BMW "lifetime"...........

[StuBeeDoo]

I know this has been mentioned on the forum before, but as I'm in a debate with my local $tealership that is about to go nuclear, I thought I would bring my findings here.

My F25 is in today for its third EGR cooler in three-and-a-half years. I asked at the time I booked it in for the entire coolant content to be replaced. I brought it up again this morning when I handed-over the car. "It doesn't need it", said the receptionist. ".........But I'm asking for it" I replied. "It's lifetime coolant", he says. "No it isn't, it has shelf-life" I say.
Then he changed his tack........ "I think they have to fully drain it to do the job". Unlikely - the EGR cooler is at cylinder head level. There will still be coolant in the block.

The car is 10 years old, and in the last 4 it has had the coolant partially drained, then topped-up, 4 times now. Every time, there will have been coolant left in the block, contaminating the new coolant that was added.

Why the **** can't $tealerships do what they are asked?? Is it because all they are capable of doing is routine jobs?

I've checked a bottle of genuine coolant I have here, and sure enough it has a 4 year shelf-life. So, does anyone have an insight into how a fluid in a sealed bottle miraculously becomes "lifetime" when mixed with tap water and run in a semi-sealed system - repeatedly being heated and cooled with use? I'm no chemist or physicist, and it beats the hell out of me.

As a matter of interest, the same goes for transmission fluid - 5 year shelf life.

I'm sat here waiting for the inevitable call saying "Your car needs 4 new tyres"............

One "positive" from this morning is that I was actually asked if I want the car washed (which I don't). The last time they had it I got it back looking like it had been washed by Stevie Wonder!

[X5Sport]

As far as BMW are concerned your car has a ‘life’ of three years. After that they don’t care and would rather you changed it for a new one. My Dealer refused to change all the transmission fluids for the same reason - Sealed for Life - and we know that is a bucket of horse poo!!

Coolant used to changed at the same interval as brake fluid until about 2008/9, then it came off the service items list. Many never have it changed. My X6 is very likely on its original too (12-years today). AFAIK it’s only ever been topped up. I know changing it requires a vacuum system as that’s how BMW bleed and refill it. I wonder if my oil change vacuum could create enough vacuum as a reservoir…..hmm, that’s got me thinking

The bleed kits aren’t cheap but are available. Just need to pull enough of a vacuum via a three-way/dual valve system (vacuum on/off, all off, refill on/off).

As for washing, the roof never gets done and they always look sheepish when I point out that being 6’4” means that I can see the roof

[StuBeeDoo]

I parked the car at 07hr45 and it hadn't moved by 12hr45. OK, so they needed it to cool-down. But before 16hr00 I got the call telling me it was ready to collect. When I got there, no mention of the coolant (or the tyres, for a change) and no labour or parts charge. By that time I had simmered-down just a little and CBA to argue the toss. That doesn't mean I'm any happier about Coolantgate, (as in not getting the service I asked for, or a believable reason why not) though.

............But "The rear brake pads are 70% worn. We'll call you in January". You can call, Sunshine, but you won't be doing the job - if it even needs doing by then. Call me suspicious, but the last time the rear pads were changed was the same time as the fronts were done. Do F25s really go through rear brakes quicker than fronts?????? Every other car we've had with discs front and rear has worn-out 2 sets of front pads for each set of rears.

Can you tell I'm not a lover of BMW $tealerships?

[sapphireblack]

I've only once had reason to be suspicious of my dealership. It goes back to my relatively brief ownership of an E63. It had always been main dealer serviced but i bought it from a non franchised dealer. I had it looked over by my BMW dealership of some years and was almost gleefully advised the mechatronic unit was leaking oil. I didnt have much opportunity to deal with it any other way so authorised replacement. Forget the exact amount but several hundred quid as I recall. I'll never know if that was a spurious advisory

[Leslie]

X5Sport I changed the coolant in my x5 when the rad needed replaced and it was easy bled with no special tools,just fill expansion squeeze some hoses to purge air and warmup with cap off to let air out.
Coolant really is supposed to be 4 or 5 years and that's the long life stuff

[X5Sport]

I’ll add it to my to do list……

[marti]

............But "The rear brake pads are 70% worn. We'll call you in January". You can call, Sunshine, but you won't be doing the job - if it even needs doing by then. Call me suspicious, but the last time the rear pads were changed was the same time as the fronts were done. Do F25s really go through rear brakes quicker than fronts?????? Every other car we've had with discs front and rear has worn-out 2 sets of front pads for each set of rears.

Rear pads will normally last 3 times longer than fronts......

[Leslie]

I replaced my fronts pads 4 years and about 30k ago and it says another 50k left , rears 20k ago and says 60k left