Quote:
Originally Posted by Surly73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Surly73
Here's what my maintenance intervals were like from my E39. If I were buying a new BMW, I would still follow this to keep it pristine. Yes, they're a little excessive, but I'm a fairly low mileage driver (9-10k mi per year) and I DIY so the cost isn't really a big deal.
- oil change every 10k km (6k mi) which is 6 months for me. I did lab analysis of the used oil every 2-3 changes to check for excessive wear, contaminants (like coolant) and confirm that the additive pack (for things like acid-fighting) were still good under these conditions
- brake/clutch fluid annually
- coolant every 2-3 years
- transmission and diff fluid every 2 years
- "turkey baster" change steering fluid every oil change (no need to pull a drain bolt and "flush" if you are constantly renewing the fluid)
- cabin and engine air filters every couple of years
- plugs every 40-60k mi I'd say
- If AT, fluid change every 50k km (30k mi) at most. Pan drop and filter replacement first time and every other time after that. In reality I would probably drain/replace every two years - the AT cars belonged to family not me personally
AFAIK the sensor is a $15-20 item. If the sensor isn't "tripped" you technically don't need to replace it, but they tend to get brittle, may break when you try to move them to the new pads, and might simply fail out in the field. I usually just bought new ones. I also replaced the pin guides every 60k miles just to keep things tight (another cheap item).
No need to go to the dealer for all parts. Check out places like AutohausAZ.com. Learn was OES/OEM parts are and use more of those, especially if you DIY. They are the same thing, just a lot less expensive. You'll learn from the DIY community that some brands are better than others. On my E39, you wanted to make sure to get Lemforder suspension parts instead of Meyle, Karlyn, Febi even though they were all technically "Original Equipment Supplier" brands. For other parts from the steering on 540s TRW were the best. The Lemforder parts I used were absolutely identical to the BMW parts and the BMW logo had been ground off of the castings.
Filters, pads, rotors, bushings, suspension arms, end links etc...etc... are easily found at OES suppliers for a fraction of dealer cost (even good dealers). |
wow... i never thought of the belt actually cracking like that! My only worry is not taking the belt off, more or less, it's putting it back on correctly. I don't have an AT, I have manual so what's the oil change intervals on that? i heard that every 60k is good on almost every car. My friend tends to change his oil every month (about 4k miles) just to keep his car @ maximum potential. I see it as an over kill but how his car runs in the canyons, the proof is in the paint. I need to start doing brake and clutch fluid flushes, now that Im really not sure about. As with power steering and everything else of that nature. I can only do simple things as change my brakes and rotors and my own oil. you can basically say im a rookie when it comes to DIY but im willing to learn. And about the BPS, do you happen to know the part number? I think if i just code it to not read the pads itself it wont be too much of a bother anymore. Where could i buy new pin guides? ill definitely start trying to find OES so i could start being more intouch with my car. thank you for all of your help!
