First Service Results

[hogdvr]

Just had the 600 mile service. Here it is:

1 synthetic 75W90 Gear Oil 24.59
4 20/50 oil 31.00
1 Oil Filter 16.75
1 seal .57
1.75 Hours Labor 140.00
Shop Supplies 7.00
Waste 2.00

Total 221.91 plus local tax

I watched the whole thing. All he did was change FD, Engine oil, filter. Torque heads, valve clearance, tire pressure, and that was it. No sync of cylinders. He said it is not necessary until major at 12,000. He said it's set electronically and will reset itself no matter what you set it at anyway. What they do at major is just zero the setting out and start it over???

I would welcome any comments, observations, other experiences etc.

It all looked so simple I would have done it myself and saved a lot of $. The only reason I went is because the general comments I've read indicated that the "factory" prefers you at least do the FIRST 600 mile service at the dealer BEFORE starting to do them on your own.

Thanks.

[batdriver51]

Just did mine in Nashville a couple of weeks ago. Wish I could swap bills with you. $327.00 on mine.

[XTrooper]

I had mine done on Wednesday (11/11) with just under 750 miles on the odometer. They did everything that is called for on the scheduled maintenance list including the throttle body sync. Personally, I was happy to pay the price for the complete service as recommended by the factory. The total, with tax, was around $360.

[WINDMAN]

It's a Catch-22 deal. If you have all a BMW dealer perform maintenance at all service intervals, a warrantable situation is easier for BMW NA to swallow. But it's no doubt cheaper to do it yourself. I've had and '07 and now have an '09 RT and prefer the dealer service route. However, I manage oil and FD fluid changes between dealer service intervals.

[mgalison]

That is a lot for just an oil change. I guess when it's my time to by a BMW,If I even do. I will by use and forgo the oil changes from the dealer

[hogdvr]

I had mine done on Wednesday (11/11) with just under 750 miles on the odometer. They did everything that is called for on the scheduled maintenance list including the throttle body sync. Personally, I was happy to pay the price for the complete service as recommended by the factory. The total, with tax, was around $360.

Hey Trooper,

Just where do I find this "official scheduled maintenance" list written up by BMW? I guess with this in hand I could point it out to the owner and ask. I don't want to ruffle feathers being a new customer there but,.....if it should have been done I would like it done. Especially, since I even asked about it and was told what I repeated here. NOT NECESSARY till the major.

[blongb]

San Francisco: $600

[Bob1200rtc1]

I negotiated the 600 mile service for free as a condition of me buying the bike. Also got $350 off the asking price on a service contract.

[Atomicman]

My 600 mile service was $494.47. $399.00 labor and $69.52 parts plus 21.95 shop supplies and $4.00 enviro fee.


They gave me a BMW form checklist with all that had been done. I will Scan it and post it!

Her it is I had the 600 Mile check done at about 750. They said they preferred close to 800 miles on the bike!

[XTrooper]

That's the same list they showed me, Atomicman. It's also on the service manual DVD.

[XTrooper]

Hey Trooper,

Just where do I find this "official scheduled maintenance" list written up by BMW? I guess with this in hand I could point it out to the owner and ask. I don't want to ruffle feathers being a new customer there but,.....if it should have been done I would like it done. Especially, since I even asked about it and was told what I repeated here. NOT NECESSARY till the major.

Honestly, if they think they know better than the parent company, I'd be looking for a new dealership though I understand they're not on every street corner like Harley dealerships are.

[hogdvr]

Atomicman, thanks for posting the service list. And thanks to others for confirming it. After my post I was able to find that list and all the others for the various service intervals.

Trooper, the option of finding a new dealership does not exist where I am. This is it.


I guess I'll call the owner on Monday morning and ask him politely his opinion on the situation and see what he says. If he takes it the wrong way what can I say? I need to know one way or the other why this step was omitted. BTW, I never received the check list you guys did when I paid up. Just the bill with the items I listed. There was no itemization of the labor and what exactly was done. If I hadn't watched from start to finish I guess I would have had NO idea what he did or didn't do.

I'll post my results after speaking with him Monday morning.

[XTrooper]

Good luck, amigo. I hope things go well.

[Stixx]

different shops charge different rates per hour around the country. My guys charge 86 an hour I believe. That beats my BMW mini cooper shop rate of 180 per hour a mile.

At the 600 they do everything they do at 12000 including final drive change. After all if there are going to be any metal shavings it will be early on is how they figure. It's a LOT more than just an oil change. My dealer charges me fifty bucks plus the oil to do the in between oil changes and every six thousand does the valves plus all BMW recommended settings. They bleed the brakes at 1800. I trail bracke and had new pads on the rear at 18K but other than that all my service visits have remained under three hundred and it took them several hours to do each one. Our guy lets you watch but you need to keep quite or you can run your bill up. They are charging by the hour after all.

Some day I may start doing my own maintenance but I enjoy watching them do it for now and the fluids you buy are very expensive so you wont save as much as you think. I had
rather spend my time riding the thing than wrenching it.

They take the tupperwear off a LOT faster than I can also so everythime I've done anything that re quired stripping off the tupperwear, It has taken a lot of time to do it. It is kind of fun in a way though so I might start doing that when the warranty is up.

BTW, how many of you do in between oil changes every 3 K. The oil they recommend is not synthetic oil it is the dinasaur kind, so it gets black by then. I can get that done while I wait and check out the new bikes so it is no big deal and costs less than an oil change on a car.

[DavidMR]

Just my opinion as a mechanic. Your bike has an Idle Air Controller on each throttle body. It DOES keep them synced electronically. The cables still have to be matched, but the IAC replaces the Big Brass Screws. If you have it done, its more time and more $.

Needed? I don't know. I do my own and would have done it by 800 miles.

Looking at the $ paid for dealer work.

I was at the local BMW repair shop, not a dealer. Purchasing the whole place is a possibility for me.

David

[hogdvr]

OK guys here is the result of my conversation with the long time owner of the shop. Who BTW seems like a very nice and honest person.

The synchronization is supposed to be done at the pre-delivery inspection. At 600 miles it should NOT need to be done again. At 6,000 - yes. At 12,000 - yes. But, in his experience MOST RT's are spot on at the 600 mile service. He wants the customer to walk out with a reasonable bill and not have to pay for something he does not need. He went on to say that if a customer insists that it be done (IE., if I had brought it to his attention when the service was being done and wanted it) he would of course be happy to charge for it and do it.

Since the service is not a flat rate but rather billed by the hour his explanation has merit. Right now the bike rides fine. No funny noises, no excessive vibration, seems to be OK. Would it have benefited from the synchronization? Perhaps, or perhaps not enough to make a noticeable difference.

I'm inclined to just ride the bike and not worry about it until my next service interval. It's under warranty, I have the dealer service stamp in my book, so I'm covered. :)

All comments are welcome. Thanks.

[hogdvr]

No comments?

[hopz]

Looks like you are getting to the bottom of the situation. The dealer is doing what he thinks is in your best interest... ok, fine, trust him for now. Bottom line from my point of view is the first service (600) is important and should be done by a dealer. All the rest of them you can do- if you are even just a little "mechanical"

Comments:
The Idle air Control referenced above on the BMW is called the stepper motors. The dealer mechanic is correct but he only told you part of the story... The steppers control balance with the bike at idle, you cannot change it. But when you do a proper Throttle body sync, it is done at an off-idle speed. What you are doing is matching the right cylinder to the left cylinder. Not only can you do this (meaning the computer has no play in this deal) you can "tune" the balance to the RPM spot you want to be smoothest. My '05 had an annoying vibe at about 4200... right where I like to cruise... I do my own TBS and set it for that RPM... works for me. By the Way... there NO big brass screw.

Removing Tupperware... all new guys go through the psychological trauma the first or second time... It is actually easy to do and after the first time can be done in literally just a few minutes. Re-installation is also easy. My only caution is that on the right side, there are two screws under the lip of the radio box... these are the same size as the great majority of the other screws but they are shorter... do not put the longer screws into the radio box lid holder because the longer screw will drive into the side of the radio box itself.

AND, be careful of those shorter, usually black radio-box lid screws since they screw into brass and that brass is softer than all the other places. just slow down, be certain you are not cross threaded. No problem.

[XTrooper]

OK guys here is the result of my conversation with the long time owner of the shop. Who BTW seems like a very nice and honest person.

The synchronization is supposed to be done at the pre-delivery inspection. At 600 miles it should NOT need to be done again. At 6,000 - yes. At 12,000 - yes. But, in his experience MOST RT's are spot on at the 600 mile service. He wants the customer to walk out with a reasonable bill and not have to pay for something he does not need. He went on to say that if a customer insists that it be done (IE., if I had brought it to his attention when the service was being done and wanted it) he would of course be happy to charge for it and do it.

Since the service is not a flat rate but rather billed by the hour his explanation has merit. Right now the bike rides fine. No funny noises, no excessive vibration, seems to be OK. Would it have benefited from the synchronization? Perhaps, or perhaps not enough to make a noticeable difference.

I'm inclined to just ride the bike and not worry about it until my next service interval. It's under warranty, I have the dealer service stamp in my book, so I'm covered. :)

All comments are welcome. Thanks.

Seems like a fair explanation to me. As H-D likes to say these days.........Just Ride! ;)