Oil change between service visits

[martz]

Originally Posted by nupe10123

Not they were automatics. Does transmission really matter for engine oil? I'm not a mechanic, but you have me curious.

Reason I asked is because I know of a couple myself that blew their engines not because they change their Oils more frequently than the suggested intervals by BMW, but because they mis-shifted and ended up with bent valves.

Changing oil is considered to be preventive maintenance. To prevent disaster! Just as you are suppose to replace the coolant , if not could result into overheating and eventually cause a blown headgasket and or
a warped head. Another type of engine failure. Let me reiterate, FLUIDS is what extends the life of the car... replace em'.... Even the so called Transmission Life Fill. Changed them at 60K. Why wait for it to fail when you can prevent failure.
Now that's me personally on how I maintain my vehicles and if anyone else feels that I am too Anal about it or think I am my wasting money... thats my prerogative!

[JCL]

Originally Posted by X5 in AK

A simple look at the timing of when exactly BMW changed their recommened service intervals tells a lot:

-Prior to BMW's 'free maintenance program', they said change your oil every 7500, change your diffy fluid every 30k, change your tranny fluid every 30k-60k depending on type, flush your coolant and brake fluid every few years, etc, etc.
-After implementation of BMW's 'free maintenance' program, they say change your oil every 15k, and never change any of the other fluid in the car, because now they are paying for it.

coincedence? I think not. These decisions are not driven by engineering, they are driven by marketing, with the engineer's input limited to 'yeah, most of the cars will make it thru the warranty period without grenading.'

You have a US-centric view of the world IMO. BMWNA's free maintenance is only in the US, not in the rest of the world. BMW of Canada does do scheduled maintenance, but elsewhere, it is on the owner's ticket. In the rest of the world, the fluid change recommendations changed despite BMW not being the benefactor.

With or without the free maintenance program, there is still a recommendation to change two other critical fluids, brake fluid and coolant. That is because those fluids do need changing, they wear due to time and not mileage.

So, yes, it is a coincidence that BMWNA introduced free maintenance at the same time as the engineers were specifying better long-life fluids.

If it was a conspiracy, how do you explain that BMW Financial Services holds the residuals (and thus the risk) on most leased BMWs?

Anyway, change your oil when you like, it is cheap, and besides the world has an unlimited supply (not).

[Emo]

Originally Posted by JCL

BMWNA's free maintenance is only in the US, not in the rest of the world. but elsewhere, it is on the owner's ticket. In the rest of the world, the fluid change recommendations changed despite BMW not being the benefactor

That Statement is not true. I purchased my e46 and X5 via European dealers and both were serviced (Inspection 1, oil service) free at the british dealerships were they were bought.

[lowell56]

is it safe to add additives such as "justice bros" engine tune-up to the motor?

[Wagner]

Emo - please call your dealer and ask him if you get 80000 km or 4 years Maintenance Free.

[Emo]

Originally Posted by WagnerX5

Emo - please call your dealer and ask him if you get 80000 km or 4 years Maintenance Free.

WagnerX5,

My cars are no longer in the UK, and irc it was 36000mi or 3yrs Maintenance Free. When I arrived in the states my new dealership just continued my maintenance plan as normal.

[mjohn2]

I just bought a 2002 x5 3.0. Do you know if i have some kind of indicator in the dash board that indicates the oil change . How often is the recommended oil change.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by mjohn2

I just bought a 2002 x5 3.0. Do you know if i have some kind of indicator in the dash board that indicates the oil change . How often is the recommended oil change.

Page 76 of your '02 Manual:

Service Interval Display

The range of available displays varies according to your individual vehicle's
equipment.

Green lamps

The number of illuminated lamps decreases as the time for your next
maintenance visit approaches.

Yellow lamp

This field appears together with OILSERVICE or INSPECTION.
Maintenance is due. Please contact your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle
center for an appointment.

Red lamp

The maintenance deadline has been
passed.

390us008

If you don't have an '02 Manual, there is a complete version via Acrobat,
found on the front page of this site:

Line item #8, under GenInfo & Guides: 2002 X5 Owner's Manual.

My strong Rec'd is to give it a read.

Most here do an "inbetween oil & filter change", eg every 7500 miles
or so. The oil interval, via that dashboard reminder system is 15K miles+,
which the oil may be ok at, quality-wise, but the filter is depleted and
the oil is on its last legs. Good Luck, welcome to the Board, but
give that Manual a good perusal, and use the Search Tab here: there
are few questions under the sun, on Xs and any topic, that have not
been asked/answered, here.
BR,mD

[X5Flyboy]

Boy, this is one topic everybody has a different opinion on! Alot's been said on this and quite afew other threads. If you will allow me, I'll try and sum some of this up.

First, oil is the life blood of your engine. It cools, lubricates, removes dirt(that comes in with the air) & metal particles (that occur with all the moving, rubbing engine parts) from your engine. Ignore oil changes and the result is a seizedup engine (which my sister did to a BMW2002, Ouch!)

Filters filter(duh!) out the particles from the oil. When filters become clogged, there is a bypass that will allow the oil to continue to circulate, but now the oil will become thicker and thicker with contaminents, not lubricate properly, resulting in excess wear on the engine parts, overheating, etc, etc, etc...

Now you know what it's supposed to do. Forgive me, those of you who know more and can tell it in greater detail. I'm just trying to Keep It Simple, Stupid (K.I.S.S.)

BMW has oil change indicators that, on average, show an oil change at 15K miles. It varies based upon your driving habits. ie, with all my interstate miles, my indicator averages 20K miles. You have to decide, based on your driving habits (jackrabbit starts, Driving Miss Daisy, Mario Andretti wantabe, soccer mom, etc) and your environment (clean mountain air, smoggy commuter traffic, dusty desert, Sand Storms even!) what interval is YOUR comfort level. For desert desert, I'd be changing mine every 5K or after every sand storm, whichever comes first! As it is, I do mine every 10K since I don't trust the oil filter to be at peak efficiency beyond that (and it does get dusty out here in farmland Idaho during planting & harvest)

There are some of us that are skeptical of the new oil change intervals, now that the manufacturers are picking up the tab. It's been also pointed out that the oils and filters are much better than what they used to be. Again, it's subjective. You decide what you are comfortable with. Personnally, I think they put the indicators in so a certain gender would remember to at least ask, "What's this?" But that's just my opinion.

Hope this helped clarify the subject abit.

[kevinx5]

It is good idea to change oil every six month if you want to keep your car for a long term.