BMW Maintenance in Seattle

Snapchat / Eng
BimmerBoy

Go to company page Snapchat Eng

 BimmerBoy
Oct 19, 2019 9 Comments

I have a 2015 228i xDrive. It no longer has free maintenance and I'm deciding where to take it for due maintenance. It has about 36000 miles.

In your experience, what's the ballpark figure for a maintenance like this at BMW Seattle? The car feels in great shape. The breaks are screeching a bit before it gets hot, but otherwise everything is great and I love it.

Mechanic recommendations welcome too!

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  • New / Eng
    frank8corn

    New Eng

    PRE
    Verizon Media
     frank8corn
    Hey there, i was an auto tech for about 6+ years. With a car at 36k, there’s usually nothing maintenance-wise to worry about *except for engine oil*.

    However, if the brakes are squealing, take your front wheels off and take a look at the pads. Depending on the type of caliper, they should be easily visible or have an inspection “pocket” on the caliper. They will have about 1/4 inch of steel and the rest of the matt looking material against the rotor is the actual pad material. As long as this is over 1/8 inch, you’re good (you should probably be good at 36k).

    In the case that the pads are worn, there are usually thin metal clips that are attached on the edges of the pads that purposefully rub on the rotor to create an annoying noise (that doesn’t go away) so the driver gets the car looked at.

    If your “Maintenance” light is on, go online and find out what the service intervals are. Most modern cars need oil changes *only* ever 10k miles *with* the use of synthetic oil. Any “services” in between is for very passive inspections to catch nails in your tired etc.
    Oct 19, 2019 4
    • New / Eng
      frank8corn

      New Eng

      PRE
      Verizon Media
       frank8corn
      A warning light for brakes isn’t too common actually. If there were a light, it would be from a low brake fluid level (due to very worn pads) but even then, they’d probably be wearing on the steel backing at that point (and you’d *HEAR* it from the “noise makers”.

      Also, never trust anyone in the auto industry. Remember that it is still a service based industry that relies on consumers for money. Always get a second opinion, and if something sounds a little too incredible: catastrophic failures, etc; ask to see the damage and take pictures.

      The guy using the reader will only look at active/past engine codes, which is the equivalent of (something like) a 500 status from a request, which will trigger a “check engine” light.

      If you don’t have any warnings, don’t worry about the reader tbh. Most serious engine “faults” won’t trigger an engine light unless they’re persistent, and won’t clear until at least 15+ miles. So you’ll definitely notice them if they come on.
      Oct 19, 2019
    • New / Eng
      frank8corn

      New Eng

      PRE
      Verizon Media
       frank8corn
      Also, you can buy a decent reader for <$100 if you’re ocd, it’ll show you active/inactive faults and the live monitors (emissions). It’ll also let you clear codes and reset your monitors (which take about 30 mi to reset).
      Oct 19, 2019
  • Siemens
    bf13En

    Go to company page Siemens

    bf13En
    ‘German Autohaus’ in Woodinville.
    Oct 22, 2019 0
  • New
    DerpDev

    New

    DerpDev
    Do it yourself. It's pretty easy or taking it to a mechanic is gonna break your bank unless you can afford it.
    Oct 19, 2019 1
    • New
      zestyjoke

      New

      zestyjoke
      I think bmw dude above can afford it 🙄
      Oct 19, 2019
  • Snapchat / Eng
    BimmerBoy

    Go to company page Snapchat Eng

     BimmerBoy
    OP
    I was watching DIY for the brakes but doesn't look easy.

    I already tried to do some jobs on the car but it's super time consuming. Also, I'll never know about completeness. That's my main concern.
    Oct 19, 2019 0