[mistryn]

Meant to say dealer in title whoops

Queue scratching my head time Please excuse my rant as this is my first time owning a BMW and using a main dealer to carry out a service (before anyone says use independant - BMW extended warranty)

My 335D is due a brake fluid change (based on the CBS which I like so the big bills dont hit you all at once) so I have rang up a few dealers to obtain quotes for a brake fluid change and I am baffled as to why there is so much variation in service prices.


Benham Wolverhampton - £92.15 plus VAT

Sytner Oldbury = £132.55 plus VAT

I then emailed Anneka@sytner (many thanks for your help) who quoted me a very good price of £80 at sytner Birmingham.

Then I remembered maindealer discount website and put in my details and the nearest sytner was coventry (30 miles away) and they quoted £54.60

I had a couple of queries and rang up the details at sytner coventry (spoke to Suzanne) who was very helpfull in her answers

I thought let me ring sytner oldbury one more time to see if they can match it as that dealer is closer to my home and would have been ideal. When I mentioned Sytner coventry quoted me £54.60 it was almost like the service advisor was trying to put me off saying that she did not believe that quote and that probably was a quote for topping up the brake fluid only - wtf(like I am going to pay £50 odd just for someone to top up the fluid)

She said there is no way it can be done for that price, as their price "included full brake fluid change, bleeding, something about scope and re seting of the service light". Then she went onto say to provide her with my VIN number to confirm the brake fluid change, again it cant be done for £54.60 at Sytner Coventry. Then she would need something in writing for her to investigate and even then it would be unlikely they could match it. I did get her email address but to save hassle I just booked it with sytner coventry as I am in that area one day this week.

apologises for the long'ish rant

[davyk31]

I got quotes last week for brake fluid in my X5, both dealers I tried quoted £55 so anything above that seems a rip off.

[mistryn]

Maybe it depends on dealer location?

[scottishpete]

Don`t worry John Clark wants almost £200 lol they say 1.5 hours plus fluid
Grassicks perth £55 vat they say 30 mins plus fluid

[BigBanana]

This is a life experience thing.
Which is why i'm not sure i should be contributing this information here.....

Many (many, many, many) years ago, I went into a 'Private' bookshop.
I'm sure many people have heard of - even frequented! - these sestablishments..
('scuse the spelling, i've been in the bar..)

I selected one videotape - for educational purposes

There were no price tags on anything.
At the 'check out', I was told, 'I can let you have that for £15 sir'.

What I didn't realise on that occasion was, I could have said, 'Could you let me have it for £10' - or whatever.

It was a game.
They would charge what they think you would pay.

The only time something similar has ever happened since is, when I have booked my beemer in for a service. Some service 'advisers' use exactly the same terminology.

No better than the sex industry. Screw them for what you can get.

Hope i don't regret this post.

[chris...]

Wow that's why ther called stealers it cost me 35 quid at my local independent garage he said they have a pump don't take any time at all

[Brian mc21]

Have you still got the video. Was Will Hollin in it Was it VHS or Betamax.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by Brian mc21

Have you still got the video. Was Will Hollin in it Was it VHS or Betamax.

[makkan00]

OP is still lucky, as no dealer near me participate in discounted price on that website.
I had to pay ninety ....something +vat for break oil change, if I remember correctly.
B.w does anybody know
1- what oil (type and viscosity) Bmw uses?
2- How many liters does E90 320 takes?
3- Why is it to be changed every two years? Japanese cars run on them for at least 5 years.

Cheers.

[spirocheter]

How serendipitous! My 335d requires brake fluid change also and inspection and I fully intended to shop around. That BS about, that can't be true and 'they must be doing something different' is standard slick sales talk, staff in dealerships are taught. What they really mean is, we're gonna pay some spotty teenager apprentice six quid an hour, to do a basic ten minute task, and would derive no pleasure in not being able to ream you for the privilege (ok perhaps a bit harsh), but they'll take what they can get thanks very much!

Incidentally, how much should the inspection cost, and what does that involve? OBD hookup and code check, fluid levels etc check?