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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Mechanical Maintenance: Break-in / Oil & Fluids / Servicing / Warranty > Why you shouldn't do 15,000 mile oil changes



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      07-14-2007, 05:03 PM   #1
jon@themshop
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Why you shouldn't do 15,000 mile oil changes

This vehicle is a 2001 BMW 325i with over 100,000 miles. The customer is the 3rd owner of the vehicle. He requested to replace the valve cover gasket because it was leaking and when we removed the valve cover we found this:







The customer admitted in following the BMW service intervals but can't recall what oil he's been using. We didn't add any oil sludge removing chemical because we're afraid that it might clog some oil passages so we replaced the filter, drain and fill engine with oil and told the customer to come back in 500 miles for us to replace the oil filter and engine oil. This was back in January and he never came back.
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      07-14-2007, 05:20 PM   #2
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Too bad there is not some kind of sensor to detect bad oil before it becomes sludge.
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      07-14-2007, 05:24 PM   #3
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It just bugs my mind to wait that long for an oil change, even if this was not to occur. When I do an oil change, it makes my conscious feel that much better, like the car is eating healthy. Next oil change will be at 15k though, freebie! First two were at 1,200 and 6,500.
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      07-14-2007, 05:27 PM   #4
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this is just sensationalism for the sake of sensationalism

the picture is dramatic, but does it mean anything....


for all we know the owner abused the car and used dino oil instead of synthetic as required.

running dino for 15000 has disctinctly different effects than running the proper synthetic

if you had evidence that this car was maintained to factory specs using factory correct oils then we may have an issue to be concerned about.

for all anyone knows he may have put dino oil in 50,000 miles ago and left it
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      07-14-2007, 05:28 PM   #5
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reminds me of the hookers on sepulveda blvd....
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      07-14-2007, 05:56 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SfValley335i View Post
reminds me of the hookers on sepulveda blvd....
ohhhh....memories.



but back to the topic: DAMN! That engine had some MAJOR sludge!
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      07-14-2007, 05:59 PM   #7
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I recently saw an engine with identical discrepancy, it was from a 2002 Ford Mustang GT and the engine actually ceased. The owner claims that he was the only owner of the car and that he always serviced his car at the dealer in a timely manner using the dealer recoomneded oil. The engine failed because it clogged the oil pump filter in the bottonm of the oil pan.

On this case I think this BMW 325i was never driven with Shyntetic oil. I never pulled a valve cover on my hard driven turbo cars an encounter such crap. It got to be a non shyntetic oil that caused it.

my .2c
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      07-14-2007, 06:22 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evo8MRto335I View Post
I recently saw an engine with identical discrepancy, it was from a 2002 Ford Mustang GT and the engine actually ceased. The owner claims that he was the only owner of the car and that he always serviced his car at the dealer in a timely manner using the dealer recoomneded oil. The engine failed because it clogged the oil pump filter in the bottonm of the oil pan.

On this case I think this BMW 325i was never driven with Shyntetic oil. I never pulled a valve cover on my hard driven turbo cars an encounter such crap. It got to be a non shyntetic oil that caused it.

my .2c
+1. Also, if he didn't come back after the 500mi it's pretty obvious to me that he didn't even follow 15k mi change intervals. Clueless.
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      07-14-2007, 07:05 PM   #9
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He obviously sold the car!

This is why I hate used vehicles with high miles. You have no idea where or what its been through. Did the owner care? Did they even use the proper fuel grade? I see BMW owners who use regular and laugh gleefully at those stupid TV analysis you see on news saying regular and premium have no different effects on engines; And say see, I told you, they are all the same. Of course BMW colludes with oil companies to sell you premium. Now why would BMW agree to it when it makes their cars more expensive to run? Also, these same people don't know some engines are high compression and some are lower compression, much less what the effect of compression ratios is.

Once they see this sort of crap in their engine, surely even an idiot can see there is no way it can be good. Guess what, they do what is only natural, they make it someone else's problem. I have never let my oil go 15K miles and never will. I keep my cars for a while and drive a lot. I have never leased.
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      07-14-2007, 08:30 PM   #10
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That is NASTY Jon.
BTW, say hello to your dad for me too.
What has he been up too?


Any other mods to the 335i since I saw you last at German Invasion?
I know you were looking into do $4K more in mods, but did you?

Sorry to take your post OT.
You can PM the answers.

Carry on with the sludge.
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      07-14-2007, 08:50 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SfValley335i View Post
reminds me of the hookers on sepulveda blvd....
LMAO.
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      07-14-2007, 08:55 PM   #12
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That why you buy a new BMW or from a trusted person (ex: family member) so they'll tell you the truth if they did a oil change or not and what type of gas they normally fill up.

soo sad to see this.

thanks for sharing
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      07-14-2007, 09:00 PM   #13
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wow ... never saw anything like that. My car is indicating 12000 when I start it up. Dealer said I could bring it in about 1k before it is due. Ill have it in there at 10k and will push to have it done for free.
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      07-14-2007, 10:22 PM   #14
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I paid for my break-in oil change US$ 240 ( dealership ) and change oil every 6.500 miles. How much do you pay for changing the oil ?
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      07-14-2007, 10:25 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eugen.niederreiter View Post
I paid for my break-in oil change US$ 240 ( dealership ) and change oil every 6.500 miles. How much do you pay for changing the oil ?
Wow $240USD really?

I am not sure how much is the customer pay oil service at the BMW centers but we charge $70.00USD for E90 models or any 6 cylinder BMW engine that uses synthetic engine oil.
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      07-14-2007, 10:27 PM   #16
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Not from synthetic.

That is from Dino no questions about it.

I ran 10k+miles change intervals in my 1991 Honda CRX with castrol full synthetic (only because I was lazy). When I had to pull the head after the timing belt skipped a tooth, the inside of the head looked like it probably did in '91 when she rolled off the showroom.

Pennzoil and Quaker state in my experience are the worst sludge offenders YMMV they have more paraffins in suspension...3kmiles is fine but don't try and stretch miles out of Dino it just won't hold together.
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      07-14-2007, 10:28 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jon@themshop View Post
Wow $240USD really?

I am not sure how much is the customer pay oil service at the BMW centers but we charge $70.00USD for E90 models or any 6 cylinder BMW engine that uses synthetic engine oil.
You charge $70 including the oil filter and the oil ? I have to pay $80 when I fill up gasoline . Guys, change your oil frequently. It's a BMW, not a Harley .
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      07-14-2007, 10:33 PM   #18
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yeah but you have really fresh swiss cheese.
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      07-14-2007, 10:34 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jon@themshop View Post
Wow $240USD really?

I am not sure how much is the customer pay oil service at the BMW centers but we charge $70.00USD for E90 models or any 6 cylinder BMW engine that uses synthetic engine oil.
shit you can hardly buy oil and a filter from BMW for that much? ...
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      07-14-2007, 10:37 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 533ogetnom View Post
shit you can hardly buy oil and a filter from BMW for that much? ...
US$ 240 is a normal price here, nothing special.
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      07-14-2007, 10:39 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by de.abeja View Post
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yeah but you have really fresh swiss cheese.
Cheese does not work in a BMW
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      07-14-2007, 11:21 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ward View Post
this is just sensationalism for the sake of sensationalism

the picture is dramatic, but does it mean anything....


for all we know the owner abused the car and used dino oil instead of synthetic as required.

running dino for 15000 has disctinctly different effects than running the proper synthetic

if you had evidence that this car was maintained to factory specs using factory correct oils then we may have an issue to be concerned about.

for all anyone knows he may have put dino oil in 50,000 miles ago and left it
+1 million.

Get over the whole changing oil before it's needed. Unless you are low or engine is acting buggy because of oil then it is not needed. Yet again, BMW and any other car maker is not going to make it so shit like this will happen. They want to make it fool proof.
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