[Eurosport]

Is it worth buying certified or used (15-30,000mi) bmws (323-5)?
I am worried about the oil change interval on newer bimmers!
Regards, E.

 

[scottn2retro]

I think I understand your concern

I think many of the people on this forum with the newer cars change the oil more frequently than the indicator lights tell them to. It's a matter of philosophy and some guys will change the oil every 3K miles no matter what the new service intervals are (and driving habits for the track guys may play into it as well).

If you buy a new car, there is nothing stopping you from changing the oil more frequently if that's your preference. I know a guy with a pretty new M3 that changed oil at the dealer prior to a track event even though it wasn't time. Since it was before the interval, he paid for oil and fliter and then another $14 for labor and waste disposal (which I thought was good for a dealer).

There are Do-It-Yourself oil extractors (Chipster has one) that apparently are easy to use.

 

[Mystikal]

I bought a 1.5 year old 323, and it had 20k miles on it at the time. I guess I'm right in the brackets that you posted.

There was a record of at least 2 oil changes in the maintenance book. :dunno:

I don't have much intention of changing the oil before the OBC tells me to, though. :dunno:

 

[Franco Karzag]

OIl change intervals (my $0.02)

I bought a 1.5 year old 323, and it had 20k miles on it at the time. I guess I'm right in the brackets that you posted.

There was a record of at least 2 oil changes in the maintenance book. :dunno:

I don't have much intention of changing the oil before the OBC tells me to, though. :dunno:

My advice is to change your oil at least once a year regardless of what the computer tells you to do. It is the most cost effective form of maintenance available. Ask anyone who has a BMW or for that matter any other make of vehicle with 200k + miles on the original motor. I think you'll find that frequent (though I think every 3k miles is excessive) oil changes add trouble free miles to your vehicle.

Franco

 

[Mystikal]

Re: OIl change intervals (my $0.02)

My advice is to change your oil at least once a year regardless of what the computer tells you to do. It is the most cost effective form of maintenance available. Ask anyone who has a BMW or for that matter any other make of vehicle with 200k + miles on the original motor. I think you'll find that frequent (though I think every 3k miles is excessive) oil changes add trouble free miles to your vehicle.

Franco

Once a year will be done, the car is driven more than 20k km's a year now that I have it.

As for high-mileage Bimmer's my dad owns a 1991 E30 325is that he bought new. He changes the oil based strictly on the OBC, by himself in the garage. It has 230k km's and has yet to be opened up for any type of service. :thumb:

 

[Chipster]

Re: I think I understand your concern

There are Do-It-Yourself oil extractors (Chipster has one) that apparently are easy to use.

Here are the details on the oil extractor:
www.webs4racers.com/bmw/oil

Super easy to use and does not make a mess. BMW filters are on the top of the engine so you never have to get under the car to change the oil!:thumb:

 

[Patrick]

Re: I think I understand your concern

I think many of the people on this forum with the newer cars change the oil more frequently than the indicator lights tell them to. It's a matter of philosophy and some guys will change the oil every 3K miles no matter what the new service intervals are (and driving habits for the track guys may play into it as well).

Although this makes no sense I am happy to have some of my retirement insurance in several oil companies.

Are BMW owners really smarter than the engineers that designed the cars that they drive? :dunno:

I am at 16,000km and I still have 4,000km to go until my car's FIRST oil change. :bigpimp:

Patrick

 

[scottn2retro]

No one correct answer

Although this makes no sense I am happy to have some of my retirement insurance in several oil companies.

Are BMW owners really smarter than the engineers that designed the cars that they drive?

I don't think there is any one correct approach that will appropriate for all car owners. If you ask a dozen people, you'll get half a dozen oil change strategies. Wait for the service lights will certainly be one of them.

In the case of someone leasing their car, using the indicator lights is definitely the best choice. However, if someone is driving the car very little and is planning on keeping (or collecting) the car, then a time interval (a year or 2 years for all chemicals and fliuds even if the car has barely moved) is the correct approach. A commuter in LA whose engine is running for twice as much time per mile as someone in a rural area may want more frequent changes. A person that tracks their car often would be doing frequent oil changes (in addition to a lot of other stuff). The service indicators are designed to take some driving conditions into account, but like in my case with the long time between service lights (like years), they don't account for everything.

I don't think the BMW drivers claim to be smarter than the designers, but then again the designers do not make all the decisions for BMW. Oil change intervals when coupled with free maintenance programs are business and marketing decisions (with engineering input). Can technology advances make less frequent oil changes possible? You bet, but there are some that are skeptical of the increased intervals with free maintenance offered for all new cars.

 

[Pinecone]

BMW put out a service bulletin that states that BMW will pay for an oil change annually, even if the service indicator doesn't require it. Assuming you are still within the 3 year 36,000 mile maintenance agreement.

So those who recommend an annual oil change are doing just what BMW says.

The trick is to get your dealer to understnad this.

One thing to watch is, the service indicator lights should NOT be reset for an annual oil change, unless the service would come due within the next 60 days. If the service will come due in more than 60 days, they change the oil without reseting the lights, then change it AGAIN when the lights say to change it. Otherwise your Inspections will be messed up WRT to mileage.

Based on this, it is possible to have seeral annual oil changes before the mileage based one comes up.

Also another plug for following the directions, a friend has a '95 M3. He is well over 100,000 miles with only having the car serviced as per the indicators. This includes a good number of track events. NO problems.

 

[scottn2retro]

Where's that Service Bulletin?

WooHoo! Annual oil changes! I'll have to get my hands on that service bulletin!

I had a 95 E36 M3 as well, and I believe the service intervals were shorter in 95 than they are now.

 

[dredmo]

anyone know the link to that service bulliten?

 

[Stevarino]

Once per year oil change.

It's true. I had my car in at Tate BMW in Annapoils Md for a minor bit of warranty work and they informed me that the car would also be due a free oil change since it had been one year even though the car had not been driven much during the past year. (WOW! All in one sentence.)