[docdrops]

I recently got an alert on my instrument cluster that my oil needs to be changed since 09/2020. While I was still in the month of september, It was alerting me that i still had 1,600 miles to go before I was due for an oil change.

When I go into me vehicle info/options in my control display, it still says I have around 1,600 miles to go before I'm due for an oil change. Everytime I start my 435i up it says that it has been due since 09/2020 below the instrument cluster. What's up with this? Does the system just assume how often you need an oil change based off of time period and not amount driven?

[Commerce]

It's whatever comes first - 1 year since the last oil change or mileage driven.

[Elvisfan]

Originally Posted by Opulence

It's whatever comes first - 1 year since the last oil change or mileage driven.

I’m due and I have 4,000 left. Haven’t done a lot of driving this past year.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Opulence

It's whatever comes first - 1 year since the last oil change or mileage driven.

As above.

Here in Europe we have mileage or 2-years, whichever comes first.

[Billfitz]

Two years is very bad advice in Northern Europe, or anywhere winter temperatures go below freezing, especially if you drive mainly short trips. That's what leads to water condensation in the crankcase. You should always change your oil and filter in the spring, unless you put the car up in the fall and don't drive it all winter.

[Desertnate]

He may be just saying that is how the maintenance minder is set up on the car.

Agree, two years is a really long time. I'd never go more than a year between oil changes regardless of climate or driving style. I can't believe BMW would do that...although my old E46 did have a 15K oil change interval.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

Two years is very bad advice in Northern Europe, or anywhere winter temperatures go below freezing, especially if you drive mainly short trips. That's what leads to water condensation in the crankcase. You should always change your oil and filter in the spring, unless you put the car up in the fall and don't drive it all winter.

I know this has been debated before, but there is a difference in attitudes towards oil changes in the US and current European practice.

BMW tried the 'two years' in the US and abandoned it, due to the entrenched ideas of more frequent oil services.

We've been 2-years or CBS mileage for over 15-years, in our BMWs. We were pushing 10,000 - 12,000 miles on semi-synthetic oils in many motors.

Even 'dirty' diesel is on the long 2-years or CBS intervals on fully synthetic oil. Diesel CBS is also somewhere between 15 - 20,000 miles.

[Billfitz]

Do you have an oil catch can? I do, and the first time I looked at the sludge it contained after a winter of driving convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt of the worth of changing oil every spring. I've known of the recommendation for going on 50 years, and always followed it anyway, but seeing the crud in my catch can up close was still a literal eye opener. I'm not a believer in changing at short intervals, with synthetic oil 15,000 miles doesn't bother it a bit. Intervals of less than that only made sense back in the days of mineral oil. But no matter what type of oil you use it doesn't get along well with water, and you are going to get condensation in the crankcase in cold weather, made worse if you don't drive long enough distances to boil it off every time you start the car.