When should you change the OIL on E70

[JCL]

Originally Posted by dbinc

That is not true....just for the people that may not know, reason to change the oil is due to breakdown (heat) and when companies say please change your oil either 3000 miles or 3 months is becuase, even if you don't reach 3000 miles and 3 months come up first you may get condensation in your oil especially in cold climates. If you already have condensation built up and you only drive short distances, your actually not buring the condensation, your actually building it even more.

This is just a little extreme. Yes, I agree that condensation builds up in the oil as a result of short trips in cold weather, when the engine never gets hot enough to burn off the condensation. The solution isn't to change the oil every 3 months, rather it is to drive the vehicle correctly.

'Wayne's Garage' is an oil change outlet that includes your quotes on their website. They also suggest that if you want to go to 6000 miles it is a good idea to change to synthetic oil. Slightly outdated given BMW requirements for synthetic oil.

3000 mile oil change interval recommendations are based on traditional (non-synthetic) oils used in vehicles with 4 quart sumps. This interval is also promoted by the oil change industry (no surprise).

While BMW and many others recommend a severe service schedule (reduced oil change intervals) that includes extended idling or many short trips in very cold weather, at no point is there a reason to go down to 3000 miles/3 months, except for the feel-good factor.

At the end of the day, every owner has to decide what is right for them. However, scare tactics promoted by Valvoline and oil change shops don't help. If you want to be really good to your car, follow the severe service schedule which cuts the oil change interval in half (7500 miles), and remember the time limit if you don't reach the mileage limit.

Oil is still a finite resource, and there is also the disposal impact. Both good reasons not to waste it.

[rvas69]

Originally Posted by JCL

At the end of the day, every owner has to decide what is right for them. However, scare tactics promoted by Valvoline and oil change shops don't help.

As with any other product, consumers are brainwashed to get more, to pay more, to change more.

[bell407]

Just a short question, which oil grades do you use on your E70 in the US??
Are these minerals or fully synthetic grades.
In Europe it is standard to have fully synthetic long life oils with 10W30 or 10W40 grades or even up to 0W30. Service intervalls are 30.000km or all 24 months whatever comes first. They do this quite a couple of years now and it´s working excellent. BTW, there is no service included when you buy the car in Germany.
Only the BMW M-Models require a 2500km breaking in Service and have reduced service intervalls (25.000km instead of 30.000).

So long

Christian

[rvas69]

I believe it is same fully synthetic oil here in the US and the same rules, 15k miles or something.

[JCL]

In the US and Canada the BMW recommendation is for 5-30, full synthetic. If the vehicle has low annual mileage, BMW recommend to change the oil and filter every 24 months regardless.

The service lights work out to about 24,000 km in my experience (approx 15,000 miles).

Because BMW includes free oil changes in North America, many owners automatically equate longer oil change intervals with cost-cutting recommendations by BMW marketing departments. IMO, that doesn't fit for two reasons: many countries do not have BMW maintenance included, and have even longer intervals (as you post), and secondly, BMW Financial Services holds the residuals on most leased BMW vehicles, so they have an incentive to care about the vehicle condition at the end of the lease.

There is not a history of engine failures due to extended oil change intervals. However, this is an enthusiast board, and many want to change the oil more often to be nice to their vehicle. Personally, I understand that thinking, even though I follow the BMW recommendations, but I can't see any logic whatsoever in changing the oil at five times the manufacturer's recommended interval, especially without any data to support the requirement for early oil change intervals.

At the end of the day, as I said above, it is up to each owner. I just get a little bothered by promoting the blatant wasting of natural resources, using marketing information from companies selling traditional non-synthetic motor oils.

[sickyute]

bmw says 15,000 miles.
i'd prefer to do it every 7500.
will bmw honor their warranty at that interval as opposed to their 15K interval?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by sickyute

bmw says 15,000 miles.
i'd prefer to do it every 7500.
will bmw honor their warranty at that interval as opposed to their 15K interval?

Do you mean maintenance plan instead of warranty? No warranty on oil changes.

If so, the maintenance plan only provides free oil changes when the service indicator lights say so (about 15,000 miles). Some dealers will change oil early if you have low annual mileage; my dealer will do oil changes at 14 months (in my case, that is BMW Canada, not BMWNA). YMMV.

[Wpcmac]

Dbinc what are you basing your recommendation of every 3k on? I agree that changing your oil more frequently certainly can't hurt but BMW recommends much longer intervals (15k on my 335i and 10k-15k on my X5). Considering BMW is on the hook for 4 years or 50k(and most of the cars end up CPO'd to 6 yrs/100k), I would assume that following the manu. recom. must not be detrimental to the engine and that changing the oil more frequently is just a waste of money (for a BMW running synthetic anyway, I would take a different position for cars running standard oil ).

[sickyute]

yeah i meant maintenance plan.

[TROPICSX5]

BMW says 1 year which is fine but I only drive 5K a year with X5 and Z4.