BMW electronic service history

[RichA]

After 18 months of owning one, I'm finding that the car is great but the service department of our local franchise dealership is dismal.
I understand that the electronic service record is in BMW's cloud, not stored in the car, so I have a couple of questions for any seasoned BMW owners:

Is there any way that I can inspect the service record of my own car without having to sit in the service department of a BMW franchise having it read out to me?

If I go to a local indie, can they access the electronic service record to see what's been done previously and update what they do next, so that it becomes part of the official service record?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My old skoda had a similar system for its service history. You should have an app that you use to find the details. It shouldn't be a secret for BMW only

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Daughter and SIL have BM's, they access their service status via the "My BMW" app, or in the car under vehicle status.
My Mazda has an app that you can download all of your service history at any time.

 

[RichA]

I appreciate the responses, but they don't help me.
iDrive in the car and the MyBMW app on my phone tell me when the next MOT, oil change, brake fluid change and general inspection are due, but don't give any history.
It's the service history, and who can view and update it, that I really want to know.

I had a repair done under warranty over the last couple of days - rear diff seals replaced due to a leak.
I have not a single piece of paper or email telling me what was done to my car and why. I'm finding it a bit strange. I have no fear of technology, but it's my car - the service record should belong to me.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I appreciate the responses, but they don't help me.
iDrive in the car and the MyBMW app on my phone tell me when the next MOT, oil change, brake fluid change and general inspection are due, but don't give any history.
It's the service history, and who can view and update it, that I really want to know.

I had a repair done under warranty over the last couple of days - rear diff seals replaced due to a leak.
I have not a single piece of paper or email telling me what was done to my car and why. I'm finding it a bit strange. I have no fear of technology, but it's my car - the service record should belong to me.

If the car is only 18 months old, they probably isn't any service history. My duaghters and SIL's both do stupid amount of miles before the cars want servcing.
As far as the warranty work, I'd be surprised if you got any paperwork with it. I can't remember tha last time I had any paperwork for warranty work on a vehicle.

 

[RichA]

If the car is only 18 months old, they probably isn't any service history. My duaghters and SIL's both do stupid amount of miles before the cars want servcing.
As far as the warranty work, I'd be surprised if you got any paperwork with it. I can't remember tha last time I had any paperwork for warranty work on a vehicle.

I bought it 18 months ago but it's just coming up to 3 years old. It's been serviced twice since I've had it. The record is in the BMW cloud, not the car. I guess they could say that there's nothing to stop me buying a physical book and asking them to stamp it. It just isn't something I've encountered in 30+ years of car ownership.

 

[GreiginFife]

BMW service history can be found in the iDrive menu (or at least on my 2020 3 series it can).

Settings > Service Requirements> Service History

In a world where we are trying to cut paper usage, service books are quite rightly a thing of the past.

 

[RichA]

BMW service history can be found in the iDrive menu (or at least on my 2020 3 series it can).

Settings > Service Requirements> Service History

In a world where we are trying to cut paper usage, service books are quite rightly a thing of the past.

Thanks. Couldn't find it last night but I'll try again later.
I'm not convinced that a 50 page booklet that lasts the lifetime of the vehicle has much environmental impact, using less paper than one of the 12,000,000 newspapers that are printed and binned in this country every day.

 

[GreiginFife]

Thanks. Couldn't find it last night but I'll try again later.
I'm not convinced that a 50 page booklet that lasts the lifetime of the vehicle has much environmental impact, using less paper than one of the 12,000,000 newspapers that are printed and binned in this country every day.

Maybe not but we certainly shouldn't be adding to the 12,000,000 newspapers. One 50 page booklet each for millions of cars a year.

The electronic record also can't be misplaced or torn or damaged through the life of the car.

 

[RichA]

Maybe not but we certainly shouldn't be adding to the 12,000,000 newspapers. One 50 page booklet each for millions of cars a year.

The electronic record also can't be misplaced or torn or damaged through the life of the car.

...although I have gathered from a BMW forum that while indie garages who pay for access can add any work they do to the BMW service record, the main dealers can and do delete it next time the car is with them.

 

[GreiginFife]

...although I have gathered from a BMW forum that while indie garages who pay for access can add any work they do to the BMW service record, the main dealers can and do delete it next time the car is with them.

That's some proper tinfoil hat stuff from Bimmer forums. It's always a mate of a mate that had it happen to them.

I've personally never seen or heard of it happen as rife as the forums would make it sound. I used to be a mechanic and still have a large circle of friends in the industry.

 

[RichA]

That's some proper tinfoil hat stuff from Bimmer forums. It's always a mate of a mate that had it happen to them.

I've personally never seen or heard of it happen as rife as the forums would make it sound. I used to be a mechanic and still have a large circle of friends in the industry.

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but after my recent experience with the main dealer service department, I wouldn't put it past them.

 

[GreiginFife]

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but after my recent experience with the main dealer service department, I wouldn't put it past them.

Fair enough. I just can't see any conceivable reason for them to do it. Deleting a service record benefits them in no way (unless they know that you are going to sell the car to that dealer).

 

[oxymoron]

I had a 1 series that i took into my local BMW dealer because the service indicator counter said it was due only to be told it was a brake fluid service not engine , so
as it was coming up for its first MOT i booked that as well as the brake service but no engine work as they said it was not due .
Amazingly when i collected it the counter had reset to 9K miles to next service , when i asked about this i was told it was ok and that was indeed the mileage to the engine service .
After 2 months we traded the car to another garage and the counter was down to 8200 , the salesman asked if it had been serviced i told him BMW said it was not due , he stated it
should have been done at 20k , the car had done 21500 so he rung the dealer only to be told they had never seen the car despite having receipts and an MOT certificate from them
end result the car was missing a service so had to be traded as no service history but the salesman was great about it let me take it and service at an independent so got full value on the trade in

A couple of days later the service manager rang and tried to explain away their errors blaming all and sundry , i told him it potentially lost me £700 on the trade in (the service was only £500at the
independent) and not to bother me again .

Now got a Volvo and the experience with the dealer could not be more different , cant beat having a paper trail !!

 

[jim8flog]

The electronic record also can't be misplaced or torn or damaged through the life of the car.

 

[GreiginFife]

I'm glad that amused you. But why is it funny?

Edit: Actually I've just looked at some of your "efforts" in the laughter thread and kinda just answered my own question.

 

[jim8flog]

I'm glad that amused you. But why is it funny?

Edit: Actually I've just looked at some of your "efforts" in the laughter thread and kinda just answered my own question.

Your trust in computers compared to my experience.

 

[GreiginFife]

Your trust in computers compared to my experience.

So your experience is more valid than mine and that makes it funny?

Still not sure how it is funny though. To lose or misplace my electronic service record I'd actually have to lose the whole car.

 

[jim8flog]

So your experience is more valid than mine and that makes it funny?

Still not sure how it is funny though. To lose or misplace my electronic service record I'd actually have to lose the whole car.

Cars have computers - computers can fail. Surely the service record on your car is kept on the cars computer. I had a burn out (actual fire) of the computer system on one car.

 

[Leftitshort]

Cars have computers - computers can fail. Surely the service record on your car is kept on the cars computer. I had a burn out (actual fire) of the computer system on one car.

Read the OP. It’s kept in the cloud. Therefore not in the car, only accessed via the car.