BMW Revises Recommended Oil Change Intervals to 10,000 Miles for 2014+ Models

[exmowner]

Originally Posted by chip2058

Wonder what would happen if you coded 8KL to your VO in place of 8KC...

+1

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

with my e90 and f10, the dealer does 1 oil change a year regardless of mileage for me. typically within 10-12kmi. oil is cheap, the car isnt. if you cant afford to get the oil changes outside of maintenance package, you should not own a car let alone a bmw

Exactly! I change my oil every 5K km. or after a year, whichever comes first. People lease too often or swap cars too frequently nowadays, not much care they have for their cars or maybe they have too much trust on what BMW says.

[Amit328]

Good thing I've gotten them to do mine at 10k I just got my second one done at 20k and they haven't given me a hard time at all I just said I don't want to wait till 15k and they did it no questions asked.

[KSERGEI-BY]

Let me remind you old recommendation for the european bmw dealers: 10kkms or once a year, synthetic only. So 15 kmiles change helps selling new cars and killing engines in same time.

I do change every 10kkms or once a year in my bmw and my jeep

[BimmerNFS]

Originally Posted by 631twentyeighteye

still twice as long as they should be. every 5k miles or 6 months, no matter what car, motor, or brand. oils cheap, motors are not, why skimp on something so important?

EXACTLY!!!

[dreamspeed]

Well, the good thing is that BMW is admitting (kinda) that they were WRONG.

Anyone that has read the "old school maintenance schedule" or has remedial car knowledge/common sense knows that BMW greatly increased their service intervals after they implemented the "free" maintenance program even though there was no engineering improvement in the fluids or engine tech to warrant such a change

[r3dbimmer89]

Originally Posted by doublevanosrc

Interesting article in which I agree but with my driving style my oil changes usually happen between 9-10k anyways.

+1

[Remonster]

Originally Posted by 1&done

Based on what my tech buddy says, the viscosity of the oil is usually ok, it's just the volume of oil that is the issue. Our cars drink oil a lot, especially if the break-in period is not done correctly. He sees many cars coming in quarts low...his words

I believe it, but the car will tell you when it needs a quart added. I'm more pissed off that BMW stopped including these extra quarts of oil in its free maintenance plan. All three of my modern BMWs have needed a few quarts added here and there, when I had a 2007 328i these quarts were always free but a few years ago my dealer told me I would have to pay for them. A quart is only like $6 so I don't really care, but I know more than a couple people who refuse to pay and I wonder if the people with blown S85/S65 motors due to spun bearings were letting their oil levels get a little low. A benefit of this shorter oil change interval is less chance for the average driver's motor to burn off enough oil for it to become a problem.

This isn't really related but it looks like they recommend changing spark plugs every 60k miles for all cars, it seems like everyone agrees that a tuned motor running extra boost needs its spark plugs replaced sooner (maybe 30-40k) so shouldn't the 335is have a shorter spark plug change interval? It's running literally twice as much boost as a regular N54 (14.5psi vs 7)

[jadnashuanh]

Until you have the oil analyzed, you won't know if you're shortchanging yourself. I've checked on my previous vehicle, and running a not as good synthetic oil as BMW specifies in it, it easily went 12K and everything still tested out okay: viscosity, TBN, wear inhibitors, metals (low, indicating little wear). That car had a smaller sump and rev'ed MUCH faster on average on cruise, so if anything, the wear would have been higher. Oil technology evolves quite quickly, and today's oil is nothing like the older stuff. Traditions die hard.

The newer models all have start/stop technology (introduced I think in 2013 on some models), and pretty much across the board on all of the 2014 models. This stresses the engine a bit more, and may be the reason they dictate a shorter oil change interval.

At least my dealer has no problem changing the oil at 12-month intervals if you haven't driven enough to trigger the computer's logic. Most of the synthetic oil suppliers say one year or some max mileage, whichever comes first. This is even more important if you DON'T drive much, as that means you may have more short trips, condensation, or other means of polluting the oil. The inhibitors can only do so much and you burn off the moisture and some of the bad stuff when you drive awhile after reaching full operating temperature which may not be met on short trips.

[jnijni]

Just follow your service book

That can´t be so difficult

5k is too early, mostly people recommending that are people who put 3k a year on their car.

People who actually drive the cars they own, 7500 is the sweet spot, 10k non turbo is fine. I never liked the 15k interval.


5k miles is like 3-4 months of driving for me.

[Venom692x]

Originally Posted by index1489

5k is too early, mostly people recommending that are people who put 3k a year on their car.

People who actually drive the cars they own, 7500 is the sweet spot, 10k non turbo is fine. I never liked the 15k interval.


5k miles is like 3-4 months of driving for me.

My car won't let me change til 17,000...though its a 2011 e92 328. I drove from TN to Missouri (600 mile trip) got ~21.8 mpg before oil change.. and 28.5mpg on the way back on the same route after the oil change.

[GreenLantern]

Originally Posted by n55x3

Glad I've been doing a 7500 mile oil change on both our N55s since day one. I change at 7500 then let dealer change at the normal 15k.

+1

That's always been my policy. I've always changed twice as often are required.

[sparkyg]

I change every spring no matter what. Get that dirty oil out and prepare for the hotter summer driving.

[boarchicken]

i always change my oil every 3k....
not synthetic of course

[RollingLower42]

Thanks BMW for insisting multiple times not to change my oil until 15,600 miles. I took to BMW many, many times before it ever got to 15K miles, and THEY INSISTED that it not be done. Regardless, I had it changed around 9K I believe once somewhere else.

BMW reminds me of a stepdad. They think they know what's best for you, and insist on following their guidelines only. In reality, they were wrong and now look who are the stupid people. The ones who didn't change their oil until a super high amount that didn't make any logical sense. Smfh

[RollingLower42]

And I don't think the amount of interval changes had anything to do with actual miles but in reality was TIME they are calculating oil changes on. BMW only wants to change your oil once a year max in the F30 it seems. So if you drive your car a lot, then they are going to make you hold out longer so you won't come back again until next year.. My theory of time is because I noticed on my dash it would have a specific "date" that would keep popping up. The more I drove and more miles I put on, the further away the date would go. That's my opinion, not sure if anyone else agrees, but that's what I think.

[Chihuahua]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

I think what this really means is that for all of us who have been changing their oil at 5K mile intervals... we have probably been doing it RIGHT all along - for long term engine life health.

Yup.

[MikeTerp]

Originally Posted by CirrusSR22

Classic. Maybe people will finally understand the old 15,000+ mile changes came from the bean-counters, not the engineers.

Last year GM shortened its oil change intervals too.

Maybe leasers don't care, but I have always wondered why any owner would leave oil in an engine for 15K+ miles, especially on a car like a BMW. This change to shorter intervals (on basically the same engines many of us have), reinforces the belief that the earlier 15K+ change intervals were too long. Also suggests that BMW may have been having some complaints about engine damage that they traced to the long drain intervals.

[greekcs]

I stick to no more than 5K OCI's on my S54 M3; Or once a year since I don't drive it that much.

[Rupes]

Three things people seem to be ignoring:

One - many casual drivers go over the recommended maintenance schedule. At a recommended 15k interval this could end up being much later, say 20k or more. Some lease cars never get their oil changed (so 30k or more) which can create some sludge problems.

Second, have you seen anything at all about blown engines due to long oil change intervals, cause I haven't. You really don't see this as a way for them to get you in their dealerships more often?

Third, some guy just posted in here that he hit 200k miles with 17.5k average oil change intervals. Others have done oil analysis at similar mileage with only minor degradation being reported.

It's like everyone believes in science and advances in technology except when it comes to oil and then they resort to some strange primitive 3k or 5k oil change interval on fully synthetic oil because that's what their Grampie told them, lol.

[polesx]

Originally Posted by fotios335i

So we trusted BMW with their recommended times. (Sorta) then they change it on us so we feel we F'ed up our cars. Nice. Too late now.

Lol, thats how i felt after reading the title. I have finished 2 oil changes on my f10 now. All based on the old schedule