Coolant change after four year mfg date

[haigha]

I posted a few weeks ago that my 04 4.4 X5 is out of warranty soon (Oct. 28).

It has about 17.8k miles on it and four green bars on the service lights.

I am taking it in for the final oil service under the service agreement before the warranty expires.

One thing that my service advisor told me last fall is that there is a covered coolant change as part of the service agreement four years after the manufacturing date even if it is not due for one by the service indicator lights. So I've asked them to do this. When I called today, the new service advisor had to talk with the service manager to confirm that it is the case. I thought that the information could be useful for other low mileage owners (especially with C$45/gallon post I just saw)

Note that you need to do the coolant change between the day four years after the mfg date and the expiration of the warranty for it to be covered.

Does anyone else have an ideas on what to ask them to check before the warranty expires?

Any service bulletins?

Thanks.

[motordavid]

P,
Change the brake fluid if you haven't already.
Have them look very carefully at CV boots.

Maybe push for a thorough cooling sys pressure
test and very close inspection of coolant res., hoses,
fittings, etc.

Off the top of my ol'head.
GL,mD

PS, OT: after 5 1/2 years at the game, I managed to get my HDCP down
to 11.9/13 Home,(best ever), as we rolled on Sept. 1st. Then, I never came
close to playing to it for the entire fookin month of Sept, lol and shaking head.

So, when it rolled yesterday for "October", I'm back up to a 13.2/15 Home.
Ah...a comfort level I suppose. Back on topic.................

[haigha]

Thanks for the advice mD. I will have my independent mechanic look at those items too before the warranty expires. I trust him more.

I don't think the brake fluid is covered under the service agreement for low mileage vehicles like mine. Unless anyone knows differently, I will have my indepedent guy do that part.

My index has been 7.1 for the last two revisions. This year, the lowest was 6.4 in July. I haven't put much effort into my game this year other than working on chipping. Our greens were aerated a few weeks ago so it will be a few more before they are healed. Been playing too much XBOX 360 anyway

[motordavid]

P,
Yes to brake fluid; it's in the manual/warranty info: every 2 years,
free, under warranty. Get the stlr to do it.

6.4?! I wanna be "half" as good as you are. This game is fookin
insidious, lol!
BR,mD

[haigha]

Thanks mD. Now that you mention it, I vaguely recall having them change the brake fluid two years ago. A problem, IIRC, is that it has to be two full years since the last change for the dealer to be "allowed" to do this by BMWNA under the service agreement (and one full year from that date for the annual oil service). Since I let the appointment slip into December two years ago, I will miss out on a covered oil service and the brake fluid change, unless BMWNA has changed their policy on this. Anyone else ran into this issue?

I skipped the annual oil change last December and have only put on about 5k since then and I'm still at four green bars after almost twenty-one months. I know I'm a baaaaad wabbit.

Golf: It can get bad with the HCP. I was a 12.6 in April while I was working on changing my chipping. My full swing is nowhere near as good as it was when I was a 5.4 a couple of years ago but my short game is better and I enjoy the game more. I used to *hate* it when I missed the green. Now it's just a challenge

[dkl]

Can you please point out where exactly is the callout for the 4 year coolant change? My 2004 3.0i manual/warranty info say that it contains "lifetime" coolant that never needs replacing. I like to get some confirmation as my 4-year maintenance is about to expire as well. Thanks.

[haigha]

Originally Posted by dkl

Can you please point out where exactly is the callout for the 4 year coolant change?

I have an 04 4.4i. See my original post. I was told about this by my old service advisor about a year ago. I had to get the new service advisor to check with the service manager when I called about two weeks ago. The service manager confirmed it. Just call your service advisor. It may be printed in the service agreement somewhere too, if you want to check (not in the warranty booklet).

[dkl]

Thanks. I'll be sure to check with my advisor for this. But I wanted some printed document(s) to show my advisor in case he says otherwise since my service manual for the car (2004 - 3.0i/4.4i) indicated that it had the "lifetime" coolant that supposedly never needs changing.

[haigha]

I took my X5 in for its final service under the four year agreement (just hit 18k).

You were correct dkl. The 2004 and forward have lifetime coolant (not sure whose lifetime ). The service advisors were wrong. Of course, it's moot for 2003 and earlier unless you have an extended BMW service agreement.

Here's what I got done:

- annual oil service for low mileage (last one was Dec. 05 and I have put on 5k miles since then)

- washer fluid low

- new wipers front and rear

- battery test (OK)

- Nav test (OK, the system froze up last time I was in Dallas and it wouldn't reboot or eject the DVD)

BMW also would not do the brake fluid change since it hadn't been two full years since the last one.

Last week, I had my independent mechanic look the car over, including the CV boots (no issues).

[dkl]

Bummer I was hoping that you got something in writing that indicated otherwise (non-lifetime coolant). I will be doing the same thing (final checklist/inspection) in about 4 months before my warranty and maintenance runs out. Thanks for the info!