Oil Change Question - New Owner

[BennyPar85]

I have a question, I just purchased a new 2012 BMW 128i....dumb question...I used to have a toyota truck and the oil light would come on and let me know when to change the oil. I know this BMW has one too; however...it's gone longer than I would have figured without giving me a signal to change the oil....whats the normal mileage before I need to change the oil for this car....

THANK YOU!

[Blotman]

BMW uses synthetic oil in their cars these days, which should be good for close to 15,000 miles.

[Pappy]

Originally Posted by BennyPar85

I have a question, I just purchased a new 2012 BMW 128i....dumb question...I used to have a toyota truck and the oil light would come on and let me know when to change the oil. I know this BMW has one too; however...it's gone longer than I would have figured without giving me a signal to change the oil....whats the normal mileage before I need to change the oil for this car....

THANK YOU!

Your owners manual should say 15,000 miles or one year, which ever comes first.

I didn't read my manual thoroughly and thought I could go 15,000 miles. Drove it 2 years before oil change. No harm as it runs fine with no oil burning....

[z4z4z4]

Here's the BMWUSA.com owner's manual shortcut with video for service item checks.
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...iaGallery.aspx

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by Pappy

Your owners manual should say 15,000 miles or one year, which ever comes first.

I didn't read my manual thoroughly and thought I could go 15,000 miles. Drove it 2 years before oil change. No harm as it runs fine with no oil burning....

It's actually based on fuel consumption rather than mileage, which roughly translate to anywhere between 10K - 15K depending on your driving style. Lots of city driving means the service interval will come on sooner. In any case, if the service light doesn't come on within a year, you should have the oil change out annually.

[stevenc]

Many people change their oil at 6 months in their own garage and then have BMW do it at 12 months, alternating. This schedule is for people who drive their car quite hard!

[jetblackone]

Just got my 128i's first oil change at 1 year and 5,700 miles. Service indicator now says next oil in 10,000 miles or by 10/2012. If I'm interpreting correctly, this would seem to confirm the "condition based mainenence program" validity and dispel any rumour about the free maintenance being less protective from being on BMW's tab...

[BMW&me]

15K is correct per the owner's manual.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by BMW&me

15K is correct per the owner's manual.

What page?

My Warranty/Service manual specifies changing the oil when called for per CBS or one year, whichever comes first. Nowhere is any mileage figure mentioned.

15,000 is an average. The actual OCI may range from about 11k to 19k, depending on how the car is driven.

Tom

[HT1000]

It's up to 15K based on the CBS AFAIK. Neven seen it indicate >15K but maybe others have?

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by HT1000

It's up to 15K based on the CBS AFAIK. Neven seen it indicate >15K but maybe others have?

While it's rare to see much more than 15k as that is generally the starting point, I've travelled 6,000 (predominantly highway) miles and had the countdown read 12,000 for a total of 18,000 between CBS changes.

Tom

[BMW&me]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

What page?

My Warranty/Service manual specifies changing the oil when called for per CBS or one year, whichever comes first. Nowhere is any mileage figure mentioned.

15,000 is an average. The actual OCI may range from about 11k to 19k, depending on how the car is driven.

Tom

Yes, correct. The computer starts at 15K and adjust based on driving pattern.

[My135]

During free maintenance period, BMW would recommend 15K miles oil change, and later BMW would recommend 5K miles oil change interval. At the end, it is your car. If you want to keep it for a long time, I would recommend 6-7K miles but 5K miles is much easier to remember.

[HT1000]

Originally Posted by My135

During free maintenance period, BMW would recommend 15K miles oil change, and later BMW would recommend 5K miles oil change interval. At the end, it is your car. If you want to keep it for a long time, I would recommend 6-7K miles but 5K miles is much easier to remember.

No this is incorrect. In Europe where consumers pay for all maintenance BMW recommends up to 18,600 mile OCIs. In addition scientific testing by Ford and ConocoPhillips shows that used oil reduces wear over new oil. BMW's CBS OCIs are the proper intervals. Changing the oil more frequently can increase engine wear.

"Engine wear actually decreases as oil ages. This has also been substantiated in testing conducted by Ford Motor Co. and ConocoPhillips, and reported in SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-3119. What this means is that compulsive oil changers are actually causing more engine wear than the people who let their engine's oil get some age on it."

[BlitzSRM]

Is this true. Old oil is better? First time i heard this.

I was going to change oil in the 128i i just bought. The service display says it's not yet necessary, but I just want to replace it to put new oil.

[Iron Man]

Originally Posted by BlitzSRM

Is this true. Old oil is better? First time i heard this.

I was going to change oil in the 128i i just bought. The service display says it's not yet necessary, but I just want to replace it to put new oil.

No, this is not true. I believe it has been taken out of context. Once your TBN is gone and your oil filter full, the amount of protection the oil provides decreases greatly.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by BlitzSRM

Is this true. Old oil is better? First time i heard this.

I was going to change oil in the 128i i just bought. The service display says it's not yet necessary, but I just want to replace it to put new oil.

No, NOT true. The BEST oil is FRESH oil. Don't buy into BMW's long OCI(oil change interval) BS.


@BennyPar85 I believe BMW has changed their minds... now BMW NA says to change your oil once ever year or 10K miles - which ever comes first. I would be changing your oil more often than that, though.

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

No, NOT true. The BEST oil is FRESH oil. Don't buy into BMW's long OCI(oil change interval) BS.


@BennyPar85 I believe BMW has changed their minds... now BMW NA says to change your oil once ever year or 10K miles - which ever comes first. I would be changing your oil more often than that, though.

Spot on. The additives break down over time and need to be replaced(via an oil change), they don't improve.

[JimD]

I haven't read that paper and I suspect the ones claiming it says old oil lubricates better haven't either. From the summary easily available with a google search, it is clear that it was in a sliding wear test rig, not an engine. They were investigating phosphorus levels and protection against metal to metal wear like a camshaft moving tappets. So it wasn't an engine, it wasn't synthetic oil, and it was only one type of wear (rod and main bearings are babbitt (a lead alloy) on steel which would not necessarily behave the same). So even if there is a conclusion that old oil performed well, it couldn't be generalized that the whole engine would benefit from older oil.

Breakdown in additives is one reason to have your oil analyzed. It occurs, generally, after quite a few miles. But anything that drives the oil temperature high will reduces the miles to the point of depletion of the additives. You definitely want to change before that. And it will occur. I want to change well before that happens.

I know of nothing in old oil that would be beneficial. The only reason not to change oil too often I know of is the brief period of time when you car is a bit oil starved when you start it after an oil change. It takes longer to get the oil pressure up. But the difference is fractions of a second. I don't see that as very important. A similar thing happens each time you start up. Putting an accumulator into the oil circuit with a switch to close it off when you shut down and open it up before you start will benefit the engine but it doesn't seem necessary to get a quite long life from the motor.

Jim