Have lost the use of my car for a week or so. Needs a new clutch and the garage are quite busy.
I suddenly realise, in my 85th year, how exposed I would be without transport.
I can just about manage a walk to the small Asda but not able to carry much. Getting frail and need an old ladies’shopping trolly.
My walking/stumbling companion picks me up for our daily promenade constitutional.
To day shall I walk to the chemist for new script or library for a book I have ordered. Joy of joys it’s raining.
Tomorrow I have to walk to the barbers and later to the hospital for blood tests.
Sympathy not needed just showing you life as a real old timer.
Ah! There is the Waitrose delivery van.
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Along with many others, very best wishes to you.
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Quick trip to local Ford main dealer post the booking of my ageing, yet still highly reliable, motor is due soon. Very nice lady on central booking line indicated that the timing belt hadn’t been done, which would be a 10Y/120k miles item, which I found strange as I’ve had Ford’s Service Plan since the car was new (now well >10Y’s). Cited cost ~£1k (glug).
Asked her why such an item wasn’t included in their ‘Service Plan’ – Answer ’ because it isn’t’ ?!
Check with dealer, and my jalopy doesn’t have a timing belt, it has a chain, which only requires attentions when things start to sound awry.
A bit of a relief.
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I had a similar experience with my Audi A5, when informed by the local main agent that the timing belts would require replacement when the car reached it’s fifth birthday, regardless of mileage.
Being a trusting soul, I went ahead, at not inconsiderable cost.
Five years later, and with a recorded milage of just over 60,000, the same advice once more.
At next MOT time, I used a local garage, and mentioned the timing belts, only to be assured by their old school mechanic, with a raised eyebrow, that my car had timing chains, rather than belts.
Moral of the story, don’t believe all the main agents tell you, and in the light of what took place, support your local garage. 
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I’m on a fine line as to the benefits of Ford’s Service Plan, as their definition of a ‘Main Service’ is somewhat different to mine – apparently changing the spark plugs and fitting a new oil filter define as ‘Main Service’ items.
What really rubs though is their ‘Recommendation’ to have brake fluid replaced every 3 years. So, if you ‘Recommend’ this, why isn’t it in the formal Service Plan?
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My late wives Audi A1 was up for its annual service at 7years & 36,000 miles only, when the main dealer suggested a timing chain, as per Audi’s service recommendation at 5 years! This was not mentioned anywhere in all the literature that came with the car when new.
She was surprised this had not been mentioned 2 years previously as the dealer had always appeared efficient & never missed an opportunity to point out items that would be advisable to replace.
5 years seemed rather frequent to me & on checking with Audi themselves, online forums & the dealer themselves, we got answers ranging from 100,000 to 110,000 miles, regardless of age from Audi plus a vague 5 to 7 years or about 100,000 miles if reached sooner, from the dealer when pressed again.
She decided to have the work carried out for piece of mind at about £750. It also included replacing several components including the water pump within the standard cost so we concluded that the cost for the work done, whilst hardly cheap, was not extortionate. Whether or not it actually needed to be done is another matter entirely. However, once the seeds of doubt are planted…A cunning Audi ploy?
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Timing chains are long lasting as long as oil changes are done every year. 150k would be a good interval to renew.
I presume you got the old parts back…?
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timing chains stretch. The tensioner required to accommodate that stretch is not always up to the task. No amount of oil changes will help. BMW diesel engines were particularly prone.
Are you telling me that the side plates lengthen?
No, they were offered & my wife declined them.
Why would we have wanted them?
Ok, at least they were offered. It’s a courtesy normally to show good faith in that they have actually replaced items.
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This makes me feel really good!
My 11 year old 320d (owned from new, 57,000 miles) is due for MOT & brake fluid change next week at main dealers. I will make enquiries re. timing chain & see what they say.
It’s not been mentioned before & the BMW service system has been excellent at notifying me of what is due, when.
Since retiring 9 years ago my mileage has dropped drastically servicing intervals have increased. I often forget that work is due untill I receive an email from the dealer’s system. I then check it against the cars computer & it has always agreed with the email reminders.
Ah, I see why you asked now.
My late wife used the local Audi dealership for the whole 8 years she owned the car & always felt that she was fairly dealt with &, believe me, she was no ones fool.
I have felt the same way about my local BMW dealer for the entire 32 years I have used them. This is Cornwall, not a big city operation, so I guess customers are harder to come by & dealers have to work harder & fairer to retain those they have as new ones are not as plentyfull as in London etc.
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Unfortunately BMW have been less than forthcoming about which engines are at risk and refuse to give recommendations about replacement or offer any help in repairing or replacing. Our 2011 car with just shy of 60 000 miles had the chain go the day after the BMW dealer service. The car had a full service record with BMW and in the end I sold the car as engine broken for more than I could have got after paying the repair costs. I replaced it with a petrol version of the same car which we still run. There is plenty on the internet about which engines are most affected, but it seems it can happen to many more than the most common ones. BMW won’t admit to a design fault but the chain is at the rear of the engine, not easily checked or replaced without taking the engine out.
Terrible story.
Easy to say, but I would have expected better from BMW & certainly expected my dealer to fight my corner.
Obviously too late now, but I would have taken legal advice on what I could possibly have done.
As an ex. long-standing insurance broker I would have used the Legal Expenses section of my Home Insurance policy which was included in most policies when I was working & I assume is still in the majority now.
I suggested this to many of my clients who advised me of domestic disputes & in most cases they received good advice on what to do on the circumstances. In three cases I recall solicitors successfully acted for them at the expense of the insurers. One of these cases obtained a settlement of over £10,000 which the client admitted they wouldn’t have funded the expenses themselves & would have just written off their loss.
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On a different note I was at a friend’s place last night and we watched a serial killer movie on Netflix or Prime with our wine. It had a twist where there was more than one murderer, but one was rather given away by the subtitles.
At the start of the film a man knocked on a woman’s door and said he had a parcel for her by name. She opened the door and he murdered her. The subtitles were:
Killer’s name - “I have a parcel for…”
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Sounds very edifying 
So these timing chain issues are a total failure rather than ‘stretch’. Where the chain is effectively not fit for purpose from new.
I’ve done two timing chains, one on a Cosworth BOA and another on a Ford I4, in both cases the chain was in excellent order after 150k miles, however the guides were showing wear and needed replacing. I replaced the tensioner too.
Crap oil or stupidly long intervals between changes causes the guides to wear, they are only plastic, probably nylon.
When I was working and buying BMW’s I think my dealer would have helped cover the cost. I have always been treated well in the past. Now as just a simple one off private buyer and running a UK car in France it is a little different. Not worth the effort to take it further for me and we didn’t lose too much. Just annoying at the lack of customer service. Next car will still be a BMW I suspect. I like the way they drive and have been good to me over the years.
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Totally overlooked your location & understand why you were perhaps not treated as well as you may have been here.
Only on my fifth BM since 1992, like you, am rather fond of them. I tend to keep them for a while & have found them to be 100% reliable if serviced when the car says it requires one. My previous 320d covered 150,000 trouble free miles & was sold to the dealership service manager who had looked after it from new.
Just a thought, in view of your location, have you considered a Citroen 2CV…
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