Car Trouble

Today, I took my car to the BMW dealer for scheduled maintenance. Theoritically, this is supposed to happen every 15,000 miles. However, the scheduled maintenance odometer, kind of a reverse regular odometer, doesn't exactly function as theoritically as the car video describes it.

I had my first 15,000 mile maintenance at 17,000 miles, the second at 36,000 miles. The odometer trotted across 55,000 miles and reversing thing still had 600 to go, meaning the 15,000 miles was going to be well over 19,000 miles. So, what? I'm a good driver and have boring roads to travel. The county where I live has so much unemployment (largest industry is self employment - meth labs), no one is on the road at 6:30 in the morning when I go to work. Or 6:30 in the evening when I come home.

The exciting thing about going to the BMW dealer is the 40 mile drive to Fife, which from the West Sound is like a journey. All traffic is funneled into a single bridge, which is turning into two bridges over a ten year construction period with the approach roadways shoved off to one side while they construct. Anyway, it takes about an hour to go the last five miles, either way, during "rush" hour. (Which can be all 24 hours even on Sunday.)

This morning was an exception, smooth sailing. Like everyone is practing for Memorial Day by taking a three day weekend (to go with the four day weekend next week). So, something had to be wrong. Something was.

BMWs can be researched through the key. It is like a laptop inside there. The dealer can set my radio volume, automatic window swishing, daytime lights, and a bunch of other stuff I don't know is happening, all in the key. It tells them how many miles I have driven each day since I've owned the car.

First comment: "You still have 300 miles to go before your maintenance."

"I know. I told the appointment person I had 600 miles left last Saturday and would be driving 500 miles by this Saturday. But she said I had to come in on Friday as it was all day maintenance instead of half day, so I would only be driving 400 miles. She said 200 miles was OK. And that you would provide a loaner."

"But it says 300 miles."

"I drove it 400 miles. I can't help if the reverse odometer thing doesn't go backward as fast as the forward odometer thing."

"You are correct. You did drive 400 miles since Saturday."

My key vindicated me. Now I know why it is important to be able to tell how many miles I have driven each day since birth.

"However, you scheduled yourself for the fourth maintenance. You have only driven far enough for the third maintenance, just an oil change."

Now, I didn't schedule myself for anything. I said my name, my car, my 55,000 miles, all answers to questions. The schedule person assumed I was beating up my car and the 60,000 mile maintenance was early.

He went off to see his manager. One of those back room things. Now, BMWs don't have back room price guys, you know, the ones the sales guys says has to bless your such a deal, break the car dealer sale. BMWs don't even have stickers. You print out what you want on the internet, with the MSRP, the dealer has it or finds it or builds it, and you drive away. So, the backroom guy is for maintenance.

He comes back. "We can't give you a car for a two hour maintenance. But we can perform the maintenance if you are willing to wait, even with 300 miles left."

"How long?"

"Two hours."

Wait a minute. It was their idea I come in on Friday, their odometer thing that doesn't go backward fast enough, and my crummy job that doesn't allow for two hour do nothing Fridays.

"How about if I come back tomorrow? I'll be under 200 miles and I won't be late for work."

They loved it. No rules broken.

So, I'm going back tomorrow. Will have to drive the senic route, as the trip from Fife to Olympia, 35 miles, and the trip from Olympia to Allyn, 40 miles, has only reduced the reverse odometer thing 50 miles.

The next thing said was the best. "Remember to get new tires within the next 5,000 miles."

"New tires?"

"Yes, the tires on your car are rated for 30,000 miles; sports tires have lower mileage. You must have replaced the tires by now."

"Yeah, I replaced them at 54,000 miles, so they have 1,000 miles on them. "

"Amazing," he said, and asked for my key back. He wanted to enter the date I got new tires and the mileage into my laptop.

While programming my key, he asked. "Sure you don't want to activate your window wipers?"

"No."

"Your daytime running lights?"

"No."

"Your radio volume?"

"No."

"Your..."

"No."

He sighed, and gave me my key back. I'll probably get to hear it all again tomorrow.