When to Change Oil

[kbrisson]

I just purchased a CPO '06 X3 with 23K miles. The first oil change was done at 17K miles this past January. The dealer said I should come in for an oil change in January '09, regardless of mileage for an oil change. My serice indicator is stating about 10,300 miles until next service. I've always changed oil in my vehicles every 3K miles. I understand the X3 uses full-synthetic, but oil changes once a year and 15K miles doesn't seem like enough. Should I do an oil change now and then bring it in for the dealer oil change just before 30K ?

[cmyX6go]

I too used to change my oil religiously every 3500 miles and it was a shock to the system to go 10K miles. If you need an oil change before next January, I'm pretty sure the X3 will tell you (the X5 does). If it makes you feel better, you can change it. Some here do. I picked up my 08 X5 Dec '07 and I'm just going in for my first service tomorrow at 11,000 miles.

Good luck and welcome

[Quicksilver]

Lots of folks split the difference and do one at 7500 without resetting the light. Then let the dealer do the normal oil service when it's time.

[E61Silver]

If I owned it I would change it more than once a year or 15,000 miles, somewhere at or 7,500 to 10,000 miles, depending on how it is used.

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by Quicksilver

Lots of folks split the difference and do one at 7500 without resetting the light. Then let the dealer do the normal oil service when it's time.

+1.

[JCL]

You will have already gathered that opinions vary.

There isn't any documented reason to change the oil early. We are still waiting for that famous thread titled "I followed the manufacturer's recommendations and my engine failed". It hasn't happened yet. We have had the same BMW recommendations for years, and we are still waiting.

The manufacturer's recommendations are for 15,000 miles or a time limit, whichever comes first. It used to be one year, but they are pushing two years now. That has more to do with filter life than oil life.

If you don't go over 15,000 miles, and you reach one year, that is a safe interval based on the information we have today. There are pictures of an engine with 100,000 miles and factory oil changes on this site. It looked very clean. We don't have evidence of any failures for following the recommended service interval. If you do lots of short trips, especially in cold weather, 1 year can't hurt. 3000 miles is definitely over-servicing though, by any count. That is five times the manufacturer's recommendation. You might as well change your tires every 3000 km.

I am on my 6th BMW, and all of them have had oil changes by the BMW recommendations. Never had a problem, and haven't yet seen someone else with a problem from following BMW's recommendations.

[phuksi]

Agree with previous post that with current synthetic oils it is unnecessary to deviate from manufacturer's guidance. I do my oil change based on the car notification or when enough time has gone. Sure it is safe to change it more often but I don't find it giving any value.

It's a different story if you have really rough and dirty driving conditions. But normal urban driving you should be fine by following the BMW instructions.

Sure after 20000km it is not the same as new but does the job properly.

In the old old days you did not have to change oil at all. All you did was add oil and change the filter

- p

[Wagner]

3,500 is usually the standard though since BMW took over maintenance in the US, the interval is now 15K

It isn't that hard to do yourself, so I'd stick with the 3,500 philosophy.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by Wagner

3,500 is usually the standard though since BMW took over maintenance in the US, the interval is now 15K

It isn't that hard to do yourself, so I'd stick with the 3,500 philosophy.

Did you mean 7500, or 3500? How far back do we have to go to get a BMW recommendation for 3500 miles? edit: I just checked the BMW schedule, and it was 10,000 miles from 1992. It was 7500 miles in 1991. It went to 15,000 miles in 1999. If it has been at 15,000 miles for that long, then there has been time for higher mileage vehicles to show up with engine failures.

I see a lot of posters recommending 7500, because it is half the 15,000 from BMW and then you can alternate one paid change with one free change. If you are going to go more often than 15,000 then it makes little sense to do one at 10,000 and another after an additional 5,000 miles.

I think you will find that the 15,000 mile change interval (24,000 km) applies outside the US, in many places where maintenance isn't covered. The recommendation is from BMW the manufacturer, not the BMW marketing department in the US. Just say no to conspiracy theories

[Wagner]

No I meant 3,500. I didn't say BMW said this, I implied it was the default. And judging by some other posts a few of us beleive that

Oil is cheap and the resulting problems bad oil can cause on rockers and the rest of the motor is not worth it IMO.