BMW maintenance is an important part of keeping your car performing like it's fresh off the lot. But if you don't know what you're doing, you could actually just be making things worse.
Don't slow down because of foolish mistakes. Know what to do when keeping your car revving and ready to go and you can stay on the road for years to come.
Here are seven things you need to keep in mind when maintaining and repairing your BMW.
Don't slow down because of foolish mistakes. Know what to do when keeping your car revving and ready to go and you can stay on the road for years to come.
Here are seven things you need to keep in mind when maintaining and repairing your BMW.
1. The Free Maintenance Program
BMW offers a short-term free maintenance program for the first few years of your car's life.
The BMW maintenance program offers free maintenance for any BMW for the first three years or 36,000 miles of its life, whichever comes first. After three years or 36,000 miles, the program ends and you need to look for maintenance from an independent or local service provider. We have some very specific thoughts about "free maintenance" that you can read here.
Relying on generalized mechanics might not be the best idea for this endeavor, considering the complexities of any luxury car. Depending on your style of driving and driving conditions, the dealership's "free" maintenance may actually be a bad choice. Instead, you should look for a local service provider with expertise in BMW maintenance.
The BMW maintenance program offers free maintenance for any BMW for the first three years or 36,000 miles of its life, whichever comes first. After three years or 36,000 miles, the program ends and you need to look for maintenance from an independent or local service provider. We have some very specific thoughts about "free maintenance" that you can read here.
Relying on generalized mechanics might not be the best idea for this endeavor, considering the complexities of any luxury car. Depending on your style of driving and driving conditions, the dealership's "free" maintenance may actually be a bad choice. Instead, you should look for a local service provider with expertise in BMW maintenance.
2. The Cost of BMW Maintenance
For decades, the name "BMW' has been synonymous with the idea of a luxury car. So it shouldn't be surprising that they're pricey to maintain. Bluebook has named BMWs the most expensive car to buy and maintain in the pre-owned market.
If you own a BMW, chances are you're OK with paying a bit extra for a quality drive. But because these services are already so expensive, you need to carefully choose a local shop that has expertise in BMW maintenance and repair. Find a well-reviewed service provider to make sure you're getting a well-done, legitimate service that's being performed by ASE certified BMW technicians.
Often times you will find that adding the time costs and travel costs of going to the dealership in Montgomery, Columbus or Atlanta will make maintenance and repairs of your BMW much more than it should be when you could choose a local shop.
If you own a BMW, chances are you're OK with paying a bit extra for a quality drive. But because these services are already so expensive, you need to carefully choose a local shop that has expertise in BMW maintenance and repair. Find a well-reviewed service provider to make sure you're getting a well-done, legitimate service that's being performed by ASE certified BMW technicians.
Often times you will find that adding the time costs and travel costs of going to the dealership in Montgomery, Columbus or Atlanta will make maintenance and repairs of your BMW much more than it should be when you could choose a local shop.
3. How Often to Go For Maintenance
The easiest way to end up paying way too much for maintenance is by running to the dealership way too much. We all know the saying: better safe than sorry. But there are areas in which playing it too safe could cost you more than just a few bucks.
Different types of maintenance require different time intervals. Time magazine wrote a helpful guide on when to take different parts of your car for maintenance. They suggest checking tire inflation and windshield wiper fluid once per month. But other services are often less common. Again, this depends upon a lot of factors including style of driving, age of your vehicle and normal driving conditions in your area. If you have had performance engineering parts added to your BMW you may need to come in more frequently to make sure you are getting the proper performance from your car and to have aftermarket parts tuned and adjusted.
Make sure you're not performing different aspects of your scheduled BMW maintenance too frequently or infrequently. And if you need help figuring out what maintenance schedule is appropriate for your BMW, check the service and warranty book for your model. Or, simply bring your vehicle by Performance Services and introduce yourself.
Different types of maintenance require different time intervals. Time magazine wrote a helpful guide on when to take different parts of your car for maintenance. They suggest checking tire inflation and windshield wiper fluid once per month. But other services are often less common. Again, this depends upon a lot of factors including style of driving, age of your vehicle and normal driving conditions in your area. If you have had performance engineering parts added to your BMW you may need to come in more frequently to make sure you are getting the proper performance from your car and to have aftermarket parts tuned and adjusted.
Make sure you're not performing different aspects of your scheduled BMW maintenance too frequently or infrequently. And if you need help figuring out what maintenance schedule is appropriate for your BMW, check the service and warranty book for your model. Or, simply bring your vehicle by Performance Services and introduce yourself.
4. Getting an Oil Change
Getting an oil change should be the most self-explanatory part of caring for your car, but it's a bit more complicated than people realize. There's a myth about BMW that recommends only giving a BMW an oil change every 15,000 miles. This myth is false.
It may work in the short-term, but giving such infrequent oil changes as a long-term strategy for BMW maintenance could result in significant damage over time.
Regularly change your car's oil to avoid having an unfortunate incident that destroys the lifespan of your vehicle. Our certified technicians can provide more information and guidance. Just give us a call at (334) 749-1588.
It may work in the short-term, but giving such infrequent oil changes as a long-term strategy for BMW maintenance could result in significant damage over time.
Regularly change your car's oil to avoid having an unfortunate incident that destroys the lifespan of your vehicle. Our certified technicians can provide more information and guidance. Just give us a call at (334) 749-1588.
5. Brake Fluid
BMW brake fluid should be changed about once every two years. If you don't change your brake fluid regularly, it will get less effective and lead to significant delays in brake performance. This isn't just bad for your car, it puts you, your family, and other drivers on the road in severe danger.
Being cavalier about taking care of your brakes is a bad idea, is what we're trying to say.
But it's not just about changing your brake fluid or pads frequently: it's about changing them properly.
There are guides available to change your brake fluid online, but they all tell you that the most important thing is doing it right. If you do it wrong, you might as well just take the breaks out of your car to save time.
BMW maintenance needs to be done properly, which means instead of trying to change the brakes yourself, you should get in touch with people who know what they're doing. Seriously. Trust us on this one.
Being cavalier about taking care of your brakes is a bad idea, is what we're trying to say.
But it's not just about changing your brake fluid or pads frequently: it's about changing them properly.
There are guides available to change your brake fluid online, but they all tell you that the most important thing is doing it right. If you do it wrong, you might as well just take the breaks out of your car to save time.
BMW maintenance needs to be done properly, which means instead of trying to change the brakes yourself, you should get in touch with people who know what they're doing. Seriously. Trust us on this one.
6. Tire and Wheel Protection
You can get tire and wheel protection for your BMW as part of your BMW maintenance package. Again, this may not be enough to maintain a long life for your German import. Tire and wheel protection is separate from the ensured maintenance with a different warranty.
Protection programs last up to five years and provide protection from debris on the road such as broken glass, metal, and poorly kept roads which, let's face it, are a constant hazard for any auto enthusiast.
Checking out a complete tire and wheel maintenance program from Performance Services is a good way to ensure long lasting performance, along with something that easily pays for itself if you like to have a "well loved" vehicle.
Protection programs last up to five years and provide protection from debris on the road such as broken glass, metal, and poorly kept roads which, let's face it, are a constant hazard for any auto enthusiast.
Checking out a complete tire and wheel maintenance program from Performance Services is a good way to ensure long lasting performance, along with something that easily pays for itself if you like to have a "well loved" vehicle.
7. Getting The Best BMW Service
With the economy booming and so many Americans choosing to purchase new cars there's a lot to consider when it comes to BMW maintenance. So after you own your car for 3 years or work your way up to the dreaded 36,000-mile mark, it's easy to feel lost.
That's why you need to rely on seasoned professionals with a passion for auto care. We can help. We've been in business in the Auburn-Opelika area for over 20 years, and have a specialty in providing high-quality care not just to BMWs, but to other German models as well.
So whether it's a BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, or Mercedes Benz, you can trust Performance Services because we're specialized professionals who know what we're doing.
On top of that, we also do what we do for the right reasons. The reason is: we love cars. We drive and enjoy our OWN German sports cars. We find it incredibly sad when people get rid of a car after only a few years, especially when that car could have easily been saved by more careful maintenance and regular care.
Get in touch with us to discuss your BMW maintenance plan.
That's why you need to rely on seasoned professionals with a passion for auto care. We can help. We've been in business in the Auburn-Opelika area for over 20 years, and have a specialty in providing high-quality care not just to BMWs, but to other German models as well.
So whether it's a BMW, Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, or Mercedes Benz, you can trust Performance Services because we're specialized professionals who know what we're doing.
On top of that, we also do what we do for the right reasons. The reason is: we love cars. We drive and enjoy our OWN German sports cars. We find it incredibly sad when people get rid of a car after only a few years, especially when that car could have easily been saved by more careful maintenance and regular care.
Get in touch with us to discuss your BMW maintenance plan.
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