (or not).

I have read forum discussions in other forums that even if a tune is removed, the service department can look at a log stored in the ECU to tell if the engine has been tampered with. Again, this comes for forum discussions w/ people in both camps arguing. Also, this type of investigation goes beyond what is looked at during normal servicing. Consensus was that this snooping occurs when there is a engine warranty issue.

Easy to make a call to service department and ask a hypothetical question in passing.

I don't drive my car 10K miles a year so my service is based on an anniversary date rather than mileage.

[BarryJI]

I wouldn't worry too much. Try to find a SA who is a performance car enthusiast him/herself and have an honest conversation about this before you commit. I have now had several warranty services on my extensively modded car and there has never been a hint of a problem. Admittedly L.A. is a real "car town" but this should apply almost anywhere. Removing your CAI as a precaution is surely not necessary, ditto the tune. Ask if your service involves flashing or updating any code in the ECU.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

Try to find a SA who is a performance car enthusiast him/herself and have an honest conversation about this before you commit.

Life is also easier when you have the mods done at the dealer - so find a Dinan authorized place for example. You pay a bit more to have the mod work done, but I look at it as a "convenience fee" for not having to worry about bullshit. I am happy to pay $ - car related or otherwise - to avoid bullshit.

[BarryJI]

Originally Posted by BEM-S4

Life is also easier when you have the mods done at the dealer - so find a Dinan authorized place for example. You pay a bit more to have the mod work done, but I look at it as a "convenience fee" for not having to worry about bullshit. I am happy to pay $ - car related or otherwise - to avoid bullshit.

I respectfully disagree with this although I get the logic. A lot of dealerships obtain Dinan licenses as a source of revenue but I am not convinced that their mechanics are always qualified to do the work and they are not individually accountable. I think it is *much* better to get Dinan mods done at a well-regarded local BMW tuner shop, especially as the risk of jeopardizing the status of your warranty at the dealer is pretty minimal.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

I respectfully disagree with this although I get the logic. A lot of dealerships obtain Dinan licenses as a source of revenue but I am not convinced that their mechanics are always qualified to do the work and they are not individually accountable. I think it is *much* better to get Dinan mods done at a well-regarded local BMW tuner shop, especially as the risk of jeopardizing the status of your warranty at the dealer is pretty minimal.

I see your point - perhaps purely dumb luck but my closest BMW dealer w/ Dinan is excellent in that regard. Lead guy is a gear head freak who Dinan corporate really likes and has a borderline unhealthy OCD streak - all good things in my book.

Overarching comment... best situation is kick ass mechanic who has a good relationship with vendor (Dinan or otherwise). Bonus if that person works at BMW. I am just a HUGE proponent of single throat to choke.

[lazymman345]

Thanks for the replies guys! Realized that there's a couple of very reputable BMW indy shops very close to me so i'll go and ask them whether they know anyone at any of the local dealerships

[XutvJet]

Remember, BMW is the holder of the warranty, NOT the dealership. BMW makes the calls, not your SA. I don't understand the thought process of voluntarily divulging modifications unless specifically asked.

I strongly recommend removing the intake and piggyback before going in. It should only take 30 minutes or less to remove. Don't be lazy

[skyotee]

I took my modified 335 to a couple dealers in the LA area, one had a reputation for catering to enthusiasts with mods, and the other was just the closest dealer to me. I was under warranty, and both of them took care of me and never made an issue of my mods. That said, I had MHD and always flashed back to stock first, which caused problems since that cleared the codes. If there are no codes, they wont follow a test plan. Nonetheless, I always managed to get warranty service and they seemed to fix my problems.

Now I am on an F22 platform, and they can tell if you flash tune (according to the internet), so I am worried about doing flash tunes. If your turbo fails, or you have a major engine claim and you have a mod that they might hold responsible for it, you could have a warranty claim denied. Overall, the dealership wants BMW to cover it, so unless you roll in to the service drive with a JB4 and blown turbo (expensive and obvious that your mod is likely at fault), they will probably just cover it and not care about your mods.

Bottom line, think about what mods you have before a warranty service visit, but most likely you won't have a problem with warranty service if you have reasonable mods on your car.

[USA-RET]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Remember, BMW is the holder of the warranty, NOT the dealership. BMW makes the calls, not your SA. I don't understand the thought process of voluntarily divulging modifications unless specifically asked.

I strongly recommend removing the intake and piggyback before going in. It should only take 30 minutes or less to remove. Don't be lazy

This is true, regarding the warranty, however, since the dealership is acting on behalf on BMW, unless something pops up that is flagrant or unreasonable, BMW (corporate) is likely to approve the warranty work if the dealership indicates it's legit. Much has to do w/ the dealership and the Service Manager too. You can run across "A-holes" that will, on principle live their lives to make other people's lives miserable.

Also agree about not providing more information than is absolutely necessary. However, as mentioned earlier in this thread, finding out a dealership's perspective on "modded" cars under warranty "anonymously" (Phone call) or in passing w/ service people (even at another dealership) was the intent. Not so much, rolling in w/ the car and announcing to the Service Mgr all the mods you have on the car.

There is still much debate about what is actually displayed/reported when car is connected to the Svc computer.

[Maynard]

All this bonhomie is fine unless/until things get expensive. Then BMW USA will demand a full review, and will be the one determining if 'a few mods' count or not. Your dealer and SA will be standing by with a sad look saying 'sorry, but it is out of our hands'.

Of course, it is quite likely that even after you take them off they will have left 'fingerprints' all over the software that can't just be pulled out in an hour or two. So you may just have to man up and accept that mods void warranties. I DK why this isn't a bigger thing on these boards - all the modders who try to weasel themselves warranty service are likely a big factor in the shrinking warranties and the increasing corporate pushback on claims.

[amw896]

I was told by my SA not to flash and bring it in for service because when the techs hook up your car, it'll automatically flag for dme tampering, thus waiving powertrain.

I obviously ignored him, flashed and go to a way better Indy dealer. I have to pay out of pocket for service but it's a small price to pay for the level of service.

From my experience, the dealership staff know how to do little without the computer telling them what to do and charge a fortune.

My advice, if you want to tune, know the risks involved and find a stellar Indy shop.