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      08-27-2021, 08:18 AM   #2
k4sh_90
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Drives: 2020 BMW M340i xDrive
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Up-Upstate NY

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I think this is a topic I feel fairly confident on speaking to after some time asking my own set of questions.

First things first, if you're leasing, stick with the free BMW maintenance. Full stop. If you're owning, continue reading.

Entirely your prerogative however frequent you want to change your oil. If you're not tracking the vehicle regularly, that may be a bit overkill. But again, your prerogative.

Instead of a dipstick, we get an oil level sensor. That's all it does. It's not the oil sensor that notifies you of when you need to change the oil. It's iDrive, specifically the service internal counter. It'll take into account the default change interval, and modify it based on how you operate the vehicle. It may shorten it if it picks up you're driving around a lot. You can change the oil as many times as you want, but the service interval message isn't going to change unless it's been reset.

Again, it's just a level measuring sensor. It's not going to tell the dealership that you've changed the oil. The color and the overall appearance of the oil may give away that it's fresher than what should be in there at 10K. But the dealership will more than likely not care. Unless you filled with the incorrect oil spec, the engine craps out, and you want to utilize the warranty.

From what I've been able to understand, the recommended BMW oil to use is BMW Longlife-01 FE, Longlife-14 FE+, or Longlife-17 FE+, 0w20 or 0w30. Those oil specs are tailored for fuel efficiency (hence the FE) and not necessarily engine longevity. If you're leasing, screw it. Just let the dealership deal with it at whatever interval and enjoy the free Wi-Fi in the waiting area. But if you're owning, your better bet is to switch to BMW Longlife-01 or Longlife-04 as those oils are more suited to protect the engine at the cost of a couple MPG. There's a few threads that go into detail as to why that is. Search for posts by "edycol".

Long post, but congratulations on the car! It may seem logical to inundate yourself with keeping with the service and whatnot cause it's a BMW and what they're known for. But these newer engines are beasts, and are more like teenagers than geriatrics. Just keep the tank full and drive with a heavy foot. The car will love you for it.
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