Grenadier Servicing Price Australia

[Miltz]

Thanks for your input into this thread, much appreciated.

But when you get charged over $1K for a service only to have your car left in an undrivable state you gotta ask questions and expect to see a reasonable outcome.

 

[Tazzieman]

Thanks for your input into this thread, much appreciated.

But when you get charged over $1K for a service only to have your car left in an undrivable state you gotta ask questions and expect to see a reasonable outcome.

I have experienced so called premium dealers trying to give me the run around in the past. I insist on speaking to the chief mechanic.
I go in with accumulated knowledge and if I see fidgeting and sideways glances I pull out a notebook.
Try it, it works. Just don't go in unarmed , and never raise your voice.

 

[Miltz]

So,

Following my visit today, the service manager had no idea that the hood had a service position, I had to show them. They also did not know how to check the oil level, had to show them that too, off to a good start...

Once I showed them how to put the hood into the service position and asked for the coolant to be topped up they walked out with what looked like a 20yo garden watering can that was sitting on a bench, no doubt filled with tap water. I put a stop to that and asked them to get the recommended coolant, they had none and it doesn't sound like they ever have.

Also wanted the engine oil filled to the correct level, despite being charged $146.52 (for 7L) they only have the Penrite equivalent (I have no problem with this) which is $127.20 for 10L at Repco.

And although they assure me it was serviced they could not explain why the fluid levels were extremely low or why there was no finger prints on a very dusty engine, I don't trust them one bit.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Once I showed them how to put the hood into the service position and asked for the coolant to be topped up they walked out with what looked like a 20yo garden watering can that was sitting on a bench, no doubt filled with tap water. I put a stop to that and asked them to get the recommended coolant, they had none and it doesn't sound like they ever have.

Wow, what can you say to that?

 

[bigleonski]

Wow, what can you say to that?

Vote with your feet.

 

[TheDocAUS]

Vote with your feet.

His only option in SA at the moment. Grenadier owners need to get an independent BMW specialist up to speed quick.

 

[bigleonski]

His only option in SA at the moment. Grenadier owners need to get an independent BMW specialist up to speed quick.

Nope, I’d be finding someone else with BMW and 4wd knowledge to service it, and reluctantly only going to the dealer for warranty and updates work. And then wondering if that had been done. I’ve already experienced work “supposedly” having been done that was proven to be bullshit and could have had serious safety consequences. That’s enough for me to ban a dealer.

Paying through the nose for work is one thing. Paying for work that wasn’t done is something else entirely. Trust - Lost

 

[TheDocAUS]

You retain your warranty cover if a licensed mechanic follows INEOS' service schedule. So any independent BMW mechanic can do the service work, or any mechanic for that matter. I think we agree.

 

[Miltz]

His only option in SA at the moment. Grenadier owners need to get an independent BMW specialist up to speed quick.

Yep, but when I bought the car there was all the talk of a service/warranty agreement being in place with Bosch service locations which don't appear to have happened...

 

[Miltz]

Nope, I’d be finding someone else with BMW and 4wd knowledge to service it, and reluctantly only going to the dealer for warranty and updates work. And then wondering if that had been done. I’ve already experienced work “supposedly” having been done that was proven to be bullshit and could have had serious safety consequences. That’s enough for me to ban a dealer.

Paying through the nose for work is one thing. Paying for work that wasn’t done is something else entirely. Trust - Lost

Completely agree!

And it's not a good look for a start up manufacturer when agents/dealers are treating customers this way...

 

[TheDocAUS]

I thought Bosch was only for servicing.

 

[Miltz]

You retain your warranty cover if a licensed mechanic follows INEOS' service schedule. So any independent BMW mechanic can do the service work, or any mechanic for that matter. I think we agree.

100%! It's the law in AUS!

As soon as I started getting prices etc. I went back to a trusted local mechanic (Bosch affiliated ironically) but couldn't get it in before a planned trip in a couple of weeks so kept my agent service booking...

I could do the service myself but I'm not an insured mechanic offering log-book servicing and I want to make sure I retain the warranty.

 

[Miltz]

I thought Bosch was only for servicing.

Not entirely sure but kinda a moot point as the partnership doesn't appear to have happened, in AUS at least.

 

[trobex]

Not entirely sure but kinda a moot point as the partnership doesn't appear to have happened, in AUS at least.

Yeah, that seems to be the case. Spanners in the Air - that made me laugh.
I am still chasing the independent BMW mech (who does not work in a BMW dealership btw) and expecting costs to be somewhat lower.

 

[Miltz]

I got my car back today, and this (below) is what I've had to go back to the agent/dealer with... Kinda getting lost here but took a lot of photos of the results of now the 2nd 1st service. Tried calling Ineos support but got stuck with a call centre somewhere that didn't seem to know anything about cars. Not happy

---

Thanks for your time this morning, I’ve spent this afternoon going over my car and would like to point out:

• Engine bay:
  • Appears to have been dusted and wiped down so hard for me to see what has happened, though this should have been done prior to the first attempt at servicing and I shouldn’t be concerned about what has/hasn’t been done and the quality of work in the first place
• Engine vanity cover:
  • Looks like someone at least attempted to remove it to access the oil filter. The gauge marks in the plastic from it being dragged against the scuttle panel suggest they didn’t know how to do it (there’s a YouTube video that show how to remove it properly).
• Heater:
  • Accept this may be a vehicle problem with a future recall on the way, but does strike me that it seems to work semi-OK now that the coolant is at the correct level
• Coolant:
  • HT circuit, now overfilled rather than under filled, I’ll drain some of this from the reservoir myself
    • I hope the watering can I saw attempted to be used to fill it yesterday was not used
  • LT circuit, still overfilled, as above will drain myself
• Oil:
  • Level seems OK now
• Fuel/water filter:
  • Appears some efforts has been made to change this, there’s finger prints on the housing. I brought the car in with a full tank, might have been 2L down from the drive up. Yesterday (MON) I noticed the estimated range remaining being around 530KM, on the way home today I noticed it was 300KM so filled it up and it took 40L. It has covered 140KM since I dropped it off for the service on THU so all I can assume is that someone got covered in fuel and my filter probably hasn’t been replaced.
• Diffs:
  • Front (more difficult to get to) hasn’t been touched, neither the drain or fill plug have any finger prints in the dust to suggest anything has been done
  • The rear has some finger prints around the drain but none at the fill point, I’m hoping you didn’t try to drain it, lose some oil and then give up without topping it up
• Cabin air filter:
  • This hasn’t been replaced, and it’s enclosure hasn’t been opened prior to me doing it myself this afternoon
• Engine air filter:
  • Granted I chose to not have this replaced but I assumed it would have been inspected/banged on a bench/hit with an air compressor to remove any significant dust as part of the service requirements but it appears the airbox has never been opened either.

As I’ve been saying, I have no confidence in either what you claim to have done or the workmanship/consumables/parts used for anything you have done. I better get some answers as to what is going on very soon.

I don’t even know where to go with this as you are the only Ineos dealer/service centre in SA and are supposed to be all over everything.

 

[Miltz]

After a more thorough look at the underside of the car this evening...

Appears the sump plug has never been touched, which gives me even less confidence again the car has actually been serviced.

And there's a relatively substantial leak from the front end of the gearbox sump that was not mentioned to me and clearly has not been repaired!

 

[Krabby]

Can the diesel's oil be drained by vacuum on the "do not use" dipstick?

 

[trobex]

Damn man... do you have any BMW/Prestige independent servicing agents down there. The ones who do most EU cars but are not linked to such dealerships?

 

[trobex]

Can the diesel's oil be drained by vacuum on the "do not use" dipstick?

If you try and let us know haha

 

[Krabby]

If you try and let us know haha

I can't - the petrol engines doesn't even have that. We're only able to change via sump plug AFAIK.