Shorter oil changes clean under valve cover

Angelcma · 03-11-2020, 08:05 PM

I make my oil changes at 5k instead of the recommended BMW service interval. The car was bougth used with God knows how many miles and what sort of maintenance the car had.

This are the results.
Right under the valve cover gasket the springs and other stuff is starting to look cleaner.
Evidence is shown.
The First picture was taken 2k miles after the oil change done right after I bougth the car.
The second picture was taken 1k miles after my most recent oil change done with castrol synthetic 0w40.
Clearly, there is a change. Will keep doing this short intervals to see if cars strats to behave better.

AoS810 · 03-13-2020, 03:27 PM

Wow that looks sludged. My N51 with 156K miles on an OCI of ~7-8K miles is spotless using Castrol 0w-40.

Instead of wasting a bunch of engine oil.. would it be better in your case to pickup something like Liqui Moly engine flush and run that with cheap oil during the cleaning process? I've never used it personally though but the reviews seem decent?

NinetyEight740 · 03-13-2020, 10:13 PM

Add a tiny bit of atf, the detergents should help to clean up some gunk. I’m a firm believer of doing an oil change when you buy the car. Then an additional 1000 miles later. Then a third at 2500 miles following. Then get into a 5000 interval and keep it there.

Boosted12a · 03-18-2020, 08:27 PM

Royal purple is a good detergent oil. You can also add some Marvel's mystery oil to your regular oil to clean things out. About 1/4 quart of mmo is plenty

El Cheapo Loco · 03-19-2020, 02:09 PM

Your car was probably seriously neglected by the previous owner. My OCI is 10k and it's spotless inside.

Angelcma · 03-19-2020, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Cheapo Loco

Your car was probably seriously neglected by the previous owner. My OCI is 10k and it's spotless inside.

Yeap it was. I will take care of her for some time and give her a good life.

Efthreeoh · 03-21-2020, 03:40 PM

Another oil thread...

The N52 can tolerate a much longer OCI than 5,000 miles. Use BMW LL-01 spec oil and a OE or OEM MANN oil filter and 10,000-mile changes are just fine. My engine between 0 and 221,000 miles averaged 16,343 miles between oil changes. At 221,000 I switched to a 10K OCI. It's lifetime average OCI now, with straight up 10,000-mile OCIs is still at 12,600.

The engine just passed 390,000 miles on Tuesday of this week.

213e90n51 · 03-21-2020, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Another oil thread...

The N52 can tolerate a much longer OCI than 5,000 miles. Use BMW LL-01 spec oil and a OE or OEM MANN oil filter and 10,000-mile changes are just fine. My engine between 0 and 221,000 miles averaged 16,343 miles between oil changes. At 221,000 I switched to a 10K OCI. It's lifetime average OCI now, with straight up 10,000-mile OCIs is still at 12,600.

The engine just passed 390,000 miles on Tuesday of this week.

Whats the longest OCI did you do? I know someone that has 400,000 miles on a 2009 328i just following whatever the idrive system said!

Efthreeoh · 03-22-2020, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 213e90n51

Whats the longest OCI did you do? I know someone that has 400,000 miles on a 2009 328i just following whatever the idrive system said!

18,672. I followed the CBS up to 221,000.

I can't speak to the MSV80 ECU cars. But the MSV70 ECU N52 in the 2006 MY E90 does not go past about 220,000 miles on CBS OCI. The CBS oil life system stopes working at 186,000 miles (300,000KM).

Tambohamilton · 03-22-2020, 07:57 AM

I actually don't know which is which of those pictures. Besides the A and B labels, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

213e90n51 · 03-22-2020, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

18,672. I followed the CBS up to 221,000.

I can't speak to the MSV80 ECU cars. But the MSV70 ECU N52 in the 2006 MY E90 does not go past about 220,000 miles on CBS OCI. The CBS oil life system stopes working at 186,000 miles (300,000KM).

Woah nice, i know some people would cringe so much at that number, my coworkers at bmw always change their oil at 4000 miles. I bet in that long change interval you drove it hard also and many stop and go traffik?

Efthreeoh · 03-22-2020, 12:41 PM

Oil threads for the win!

Nice job, well done.

Angelcma · 04-22-2020, 09:17 PM

As an update, I have driven 1k km since the oil change, mi car has a permanent lifter tick but it has since become noticeably less loud.

SJM67 · 06-01-2020, 02:42 AM

this was my internals when i did valve cover gasket at 129K....Bought it with 89k 4 years ago.... PO had dealer serviced oil changes at 7500K Intervals assuming with BMW 5W30... I changed oil day after i bought it using German Castrol OW30 that was available at my local advanced auto parts...once they stopped carrying it i switched to 5W40 Castrol every 5K intervals....so far ...so good.

03-11-2020, 08:05 PM	#1
Angelcma Private First Class 32 Rep 103 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW e90 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Shorter oil changes clean under valve cover I make my oil changes at 5k instead of the recommended BMW service interval. The car was bougth used with God knows how many miles and what sort of maintenance the car had. This are the results. Right under the valve cover gasket the springs and other stuff is starting to look cleaner. Evidence is shown. The First picture was taken 2k miles after the oil change done right after I bougth the car. The second picture was taken 1k miles after my most recent oil change done with castrol synthetic 0w40. Clearly, there is a change. Will keep doing this short intervals to see if cars strats to behave better. Attached Images
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03-13-2020, 03:27 PM	#2
AoS810 Lieutenant 97 Rep 414 Posts Drives: 2008 E90 N51, 2011 E91 N52 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (6)	Wow that looks sludged. My N51 with 156K miles on an OCI of ~7-8K miles is spotless using Castrol 0w-40. Instead of wasting a bunch of engine oil.. would it be better in your case to pickup something like Liqui Moly engine flush and run that with cheap oil during the cleaning process? I've never used it personally though but the reviews seem decent?
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03-13-2020, 10:13 PM	#3
NinetyEight740 Major General 231 Rep 5,691 Posts Drives: 2 - 2013 535i msport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Orange County California iTrader: (2) Garage List 2010 E91 [0.00]	Add a tiny bit of atf, the detergents should help to clean up some gunk. I’m a firm believer of doing an oil change when you buy the car. Then an additional 1000 miles later. Then a third at 2500 miles following. Then get into a 5000 interval and keep it there.
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03-18-2020, 08:27 PM	#4
Boosted12a Second Lieutenant 68 Rep 210 Posts Drives: BMW 335i x Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Va iTrader: (0)	Royal purple is a good detergent oil. You can also add some Marvel's mystery oil to your regular oil to clean things out. About 1/4 quart of mmo is plenty
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03-19-2020, 02:09 PM	#5
El Cheapo Loco douchebaggo 186 Rep 972 Posts Drives: stick Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: CA iTrader: (1)	Your car was probably seriously neglected by the previous owner. My OCI is 10k and it's spotless inside.
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03-21-2020, 03:40 PM	#7
Efthreeoh General 17199 Rep 18,691 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Another oil thread... The N52 can tolerate a much longer OCI than 5,000 miles. Use BMW LL-01 spec oil and a OE or OEM MANN oil filter and 10,000-mile changes are just fine. My engine between 0 and 221,000 miles averaged 16,343 miles between oil changes. At 221,000 I switched to a 10K OCI. It's lifetime average OCI now, with straight up 10,000-mile OCIs is still at 12,600. The engine just passed 390,000 miles on Tuesday of this week. __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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03-22-2020, 07:57 AM	#10
Tambohamilton Brigadier General 3058 Rep 3,909 Posts Drives: E91 330d Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Herefordshire iTrader: (0)	I actually don't know which is which of those pictures. Besides the A and B labels, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
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03-22-2020, 12:41 PM	#12
Efthreeoh General 17199 Rep 18,691 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Oil threads for the win! Nice job, well done. __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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04-22-2020, 09:17 PM	#13
Angelcma Private First Class 32 Rep 103 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW e90 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	As an update, I have driven 1k km since the oil change, mi car has a permanent lifter tick but it has since become noticeably less loud.
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06-01-2020, 02:42 AM	#14
SJM67 Enlisted Member 24 Rep 48 Posts Drives: 2008 E92 335I Coupe Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: 408 iTrader: (0) Garage List 1995 BMW 318I [0.00] 2008 BMW 335I [0.00]	this was my internals when i did valve cover gasket at 129K....Bought it with 89k 4 years ago.... PO had dealer serviced oil changes at 7500K Intervals assuming with BMW 5W30... I changed oil day after i bought it using German Castrol OW30 that was available at my local advanced auto parts...once they stopped carrying it i switched to 5W40 Castrol every 5K intervals....so far ...so good.
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