Your fleet running reports

[Beany]

Back from Devon/Dorset.

Think I might have got pinged by a variable speed limit as we were all leaving a stoppage on the M6 - forgot the speed had been set to 40 on the gantry above me

Not even like I gunned it, was going with the flow of the traffic in eco mode. Oh well, will see what the post brings in the next few weeks.

Otherwise, pretty chill journey all things considered. Just set 77 on the cruise (74/75 on GPS) and bumbled up the road.

Edit: 32mpg all in, which seems fair given there was a bit of backroad blasting down south between meetings I imagine if I'd been doing 65 it'd have been usefully higher.

[MikeHunt]

Booked my 550i into BMW Worcester for its first service, pre-booked a wait slot as its basically oil and filters. After an hour, they apparently, encountered an issue with my key. 10 mins later, they said they needed to rebook me as they had ran out of pollen filters. It did seem rather odd as it’s a common part on every BMW since 2013. Eventually I managed to negotiate a loan car, a truly awful i40 and hopefully can collect my car tomorrow.

With my warranty expiring before the next service, there is an independent local garage with a good reputation, which seems preferable to dealing with main dealers and BMw extended warranties.

[Shlergen]

Booked my 550i into BMW Worcester for its first service, pre-booked a wait slot as its basically oil and filters. After an hour, they apparently, encountered an issue with my key. 10 mins later, they said they needed to rebook me as they had ran out of pollen filters. It did seem rather odd as it’s a common part on every BMW since 2013. Eventually I managed to negotiate a loan car, a truly awful i40 and hopefully can collect my car tomorrow.

With my warranty expiring before the next service, there is an independent local garage with a good reputation, which seems preferable to dealing with main dealers and BMw extended warranties.

It's like they don't need to worry about after sales to sell their cars. Seems like an amateur hour but still prob charge circa £100 an hour. I doubt I will buy another after the shit show I endured.

[MikeHunt]

It really does feel like white goods sales, given the service was free due to previous problems you’d think they would have got the basics right. We took the eqv to Mercedes Solihull last month and the difference was night and day.

[Beany]

I maybe have pootled to and from the shops tonight in Sport+ Super Special Manual Change mode, burbling and popping on the overrun.

My overall review is
Eeeeeheeeheeheeheeheheheheheee

Such silly childish fun.

[Jobbo]

It really does feel like white goods sales, given the service was free due to previous problems you’d think they would have got the basics right. We took the eqv to Mercedes Solihull last month and the difference was night and day.

Have you used Sytner Solihull for your BMW servicing? I have had good service there, better still at Sytner Coventry, but that’s all a while ago. My Audi experience is pretty poor though, both Stafford and Halesowen. Solihull and Shrewsbury have been ok but I’ve only had limited dealings.

[MikeHunt]

I have used Solihull in the about 15 years ago, I worked with a guy who could be described as a BMW addict. At one time he owned a B7, B6, B5, alpine roadster and as you can imagine being associated wasn’t a bad thing.

Right now, BMW have a massive recall backlog, possibly airbag related. When I had the issues with coolant, Worcester had capacity. Sytner have taken over from Rybrook so you would have hoped they would be better.

I’m probably going to keep the car if it doesn’t have any other issues and absolute bm have a good reputation, their reviews even mention Rybrook.

[Sundayjumper]

…prob charge circa £100 an hour.

And the rest ! The local (independent, non-specialist) I use for MOTs is near enough £100/hr. Depending where you go I wouldn’t be surprised if a main dealer is close to £200.

[Sundayjumper]

New bonnet & boot struts for the Vantage. Just over £30 each seemed alright for genuine parts from a main dealer It needs an MOT too. I’m not expecting any problems there.

Maybe maybe I’ll even drive it again. I’ve still not told any of my new colleagues about my cars. We all went out for lunch on Friday and there were a couple of stories recounted about cars owned and consultants who bought 911s. I kept quiet

That said, my manager gave me a lift to the pub, he has an electric XC40 and I quite liked it. Not enough to buy one right now, but it could be on my list for the future.

IMG_0248.jpeg (51.5 KiB) Viewed 322 times

[DeskJockey]

Zoe seems to have developed an issue with the headlights. I thought a bulb had gone, but when my wife returned it was the opposite side that wasn't working, and she said it didn't seem like the lights came on at all until she'd messed about with high beams, turning them off and on again, and so on.

[GG.]

New bonnet & boot struts for the Vantage. Just over £30 each seemed alright for genuine parts from a main dealer It needs an MOT too. I’m not expecting any problems there.

That does seem reasonable. Need to get this fixed on the GTS - bonnet keeps clouting my head when accessing the frunk. Weird that they were never a problem on the 997. Wonder if its a warranty part...

[Matty]

I maybe have pootled to and from the shops tonight in Sport+ Super Special Manual Change mode, burbling and popping on the overrun.

My overall review is
Eeeeeheeeheeheeheeheheheheheee

Such silly childish fun.

How many people have you called "Bro" and when are you getting the sleeve done?

[Jimexpl]

Right now, BMW have a massive recall backlog, possibly airbag related. When I had the issues with coolant, Worcester had capacity.

Yes - my (2002) Compant went in for new airbags last September and I’ve had a letter for the X5 to go in but haven’t bothered doing it yet as the Conpat was about a six week lead time.
Having said that, JLR are worse - they’ve booked me in twice now for a recall on the Defender, and both times when I’ve arrived they realise the parts are on back order!
It’s ok though because the recall on the defender is nothing serious - it’s just a modification to stop the front wheels parting company with the car…

[NGRhodes]

Steves number plate fell off last weekend, luckily whilst on the driveway.
Poor weather has meant I have had to wait until today to stick back on.



No signs of any leak in the back of the car, even though there was a small amount of water in the wheel well in the boot when I bought the car, not a single drop there now and we have had plenty of rain since bought the car 3 weeks ago.

[DeskJockey]

Zoe is back to having all lights working.

Reversing light required removing and cleaning the housing to find the leak (and despite @Sundayjumper's previous assertions about gravity the leak was definitely not right at the top. Nope. Not at all). Hairline crack that I've plugged with a bit of bathroom sealant as it isn't visible once refitted.

Took the bulb holder out and cleaned it with liberal amounts of compressed air, contact cleaner and kitchen roll, and function is restored with a fresh bulb for good measure.

Neither headlight was working which felt odd. The bulbs didn't look blown, but I've replaced them both and they're now working again. Felt a bit too coincidental that both failed at the same time, especially as I'm sure it was the N/S that wasn't working when my wife drove off, but it seemed to have come back to life later, but with the O/S failing. I'll keep an eye on it.

Replacing them is very easy, remove the rubber cover, twist and pull the bulb holder out. Only caveat is that the whole thing appears designed to draw blood with very little space and loads of sharp edges everywhere.

[mik]

With halogen, in my experience one headlight popping can cause voltage weirdisms that then cause the other to pop.

[Beany]

I maybe have pootled to and from the shops tonight in Sport+ Super Special Manual Change mode, burbling and popping on the overrun.

My overall review is
Eeeeeheeeheeheeheeheheheheheee

Such silly childish fun.

How many people have you called "Bro" and when are you getting the sleeve done?

Bro, bro, you starting summat? You want banged? I'll bang you.

(apparently 'bang' has changed from 'to fuck' to 'to fight' in youth parlance lately)

And no, obviously. I mostly live in comfort mode, because I am a wee softy

[DeskJockey]

@mik fingers crossed that was the issue then, and not some control module and

[Sundayjumper]

(and despite @Sundayjumper's previous assertions about gravity the leak was definitely not right at the top. Nope. Not at all)

And we shall never speak of it again.

Coincidentally, there is also lighting news here. Having dragged the Aston out of the garage (that's slightly unfair, it started perfectly and happily drove out under its own steam) and fitted the bonnet & boot struts, I discovered the n/s rear light has failed again exactly the same as before. I paid (me !!
paying !!) for it to be repaired in Jul 2022. Since then it's done under 200 miles and has been kept in the garage the whole time. I am not impressed with that repair. The light consists of lots of LEDs, it's the driver board that fails, and it feels outside my abilities to fix stuff like that.

So, repair again & expect another failure in 12-18 months ? Buy a s/h unit and expect a failure in <tbc> months ? Buy brand new units ? The original red ones like I have are NLA and only the "upgraded" clear ones are available.

And the Ferrari battery was flat as a pancake today. I used it last weekend for a good long run, it shouldn't be flat again.

And the Bentley is leaking again. The sunroof drain hose. I fixed it once before but it seems to have come adrift.

[Sundayjumper]

(apparently 'bang' has changed from 'to fuck' to 'to fight' in youth parlance lately)

Gosh. Imagine the misunderstandings that must have happened during the transitional phase.