I'm new to this board (and soooo glad I found it!) - so forgive me if this question has already been addressed.
I only drive about 12K miles per year (my wife drives her car even less) - which means I'd be changing my oil every 15 months according to BMW specs. But living in Southern California means at least one hour each day in stop and go traffic. Should I be changing my oil more often (using synthetic, of course) - even though BMW doesn't pay for it? Our cars are not leased.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thx.
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| Reply » Oil Change Frequency |
Quote: I'm new to this board (and soooo glad I found it!) - so forgive me if this question has already been addressed.
I only drive about 12K miles per year (my wife drives her car even less) - which means I'd be changing my oil every 15 months according to BMW specs. But living in Southern California means at least one hour each day in stop and go traffic. Should I be changing my oil more often (using synthetic, of course) - even though BMW doesn't pay for it? Our cars are not leased.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thx. | BMW will pay for your oil change once a year, or whenever the computer says to have it changed, whichever comes first. 
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| Reply » Oil Change Frequency |
Quote: | Should I be changing my oil more often (using synthetic, of course) - even though BMW doesn't pay for it? Our cars are not leased. | Yes! at the least change inbetween (7,500) the bs 15k interval. I have been changing 3k to clean things out and will be changing my oil every 5k at the most.
remember, the oil should be changed atleast once a year. do yourself the favor, change every 7,500 at the most and take care of your car. Frequent oil changes will NOT void your warranty.
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| Reply » Oil Change Frequency |
Thanks Ketchup - going a full year without an oil change just didn't feel right - especially with the stop and go driving I do every day. I'll try every 7,500 miles.
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| Reply » Oil Change Frequency |
Changing oil more frequently than the BMW recommendation is simply a waste of oil and money. Modern synthetics like the excellent BMW-labeled Castrol are quite capable of lasting 15,000 miles or more without significant degradation of lubricant quality.
That said, if you want to do it more often, then do it.
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| Reply » Oil Change Frequency |
Quote: | BMW will pay for your oil change once a year, or whenever the computer says to have it changed, whichever comes first. | What BMW will NOT pay for is damage caused by sludge in your motor after your warranty expires.
The computer doesn't know when the oil should be changed, it doesn't analize the oil in ANY way. All the computer does it count how much fuel you use, when you reach a certain amount you lose a bar on the service indicator.
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Oil Change Frequency