My wife might be in the middle of a long road trip when her car comes due for its first service. How long before or after the computer-determined mileage can you take the car in for the free scheduled maintenance?

Also, if she has to stop into a dealership out-of-state, does she need to bring along any paperwork or anything like that to have the service done?

Scott

 

1) 1500 miles but if oyu mention you'll be on a road trip soon they will often save you an extra trip and do it for you, they are generally understanding, esp if they are having a good day.

2) Any MINI dealer will service it, no extra paper work, but BMW wont touch it if they don't have a MINI dealer.

 

Thanks - if she's not close enough to the required mileage before the trip starts, she can stop into the MINI dealer in Arlington, Texas in the middle of her trip and have it done then.

Scott

 

i would setup an appointment first. some dealers will need like 2weeks notice.

 

Yes if she needed to she could, and dealers are understanding of sudden needs for warranty service; however I'd take Ken's line of planning here, call up your local dealer say its going to look like you pass the end of the service interval at XX date mention you are leaving ona road trip a couple days prior and swing by for service. It gaurntees less waiting, reduces the stress of travel, and keeps the car at less risk. Unless of course you are travelling upward of 1500 miles.

 

I agree with MotorOn, Have them do the service before the trip. If there is a problem you might not be aware of (belt, tires, low fluids, etc.) it will be spotted before hitting the road. If you are within 1500 or 1 month of a year then they will not make you wait, I'm sure they would rather do it than let you take it elsewhere.
Motor Safely,
Dan

 

Yep - it's a pretty long road trip. It will be from Norfolk, Virginia to Orlando, Florida (~800 miles), then to Arlington, Texas (~1200 miles), then back to Norfolk (~1400 miles). It starts in mid-December, and she currently has about 3000 miles until the service is due.

So, I don't think she can reasonably get within 2000 of the recommended mileage before the trip starts, but if she waits until the trip is over, she'll be a little past the recommended mileage.

So, if she can't have the service done early, is it okay to have it done a few hundred miles late? All the highway miles on her trip will probably extend the service interval a little bit anyway, so she might not even be that far past it when she comes back.

Scott

 

Wow, that's a lot of driving!

 

Try and have it done in Norfolk, or wait until Texas

 

She likes driving, and usually makes one or two trips out West each year, either to Texas or Colorado. The side-trip to Orlando is just an added bonus.

Scott

 

Is it the first service? Second?
Depending on how the first ?? miles went, it's very likely she'll be under or not much over upon return.
I don't recall the exact numbers, but I had ~6K to go on my service indicator at 22K miles (it did have an in between oil change), and end up 'coming up' at 30.5K miles after a couple of multi thousand mile road trips.

 

It's the first service, and the service indicator says she has about 3000 miles left now. But I agree that her highway miles on the road trip may extend her service interval out enough to do it when she gets home. It shouldn't be a problem regardless - she'll either be able to have it done before she leaves, she can do it in Texas midway through her trip, or she can do it when she gets back.

Scott

 

I wouldn't even bother with it in Texas -- just explain the situation to the SA. If they can't accomodate you before, get them to document that you'll be ok for service when she returns.

I'd probably change the oil myself before the trip, though. Especially if it's never been done. (but that's just me, working on my own 7500 mile oil change intervals)

 

On my first Mini I had the first service done at Hank Aaron I was a few hundred miles early and I had to pay, this was a little something they failed to tell me, that BMW does not pay for early service.