[sprmkay]

Sitting currently at 5800 miles on my 4 series. I am a new BMW owner and concerned about my maintenance now that i'm creeping up at miles. For my oil change, does it hurt if I wait til 6000 miles to do the service or should it had been done at 5000?


Also, i'm in germany for the moment so if I had to get it done is going to BMW better than any other local auto store? I would love to save money but the only reason why I'm considering going to them is because I believe they are the only ones that can log oil changes into your car's system.

[chowser51]

I do mine every 6 months or 7500 miles. Whichever comes first. I just keep the receipts in a folder with date and time of change. I reset the computer interval myself. Obviously it's not logged in the "system" but I haven't had any issues. I'm about to break 70k miles.

[J555]

Do you have the BMW's integrated service plan? If yes, it doesn't matter, as BMW files only the maintenance according to plan. Otherwise, you would never get the pre-paid oil change. At least my plan is 1 year or 30.000 km, whichever comes first.

I am getting the oil changed by my BMW dealer, as the price is not that much higher than in good independent garage (this is the only service task I can tell this, though ).

[AspektUSA]

<6000mi seems like a total waste.

In Germany, BMWs can run up to 18,500mi/2yrs before a service.

[learntocode]

It was found during my engine oil sample, there were above the universal averages for iron & copper. So maybe it was a good idea to change out the oil before 5,000 miles.

[sprmkay]

Originally Posted by AspektUSA

<6000mi seems like a total waste.

In Germany, BMWs can run up to 18,500mi/2yrs before a service.

This is true, I have heard of that

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by AspektUSA

<6000mi seems like a total waste.

In Germany, BMWs can run up to 18,500mi/2yrs before a service.

Oil is oil and it degrades. The bigger problem though is the filters which struggle to last the extended service interval, at which point is it really filtering properly? My tutor at uni (automotive engineering) a good number of years ago was involved in the development of the E39 M5 engine and was adamant that long life service intervals were purely for the reduction of maintenance and lease costs up to the point the warranty ran out, nothing more. Sure, it *can* last that long but it'll be long past its best. Oil is cheap, unless you get a dealer to do intermediate oil changes, whereas engines and turbos are expensive.

<6k seems excessive for a normal car that's untuned but 10k is pretty reasonable and what I'll be doing with my F31. In contrast my Impreza runs just north of 300bhp (225bhp standard) and has its arse kicked pretty much every time it's driven so is now about every 2500 miles! For most of its life with me it's been a max of 5k miles, although now annual mileage has dropped off significantly.

[AspektUSA]

Originally Posted by Ennoch

Oil is oil and it degrades. The bigger problem though is the filters which struggle to last the extended service interval, at which point is it really filtering properly? My tutor at uni (automotive engineering) a good number of years ago was involved in the development of the E39 M5 engine and was adamant that long life service intervals were purely for the reduction of maintenance and lease costs up to the point the warranty ran out, nothing more. Sure, it *can* last that long but it'll be long past its best. Oil is cheap, unless you get a dealer to do intermediate oil changes, whereas engines and turbos are expensive.

<6k seems excessive for a normal car that's untuned but 10k is pretty reasonable and what I'll be doing with my F31. In contrast my Impreza runs just north of 300bhp (225bhp standard) and has its arse kicked pretty much every time it's driven so is now about every 2500 miles! For most of its life with me it's been a max of 5k miles, although now annual mileage has dropped off significantly.

Keep in mind, you're talking about a 20-25 year old design at this stage.

What's you take on the conspiracy theory that most engine wear occurs on a fresh fill of oil?
Before the new oil has a chance to run in with the parts, and coat the surfaces in new film/chemicals.

Here's an E30 run 1,000,00mi on BMW's service schedule.

Zero engine wear.

[Ennoch]

Originally Posted by AspektUSA

Keep in mind, you're talking about a 20-25 year old design at this stage.

What's you take on the conspiracy theory that most engine wear occurs on a fresh fill of oil?
Before the new oil has a chance to run in with the parts, and coat the surfaces in new film/chemicals.


Here's an E30 run 1,000,00mi on BMW's service schedule.

Zero engine wear.

Subaru owners used to be hilarious with the religious/ritualistic oil changes and would take spark plugs etc out to build up oil pressure, but I just can't see how it makes a difference. If you leave a car overnight all the oil sits in the sump. If you change the oil, all the oil ends up in the sump. That most damage occurs when the engine is cold and is undergoing its first start of the day is pretty much a given, but after that it's all shades.

You have to remember that not every engine is created equal, and while that engine lasted 1m miles, it did so on 7.5k service intervals which are a far cry from 20k! Anecdotal from a garage mechanic, but a cousin of mine runs a garage in the north of Scotland having been head mechanic/running the workshop at a Merc dealership for a number of years and he has had numerous cases in the last decade where paper oil filters have been in the process of disintegrating when he's pulled them out to change on long life.

Sure, engine design has improved in the last thirty years, allegedly, as have oils. But you also have to remember that many engine developments have been purely in the chasing of fuel economy and CO2, not longevity (although that happens obviously). Most euro/economy engines are high power per litre and thus more highly strung than some low output per litre 'american' engine (I say this simplistically, I know), and that puts more strain into an engine. Oil galleries are thinner and reliant on lower viscosity oils which then makes them more susceptible to oil degradation. Fair enough, if you're struggling to put fuel in your car then extra oil changes are probably not on your list. But I buy a car to keep long term and therefore I view engine oil replacements to be a cheap form of insurance. Even if I was keeping a car for three years and then shifting I would still do interim oil changes as I don't like to see things becoming scrap before their time. I'm not a militant male version of Greta Thunberg but I do give a crap about the environment, and in a bigger picture than just trying to lower CO2 outputs...