suggestion from dealer
 

Hello guys,

I just brought my 04 x5 4.4 with 33,000km for oil change. The dealer calls me back that they suggest my car needs to have a coolant flush, and a fuel injector flush. are these neccessary? is coolant flush for every 4 years? How about fuel injector flush? what does that do? how often?

The above 2 jobs cost around $350.

Please help..

Thanks

I'm not sure about the necessity of these services. My question would to the SA would be, if this stuff was "necessary", wouldn't it be covered under the service plan?

Coolant flush was supposed to be every 2 years.

Which I'm sure is the primary motivation for making the suggestion.

What a load of BS!
Get the dealer to show you where it says that on the service schedule?

It is now every 4 years...how convenient for BMW not having to flip the bill for that?

OEM coolant is good for 4 years+. Make sure you ALWAYS user the OEM coolant or "DEXCOOL" coolant (orange color). NEVER USE THE GREEN STUFF as its old technology and will compromise the coolant system.

All fuels have injector cleaners in them. ABSOLUTELY NO NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TREATMENT if the vehicle is running correctly.

After you dodge the Stlr on his coolant/injector pitch,
you might request a brake fluid flush; the rec'd is buried
in the manual, and it should be free under the "free Maint".

Rec'd every two years.
GL,md

isnt the original coolant in the X green?

Ask these questions.

#1 The service you are performing is under warranty correct?

#2 If the car needs to have a coolant flush, and a fuel injector flush are these items covered under warranty? If so where in the warranty schedule are they located?

#3 If you are suggesting these items because BMW requires this service then why are you trying to charge for something that is covered under warranty.

#4 If you are suggesting that these items need to be done before the scheduled maintaince are they not covered anyway.

#5 If you are suggesting these items and they are not on the warranty schedule then what's your motivation?

The OEM coolant is BLUE, but it's the same chemistry as DEXCOOL which is ORANGE. DO NOT USE THE GREEN STUFF, it is old chemistry which has dissolved solids which compromise the water pump seal and coat the inside of the cooling system with an insulative deposit which impedes corrosion (which is good) but also compromises heat transfer (which is BAD).

How do I know this? Well several years ago I worked for Texaco Lubricants and office'd close to the nuclear chemist (Rich Armstrong) that developed and PATENTENED the ORANGE stuff (Texaco Extended Life Coolant) which used organic chemistry which does not involve dissolved solids. General Motors gave this product their DEXCOOL trademark and commenced OEM fill off ALL of their vehicles. Caterpillar, Cummins, Mack, etc. etc. all us it as OEM fill. BMW uses the same type of product dyed BLUE. When I purchased my 2001 4.4i I ask BMW technical if the ORANGE stuff was approved to which they said yes. It is what I currently have in my X5.

Incidentally, the ORANGE, BLUE and GREEN stuff is all compatible in that they all use ethylene glycol as a base. But mixing the GREEN stuff with the ORANGE and BLUE stuff will “dumb” them down.