Helping keep costs down!

[Newthd]

I've recently just purchased my BMW and am shocked to hear BMW charge to have alterations such as.....Sound and flashing indicators when locking doors on remote key pad.

I've heard that these changes are simple to do on other cars, does anyone know how to do this change and any others without going to a BMW dealer?

 

[Tom]

Items like that will have to be programmed by the dealer. I'm not sure how it is in England, but here in the US, items such as that can be performed freely at a dealer. Try mentioning you want to have it done at the next maintenance interval.

 

[Kirby]

My dealer asked me the "configuration" that I wanted before I took delivery and did it at no charge. From a business viewpoint, I can understand that after the fact they might charge a service fee. After all, it does take time (although not much), they are providing a service. I have heard that some dealers will do it for free if you ask nicely, or ask them to throw it in as part of another service event, etc. Have you actually asked your dealer what their policy is?

I've heard rumors of tools to do it, but I've searched and only found diagnostic readers and code reset tools, not a full programmer.

Edit: Tom and I were posting at the same time, we kinda had the same ideas.

 

[Newthd]

Many thanks, after asking my dealership today following my first service they told me the charge was around £70.00 each change!

 

[gizzy]

I had 30 days to decide what options I wanted and the dealer would do it for free. After that $130

 

[Felicia68]

Free for me also...

 

[codex57]

Find a new dealer. Anytime they have to hook up your car to the computer for whatever reason (logging data or scanning for error codes or whatever), then their reasoning for charging you anything disappears. It's like a couple of clicks on the computer and the change is made. Just shop around more. You may not have many dealers around you, but if you can convince one that he'll get your business if he won't skimp on something as simple as this, he might even do it for free.