Full BMWSH - How Important

Ghosteh

Ghosteh

Ghosteh

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Joined
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Just wondering what the consensus was on buying a BMW will a full service history from BMW was. At what sort of age would you consider just a FSH ok, rather than requiring a FBMWSH?
 
Would depend on the car in question rather than the age, and also what constituted FSH.

If it were a proper independant specialist then that's obviously fine, but if it was Bob's Backstreet Spannerhole™ then not so much.
 
paradigm said:
Would depend on the car in question rather than the age, and also what constituted FSH.

If it were a proper independant specialist then that's obviously fine, but if it was Bob's Backstreet Spannerhole™ then not so much.
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As above, totally depends on the car.

For something like a 25k E46 M3 CSL you may strive for every single stamp at a local BMW garage including the 1000 mile inspection etc

For a 2k E36 328 I'd be looking for stamps for as many services as possible, accepting reciepts for 'work done by owner' and independant stamps dotted around.

Totally depends is your answer... what car is it and what price?
 
It's an indication the car has been properly looked after. I wouldnt buy a BMW without it, because by the time the car gets to the age where it doesnt matter it's probably an old moneypit anyway.

Be prepared for a load of people to miss the point and say it doesnt matter.
 
I don't even bother sometimes about BMW or BMW approved stamps, its just a 06 320D and i'll prolly hang on to it for another 2yrs or so, so it'll be worth maybe 4 grand by then if i'm lucky lol.
 
You can still have a FSH and there still be loads wrong with the car, a garage should stamp the SH book even if there is something else wrong as long as the basic manufacturer recomendations have been done.

What i'd be looking for is the receipt and or advisory notes which detail what else needed doing. I'd be wary if all I was given was a stamped book, it should be accompanied with receipts and work orders / bills.
 
Looking around a 2005-2007 BMW 320d SE Touring, with a price up to around £13K-£14K. No specific one at the moment, still just looking around, just trying to know what to avoid.
I can see how having a FBMWSH can make the price increase, and I can see how it can possibly be worth it if I can lengthen the warranty.
Was just wondering how worth it it would be on a car like this, in that sort of price range, either a slightly newer/lower mileage with a FSH, or a slightly older/higher mileage with a FBMWSH
 
[TW]Fox;17811143 said:
It's an indication the car has been properly looked after. I wouldnt buy a BMW without it, because by the time the car gets to the age where it doesnt matter it's probably an old moneypit anyway.

Be prepared for a load of people to miss the point and say it doesnt matter.
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Its not missing the point its a different point of view.

I just cant bear giving main dealers my money for a worse or same job as an indy.
 
Ghosteh said:
I'll definitely be wanting a good detailed history, it was more to do with it being a full BMW SH over an full SH.
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I'd at least be looking for BMW for the first few then if a proper indy has done the rest it wouldn't bother me, however nothing will beat the confidence of a wallet full of BMW receipts for every little thing.

I'd be more concerned of a independant from day dot though
 
With BMW, there are a great many specialists whose work is at least of dealer quality. I wouldnt see a few later stamps from one of these as being a problem on an older car, say 5 years+
 
For that sort of money I'd probably be wanting FBMWSH for the years it had a warranty, and then either continued FBMWSH or a respected BMW independant (the likes of BMWorks near Aylesbury as a good example) for the rest.

BMWorks (or is it Worx Nick/Pete?) is run by as I understand it fully trained ex BMW mechanics who now have several BMW M series race cars that they prep, as well as having a thorough knowledge of all the range. .

At that price I'd find it tough to take a car with any stamps missing, and would ideally as someone else pointed out, the invoices as well as the Stamped book, showing any issues highlighted were dealt with etc.
 
With it being the diesel you're looking at, I'd want one that qualifies for an extended BMW warranty, which by default would mean that it needs full BMW service history.
 
Cheers for the responses guys, pretty much confirmed what I was expecting. Will only be looking at cars with a FBMWSH, which means I can get the extended BMW warranty too, as I don't want the Turbo to go on me, and leave me with a huge bill.
 
I am not looking for evidence of a job well done because you just cant tell that from a stamp.

I am looking for evidence of a car where the owner was absolutely loaded and simply threw money at it without hesitation.

Therefore Full BMWSH please.
 
Conanius said:
BMWorks (or is it Worx Nick/Pete?) is run by as I understand it fully trained ex BMW mechanics who now have several BMW M series race cars that they prep, as well as having a thorough knowledge of all the range. .
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DMWorx, formerly BMWorx until BMW told them to stop using their name!
 
[TW]Fox;17811673 said:
I am not looking for evidence of a job well done because you just cant tell that from a stamp.

I am looking for evidence of a car where the owner was absolutely loaded and simply threw money at it without hesitation.

Therefore Full BMWSH please.
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Please tell me you're kidding right? Would you want to buy my car given what you knew about the service / oil overfillig / turbo failuer / bottom end drop out because a BMW dealer stamped the book?

Sure, this kind of **** up could equally have happened at an Indys, so what difference does it make? Absolutely none.

My rule of thumb is, main dealer until the car is out of warranty, then indy afterwards, just to avoid any hassle.
 
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