[Ch3ss]

dont know if its just me but my old e92 seem to burn more oil the longer i wait to change the oil but once i get fresh oil put in her seems to slow it down. so i started doing mine at the 7.5k interval

[111R]

I changed my oil at around 1200 miles after break-in, then at 5k, next at 10k. I only drive it around 10k per year, lots of traffic, so I'll probably stay at 5k. Also did the trans and diff at 5k, but will probably go change those every 30k.

I kept my last daily driver for 15 years, so to me the extra oil changes are no big deal. Someone who leases their car and trades every 3-5 years will have a different take on things.

The guy with 200k at 15k oil change intervals did lots of highway miles with a normally aspirated car (325i). Easy miles on an easy motor.

On the other hand, one of my wife's friends works with a woman who drove her 2001 Civic to 250k before the engine died. When our friend asked her how often she changed the oil, the woman replied, "Twice". That's about every 100k! Most modern engines can probably take it, but if it makes you feel better, change it.

[335BBS]

Originally Posted by avocet

no, it isn't.



under normal conditions, you won't see a difference in a 2500 vs a 7500 oil change. after years of service(and 150k+ miles) you might find some issues with a 14k interval, but i doubt it.


is there anyone that has had an oil related failure due to long oil intervals with ANY modern car that has had somewhat reasonable maintenance and doesn't have any inherent mechanical shortcomings? shit like smoking rings on a chevy vega doesn't count.

i agree 14+ can be too long for comfort, but 7500-10000 is a nice feel good range to be able to look in the mirror and say "i take care of my car".

2500 is somewhat overzealous. although i do 2500 intervals on my aircooled ducati, that is a much different beast.

"Feel good"? Search this forum and you will find threads by guys that send their oil out to be tested to determine engine wear etc. overkill if you ask me. Pretty sure they determined that 7-8,000 miles was best. Having said that difference between that and 14,000 was almost imperceptible . 2500 is ridiculous.

[335BBS]

Originally Posted by aflyrice

dont know if its just me but my old e92 seem to burn more oil the longer i wait to change the oil but once i get fresh oil put in her seems to slow it down. so i started doing mine at the 7.5k interval

Slows it down? Probably not.

[edirtaynine]

Originally Posted by pits200

You can mail your used 2.5k mile oil to me and I'll use it for another 5k miles.

Can I give you my address.

hahahha ill take it too

[Dozhdbog]

I change my oil every 30 miles. It's the only way to be sure you have the Ultimate Performance.

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Dozhdbog

I change my oil every 30 miles. It's the only way to be sure you have the Ultimate Performance.

lol

[avocet]

So... You're agreeing with me... Or not???

Originally Posted by 335BBS

"Feel good"? Search this forum and you will find threads by guys that send their oil out to be tested to determine engine wear etc. overkill if you ask me. Pretty sure they determined that 7-8,000 miles was best. Having said that difference between that and 14,000 was almost imperceptible . 2500 is ridiculous.

[Meeni]

Originally Posted by Dozhdbog

I change my oil every 30 miles. It's the only way to be sure you have the Ultimate Performance.

Where did you get the diesel in the US ?


The sensor doesn't go on mileage only. It actually detected that my oil overheated and got "old" during my water pump failure and decreased next oil change from 7k to 3k overnight.

[Hybrid For Life]

I do 5k-7k oil changes, cheap insurance if you ask me

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Meeni

Where did you get the diesel in the US ?


The sensor doesn't go on mileage only. It actually detected that my oil overheated and got "old" during my water pump failure and decreased next oil change from 7k to 3k overnight.

Yeah the computer is pretty smart.

[fatgrandma]

I change oil + oil filter + fuel filter + air filter + cabin filter every +-10000 km (6200 mi)

[GI335I]

Originally Posted by edirtaynine

hahahha ill take it too

Hahaha you propably should buy new oil, because with shipping it would propably cost more :P

[J-Spec Dan]

i change my oil every 5k and the filter every other oil change (so every 10k).

Originally Posted by Hybrid For Life

I do 5k-7k oil changes, cheap insurance if you ask me

can't agree with you more.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 111R

I changed my oil at around 1200 miles after break-in, then at 5k, next at 10k. I only drive it around 10k per year, lots of traffic, so I'll probably stay at 5k. Also did the trans and diff at 5k, but will probably go change those every 30k.

I kept my last daily driver for 15 years, so to me the extra oil changes are no big deal. Someone who leases their car and trades every 3-5 years will have a different take on things.

The guy with 200k at 15k oil change intervals did lots of highway miles with a normally aspirated car (325i). Easy miles on an easy motor.

On the other hand, one of my wife's friends works with a woman who drove her 2001 Civic to 250k before the engine died. When our friend asked her how often she changed the oil, the woman replied, "Twice". That's about every 100k! Most modern engines can probably take it, but if it makes you feel better, change it.

Ah, that'd be me. I don't do "a lot of highway miles" and I'm not easy on the motor. Actually, in the morning, 1 mile from my house, I climb up over a small mountain on a 13-turn corkscrew road that goes up 500 feet in elevation in just under a mile. The engine is cold, and g-forces can make it difficult for the oil pump to get oil flowing well. At night I hammer down those same two-lane backcountry roads where when I park my car, it's usually burning hot and smells like it is about to catch fire. I also sit in stop and go traffic for about 20 minutes as part of my 80-mile one-way commute. Granted my engine does run without interruption for about an hour and 45 minutes each way, but I don't baby the car in any form or fashion - I drive it like a BMW. It routinely sees 5,000 RPM shifts and a redline shifts several times a week. On the roads back to my house I usually leave it in 4th gear and let engine run though the N52 RPM range sweet spot of 3,800 to 5,500 RPM.

To answer the OP's question, I had a '89 E30 325i that went 256K on 10,000 mile OCIs - 140K of that on conventional oil. I have a Z3 that has 160,000 miles on 10,000 OCI's and it gets driven maybe 150 miles a week at best and sits a lot in the winter time, and my E90 at 205,000 now. I've not experienced one engine malfunction related to the oil change intervals BMW recommends.

[335BBS]

Originally Posted by avocet

So... You're agreeing with me... Or not???

Yup. "feel good" just sounded funny.
I've had quite a few cars over the last 37 years of driving and never once changed oil more than manufacturer suggest and never had a related failure. I do trade every 50-75,000 miles.

[Thrakos]

Originally Posted by fatgrandma

I change oil + oil filter + fuel filter + air filter + cabin filter every +-10000 km (6200 mi)

Jau.. ist aber auch spotbilling bei euch .. hier kostet das n' arsch voll geld

[bender rodriguez]

Originally Posted by The Archer

Jau.. ist aber auch spotbilling bei euch .. hier kostet das n' arsch voll geld

[fatgrandma]

Originally Posted by The Archer

Jau.. ist aber auch spotbilling bei euch .. hier kostet das n' arsch voll geld

Ja, aber dafür tankt ihr billiger

[uniter]

Originally Posted by avocet

no, it isn't.

Allow me.

In a word; volatility. Oil volatility is at its greatest in the first 3000km after an oil change. After that the volatility reduces and the oil stabilises.

Volatility is particularly bad for a DI engine because all of the lost fractions exit via the PCV system. Much of it goes out through the rocker cover vent, into the intake, through the turbo compressor and intercooler, then puddles in the bottom of the inlet manifold where it combines with the stuff coming through the PCV valve to coat the inlet valves and combustion chambers in gunk.

That black soot you see in your exhaust pipes, don’t assume it’s all caused by rich mixture. Excessive oil changing will contribute more soot.

The presence of oil in the intake also lowers the octane rating of your fuel leading to detonation.

The NOACK volatility test quantifies the extent of oil evaporation. The test standard - ASTM D5800 - 08 Standard Test Method for Evaporation Loss of Lubricating Oils by the Noack Method – also hints at another kind of danger associated with frequent oil changes where it states “Procedure C, using the Selby-Noack apparatus, also permits collection of the volatile oil vapors for determination of their physical and chemical properties. Elemental analysis of the collected volatiles may be helpful in identifying components such as phosphorous, which has been linked to premature degradation of the emission system catalyst.”

A lot of phosphorous is lost in the initial boil-off phase of new oil and it’s likely to be harming oxygen sensors and cats.

Engine manufacturers understand the problem and it would be easy for them to identify the type of damage done by over servicing and potentially result in a warranty claim denial.

In short, the oil is still blowing shit out for the first 1800miles, during this time the oil ends up in your PCV system.
Solution: Vent to atmosphere or pick a low volatility oil if you'd like to continue short OCIs.

Oil also contains cleaners/chemicals that can be hard on an engine once you add them in. 2500 OCIs are ludicrous. I run half OCIs at 7k and I drive my car hard.

[LDSM]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Ah, that'd be me. I don't do "a lot of highway miles" and I'm not easy on the motor. Actually, in the morning, 1 mile from my house, I climb up over a small mountain on a 13-turn corkscrew road that goes up 500 feet in elevation in just under a mile. The engine is cold, and g-forces can make it difficult for the oil pump to get oil flowing well. At night I hammer down those same two-lane backcountry roads where when I park my car, it's usually burning hot and smells like it is about to catch fire. I also sit in stop and go traffic for about 20 minutes as part of my 80-mile one-way commute. Granted my engine does run without interruption for about an hour and 45 minutes each way, but I don't baby the car in any form or fashion - I drive it like a BMW. It routinely sees 5,000 RPM shifts and a redline shifts several times a week. On the roads back to my house I usually leave it in 4th gear and let engine run though the N52 RPM range sweet spot of 3,800 to 5,500 RPM.

To answer the OP's question, I had a '89 E30 325i that went 256K on 10,000 mile OCIs - 140K of that on conventional oil. I have a Z3 that has 160,000 miles on 10,000 OCI's and it gets driven maybe 150 miles a week at best and sits a lot in the winter time, and my E90 at 205,000 now. I've not experienced one engine malfunction related to the oil change intervals BMW recommends.

That's great to hear these engines can easily go past 100k.
Have you had many problems with your cars, not oil change related, as they age?

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 3581512

That's great to hear these engines can easily go past 100k.
Have you had many problems with your cars, not oil change related, as they age?

Well, in general, with the three BMWs I've owned (all since new) they hold up pretty well. The major issues I've had are:

E30 - Steering rack seals went at 120,000 miles. It was a common problem. And the stereo system didn't last very long.

E37 Z3 - Not the best build quality. Only thing I could point to is the clutch throwout bearing went a bit early at about 145K, so I just replaced the whole clutch. The stereo didn't last very long in that one as well.

E90 - AC compressor died at 85K. Suprisingly, the Stereo system is quite robust...