Servicing expectations

jinjur

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Clio 172
Quick one guys.

I just wanted to check and see if I am being a bag of tools with regards to the state a car comes back after a service before I go and speak to them.


Having worked at a garage for a number of years, I know that servicing can be a messy business, especially diesels.


But if you say, hypothetically left your car into a BMW dealership for an oil change........a simple filter and oil change.........would you be annoyed (which I am) at old oil ALL OVER the engine bay?

As I say, I have a little OCD so if when I spill oil in and around the engine bay on my car or any past car, I always have a cheeky bottle of brake cleaner and compressed air to leave it clean.


I mean, this car has oil on the heat shields, the turbos, the piping, the heat exchanger, the steering column, the rack, all over the top of the block, the lower engine cover.............i could go on.

Just one pic, now she aint no show queen......but I can tell you there was NO fluid in there before service. Dust, yes. Oil, no.

20200206_182519.jpg

I know it's only an aule derv estate but still :/

J
 

Chris_702

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Belfast
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All technicians are human - they can make mistakes. The mistake here being spilling the oil around your engine.
Although, they maybe could have made you aware of it to save you worrying when you seen it burning off.
 

Boksic

RMS Regular
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2,863
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Cushendun
If it's handy cleaned just do it yourself if it settles the OCD.. Chances are you'll phone and shout, get pissed off yourself, piss of whoever's on the phone, piss off the service manager, piss off whoever he shouts at..

At the end of that annoyed chain they'll get an apprentice to try to pressure wash your engine bay and they'll probably do more damage than good, then you'll check it and re-do it anyway.
 

jinjur

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jinjur
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That's exactly my mindset lads......I dont want to be a bell end.

I have been there....done that.....made the huge oily mess by not spotting a stuck oil filter seal etc.

I guess you just get caught up in the bmw fluff thinking its something fancy when in reality, a small backstreet garage might have actually tried to tidy up.

Although, saying that.....if this was a brand new M3 or something......I probably would be lit to them right now.
 

Jet9

RMS Regular
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494
I would at least show the manager what a mess was caused and request a professional engine valet from someone reputable.
Not acceptable to cause a mess like that.
 

mark19

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golf
Tbh I serviced my BMW the other week.
And didn't make a huge mess like that
And its not my job either so dunno how they made that mess and how they didn't clean it properly
But honeslty probably better cleaning yourself but still disappointing all the same
 

jinjur

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jinjur
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Clio 172
Yeah, the DPF/CAT is absolutely drenched and the car is absolutely reeking now according to the Mrs :/

That is actually causing me more annoyance right now than the visual mess. The car despite having 70k odd miles still had that lovely new smell................not now. :worried:

Jesus, actually, what happens when the DPF does a regen? *eek*
 

AlpineF30

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I wouldn't be happy with it if it were me, you are paying for them to do the service and if you had done it yourself it wouldn't be left in a mess like that.

All depends what dealership it was.

I had a bit of a run in with a manager at one of the dealers and he couldn't care less about what I was complaining about.
 

gcon45

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This is why I'm glad I can do all my own regular servicing.
My Mum's 220d came with a service plan and went in to a certain BMW dealer near Kells recently for its first service and we dipped the oil in the car park when picking it up.
The oil was black on the dipstick (after 0 miles) so I'm assuming they sucked a couple of litres out and poured a couple in.
They also dripped used oil around the engine bay and it made the most rancid smell when up to temperature.
 

jinjur

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jinjur
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Unfortunately, with a warranty you can't do too much bucking about buddy :worried:
 

Chris100

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I would agree with you that its not acceptable, a premium is being paid to supposedly have a professional job carried out. Leaving split oil all over the engine bay is not what I would call professional.
 

Eddies

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Really well
Stay clam and explain you point with a manager, show them the photos take them to the car even. Explain the price term not a back street garage etc etc. Have your paperwork with you. They should at least engine bay wash it. But don't lose your cool. I worked in dealerships and seen it all with service you **** them off you may as well push against a brick wall.
 

e320mark

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1,264
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Ballyclare
Dealers aren’t all they are made out to be! If you have a 3 year old or less car you basically don’t have a choice for warranty, they have you by the balls and they know it!
 

Wild Thing

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Tandragee
^^ Not true.... look up Block Excemption, you can service at any vat registered garage, use oem parts and it still has warranty. Where the fun starts is, if you are a few months outside manufacturers warranty and something goes wrong, if you have dealer service history you may have a chance of good will gestures. With 3rd party it can be more difficult.
 

jinjur

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jinjur
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Yes, I know about Block Exemption but I think that only applies to manufacturers warranties AFAIK.......this is a paid warranty as the car is outside BMW AUC warranty.

It is strictly BMW but underwritten by Zurich and if you read the T's and C's I am sure you would feel the same.

Don't want to rock the boat and all
 

e320mark

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Ballyclare
^^ Not true.... look up Block Excemption, you can service at any vat registered garage, use oem parts and it still has warranty. Where the fun starts is, if you are a few months outside manufacturers warranty and something goes wrong, if you have dealer service history you may have a chance of good will gestures. With 3rd party it can be more difficult.
I know some people who have been just outside the 3 yr warranty period and had full history with dealer who were turned down for having warranty work and a good will gesture!
 

Nicky

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If it was just a simple oil change, why is there oil down around that side of the engine?

The filter is on the other side of the engine, and to get new oil down there when refilling the engine would be some achievement... 😐
 

paddyirishman

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1,357
Theye
Yeah, the DPF/CAT is absolutely drenched and the car is absolutely reeking now according to the Mrs :/

That is actually causing me more annoyance right now than the visual mess. The car despite having 70k odd miles still had that lovely new smell................not now. :worried:

Jesus, actually, what happens when the DPF does a regen? *eek*
There will he white smoke flying out of the engine bay. My mondeo does it on every regen as there is oil on the heat shield/manifold. 🤢
 

gcon45

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If it was just a simple oil change, why is there oil down around that side of the engine?

The filter is on the other side of the engine, and to get new oil down there when refilling the engine would be some achievement... 😐

The 16 year old apprentice probably pulled the extractor probe out of the dipstick sleeve and splattered it around like it’s champagne and he’s just won a race.
 

jinjur

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jinjur
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If it was just a simple oil change, why is there oil down around that side of the engine?

The filter is on the other side of the engine, and to get new oil down there when refilling the engine would be some achievement... 😐

Hold on, could this actually be a bigger issue?

The oil looks fairly fresh, they wouldn't have done something like bleed the oil to the turbos etc? Could this be a fresh and active leak?

There is more oil on the side of the engine without the filter than the side with

FFS, wifey is on her way to Dublin as I type. Christ the night

J
 

Boksic

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Hold on, could this actually be a bigger issue?

The oil looks fairly fresh, they wouldn't have done something like bleed the oil to the turbos etc? Could this be a fresh and active leak?

There is more oil on the side of the engine without the filter than the side with

FFS, wifey is on her way to Dublin as I type. Christ the night

J

Don't worry about it mate, this is the internet, if you had googled your problem before asking advice on here, google would have informed you of your near certain death from incorrect vehicle servicing procedure 👍🏼
 

Nicky

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HiluxSurf
Hold on, could this actually be a bigger issue?

The oil looks fairly fresh, they wouldn't have done something like bleed the oil to the turbos etc? Could this be a fresh and active leak?

There is more oil on the side of the engine without the filter than the side with

FFS, wifey is on her way to Dublin as I type. Christ the night

J

There’s no “bleeding oil to the turbos” required on any modern car.
Take it back to the dealer and tell them you want to have see the state of the engine bay after it’s service and ask them to ensure there’s no leaks. I can’t see why or how there would be oil spilt there during a routine service, even if they took the lazy option and sucked the oil out via the dipstick tube because as with the filter, it’s on the other side of the engine.
 

KevM

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7,247
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Banbridge
Are you sure Nicky? That looks like the turbo heat shield (drivers side). The oil filler is over that side on a 320d as the head lies over to the Drivers side. I dribble of oil can wick everywhere on dry dirt etc.
 
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