My wife and I recently purchased a 2007 335i convertible, therefore this is my first post. I adore this forum so far and the abundance of knowledge it has about these autos.
It needed an oil change, so I took it to my neighborhood dealer today to have them handle it (I was hoping they would match my pricing of $80 for the oil change) and give the car a general inspection since I just bought it.
The quoted fees were absurd, so I quickly departed without having them complete the work as I can do it all myself.
The previous few hours have been spent reading through the DIYs and other resources. However, it’s still unclear to me if “Standard Scope” servicing merely entails resetting the maintenance indications or whether it entails using a different procedure for which I lack the necessary equipment.
The GT1 scan tool, available through BMW dealers, plugs into the OBDII port and checks the vehicle for problem codes. The GT1 is all that is used in the normal scope to scan the vehicle.
You can scan the car yourself using one of the many various aftermarket BMW scan tools that are available online. You do not currently have any OBD II emissions fault codes if the Service Engine Soon light is not activated in the instrument cluster. However, an OBD II scan tool can miss BMW-specific fault codes in your automobile. In order to cover all your bases, if you intend to perform the maintenance, I advise purchasing both an OBD II scan tool and an aftermarket BMW scan tool. An OBD II trouble code format for an emissions-related issue code is typically not provided by the majority of BMW scan tools, thus you must search up the BMW code to determine what OBD II code it corresponds to.
For routine maintenance, I suggest staying away from dealers and either doing it yourself or finding a reliable BMW independent repair.
Yes, I intend to perform each DIY maintenance task myself. I was just considering that because the car is new to me, it would be nice to have the dealer do a cursory inspection to see if there were any concerns.
bikerdave
Update: I walked into the dealer today and made the car reservation over the phone, which I found to be pretty unique, LOL, and not through the online system. Due to the fact that the “standard scope” is a part of the service pack, I won’t have to pay anything extra. I asked about the brake fluid change at three years because I have the three year pack, and the answer was that it is covered! If this is accurate, the pack will have saved me money when compared to the dealer’s web estimated pricing because I don’t do the mileage to hit the second service. Since the car won’t arrive until the end of March, I won’t discuss my “dealer” experience until after the maintenance has been completed and I’ve requested the brake fluid in writing. At this point, all I will say is that I “feel” like this is a minefield when everything should be so simple. Those are just my thoughts.