TLC

[Bazthemod]

What exactly does the 5 year tlc entitle you to? Does it cover the 10,000 mile oil change etc?:question:

[Gismo]

quote:Originally posted by Bazthemod

What exactly does the 5 year tlc entitle you to? Does it cover the 10,000 mile oil change etc?:question:
Your TLC package covers you for 5 years or 50,000 miles, whatever happens first.
In this you are covered for all servicing including oils etc.
What you would have to pay for are things like tyres, wiper blades, brake pads etc, you should have a manual explaining this in your car somewhere :)

Bonnie Scotland

[Bazthemod]

Thanks Alan we understand now!:approve:

[KenL]

The TLC pack is a wee bit mis-leading and perhaps MINI's claims contravene the trades description act.

It is unlikely to last 50k miles for most people as the service intervals are worked out by the car. I required my first service at about 9k miles, the second at ~24k and I expect the third around 39k. I certainly don't abuse the car and it does a mixture of town/Mway driving.

You also get one brake fluid change after 2 years but not the second after 4 years.

Having said this it is tremendous value for money. The first service for most cars costs more than £100 alone.

[macblob]

Doh!!!, i needed my second service (ist main one) at just over 20000, must hammer it too hard :D

[KenL]

quote:Originally posted by macblob

Doh!!!, i needed my second service (ist main one) at just over 20000, must hammer it too hard :D


Unfortunately that means your TLC will be finished in 35k miles max - a loooooooooooong way short of 50k:(

[Big Gordy]

I'm going from memory here but isn't the TLC a voucher book a bit like a cheque book 8) My understanding of the system is that you can use these cheques for the various services on them whenever you want. Our mini will only do about 6000 miles a year and my plan was just to get it serviced once a year regardless of the mileage :eek: I know that won't tie in with BMW service intervals but the first service would be in 2 years if I did it by the BMW book. Of course I could be completely wrong :p:D:approve:

[GAJ]

The car works out the service intervals for you. Look atthe odometer is soon as you put the key in - It tells you how many miles to the next service and whatthat service is - the first is an oil service. The car also tells you how many days to the next brake fluid change.

I only do a similair mileage to you. I don't know about your dealer but mine won't carry out the service until the car thinks it is due which will be at about 8500 miles. I have done about 6500 miles at the moment and I received about 3 letters and 2 telephone calls telling me my car was due a service. I phoned after I got the first letter to remind them that the car will tell me when the service is due and was told that they automatically send out a reminder after a year.
Why?? Who knows.
I also don't know why they sent the other letters - probably a computer error.

Anyway, they said that they would not service the car this early for me - if it was less than a 1000 miles then they may do it but not yet!

[Gismo]

quote:Originally posted by GAJ
I also don't know why they sent the other letters - probably a computer error.Those damned Mac's :evil:;)

Bonnie Scotland

[Big Gordy]

Jings :eek: At the rate our mileage is going up ie May03 and only just over 2000 miles (eeeeeck) we won't even use 1/3 of our vouchers in the 5 years :eek: Surely they can't force you to NOT get your car serviced when YOU want it done. I'm still going to take it in next May on it's first birthday and ask for the first service regardless of the mileage. Its a long way off but we'll see what happens :p:D:approve:

[KenL]

They will do a service either every two years or when the car asks you for one.

[Wul]

The booklet of vouchers is only to make the buyer feel like they are getting a wee cheque book - you don;t actually need them!

The service dept of your dealer use a key reader to gain the necessary info and to log the service to BMW so they get paid for it.

As far as i recall - the TLC gets you 3 services and a brake fluid change - theoretically at 10k, 25k and 50k plus a brake fluid change - this is subject to the way in which you drive the car - ie it is determined by the readout when you switch the car on and not time - so theoretically if you only do 1000miles a year you won't get a service at all!

However an interseting point in one of the articles in GoMini was that if you get your brake pads changed during a service you should only have to pay for the parts as the TLC covers the labour costs.

[KenL]

Wul,

I don't think the third one is at 50k if the second is at 25k, more likely to be ~40k.

I think to make it to 50k you need to go something like 13k, 31k, 50k.

To get this I think you'd have to spend your whole time cruising along the Mway since it's fuel consumption that's measured to calculate the intervals

[VFR-Ray]

Does the 1st service - oil change - have to be carried out by the dealer?
Planning a MOD in spring, but living on an island it's going to be a bloody expensive oil change!

[seany]

yes it has to be do by bmw dealer, not show if it is the one you got the car from,or if you can take it to any bmw dealer.what kind of mod you planing?

[Big Col]

You can take it to any BMW dealer provided the car is registered by an official dealer. Or so I was told by the Service dude at Harry Fairbairns as I booked mine in today after telling him I bought it from Menzies in Stirling.

[VFR-Ray]

Thanks lads I thought it had to be done by a dealer, not too far if I buy from Calterdon, Inverness.
I'm not sure what options to go for yet, operating to a tight budget so there won't be too much. I'm a Driving Instructor and my present car (Toyota Yaris) has Air Con which is extremely useful if someone is wet when I meet them for a lesson. But at £600 I'm not sure that it's justified. Seriously thinking about the Visibility Package instead which means I could then have other "extra's". Ideally I would like run flat tyre's due to the type of driving/abuse the car will get. The list keeps getting longer - now where's that damn lottery ticket!

[seany]

ray calterdon is ok, real help for, that were i got my 2 from.