DIY and Warranty

[snag]

I've searched the threads and have not found an unequivocal answer. My local BMW dealer (the next closest is 200 miles away) built their business on Argos (6 wheel thingies to hunt critters in the bush with). Somehow they wound up with the BMW and Ducati dealership. I have a private mechanic that works on Hondas and BMWs and he has done wonders with my CB750 and CBX. I'd love to take the 12R to him for the 10K service, but am afraid of voiding my warranty. I'm sure that as far as BMW North America is concerned, he might as well be the Shamwow guy, though still alive. So can I take it to him or not?

Doug

[deilenberger]

Good question - and the answer is - much of this will be up to your local dealer.

In the US (and I note that you're in the great white north - where the laws may be different) - a manufacturer cannot require you to have service done by them to keep a warranty in effect unless they provide the service at no cost to the owner (which BMW does on their cars in the US..) But - they can require proof that the normal maintenance service was done on time, with acceptable parts (and fluids), to a standard acceptable to them. Might be different in Canada.

The local dealer is the real arbitrator of warranty claims. I've never heard of BMW-NA denying a warranty claim a dealer approved. Just doesn't happen. So what you want to do is keep your dealer on your side. One obvious way to do that is to have them do all the service and make some money off it. I don't do that since I do all my own service. What I do is buy all my parts for the service from the dealership. And I keep the receipts for it. That means oil, filters, gaskets, washers, etc - there is a clear paper trail at regular intervals of parts needed for the normal maintenance tasks. That way I have some proof the service was done, and the dealer has made some money off me selling me the parts. It probably also helps if you buy some clothing, accessories, farkles from the local dealer - they know your face that way and know that you've spent money with them.

I also fill out a service checklist when I do a service on my bike - but that's more for my records then as proof anything was done, since obviously I could fill it out without ever doing the service.

That all said - my only warranty claim to date (30,000 miles) has been for one M5 screw that fell out of the hinge of one of my sidecases. Total cost of the claim was about $1.20 (I provided the labor..) These really are wonderful bikes.

[PhilSB]

How long is the warrranty period in the US? In the UK it's 2 years. I vaguely remember 3 years in the US being mentioned somewhere.

Phil

[snag]

Thanks Don, good advice. I've spent a ton of $$$ at the dealer and the BMW lead knows me well, so I'll start there.

Doug

[hjsbmw]

How long is the warrranty period in the US? In the UK it's 2 years. I vaguely remember 3 years in the US being mentioned somewhere.

Phil

36 months / 36k miles, whichever comes first.