Guy 2

Indeed there is! Thanks Dave for the previous advice.

A totally unexpected happy ending. I continued my additional daily cold-start 2.5 mile Post Office trips for two months (as well as other short trips whenever possible) - and saw no real reduction in miles on the service indicator before the next service was officially due. I therefore thought "all was lost" and I would be, in effect, paying twice for the major service (once with the original service plan and then again for the actual service, when I had passed 38K without a service light). But, knock-me-down-with-a-feather, just before Christmas with 37,850 miles on the clock the service light came on - with 1100 miles showing before the service was officially due. I could hardly believe it - but, again fortunately, a service slot was available. So, I booked in straight away and got the car serviced 'for free' under the original service plan, with about 50 miles to spare! Talk about a Christmas surprise. What, of course, I don't know is whether had I not increased my short trips for 3K miles or so the service light would have come on with 1100 miles to go, or more like the 500 miles others have suggested. For anyone in a similar position, however, I would suggest the increase in cold starts (at least one extra every day - preferably two or three) is worth trying. Hope this helps someone.

Have researched this and been back to my local dealer. The upshot is that majority of owners have fallen within the 38K limit and only a few outside. (I am, perhaps, somewhat 'foolish' for having driven the car with too much mechanical sympathy.) From any 'legal' point of view I therefore think BMW gave me (and others) a 'reasonable bet'. On a more positive note, two of the helpful folk on the service desk did tell me that "driving school cars" always come in with shorter condition-based servicing intervals (all those M3 and M5s, no doubt!) - so short journeys do have an impact. I am now off to the local Post Office first thing every morning for a round trip of two and a half miles! In due course I'll let everyone know whether this, plus increased cold starts, makes any real difference.

Thanks Dave - useful experience about when the light comes on. I believe my local BMW dealer is happy to service under the plan before the 38K contract limit - as long as the service light is on. The problem is if 38K passes without the light coming on. At the moment it looks as if the light will come on somewhere between 38,200 and 38,700 miles. Arrrgh! You comment about asking around a couple of dealers is worthwhile - but I suspect tight financial constraints (particularly at the moment) means they will probably say the same thing. Don't blame them, to be honest. Ah well, you live and learn (sometimes).

Thanks Dave - much appreciated, and I tend to agree with you that extended oil change intervals, even with the latest synthetic oils, are pushing the bounds of good engineering. (The engine is unlikely to 'let go' during the warranty period but degraded oil will hasten wear and the manufacturer will wash their hands of any responsibility once the warranty is expired.) Unfortunately, during the heady days of purchasing I succumbed to forgetting this! Any experience of whether the service indicator light comes on before the indicated to-service mileage is complete - or am I stuck with doing 3,200 miles and paying for the service in full (and what feels like paying for it twice!)?

Any advice appreciated: I have a May 2017 240i auto with a 38,000 Service Plan purchased with the car (it seemed like a good idea at the time). I have now done 35,400 miles and the service indicator is showing 3,200 miles before the next (major) service is due. My local BMW agent has advised me that to qualify for the service to be paid under the plan I must have the orange service light showing. I am not certain whether the said light will come on exactly after 3,200 miles (i.e. with me paying in full for the service), or a few hundred miles in advance of this (with the service potentially paid for under the plan) - and if so, what experience has taught other BMW owners the likely point is at which the light comes on? (By this I mean 200 miles in advance, 300 - or whatever.) Secondly, I might be able to encourage the car to think it needs a service that little bit earlier. I have already tried driving constantly in Sport+ and using more frequent manual gear changes - but this seems to have little or no perceptible impact (is just fun, but uses more fuel and the mileage count down remains the same). One thing I could do is give the car more cold starts and short drives (not good in the long term but probably OK for a very brief period). Again, any experience from other owners about what might reduce the service interval would be useful. Now, everyone is probably thinking "Tight-fisted Git" when they read this - but I don't think I am exactly doing BMW out of any money here. Rather the reverse - the minimal oil change service I had done about 15 months ago was probably not 30% of the plan cost, although I don't have the exact figures. My mistake I am afraid!