X5 35d - Exhaust fluid

[ard]

1. What they POST on a WEBSITE has no legal bearing. The 'contract' between you (me) and BMW is defined in the documents exchanged at time of purchase: the manual and booklets they provide. They cannot unilaterally change these at other times or locations.

2.Interestingly, the 2010 Service and Warranty Booklet includes the following EXCLUSION:

"DEF changes performed outside the recommended maintenance intervals as indicated by the Service Interval Display"

BMW has gone on to further redefine this.... one could say that "well, my service interval display is saying 'fill the DEF fluid' ". BMW has, outside of this contract further defined this to be "at a regular oil change". At an oil change is different that 'when the car tells you it needs fluid'.... furthermore "Service Interval Display" is NOT a defined term- they make a BIG deal of "Condition Based Service" (CBS), but never define the term used in the DEF exclusion. They explain CBS and how driving more or less will change the interval- OK, live and die by that argument: They cannot say 'we use condition based services, the car will tell you when it needs service, driving harder will use more DEF, driving harder will accelerate the service interval, the car will tell you when to service the DEF, but we will only pay for DEF it it coincides with one of the OTHER condition based service intervals". I'd bet that this would go against them in court, given all their prior statements of coverage via other media- and the sloppiness of the language in the booklet. Note also that a "DEF Change" sounds different than a "DEF refill"...




ANYONE HAVE A 2009 BOOKLET? Darkside, what does you booklet say?

Also, I suspect something is wrong with vehicles that are using excess fluid: a defect that is wasting the fluid. Almost impossible to prove, but I think worth pressing. (Save your reciepts for the settlement in 2 years!)

Finally, you've gotta be crazy to pay BMW to fill it.

A

PS I expect that we will have hacks eventually to both disable the 'no start' interlock and allow running without fluid....