[ENINTY]

Since we've not had one for about a week.

So many times I've engaged in the OCI issue and have stated that my three BMWs, two of which are in the current fleet, have only seen oil changes in accordance with BMW's CBS oil change intervals. My E90, now at 173,000 miles sees oil changes on average every 17,500 miles. My Wife's Z3 (M44) now at 152,500 miles, sees changes on average of about 10,500 miles. Below is a pic I took today of the valve train. The valve cover gasket was leaking and the engine needed a new DISA valve. So I did the work this afternoon. Here is what the valve train, cams, and cam drive look like at 152,500 miles. This car had three oil changes under BMW's (1997) then new "free" service program. The oil changes thereafter using Castrol Syntec 5W-30. And since 2008 I switched to BMW's 5W-30.

Not a speck of sludge anywhere...

[F32Fleet]

I dig these pics. Nice! Now if I could only find one of the N54/55 and M57! I'd really like to see how these turbo engines look.

[mlifxs]

Thanks for posting this.

[Tom K.]

Obviously, the long OCI were responsible for your premature DISA & valve cover gasket failings.

My '97 Z3 was an I-6 and having switched to synthetic for the first change, I had to provide my own oil until the 4th change in late 1998, when my dealership began stocking synthetic. CBS changes averaged about 10K (lots of extended touring) and the car never needed oil between changes.

Thanks for the pic.

Tom

[DieselDiner]

ENINTY, are either of the engines DI or turbo (I don't know). I've read anecdotal info elsewhere that DI seems to introduce deposits in engines that have otherwise been maintained by the book. Curious to read your take...

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by DieselDiner

ENINTY, are either of the engines DI or turbo (I don't know). I've read anecdotal info elsewhere that DI seems to introduce deposits in engines that have otherwise been maintained by the book. Curious to read your take...

No, neither engine is direct injection or turbo. Straight up normally aspriated gas engines.

[queensfield]

Great picture. Thanks for sharing. Extremely clean engine and well maintained.
BMW knows what it is doing with respect to OCIs. Did you had to change the valve cover in your 325i also?

When I do change my valve cover gasket, I will sure post a picture of my 330i, which has been following the CBS as well- the last oil change interval was about 12000 miles, probably due to long hours in traffic jams.

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by queensfield

Great picture. Thanks for sharing. Extremely clean engine and well maintained.
BMW knows what it is doing with respect to OCIs. Did you had to change the valve cover in your 325i also?

When I do change my valve cover gasket, I will sure post a picture of my 330i, which has been following the CBS as well- the last oil change interval was about 12000 miles, probably due to long hours in traffic jams.

No, I've had good luck with the valve cover gasket on the E90. Fingers crossed it stays that way. If the Valvetronic motor wasn't such a PIA and fraility of the valve cover bolts weren't an issue, I'd pull the valve cover on my car just to see what the valve train looks like. My motor seems to be screwed together as the engineers intended it to be, so I'm leaving it alone until it needs attention. At 109,000 miles I took and posted pictures of the valves through the oil fill hole, and I can say of the cam lobes and springs you can see, it looks same as my Wife's Z3. I peaked at it the other day and it seems to still be clean as at 109K.

I'd love to see the pics of your car when you post them.

[samchoi604]

What about N54?

Not really surprised by the results...these motors were never really in question regarding extended OCI's and their effect on engine wear/health of the oil. Now, try doing the same with an N54/N55 motor and this type of thread would be a lot more interesting.

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Now, try doing the same with an N54/N55 motor and this type of thread would be a lot more interesting.

Agreed - I would also like to see this result on a N52 with extended OCI's that is not primarily driven on the interstate/highway. I'd place this in the same category as those boasting about +70K mile brake pad intervals, yet primarily drive long non-stop trips on the interstate.

Show me the same with a real world frequent short-trip car, turbo car or a track car that uses extended OCI's and I'll be impressed.

I'd also like to see an oil analysis report on that 17.5K oil as well. ;-)

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by Clifton

Agreed - I would also like to see this result on a N52 with extended OCI's that is not primarily driven on the interstate/highway. I'd place this in the same category as those boasting about +70K mile brake pad intervals, yet primarily drive long non-stop trips on the interstate.

Show me the same with a real world frequent short-trip car, turbo car or a track car that uses extended OCI's and I'll be impressed.

I'd also like to see an oil analysis report on that 17.5K oil as well. ;-)

What? You mean my N52 that sees a minimum of 350 miles a week of Northern Virginia stop-and-go traffic and has 174,000 miles on it?

Originally Posted by ENINTY

What? You mean my N52 that sees a minimum of 350 miles a week of Northern Virginia stop-and-go traffic and has 174,000 miles on it?

I'm pretty sure he meant N55, not N52

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

What? You mean my N52 that sees a minimum of 350 miles a week of Northern Virginia stop-and-go traffic and has 174,000 miles on it?

Riddle me this, Pinocchio:
350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you boast about averaging 27 MPG over 174K miles. The EPA Fuel Economy of an N52 is 19 in the city with a combined city/highway of 22, yet you claim 27. Translation: Most of your mpg's come form Highway driving.

350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you boast 800 miles a week and 38K miles a year. Translation: To reach 38K miles a year, the majority of your miles come from highway (~60%).

350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you boast 168,000 miles with night time driving. Last I checked, night time driving equates to off peak hours. Translation: Most of your *cough*, *cough* "s-n-g traffic" is actually light traffic.

350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you confirm a 160 daily commute. That means there is an implied 450 miles/week of highway. Translation: Your car rarely sees a short trip (my original point), if at all. It is no secret that long 80 miles trips are the best case for oil longevity and burning off engine sludge.

Seems someone might be bending the truth a little, eh?

Reference:

Originally Posted by ENINTY

My 325i is a daily driver and has a good blend of performance and fuel mileage (I've averaged 27 MPG over 171,000 miles).

Originally Posted by ENINTY

I have 172K on my car. I drive it 800 miles a week.

Originally Posted by ENINTY

Since I bought the E90 my yearly mileage went from 14,000/year to 38,000 miles per year.

Originally Posted by ENINTY

My car is almost 6 years old with 168,000 miles (and a lot of night time driving)

Originally Posted by ENINTY

I spent a good amount of time yesterday running numbers on buying a Volt and retiring my E90 from daily driving (160 mile round trip commute).

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by Clifton

Riddle me this, Pinocchio:
350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you boast about averaging 27 MPG over 174K miles. The EPA Fuel Economy of an N52 is 19 in the city with a combined city/highway of 22, yet you claim 27. Translation: Most of your mpg's come form Highway driving. - No. The EPA rating for the '06 325i was 20 city and 30 highway. Yes my average is 27 MPG (I have records to prove it), so it means 450 miles a week is not stop and go, but it is combined small town stop light traffic for and/or (depending on which way I go) back country roads with sharp curves and many elevation changes usually driven at 15 - 25 MPH over the posted limit, which means a lot of (high) RPM changes, gear changes, hard braking, and contantly changing G-forces on the oil system; which IS NOT equivelent to straight highway miles. Also, I'd bet not many people on this Forum even drive 350 miles a week in stop and go traffic in the first place, so my car sees more stop and go traffic on average than a car that has a normal commute.

350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you boast 800 miles a week and 38K miles a year. Translation: To reach 38K miles a year, the majority of your miles come from highway (~60%) - No see above. I drive almost 4 hours a day.

350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you boast 168,000 miles with night time driving. Last I checked, night time driving equates to off peak hours. Translation: Most of your *cough*, *cough* "s-n-g traffic" is actually light traffic. - No. I said "a lot", not all, is night time driving, which is mostly in the winter when I leave the house at 6 AM in the dark, and drive home at 6;30 PM in the dark. And in the Northern Virginia area 6:30PM traffic is just as bad as 5:00 PM traffic. And that was a discussion about [edit] dash light longevity anyway where I run my angel-eyes while driving most of the time even in daylight [edit], so not sure what your point is.

350 miles/week of stop-and-go traffic, yet you confirm a 160 daily commute. That means there is an implied 450 miles/week of highway. - Wrong, again see above. Translation: Your car rarely sees a short trip (my original point), if at all. It is no secret that long 80 miles trips are the best case for oil longevity and burning off engine sludge. - No. you are wrong it's not a "long" 80 mile highway trip. And the one quote you didn't print was the one that in the morning, within 1 mile after a cold engine start, I climb over 800 feet up a mountain on a 9-turn, 3/4-mile corkscrew mountain road. Seems someone might be bending the truth a little, eh?

Reference:

So I figured you'd get into this because you just can't help yourself, but you really have no idea how and where I drive my car, so I'll counter with the words in red text. And then that will be the last of it...

And my original point was to show BMW's CBS-based OCI didn't cause sludge in my wife's 152,000 mile Z3 as proven by the pictures of the M44. Many Posters here conclude that BMW's long OCI is a conspiracy to cause engine damage after 100,000 miles (after the factory plus CPO warranty is up). I've never claimed anything about short trip OCIs (even though my 1989 E30 that went 256,000 miles before I sold it, on BMW's long OCIs, spent 2 years in NYC commuting to Yonkers), or track cars , or turbos, blah, blah, blah - those are your issues and it doesn't distract from the picture I posted of the M44. I was pointing to the fact that I've made my position known on the subject of OCIs, stated my cars have no ill effect from BMW's OCIs and have pictures to prove it. Plus, short trips are considered 5 miles or less, which prevent the engine from totally warming up and most cars do not see this type of driving.

[e90pilot]

What I'd really like to see is the inside of an N52. Not just the cams but the pistons and cylinder walls. I've got 178,000 on my 325i and I do 6500mi oil changes. I do track days and I'm not sure how the oil holds up. I know I burn a bit on the track so exhaust gasses are being introduced into the oil. I have an oil sample that I need to send in with 3 track days on it and 5500mi.

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

So I figured you'd get into this because you're a dork and have no idea how and where I drive my car, but I'll counter with the words in red text. And then that will be the last of it...

And my original point was to show BMW's CBS-based OCI doesn't cause sludge as proven by the pictures of the M44. Many Posters here conclude that BMW's long OCI is a conspiracy to cause engine damage after 100,000 miles (after the factory plus CPO warranty is up). I've never claimed anything about short trip OCI (even though my 1989 E30 that went 256,000 miles before I sold it, on BMW's long OCIs spent 2 years in NYC commuting to Yonkers).

So to summarize:

• you claimed your car matched my short trip request - which it does not
• you actually use your car in the most ideal way, i.e., long trips will burn off/clean sludge inducing contaminates like fuel in the oil
• your 27mpg achievement supports an "easy" commute since the EPA states 28mpg Highway for the 325
• your mpg belief about the 325 is wrong according to Department of Energy (Click to be proven wrong)
• you've yet to back your extended OCI claims with science, i.e., oil analysis
• your picture adds little value compared to the average usage of the N52
• your posts further demonstrate that your intent is to bend and distort the truth - tisk, tisk....
• this won't be the end of your helium pitched know it all rants

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

Plus, short trips are considered 5 miles or less, which prevent the engine from totally warming up and most cars do not see this type of driving.

Wrong - I know you don't believe in gauges, but I added an oil temp gauge. It is a 15-20 min drive to the airport in the mornings. Rarely do I reach full operating temperature (i.e., 180 or above).

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by e90pilot

What I'd really like to see is the inside of an N52. Not just the cams but the pistons and cylinder walls. I've got 178,000 on my 325i and I do 6500mi oil changes. I do track days and I'm not sure how the oil holds up. I know I burn a bit on the track so exhaust gasses are being introduced into the oil. I have an oil sample that I need to send in with 3 track days on it and 5500mi.

Totally agree. A close up of those cams too.

PS - if you are doing track events, a good rule of thumb is to cut your oil change intervals in half. For my track duty BMW, oil analysis confirmed 1K-1.5K OCI's for conventional oil and 3K-3.5K for Mobil1 synth. Your results my vary, of course.

[ENINTY]

Originally Posted by Clifton

Wrong - I know you don't believe in gauges, but I added an oil temp gauge. It is a 15-20 min drive to the airport in the mornings. Rarely do I reach full operating temperature (i.e., 180 or above).

Fine, whatever, it doesn't matter anyway since a short trip car would not reach the point of a 15,000 mile OCI within a 12-month period, which it then would fall under BMW's other OCI recommendation for an oil change every 12 months thus making your point about short mileage sludge, mute.

My E90 reaches E-dipstick temperature in about 8 miles and gives me an oil level reading, which is made when the car is considered at operating temperature.

[Clifton]

Originally Posted by ENINTY

Fine, whatever, it doesn't matter anyway since a short trip car would not reach the point of a 15,000 mile OCI within a 12-month period, which it then would fall under BMW's other OCI recommendation for an oil change every 12 months thus making your point about short mileage sludge, mute.

My E90 reaches E-dipstick temperature in about 8 miles and gives me an oil level reading, which is made when the car is considered at operating temperature.

Oil level reading equals operating temp is an assumption....you want more heat in the oil than that, bud. And I certainly would not go beyond 4k rpms at that point.

Also, according to the dealers, OCI is 15K or 24 months, not 12 months. I plan to fight this of course with my dealer as my owner's manual states 12months as you indicated.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by Clifton

Also, according to the dealers, OCI is 15K or 24 months, not 12 months. I plan to fight this of course with my dealer as my owner's manual states 12months as you indicated.

Not true as BMW does not mention a 15K interval. OCI is CBS which usually ranges from 11 to 19K or 12 months, whichever comes first. The OBC is programmed for 24 months (like Euro models) but BMWUSA compensates dealers for a yearly change. A couple of years ago, they tried to change it to two years (except for very low mileage) in the US but quickly went back to one year after folks complained that the Warranty/Service manual specified 12 months.

If your dealer will not honor this, I'd recommend you change dealers as mine notifies me when my free one year change is approaching.

Tom