Change Oil Every 3,000 or 5,000miles?

[five_timer]

Wow, that may be a record for unsubstantiated statements. The P in PCV stands for "positive", meaning it only vents out; so it's not at all like opening the system.

[Gangplank]

Oil is cheap, motors are expensive. I change mine every 5000-7500. YMMV.

[blue135]

I am completely comfortable with each of us making our own decisions regarding oil changes and then living with the results.

I change mine (with synthetics) at 5000-6000 mi which works out to about 10-14 mos. Blackstone says I can easily go another few thousand but I do not intend to. Neither did they make any comment about synthetics not coming into their own until 7000 mi.

I am also pretty sure I will read others comments but stick to my own schedule because it is one I am comfortable with. So, feel free to tell me why I (we) are wrong, but do feel sure I will ignore such advice until there is some realistic, factual based evidence to do other wise.

[desertman123]

Originally Posted by blue135

I am completely comfortable with each of us making our own decisions regarding oil changes and then living with the results.

I change mine (with synthetics) at 5000-6000 mi which works out to about 10-14 mos. Blackstone says I can easily go another few thousand but I do not intend to. Neither did they make any comment about synthetics not coming into their own until 7000 mi.

I am also pretty sure I will read others comments but stick to my own schedule because it is one I am comfortable with. So, feel free to tell me why I (we) are wrong, but do feel sure I will ignore such advice until there is some realistic, factual based evidence to do other wise.

Youre free to do whatever, but I think that Blackstone analysis is factual based evidence lol.

[JimD]

five_timer,

When the PCV valve opens because the pressure exceeds it's setting, it is letting gas out. That gas obviously had to get in. It is probably gas getting past the rings. That sort of ventilation is a lot worse for the motor than ambient air that may come in while the oil is changed. The point is simply that car engines are not completely sealed systems. Ambient air is one of the least damaging things that get in.

If there is something else I said that you do not understand, please let me know.

Jim

[five_timer]

Originally Posted by JimD

five_timer,

When the PCV valve opens because the pressure exceeds it's setting, it is letting gas out. That gas obviously had to get in. It is probably gas getting past the rings. That sort of ventilation is a lot worse for the motor than ambient air that may come in while the oil is changed. The point is simply that car engines are not completely sealed systems. Ambient air is one of the least damaging things that get in.

If there is something else I said that you do not understand, please let me know.

Jim

"That sort of ventilation is a lot worse for the motor" - another nonsensical statement. And who cares about ambient air? How about grime, grit, and foreign matter? You even admitted you screwed up an oil change. How many people will incorrectly seat and torque the seals, rings, and bolts?

Here's a fact: there's no evidence that following recommended intervals causes any harm, and plenty of proof that it does not. All you've got is your platitudes about the price of oil and engines. Just admit it's 100% psychological and move on.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by Iron Man

Greatly depends on your driving habits. Do you track your car? Do you make really short trips?

The N55 with its turbo is much harder on oil, than the N51/N52, so I would say no matter how you drive, it is a severe condition and the oil should be changed every 5,000-6,000 (with the only exception being 90-100% highway mile driving).

For the N51/N52, you can easily do 7,000-7,500 miles and probably shorten to 5-6,000 miles for severe conditions (100% short trip, city driving). For 90-100% highway driving, I would even go up to 10,000 miles.

In all cases, I would always use a LL-01 approved oil.

This. It varies slightly and not a hard rule. you motor will not blow up if you go 13 months instead of 12 because of the oil.

You are lucky because your motor is not direct injection nor turbocharged. I have both versions. My 2003 ZHP is close to your motor and I go 7500 miles but change it every year regardless. Jut because it's easy to remember.

If you are a mellow driver and check your oil level every month so that it is always topped off, you can probably even go 10K miles on a good oil like BMW 5w-30, Pennzoil Euro Platinum 5w-40, Castrol Edge/Syntec 5W-40 LL-01 oils. The LL-01 means Long Life, 2001. That means that the oils were certified in 2001 to last BMWs nutty long life interval. In 2001 all of BMWs cars were like yours, normally aspirated, non Turbo. The high revving M3 got a different 10W-60 oil.

So the consensus of 7500 miles or 1 year whichever comes first is really the goldilocks setting and what I recommend also for your car.

As everyone mentioned, I would worry more if you had the direct injected turbo motors like the N54 and N55. Those are much harder on oil.

[nachob]

Originally Posted by NVHoo

Consumer Reports and other organizations have shown that changing oil more frequently than recommended in the owner's manual is unnecessary as long as you use the manufacturer's oil spec. The concept of changing oil more frequently is a holdover from the ancient days of old oil technology. I've been following this rule for the past 30 years, and various turbos for the past 20, in a variety of cars in my family and have never had an internal failure. You can also ignore the "severe" recommendations for cars that have that caveat. When BMW and Audi began to offer free maintenance here in Vegas they initially changed oil more frequently but the factory quickly told them it was unnecessary, even in this desert heat.


The arguments I hear for changing more often is "it can't hurt" and/or "it does not cost much so do it more frequently" but all your doing is wasting money and a natural resource.

Tracking the car might change that recommendation, depending on how often and what the track experience is. For example, if you are a once a year wonder at a weekend high performance driving school, I would not sweat it.

This truly applies to the 128i with it's port injected normally aspirated design. If you a CERTIFIED LL-01 oil it is waste to change every 3K miles, and probably 5K is also a waste. If I was a mellow driver and topped it off regularly, you might even be able to go 12K miles on good oil in normal highway driving

But what ends up happening in the real world is that these cars consume some oil and with these long 2 year intervals never check their oil so they spend months driving around with 6 quarts instead of 7 which affects how much wear happens on the oil. If you change it regularly, you tend to be safer because you replace it while it's only down 1/2 a quart and at hafl the interval.

So it totally makes sense if you are on top of checking your oil regularly and using good filters that will not get brittle and disintegrate after two years.

But the turbo motors are a different story. They essentially were delivered with the same 5W-30 oil of the non turbos despite higher thermal loads and direct injection where raw fuel makes it onto the cylinder walls and mixes with the oil. Eventually, this starts to weaken the oil so now you can gamble that will be providing full protection on that summer canyon run. Once you understand what the same oil is being subjected too, 12-15K miles almost seem out of the question in a DI Turbo car. I use the 7500 mile/1 year guideline on my turbo but it is actually more like 3000 miles because I only put that much on my 1M in a year.

So you raised a great point but I'm sure even consumer reports said MOST of the time it is a waste. There are some times it makes sense and understanding your motor is vital. Most LL-01 oils are built to survive direct injected turbo motors, which means that you 128i guys have it easy!

[JimD]

five_timer,

Surely you don't think that piston blow by is good for your engine. It dilutes the oil and contaminates it. It is part of the reason we have to change the oil. Blow by is why we need a PCV.

I do not argue that 5K oil changes are necessary, only that I am sure they are often enough and easy to remember to do.

I do not think that longer oil change intervals are very risky but I do think depending in the car to tell you when the oil needs changed has some risk. I think it is a very good idea to keep track yourself to make sure the car's interval makes some sense.

Jim

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by five_timer

"That sort of ventilation is a lot worse for the motor" - another nonsensical statement. And who cares about ambient air? How about grime, grit, and foreign matter? You even admitted you screwed up an oil change. How many people will incorrectly seat and torque the seals, rings, and bolts?

Here's a fact: there's no evidence that following recommended intervals causes any harm, and plenty of proof that it does not. All you've got is your platitudes about the price of oil and engines. Just admit it's 100% psychological and move on.

Talk to ANY BMW tech, and you will quickly find the worst thing you can do is just follow the factory recommended oil change interval. It is grossly inadequate.

So many sludge issues and seized engines.

[ignote]

If you drive it hard change it every 5k. If you drive it easy change it every 7.5k. If you are super concerned about the environment then never change it or sell it and get yourself a bicycle.

[elitesales305]

For The N55'ers .. How Often Do U Top Off Your Oil??
Seems Like Every Couple Of Months I Gotta Put It A Quart.. Anyone Else Need To Do This??
Maybe A Leak?
Ive Heard Turbo Equiped Engines Spend Oil.. But Never Owned A Turbo Cr Till Now.. Whats The Norm??
I Always Heard Oil Change After 3.5k.. As A General Rule.. Maybe This Was Specific To Reg Oil Rather Than Synthetic.. ?

[chris_flies]

Originally Posted by elitesales305

For The N55'ers .. How Often Do U Top Off Your Oil??
Seems Like Every Couple Of Months I Gotta Put It A Quart.. Anyone Else Need To Do This??
Maybe A Leak?
Ive Heard Turbo Equiped Engines Spend Oil.. But Never Owned A Turbo Cr Till Now.. Whats The Norm??
I Always Heard Oil Change After 3.5k.. As A General Rule.. Maybe This Was Specific To Reg Oil Rather Than Synthetic.. ?

Not an N55, but an N52 here.

I change the oil, and don't have to put any in until I change it again.

Boo-ya...

(I had to spread my NA supremacy propaganda)

[elitesales305]

Originally Posted by chris_flies

Not an N55, but an N52 here.

I change the oil, and don't have to put any in until I change it again.

Boo-ya...

(I had to spread my NA supremacy propaganda)

HAHAH I MEAN.. U GOTTA JUSTIFY THAT NA PURCHASE SOMEHOW RIGHT??

[Esteban]

Hey elite - N55 here, never have to add oil between changes.

[captain slowly]

Originally Posted by elitesales305

For The N55'ers .. How Often Do U Top Off Your Oil??
Seems Like Every Couple Of Months I Gotta Put It A Quart.. Anyone Else Need To Do This??
Maybe A Leak?
Ive Heard Turbo Equiped Engines Spend Oil.. But Never Owned A Turbo Cr Till Now.. Whats The Norm??
I Always Heard Oil Change After 3.5k.. As A General Rule.. Maybe This Was Specific To Reg Oil Rather Than Synthetic.. ?

leT Me sEE iF I caN ansWeR heRE. YoU EiTHer haVe a LeaK oR You ARe burning OiL. haVe thE cAr checked Out

[elitesales305]

Originally Posted by captain slowly

leT Me sEE iF I caN ansWeR heRE. YoU EiTHer haVe a LeaK oR You ARe burning OiL. haVe thE cAr checked Out

couldn't sleep last night after reading ur post.. popped the hood .. have some oil around the oil cap..
these caps go bad often??
lol sorry bout the caps..

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by elitesales305

For The N55'ers .. How Often Do U Top Off Your Oil??
Seems Like Every Couple Of Months I Gotta Put It A Quart.. Anyone Else Need To Do This??
Maybe A Leak?
Ive Heard Turbo Equiped Engines Spend Oil.. But Never Owned A Turbo Cr Till Now.. Whats The Norm??
I Always Heard Oil Change After 3.5k.. As A General Rule.. Maybe This Was Specific To Reg Oil Rather Than Synthetic.. ?

I have 70k on my car. It has never required a top up, ever.

I change my oil every 6000 km, even when taking it to the track, and use Castrol 0W40.

[captain slowly]

Originally Posted by elitesales305

couldn't sleep last night after reading ur post.. popped the hood .. have some oil around the oil cap..
these caps go bad often??
lol sorry bout the caps..

no the oil caps don't go bad. If there is oil there, it most likely is there from whoever changed the oil last and spilled some. I'd make sure its tight. If it is, have a shop look at the car. Oil filter housing gasket could be leaking, as well as eleventy billion other things. If nothing is leaking externally, you might want to do a leak down test and see if its getting past the rings. Hope you find the leak.

[elitesales305]

crazy thing is last time I bought a quart at the dealer.. the tec hcame out when I asked for a rag to clean up any spilage since I didn't have a funnel and said " oh yea turbo cars do burn some oil over time"
anyways after cleaning some krusty oil around cap when I filled it there.. I saw some oil krust around the neck again this morning .. that's why I ask if the cap fails .. krust along the rim of the cap yet again ;(

[nachob]

Originally Posted by captain slowly

no the oil caps don't go bad. If there is oil there, it most likely is there from whoever changed the oil last and spilled some. I'd make sure its tight. If it is, have a shop look at the car. Oil filter housing gasket could be leaking, as well as eleventy billion other things. If nothing is leaking externally, you might want to do a leak down test and see if its getting past the rings. Hope you find the leak.

I have seen caps go bad myself. Asked buddy who owns independent bmw Mercedes shop and he has seen them too. There is a
Rubber seal in caps that can harden and deteriorate with age.

[rowsdower]

Originally Posted by elitesales305

crazy thing is last time I bought a quart at the dealer.. the tec hcame out when I asked for a rag to clean up any spilage since I didn't have a funnel and said " oh yea turbo cars do burn some oil over time"
anyways after cleaning some krusty oil around cap when I filled it there.. I saw some oil krust around the neck again this morning .. that's why I ask if the cap fails .. krust along the rim of the cap yet again ;(

But does that account for your missing quart? If you were losing a quart from the cap, I would expect oil all over the top of the engine and leaking down the sides. You can take the cap off with the engine idling and nothing comes out so if you are losing significant quantities through the cap, you have a more serious failure going on besides a bad cap.

I’m betting you need a new cap, but also have a different leak or are burning oil. Common areas to check are oil filter housing, valve cover, and oil pan.