10/04/2024
BMW 420D (F33) in for a Major Service today.
A lot of people think a service is just a basic “oil and filters change”. And in fact many garages do just that. However, a proper service has a lot more going on in the background.
We have decided to show you what actually happens when you bring your car to DGMaps for a Full/Major service.
First of all, each Major Service comes with a full Vehicle Check. So the first thing we do is fit the Genuine BMW interior protectors and we road test the car. We carefully listen for any noises, vibrations or anything else that’s unusual for the model in question. Car is then driven into the workshop where it receives all the basic checks like lights, tyre pressures, horn and so on. We then carry out a full scan using genuine BMW tool called ISTA and then do a live data check. If the car has no running faults, live data check only really consists of a DPF pressure test (Diesel cars) and fuel trim check (older Petrol BMWs). If running faults are logged in the car memory, further investigation is required which isn’t normally part of the service. We then get the vehicle on the ramp and carry out a full checkover of the suspension, brakes, tyres, we look for leaks and even missing screws on your undertrays! Full report of the cars health is then printed out and customer is advised about any extra work that may be needed in future.
Once we have checked the car from top to bottom, we carry out the actual service. We follow all the official BMW guidelines, torque settings (very important not to overtighten that plastic oil filter cap!) and only use OE quality parts (MANN or MAHLE) or Genuine parts from BMW if customer chooses to.
Another very important point to make is fuel system bleeding after a fuel filter replacement on a diesel. In order to protect the high pressure fuel pump, a special function is carried out using ISTA before the engine is started for the first time. This also makes the initial startup much faster!
Once the service is completed, the car is logged into the BMW database online and service entry is created. This also updates the electronic service book in the car.
