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      07-06-2011, 08:14 AM   #67
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all good advice - thanks!
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      07-06-2011, 08:22 AM   #68
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BTW, similar to deer hunting, it is a tradition for "real men" to drink the oil from their first oil change.
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      07-06-2011, 08:39 AM   #69
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I'll leave that to the "real men" then.
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      07-06-2011, 10:44 AM   #70
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This thread pops up on every BMW and Mini model about every two weeks. I took my Mini Clubman S in for an oil change at one year because the owners manual said it was required. It was supposed to be "free maintenance" but the wouldn't pay even though they insisted when I bought it and the manual said it was required at one year. When my wife got there they basically chastized her and told her she was an idiot for bringing the car in before the light went off at about 16-18,000 miles and we ended up paying for it ourselves. Since then Mini has changed the policy according to Mini USA and its annual now (I don't believe them). Anyway, I do believe that BMW and Mini did it to save money (went to 16-18K). They apparently are not worried about any potential engine issues it will cause and they have a lot ridding on it if they suddenly have thousands of engine failures caused by long oil change intervals. I'm not taking my Mini in again between "free maintenance" only because they were such Dick's about it and the hassle I had to try and get reembursed which they promised I would and never did. I have not changed my own oil in 30 years and am not going to start now. Everybody has to make their own decisions about changing the oil. If 7,000 miles is good then why not every 3,000 miles to really keep it clean. If your going to keep it 5 years and put less than 70K on it I wouldn't worry about it. If you plan on putting 100K or more on it do what makes you feel good.
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      07-06-2011, 08:15 PM   #71
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Anybody seen a F25 oil change procedure thread? If it's easy to remove the skid plate/heat shield etc I would do myself. Otherwise no problem with paying to get the oil changed every 3-4 months beside the free maintenance.

I assume we might not need to jack up the vehicle to do the change?
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      07-06-2011, 08:19 PM   #72
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Originally Posted by LEDZEP View Post
BTW, similar to deer hunting, it is a tradition for "real men" to drink the oil from their first oil change.
What if you hit a deer (for the first time) on your way to your first oil change?
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      07-06-2011, 08:29 PM   #73
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To be on the safe side, one might change their oil in the first few thousand mile/km of use. But to change it very 5,000 M/Km is really not needed with synthetic oil. BMW is just following the engineering specs of the oil.

From CarCraft Magazine:

Synthetic oils, pioneered in the '70s by Mobil and now available from most major oil companies, take the all-season, multiviscosity approach to the outer limits. Unlike traditional mineral oils that are produced by distillation and further refining of existing crude oil stock, synthetic lubricants are made through chemical reactions. These new oils aren't synthetic or artificial in the sense that they're manufactured out of whole cloth--they still have the same natural ingredients found in "real" oil. But in a synthetic lubricant, these ingredients are recombined like a Lego set to yield synthesized-hydrocarbon molecular chains with desirable characteristics and uniformity not found in even the highest-quality traditional motor oils. Typically, the best synthetic oils use a combination of up to three different synthetic base fluids--polyalphaolefin (PAO), synthetic esters, and alkylated aromatics.

Because a synthetic oil's molecules are much more consistent in size and shape, they are better able to withstand extreme engine temperatures. By contrast, the unstable molecules in conventional oil can easily vaporize or oxidize in extreme heat. Mobil 1 synthetic is said to be capable of protecting engines "at well over 400 degrees F"; in the real world, most racers have no problem running synthetics up to 290 degrees F under prolonged use, but they get really jumpy when a conventional exceeds 270 degrees F.

Because a synthetic oil is chemically produced, there are no contaminants in the oil. By contrast, conventional oils contain small amounts of sulfur, wax, and asphaltic material that can promote detonation as well as varnish and sludge buildup. With no wax, synthetics will flow at much lower temperatures than conventional oils.
In fact, synthetic oils are now available with viscosity ratings as low as 0W-30, as in Mobil 1's new Tri-Synthetic blend or Castrol Formula SLX. These oils flow more than seven times faster than a conventional 5W-30 motor oil during initial start-up, yet at normal operating temperatures act like a regular Grade 30 oil.

Read more: http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...#ixzz1RNVKp78S
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      07-06-2011, 08:32 PM   #74
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Radioactive - excellent information, thanks!
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      07-06-2011, 09:04 PM   #75
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Radioactive - excellent information, thanks!
+1
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      07-06-2011, 11:24 PM   #76
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Quote:
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Radioactive - excellent information, thanks!
+1 also. Thank You
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      07-07-2011, 02:06 PM   #77
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24,000 km (I think it is around 16,000 miles) for the first maintenance service, I was told at the time of delivery.
So I keep wondering why you want to do it at 1200miles ???
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      07-07-2011, 03:11 PM   #78
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaw View Post
24,000 km (I think it is around 16,000 miles) for the first maintenance service, I was told at the time of delivery.
So I keep wondering why you want to do it at 1200miles ???

It doesn't hurt to do it (except for the time and cost), but isn't proven necessary. I'm not too concerned either way.
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      07-24-2011, 01:16 AM   #79
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So should we do a oil change at 7500 kms?
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      07-24-2011, 08:11 AM   #80
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My '05 has 186,000 miles. Until it reached about 150k, I followed the recommended schedule. (Now, I do it every 5- 10K) The car runs great, just like new.
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      07-24-2011, 10:46 AM   #81
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MA78 View Post
The problem with this article is that they're talking about 3000 to 7000 mile intervals. BMW is recommending 15k! Also, this article is a total fluff piece with no hard information. Search the BMW boards and you'll see why you should change your oil more often than your service dept is willing to do it.
I would call having oil analyzed by a lab hard information. Though I guess he didn't post the actual copies of the results - you'd have to then believe he's lying I suppose.
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      07-24-2011, 12:57 PM   #82
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I am from the old school. I will change my oil at 7500. Cost $62.95 to do it myself. Bmw says 15000 miles or 1 year.
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      01-02-2012, 09:38 PM   #83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaw View Post
24,000 km (I think it is around 16,000 miles) for the first maintenance service, I was told at the time of delivery.
So I keep wondering why you want to do it at 1200miles ???

I'm about to hit 1,200 miles and I'm going to change the oil. It makes sense to me that the engine is brand new and piston rings are setting themselves against cylinder walls resulting in abrasive metallic contaminants. I want to get this oil out, not leave it for 15k miles.

Also, consider the hypocrisy from BMW itself, where they require M cars to get a 1,200 mile oil change, complete with stickers all over the place to remind owners yet a "common" vehicle can go for 15k miles with no worry, especially on the first oil change. I don't buy it, in my opinion they do this because it saves them money and is convenient for owners, and the car will obviously last at least until warranty expiration. But I don't believe this is in the best interest of your engine. I'm also going to do half interval oil changes like I've been doing with my M3 for the past 8 years. If you're going to lease your car, or trade it in the second it's past warranty, then by all means save your cash because you will need it to pay for the next car.
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      01-03-2012, 07:58 AM   #84
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We are right around 15,000 miles and our service reminder is saying another 900 mile till oil change. While I did do a change at around 1,500 miles I am starting to feel regret for not changing again around 8,000 miles. I think once the dealer changes the oil here soon I will then do another manual change around 24,000 miles for peace of mine.
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      01-03-2012, 08:28 AM   #85
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I did my first change ay 1500 mi. the second at 8000 mi and I will have BMW do the next at 15000 mi. then every 7500 mi thereafter. I did both changes myself. My 2010 Z4 sees less than 5000 mi per year so I let the dealer do the oil changes on their dime on a yearly basis.
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      01-03-2012, 09:06 AM   #86
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This thread has convinced me to pony up for the early oil change. Probably between 2000 and 3000 miles. I have not been convinced there is any harm and was quoted $118 bucks by my dealership. I will likely then go to the recommended maintence Schedule. I will not be changing the oil myself.
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      01-03-2012, 09:45 AM   #87
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If synthetic oils are so good then.............

why not wait unitl the recommended 15k interval? And why worry about metallic debris in the oil from break in? Isn't that what the filters job is? If the oil is kept clean by the filter and it doesn't lose it's lubricating properties, 15k doesn't sound that bad. I'm a 5k oil change guy but that's with dino oil. I haven't used synthetics much but am certainly going to consider it now that I'm learning the benefits which include longer times between oil changes.
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      01-03-2012, 11:52 AM   #88
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It seems to me that getting an oil change prior to BMW's recommended 15k service interval is a matter of i) personal preference, and ii) whether you leased or purchased your vehicle? Is it safe to say that if you have no intention to keep your vehicle for more than 3-5 years, you'll be "safe" following BMW's guidelines? Btw, I NEVER owned a car before, so it's all "new-school" to me.
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