Chandlers BMW, Portslade

[Yanto]

Car needed a time based Inspection 2 and a general check over. Since Elms love has been fading of late, needed to find a new dealer in the event any warranty work came up. Chandlers (and James's (aka Monkey)) name popped up a couple of times, so thought I'd give them a try and dropped the car in 3 weeks back. Asked specifically James work on it.

I've been VERY VERY impressed by the quality of service and by James in particular. A number of issues were identified (all general wear related - drivetrain, diff, pas, oil leak and other bits) and despite it being away for 3 weeks being sorted, James has kept me updated every step with emails every other day detailing diagnosis of problem (cause and effect) work being done, approximate costs, time to complete with video and photographs regularly showing pre / post work. He also went out his way to pick up a couple of bits for me that weren't in stock. Also a couple of courtesy follow up calls before pick up. Proper old school personal service that many dealers just don't provide these days and a credit to him.

Picked up today with wad of paperwork detailing work (including my first ever 6 page invoice...ouch :hahaha:) but pleased to say that there was an even balance between what I paid for and what the warranty covered.

Good to get back behind the wheel today and an A road blast from Chandlers to Munich Legends for a quick poke around. After overtaking a few cars and pulling into Shell to gas up, an old boy (who I'd earlier shot past) pulled into the garage behind me to tell me that it had been his best experience of being overtaken in his life (the sound) :hahaha:

A good day out. Still plenty of love for the G man and Bartletts here, but for those running warranty and anticipate something might get picked up / wanting to run FBMWSH (as I do as long as there are reputable dealers for CSL care), I have no hesitation in recommending James / Chandlers. :beer:

[cslsuperfan]

Car needed a time based Inspection 2 and a general check over. Since Elms love has been fading of late, needed to find a new dealer in the event any warranty work came up. Chandlers (and James's (aka Monkey)) name popped up a couple of times, so thought I'd give them a try and dropped the car in 3 weeks back. Asked specifically James work on it.

I've been VERY VERY impressed by the quality of service and by James in particular. A number of issues were identified (all general wear related - drivetrain, diff, pas, oil leak and other bits) and despite it being away for 3 weeks being sorted, James has kept me updated every step with emails every other day detailing diagnosis of problem (cause and effect) work being done, approximate costs, time to complete with video and photographs regularly showing pre / post work. He also went out his way to pick up a couple of bits for me that weren't in stock. Also a couple of courtesy follow up calls before pick up. Proper old school personal service that many dealers just don't provide these days and a credit to him.

Picked up today with wad of paperwork detailing work (including my first ever 6 page invoice...ouch :hahaha:) but pleased to say that there was an even balance between what I paid for and what the warranty covered.

Good to get back behind the wheel today and an A road blast from Chandlers to Munich Legends for a quick poke around. After overtaking a few cars and pulling into Shell to gas up, an old boy (who I'd earlier shot past) pulled into the garage behind me to tell me that it had been his best experience of being overtaken in his life (the sound) :hahaha:

A good day out. Still plenty of love for the G man and Bartletts here, but for those running warranty and anticipate something might get picked up / wanting to run FBMWSH (as I do as long as there are reputable dealers for CSL care), I have no hesitation in recommending James / Chandlers. :beer:


James was on the Munich trip riding shotgun with John (streightsix)

Top chap

Got all married and kids and stuff since I last saw him.

[HFLagos]

Well said Yanto, mirrors exactly my experience when my car was at Chandlers and James looked after it.

;)

[mattCSLnut]

Great to hear all went very well Ian :thumbs: told you James was good :smokin:

[outnumbered]

Might take mine down there for the next service then....

[VJP84]

Just had my car back from Chandlers after an inspection 1 service. I took it there after the recommendations on the forum, and have to say James did a quite brilliant job!

Always kept in the loop and he spent a good while going through the car with me after he had inspected it. Hats of to him and Chandlers, and thanks to those who made the recommendation! One very happy CSL owner....:thumbs:

[outnumbered]

Mine has just spent a week at the seaside, including oil service, compression test, time-based brake fluid change. Happily the compression test was fine, so no head gasket issues to worry about. James also found a couple of oil leaks and a differential problem that were covered by the warranty. Great communication all week, and he's clearly a man who knows his stuff on these cars.

All in all, an excellent experience, so anyone needing a franchised dealer to work on their CSL should look no further than Chandlers....

[ZKMI]

Very helpful thread.:thumbs:

[HFLagos]

Just had the car back after 4 weeks, it's been down at Chandlers being looked after by James.

You only need to read the first post from Yanto, James has been brilliant again to deal with. Detailed photos and write up of everything done, regular updates, hugely reassuring write up and photos on the A1 condition of the cylinder head / engine block / pistons etc etc.

Plenty of warranty work undertaken, new camshaft / gearbox amongst other things, also had a new clutch & MOT done whilst the opportunity was present. Took a total of 4 weeks, some backorder parts from Germany had to come through, luckily just before stock ran out otherwise it would have been a massive wait.

Cheers James (aka Monkey) :beer:

[Pip1968]

I just want to add to the list of happy customers. I have been meaning to get Monkey/James to do a compression test on my CSL and finally got around to getting it done. This along with the DSC fault which incidentally turned out to require a new DSC pressure sensor was attended to by Monkey.

James also pointed out a few things I should be aware of and it was refreshing to be able to have a look as he talked me through the areas of interest/concern instead of just speaking to a service advisor.

Apart from being a very personable character and having great knowledge of the CSL the level of communication and flexibility Monkey provides is second none.

In case you have not guessed I cannot recommend him enough. Finally Chandlers and Monkey himself does nights which is ideal if you are busy. I dropped off at 1930 and could have had her back that night but chose to pick her up the next day.

I have come across only two people I consider to go above and beyond the normal BMW dealership service. Monkey/James is one and the other (ex BMW) is now working as an advisor for Ferrari.

Thank you once again Monkey.

Pip

[Monkey]

Just wanted to wish you guys a Merry Xmas, and a Happy New Year from everyone at Chandlers Brighton!

Thank you for your continued support, I look forward to seeing many of you in 2017:smokin:

Kind regards
James

[ZKMI]

Hope all are well.

Just thought I would share my experience at Chandlers Brighton for 2017.

I echo all the reviews above.

James (Monkey) has been absolutely fantastic in keeping me updated during my inspection 1/Brake fluid change and he certainly knows his stuff around these cars and seems very genuine.

As much I enjoy driving the CSL I had a hand injury last year which prevented me from using the car as much as I intended so I'm hoping for more usage this summer.

My inspection 1 was due in May but I pushed it forward to March so I could save a few more pennies for a potential detail later in the year.

I took the journey down from London with my wife and arrived in just over an hour.

We had intended to spend the day in Brighton and pick the kids up in the late afternoon from school.

James took time to show me round the car and put it on the ramp and point out the usual things that can go wrong with these cars.

I was updated daily with pictures and phone calls with a loan car provided. (BMW M4)

4 weeks later..Inspection 1 was complete with the brake fluid change and many other items rectified with the main ones covered under the BMW warranty which fortunately saved me thousands of pounds.

The boot floor has already been replaced by BMW so there were no new cracks evident.

James reassured me the car was in great health with the engine looking as though it has been correctly maintained with the SMG pump running fine.

Oil service is due in 2019 and I have no hesitation in using James again and continuing the FBMWSH with a possible interim service planned for next year (dependant on annual mileage).

Awesome drive back (with plenty of thumbs up again) and I learnt a great deal from the experience and it's comforting to know another trusted place I can leave my car.

Thanks again James, and looking forward to seeing the M car section of the showroom when it finally happens..:beer:

(Joking about the M4!):whistle:

[Matt21]

Taking both of my CSLs down to James in a week. One for service and potential warranty work, and one for SOR.

Based on the feedback here looks like it will be worth the 300 mile round trip

[Yanto]

Taking the M2 there next Sat (8th) for running in service already !!

[Yanto]

Hope all are well.

Just thought I would share my experience at Chandlers Brighton for 2017.

I echo all the reviews above.

James (Monkey) has been absolutely fantastic in keeping me updated during my inspection 1/Brake fluid change and he certainly knows his stuff around these cars and seems very genuine.

As much I enjoy driving the CSL I had a hand injury last year which prevented me from using the car as much as I intended so I'm hoping for more usage this summer.

My inspection 1 was due in May but I pushed it forward to March so I could save a few more pennies for a potential detail later in the year.

I took the journey down from London with my wife and arrived in just over an hour.

We had intended to spend the day in Brighton and pick the kids up in the late afternoon from school.

James took time to show me round the car and put it on the ramp and point out the usual things that can go wrong with these cars.

I was updated daily with pictures and phone calls with a loan car provided. (BMW M4)

4 weeks later..Inspection 1 was complete with the brake fluid change and many other items rectified with the main ones covered under the BMW warranty which fortunately saved me thousands of pounds.

The boot floor has already been replaced by BMW so there were no new cracks evident.

James reassured me the car was in great health with the engine looking as though it has been correctly maintained with the SMG pump running fine.

Oil service is due in 2019 and I have no hesitation in using James again and continuing the FBMWSH with a possible interim service planned for next year (dependant on annual mileage).

Awesome drive back (with plenty of thumbs up again) and I learnt a great deal from the experience and it's comforting to know another trusted place I can leave my car.

Thanks again James, and looking forward to seeing the M car section of the showroom when it finally happens..:beer:

(Joking about the M4!):whistle:

Still waiting for the invite round for a cuppa and poke around the car;)

[ZKMI]

Still waiting for the invite round for a cuppa and poke around the car;)

Your welcome anytime matey.

Take the cars for a spin tomorrow early afternoon if your around..need to see that lovely M2 in the flesh!:supz:

[Yanto]

Your welcome anytime matey.

Take the cars for a spin tomorrow early afternoon if your around..need to see that lovely M2 in the flesh!:supz:

Yeah, free from 12. Whatsapp you :beer:

[ZKMI]

Yeah, free from 12. Whatsapp you :beer:

Perfect.:smokin:

[Yanto]

Shout out for James for turning around the running in service quickly today on M2. Had a very grumpy Mrs Yanto in tow after picking up from Gatwick after an overnight flight from U.S with no sleep:hahaha:

Thx mate :beer:

[shimmy]

Shout out for James for turning around the running in service quickly today on M2. Had a very grumpy Mrs Yanto in tow after picking up from Gatwick after an overnight flight from U.S with no sleep:hahaha:

Thx mate :beer:

Brave man :supz:

[Yanto]

Brave man :supz:

With hindsight, I'd call it fcukin stupid mate :hahaha:

It was very tense....

[shimmy]

With hindsight, I'd call it fcukin stupid mate :hahaha:

It was very tense....

Iirc i did express my concerns a few weeks ago:hahaha:

[Monkey]

Shout out for James for turning around the running in service quickly today on M2. Had a very grumpy Mrs Yanto in tow after picking up from Gatwick after an overnight flight from U.S with no sleep:hahaha:

Thx mate :beer:


My pleasure😆

[Matt21]

Just taken both CSLs in to James for some work. The first was to be prepped for sale, and the second for a service and some warranty work which eventually ended up being head gasket, cams, diff and a few other bits...thank goodness for the BMW warranty, which covered about £9000 of spend!

I have nothing but praise for the service and communication from James. His knowledge and passion are clear, which makes a difference when you leave two cars with a dealer for 6 weeks. He kept me up to speed almost on a daily basis, and tried to keep my costs down where possible.

Although I live a 300 mile round trip away I will definitely continue to use these guys.

James, thanks again, keep up the great work!

[Yanto]

Just taken both CSLs in to James for some work. The first was to be prepped for sale, and the second for a service and some warranty work which eventually ended up being head gasket, cams, diff and a few other bits...thank goodness for the BMW warranty, which covered about £9000 of spend!

I have nothing but praise for the service and communication from James. His knowledge and passion are clear, which makes a difference when you leave two cars with a dealer for 6 weeks. He kept me up to speed almost on a daily basis, and tried to keep my costs down where possible.

Although I live a 300 mile round trip away I will definitely continue to use these guys.

James, thanks again, keep up the great work!

:thumbs:

Good to hear....building a strong rep now James...and well deserved.

(Make sure you show this thread to the DP around salary review time ;) )

[Pip1968]

:thumbs:

Good to hear....building a strong rep now James...and well deserved.

(Make sure you show this thread to the DP around salary review time ;) )

Yanto, you should get your quill and parchment out and drop his DP a line. That is what I did. All sent by carrier pigeon and even got a reply back (with corrections and spellings marked :hahaha:).

Pip

[scoobs998]

I have just collected my car from James @ Chandlers also. (Seen yours Matt when dropping mine off) Originally in for service but had a cylinder leakage test carried out & ended up with head gasket & cam replacement!
From my first contact with James and booking the car in right up to a courtesy follow up email after collection I couldn't of been kept informed any better, with both pictures, costings & timescales etc.
My overall experience was an absolute pleasure & as Matt said James knowledge & passion are clear from the outset which makes you feel at ease & he understands what our cars mean to us.
I also had a 300 mile round journey but it was well worth it.
Thanks again James :beer:

[HFLagos]

My car was also with James a little while back, had a niggling noise too that needed looking at, as you'd expect James was extremely thorough and communication great. :beer:

[Malcolm D]

Yep, me too, I'd like to offer my thanks to James, he's been brilliant whilst my car was at Chandlers having service and other work done. Kept me up to date with everything that was going on. Seems to go the extra mile as normal! Thanks James.

[Heisenburg]

Big fan of James here too.

Had the CSL in at Chandlers recently to get the gearbox replaced. Also had the boot floor replaced and strengthened as it was showing some early signs of cracking. This is a 2hr trip for me and was my second time back.

James was fantastic as usual, sorting out all the warranty related items, the loan car (new 320d - loved it), and keeping me informed throughout. When I went to collect, he organised a detailed inspection for me while the car was still up on the ramp, and gave me a USB full of photos. Definitely went above and beyond.

Many thanks again James :thumbs:

[Jon8710]

gents

just going over what has already been said but met James again last week and collected my car, the detail he went through was fantastic
he sorted out all the warranty issues and I got it back in a timely manor ready for Spa next week.

needless to say my car will always be making the trip to chandlers from now on.

many thanks mate

[Yanto]

Back to the top...

Service on CSL today all done whist I drank coffee and had a sniff around 2 (count em) M4 CS's.....stunning cars. Can decide between one of these and the 760il which is an absolute beast ! :smokin:

Good to see you again today James - first class experience as always !

[VJP84]

Mine just been in for an oil and brake fluid and as usual service provided from James was 2nd to none. Very happy customer thanks James! :thumbs:

[GTAStradale]

Hi guys - just handed in my CSL to James at BMW Chandlers yesterday. SG car with 60k miles. I am proud to say that I probably made the longest journey - 700 miles from Zurich to Brighton :smokin: ! The country roads in France were absolutely great and crossing the chanel in the train definitely a great experience!
As you described James is really great and I feel very comfortable that my CSL is in right hands! Will keep you posted!

[Heisenburg]

Another happy costumer here. Many thanks James again for sorting out my Inspection I plus the other few bits and bobs. Went above and beyond as per usual. Cheers mate :thumbs:

[Jon8710]

James had my car for 3 weeks recently
New cams rocker arms ect ect
His attention to detail is 110% and a bloody nice bloke to top it off
Shame he has now moved to the sales side of things as you will be hard pushed to find s better man to work on you CSL.
Good luck in the new venture buddy xx

[ZKMI]

Big thanks to James and Matt for overseeing my inspection.

Always a pleasurable drive back with the family.

All ready for summer.

Cheers guys.:thumbs:

[Yanto]

Big thanks to James and Matt for overseeing my inspection.

Always a pleasurable drive back with the family.

All ready for summer.

Cheers guys.:thumbs:

We should have a drive out soon pal :beer:

[Trawler]

We should have a drive out soon pal :beer:

Be nice to join you if I can gate crash

[Yanto]

Be nice to join you if I can gate crash
:beer: of course

[ZKMI]

We should have a drive out soon pal :beer:

:supz:

[Monkey]

Shame I missed you on the pick up this visit Ian, see you again in a couple of years I guess:hahaha: