Bit of a mix here, main dealer for me in Germany as i took an offer to have any routine maintenance due in the first 5 years to be included, so a no brainer. On the warranty topic, an independent service cannot void a warranty as long as the work was to the manufacturer spec including parts used.
But generally in the UK the whole family use a fantastic independent in rural Gloucestershire. I’d let them service my Veyron, if i had one that is.
I service my own cars and Motor home van, I have the knowledge of a job well done, Much lower cost and fit in the work to suit.
Only snag is that my eldest has figured out that the garage of dad is very cheap and convenient too, so her car is coming round on Thursday for new brakes!
Quite a split between dealer/indie. Also Interesting to see that some people use both depending on value/pedigree of their beloved motors.
I am taking the BMW to a main dealer for the simple fact that it is quite new and I want to keep its residual value. On the other hand the little Smart will go to the local indie garage which used to service my old Merc.
Thank you for all your contributions.
I used to own a supercharged XKR and would take it to the main dealer for service thinking that it might help residual value, it didn’t, however I did find my jaguar dealer, helpful and was prepared to negotiate on service price!
In its later years I worked on this one too. I enjoy working on motor vehicles, from my 911, Jag, BMWs, SAABs, Fiat 500 through to Our fiat Ducato.
Our Jag service manager was a lovely chap, his thing was vintage Citroens
Eventually you will realize that your car has brakes pads that need replacement, wheels to be aligned, tires to be rotated, cabin air filter to be changed…and then perhaps you could answer the question…
Does anyone do that? I have new tyres fitted on front when needed, which is about 3 times as often as rear - but then I’ve only used front wheel drive cars for the past 40 years a year or so ago (the TT Quattro I haven’t got through one set yet since getting it so I don’t have a handle on relative wear).
But otherwise re Tesla, presumably hydraulic fluids to top up or replace periodically, steering, suspension etc. But the main part of routine mainrenance on combustion engined cars is indeed tge engine (and to lesser extent the drivetrain) so it must be a huge saving.
I have done.
Check the respective cambers before you rotate, is my advice - and check with a wear gauge.
IIRC, my front wheel drive Ford has different settings at the back.
My local tyre fitters always suggest fitting new tyres (as required) to the rear of my car, rather than the front but with FWD this appears counterintuitive - unless they think under heavy braking the rears could try and overtake the fronts(?).
Fair enough, but it’s pretty minor.
" Recommended Maintenance Service
Cabin Air Filter
Your Tesla is equipped with an air filter that prevents pollen, industrial fallout, road dust and other particles from entering through the vents. Tesla recommends replacing your cabin air filter every 2 years.
High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter
If your Tesla is equipped with a HEPA filter, Tesla recommends replacing it every 3 years.
Tire Rotation, Balance and Wheel Alignment
Tesla recommends rotating your tires every 10,000 km or if tread depth difference is 1.5mm or greater, whichever comes first. Aggressive driving can lead to premature tire wear and may require more frequent tire service. Unbalanced and misaligned wheels affect handling, tire life and steering components. Refer to tire manufacturer’s owner manuals and warranty documentation for additional details.
Brake Fluid Test
Tesla recommends testing brake fluid for contamination every 2 years and replacing as needed.
Air Conditioning Service
An air conditioning service replaces the desiccant to help the longevity and efficiency of the air conditioning system. Tesla recommends an air conditioning service every 2 years for Model S, every 4 years for Model X and Model Y and every 6 years for Model 3.
Winter Care
Tesla recommends cleaning and lubricating all brake calipers every 12 months or 20,000 km for cars in cold weather regions.
I can confidently predict that we will never replace the brake pads in our car in the time we own it. The brakes are barely used in comparison to an ICE vehicle. Our vehicle has directional, staggered tyres, so they don’t ever get rotated. Cabin air filter, yeah, OK.
Wheel alignment will be when we replace the tyres, unless we strike a curb or something. In response to the question, the cabin air filter is probably the only thing we’d get Tesla to do.
A/C check and service we’d might get done locally. Having said that, Tesla servicing is not too far away, so who knows.
Checking the brake fluid is an interesting one. We’ll likely use a local garage. On other vehicles it gets done as part of the scheduled service, but on the Tesla there really is no scheduled service, it’s just a matter of remembering to do the few things listed.
For previous ICE vehicles, we tended to use the dealer service. On our BMW it was under the warranty, so a no-brainer.
Honest John is one of the few readable parts left in the paper he appears in, but this has been his regular advice over the years for the reasons you’ve given.
It varies. Having a suitably accredited independent within driving range is a big factor. We tend to mix it up. There is no real pattern because it depends more on where we are and what we are doing. We fit the servicing and repairs around more important stuff.
BMW OEM parts are not significantly cheaper at an independent. It’s the labour where we tend to save the most. Independents can have other advantages. They will get involved in investigations, rather than pulling things off, putting new bits on and running another diagnostic. It’s swings and roundabouts. Main dealers may sometimes quote lower. Shocking! But it can happen. A bit. Ish.
We have the BMW Approved Used warranty on both our cars. If OEM parts and used, official sanctioned procedures and schedules are adhered to, and the workshop is VAT registered, the warranty covers payment for work carried out by independents and cover for the parts fitted.
An indie I used to use (he folded years ago sadly) got over-spill work from three adjacent BMW main dealers (including their body shops for coding, clearing, resetting, etc). Customers would stump up their three or four figure payments for work done off the premises without a BMW sign or set of overalls in sight. He was recognised an an accredited BMW technician and IIRC had to pay for this by staying current and buying some approved equipment.
Good lord. The UK car maintenance page and it’s measuring tyre depth in imperial measures. They’re also using the US spelling of ‘Tire’.
I would have thought they would have translated to something that’s meaningful to the majority. (and why 2/32nds" and not 1/16th" ?)
Main Dealer when under warranty and use an independent for many years once car is out of warranty.
When the extended warranty and on the dog wagon expired, I moved to a specialist. It’s about 45 minutes to an hour’s drive from me to Munich Legends in Sussex, but you get the impression they really know their stuff with BMWs, so it’s well worth the trip. The fact that the showroom is usually stuffed full of classic BMWs from the past to ogle at and dream about is icing on the cake…
Richard, I suspect the Bentley goes back to the main dealer though, right?
Pyms Lane, Tony…
Of course, where else but back to Crewe.,?!
This is all rather timely as I’m sitting out the front of my Alfa dealer waiting for it’s first service. Something like a fussy Alfa I wouldn’t take anywhere else especially while it’s still under warranty.
A main dealer is the last place I would ever take an Alfa!
Maybe their network has got better.