Service Intervals - Initial Start Date?

[AlanW]

Interesting conversation with my local BMW dealer and also BMW UK yesterday.

The back story, a message pops up on the dash every time I start the car saying the service is due 28th November.

However, according to my BMW service plan, the first service isn't due till March 2027, which is two years after the car was first registered. The car was PDI'd on the 13th March 2025 and consequently registered on the 18th March 2025.

So I rang the local dealer explained the issue and they said just pop in and they will reset the date. So far so good I thought. Get to the dealers (40 miles round trip) and the service guy comes out and says sorry but we cannot reset the date as the service intervals goes from the date oil is first put into the car, which was November 2024 and not the date the car was first registered. Therefore the car now needs a service in November 2026?

I tried to argue that what he was saying was utter rubbish, as I said to him over the years I've purchased around 28 new cars and 13 new motorcycles and I've never ever been told that the service interval starts when the vehicle first has oil put in it, always from date of registration.

The service guy then suggested that I contact BMW UK and get there response to the issue, but refused point blank to reset the date on service date on the car.

On the way out the dealership I bumped into one of the new car salesman and asked him the question, he immediately replied with no hesitation, "from date of registration". Then as I got to my car outside, I saw one of the used car salesman and asked him the same question, "date of registration" he said.

Seems very odd that people in the same dealership have differing opinions as to when the service interval starts?

So I rang BMW UK, and the very nice young lady also said it was the date when the oil was first put in the car, but she wasn't technically qualified and would need to double check and get back to me.

Stay tuned for the reply.............

Meantime, has anyone else every been told this?

I just get the distinct impression that the dealer is trying to make me pay £600+ for a service that is four months earlier than I need to and four months earlier than BMWs own service plan suggests?

It's not the money that is the issue as the payment is covered by funds already paid into the BMW service plan pot. It's now about establishing the accurate time scale for service intervals and proving that what the service guy told me was utter 🤬

 

[Drago]

Ex multiple BMW car and service plan owner here, and hes talking bollards.

It goes from the date of registration. All that malarkey should be reset when the car has its PDI.

 

[wafter]

Sounds like the typical main dealer leech who should be avoided like the plague...

That said this raises the interesting question of oil degradation due to age versus mileage. The latter is clearly going to affect oil quality as the oil is subject to thermal cycling, contamination, dilution.. doubtless many other things I don't understand. However, I've always wondered how important oil changes based on age are..

 

[Drago]

Fro. BMWs own website...

BMW Service Inclusive maintenance packages also run their term from the date of first registration. So the servcing should be alinged with that date.

Age will ultimately degrade oil, but not appreciably in a few weeks or months sat on a boat or in the importers pound. Its mileage that really does for it.

However, there are two service schedules. Mileage/age based, or condition based, and it depends which your car is using. The dealer should advise you which is most appropriate schedule for your anticipated use.

Someone dropped a clanger on the PDI is all. I have dealer-level diagnostic gear and could reset the service counter for you if youre in the MK or Northants areas. OBD is an open architecture by law and you can quite legally plug in without affecting the warranty so long as youre now deeking about with the software, etc.

 

[SteveH80]

We all appreciate that oil degrades over time which is why most service recommendations are in miles and months (whichever comes first), but that does sound a bit like BMW cobblers to me.

 

[AlanW]

Fro. BMWs own website...

BMW Service Inclusive maintenance packages also run their term from the date of first registration. So the servcing should be alinged with that date.

Age will ultimately degrade oil, but not appreciably in a few weeks or months sat on a boat or in the importers pound. Its mileage that really does for it.

However, there are two service schedules. Mileage/age based, or condition based, and it depends which your car is using. The dealer should advise you which is most appropriate schedule for your anticipated use.

Someone dropped a clanger on the PDI is all. I have dealer-level diagnostic gear and could reset the service counter for you if youre in the MK or Northants areas. OBD is an open architecture by law and you can quite legally plug in without affecting the warranty so long as youre now deeking about with the software, etc.

I tried to find that and failed, could you send me the link please, thanks

 

[Drago]

Im just heading out, ill try and find it again upon my return.

 

[AlanW]

Sounds like the typical main dealer leech who should be avoided like the plague...

That said this raises the interesting question of oil degradation due to age versus mileage. The latter is clearly going to affect oil quality as the oil is subject to thermal cycling, contamination, dilution.. doubtless many other things I don't understand. However, I've always wondered how important oil changes based on age are..

I totally agree, trying to tell give me utter BS in order to get me to cough up sooner than l need to

 

[Drago]

Hold on...

BMW Service Inclusive start date begins on your BMW's registration date

Scroll down to "what's included, petrol, diesel and PHEV models". Its in the paragraph below that heading.

https://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/service-workshop/servicing/service-inclusive.html

 

[AlanW]

Im just heading out, ill try and find it again upon my return.

No immediate rush, as and when you can.

 

[Drago]

Found it, see above.

 

[AlanW]

Hold on...

BMW Service Inclusive start date begins on your BMW's registration date

Scroll down to "what's included, petrol, diesel and PHEV models". Its in the paragraph below that heading.

https://www.bmw.co.uk/en/topics/owners/service-workshop/servicing/service-inclusive.html

Absolutely 100%, l'm so looking forward to going back into the dealer and saying, "there you go, shove that up your arse and smoke it".

Arrogant little sh*t.......😡🤬

 

[AlanW]

Looking on the iDrive setting on my car, it's showing that the PDI/service was done 13th March 2025 with just 9 miles being covered. This was done by dealer code 45193 which I have since found out that this is GBA Killingholme Import Port which is BMWs official UK vehicle distribution and port processing centre.

It was then registered on the 18th March 2025 and has a Youkshire (Leeds) registration number

The current issue has been caused because the technician at GBA Killingholme either forgot to reset the service clock during the PDI process or entered the wrong interval date into BMW central database.

From what I can gather, this means that the car is still showing as being in "transit mode" which means the service interval will be based on the production date, as opposed to the date of registration

When the technician completed the PDI he or she failed to transmit that data to BMW’s central system, it means that the vehicle is functionally ready, but its digital birth certificate (In Service Date) is not correct in the BMW data base.

 

[Gunk]

Ex multiple BMW car and service plan owner here, and hes talking bollards.

It goes from the date of registration. All that malarkey should be reset when the car has its PDI.

Same here, I’ve owned 6 BMW’s (4 were brand new) and never had this issue, raise it with BMW UK as the dealer is talking absolute tosh. The oil doesn‘t deteriorate when just sat in the sump unused!