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I have a beef with the oil service computer

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  aimtimes100 
#1 · (Edited)
I have a 2002 X5 3.0, bought used with 83,000 miles. I now have about 84,000. The oil service light has 3 bars showing. that would be 12,000 miles I assume. but, no matter. I want a baseline so this weekeend I changed my oil. Mobil 1 with a trusty purolator oil filter...

I was shocked and mad. according to the computer I had 12,000 miles left on the oil and filter. To my shock and anger The old oil looked like mud not black but brownish black, the filter was so caked with black sludge I could dig it out with a screw driver, there were visible solids in the bottom of the drain catch pan:(.

How in the hell:mad: does oil in 3 to 4 thou miles get so dang contaminated? how does BMW expect me to trust this damn computer? I say the computer didn't know what it was saying and I was seduced into trusting it.

I will no longer use the computer for gauging my oil changes. and as for the 15,000 mile interval... I am moving it to 6,000 miles... what I can afford a BMW??? but, I can't afford $69 every 6,000 miles for oil and filter? I think its bogus.

I am really in love with this car it runs like brand new, but, if the previous owner did things by the computer then I am affraid my engine has been abused.

I recorded the mileage and date in the book)the old fashioned way) and I will service at 6,000 just like I have done forevr with all my other cars.:mad::mad:

Sorry for the rant. Sometimes I think BMW has some strong Kool Aid.
 
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#2 ·
Your anger is misdirected. The oil computer isn't really a computer, it is more like an odometer, with a slight adjustment up or down depending on how hard you drive (it varies by fuel consumed). It can be reset by anyone. If you bought a used vehicle, it is only logical that you check the service records. If you don't have any service records, it is reasonable to change the oil and filter. It is establishing a base line, just as you said. The computer reading may have absolutely no connection with when the last oil change was done, and based on the reported condition of the filter, probably doesn't.

Just an aside, but you put a Purolator filter in it? Really? Good idea to change it much more frequently then. OEM filters work very well, and aren't expensive.
 
#3 ·
How do you know how often and with what oil, the previous owner changed the oil? The computer just counts fuel use, nothing more. Now is a very bad time to find out the previous owner used the wrong oil.

BMW LL-01. That's all you need to know. Yet even BMW service techs think Castrol Syntec 5W-30 is OK. Wrong oil + 15,000 mile BMW change intervals = sludge.
 
#4 ·
Don't forget how the car was used before you got it. Severe dusty driving conditions will also impact oil condition. Then too, it is not unknown for oil to be changed, but the filter forgotten. I have used Purolater filters in cars, trucks, and boats for years with no problem.
 
#5 ·
When it comes to synthetic oils I have always trusted Mobil 1 but, I don't doubt that the BMW syn oil is a great oil. I might try it next time. I was told that castrol Syntec was a syn blend and therefor didn't have the life of Synthetic.

You might be right about the dusty conditions. The air filter was full of dust like what is kicked up on a dirt road. I thought that was wierd because my experience has been that my dirty filters are darker and more oily not dusty. when I hit it against the trash can it kicked up a cloud of dust, of course I changed it too.

I intend to change this oil myself every 6,000 miles. I know I'm may be wasting good syn oil but, I feel that I might be making up for excess wear it got in the earlier miles. for $70 bucks twice or 3 times a year it gives me piece of mind.

Has anyone tried the new castrol full synthetic in their X5?
 
#7 · (Edited)
When it comes to synthetic oils I have always trusted Mobil 1 but, I don't doubt that the BMW syn oil is a great oil. I might try it next time. I was told that castrol Syntec was a syn blend and therefor didn't have the life of Synthetic.
There are at least two different Castrol Syntec oils. One is labelled Syntec Blend, and is not a full synthetic. Another is labelled Syntec, and is a full synthetic. It meets a higher spec if you look at the product data sheets.

There is a whole other debate about the base stock used (group 3 vs group 4), but the various Castrol oils meet the same spec, so I don't worry about it.

The oil that BMW packages here is Castrol Syntec (the full synthetic, not the blend), and is the same price as Syntec at an autoparts store. It is all I use.
 
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