GTO's BMW 530d goes in for its 11th-year annual service

To maintain such a car in top shape, you need a good independent who is supportive, knows his stuff and is better priced than the authorised workshop.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

The 530d recently went in for its 11th-year annual service.

Looks handsome, even when dirty from highway rains & muck:

• Over & above scheduled servicing requirements, I got a whole lot of small stuff fixed. For one, at the 11-year mark, small things have started breaking - there is a niggle every quarter or so (last quarter, the fuel tank lid wouldn't close). Second, I believe it's important to fix everything once a year...else the small niggles add up and your car starts feeling "old". Bigger things or little things, I get everything repaired/replaced in the one annual service.
• The 530d's reliability remains top class, better even than my Honda Civic & some other Japanese cars like the Nissan Sunny, my brother's Jetta (similar vintage & mileage), and C220. At 11 years, there have been no breakdowns or serious failures (*touches wood*). The engine, gearbox, main electricals, etc. are performing like champs.
• No doubt, maintaining this car is very expensive. I looked at the average amount and it falls right in the 2-lakh rupees/year ballpark that I keep quoting for older midsize German cars (a 3-Series might be cheaper, while a 7-Series might be more expensive). With an old luxury car, 2 lakhs a year is the minimum you should plan to spend.
• Of course, one reason for the higher amount is, that I don't cut corners. I get everything repaired, nothing is broken in my car as I type this post, and I only insist on top-quality parts & labour. It requires a commitment to keep spending top rupees on an 11-year-old German car, yet this is far cheaper than swapping it for a newer car. I don't believe an upgrade is yet worth it. The opportunity cost is too high, I would rather invest the money saved in the markets or in my company, and my petrolhead fix is catered to by driving all the new launches in India. The 530d is still enjoyable, fast, luxurious, and brings a smile to the face after every drive. The beast is ageing as well as Fernando Alonso & actor Anil Kapoor.
• To maintain such a car in top shape, you need a good independent who is supportive, knows his stuff, and is better priced than the authorised workshop. If any of these 3 factors are missing, you are in trouble. Akshay @ Redline Autohaus gets full credit for keeping my car in top shape.
• Everyone thinks these cars are very fragile. Yes & No, there are two sides to that. Yes, fragile means you cannot hit a speed-breaker at speed in such a car, drive it carelessly on bad roads, or park just anywhere. On the other hand, the 530d feels impressively strong & solid in the way it ages so slowly & gracefully (feels like a 4-5-year-old car, to be honest), the build quality is tight, the sturdiness is endearing and its high-speed stability is rock solid. Not to forget, the 5-star safety levels. The engine feels very crisp & revv-happy, while the 8-speed ZF AT is fast as ever.
• List of work done in this annual service:

1. Suspension work as it was feeling loose and clunky, especially the front end. The car has transformed with A+ handling & damping now.
2. Skimming the rear brake discs.
3. New wiper blades. The sheer pleasure of smooth, noise-free, and clean wiping without any lines left on the windscreen.
4. The driver-side mirror adjustment wasn't working. Got a new motor. That motor alone is for 5,500 bucks (before taxes and labour). Last quarter, when I needed to get my fuel lid fixed (it wasn't closing) and the boot dampers needed replacement (the boot was wildly opening in full force), the bill was 33k. This car isn't cheap to maintain. BMW has recently started offering 10-year extended warranties; I'd take that in a heartbeat for any future BMWs.
5. Left & Right Front AC vents. Overengineered German cars, and their under-engineered AC vents!
6. Bonnet, boot, and both bumpers painted. Lots of nicks & dents collected over the years from Bombay traffic, and debris falling on it when parked. The car looks beautiful now with its new paint. These dark colours are also very easy to match. A stock white would've gotten yellow'ish by now and the paint difference might have shown.
7. Interior & Exterior detailing.
8. Some steering rack repair.
9. Wheel alignment.

Here's to marching on to the 12th year in style

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