[neilb25]

I just got my car back from a dealer oil change and they set the computer
For one year or 8k miles. Doesn’t synthetic oil go 12k miles?

[Bc2005]

Assuming it’s in the current IDrive, the mechanic has no choice about the mileage or time setting. He/she just resets the computer and it calculates the setting. I think mine always defaults to a year and 10k miles at the start, but the mileage setting may change a little over time.

The “change oil” message just turned on for my 2021 M340i at 1200 miles until service, so I’ll get it done this week and never quite hit 10k miles before the oil change. I had the oil changed in April this year, so I am well within the 12 months, but I would have to find the receipt to know the mileage.

[arentz07]

Originally Posted by neilb25

I just got my car back from a dealer oil change and they set the computer
For one year or 8k miles. Doesn’t synthetic oil go 12k miles?

The owner's manual says oil changes should happen every 10k miles, not 12k.

My two cents? 10k is pushing it. I would never go 12k.

[TheKandyman]

If you're leasing the car or don't plan to keep the car for long, change the oil when iDrive tells you to change it.

If you're a long-term keeper like me, consider giving yourself a little long-term peace of mind with more frequent oil changes. I have and will be doing an oil change every 5 - 6k miles. One at the recommended interval and another about 5 - 6k miles later. While the car is in the BMW maintenance period, I ask that the oil indicator not be reset when I do the mid-interval change so that it still comes up at the recommended interval and BMW pays for that change. I pay for the mid-interval change out of pocket.

[zazzau]

My OCI is around 5k miles or 6 months -- whichever comes first. At every 10k or 12 months I get the free oil change at dealership. My OCI is at half the recommended interval for a couple of reasons:

1) Peace of mind: this is my last ICE and it's for the long haul. No way I will drive it for 10k miles on the same oil.

2) I'm not a fan of the LL17FE oil that the dealership uses on the G20. As the name implies the emphasis is on fuel efficiency - at the expense of performance. During my [mid] OCI I use Motul LL01FE which is as good as LL01 with much better performance than LL17FE. I can at least enjoy that until the next oil change at the dealership.

I would go with LL04 (EU spec) but that could void my warranty. Once I'm out of warranty I'd likely switch to LL04.

[Rawhide]

I changed it after the first 3k and plan to change it every 5k thereafter.

[RCook]

Modern oils go 10K easily. Even 15K is fine.
Only reason to change earlier is a dirty environment.
I change according to service indicator or once a year.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by RCook

Modern oils go 10K easily. Even 15K is fine.
Only reason to change earlier is a dirty environment.
I change according to service indicator or once a year.

Agree.

In Europe BMW runs ~18k/2-years with LL-04 oils. My car's CBS currently sits at 17k. Even with interim changes, (personal choice), we are around 9 - 10k intervals.

[Rejhy]

Here in the Czech Republic, the engine oil change interval is 30,000 km or 2 years, whichever comes first. I'm surprised that oil change intervals vary so much depending on the landscape. I assume that bmw is sure that even with such a long interval the car will last without failure until the end of the warranty. But of course it's not good for the car. I change the oil every 5000 km or once a year. whichever comes first. BMW saves where it can and thus cheats on the service dates so that the inclusive service does not turn out to be too expensive.

[billnchristy]

Mine came on and I just changed myself at 11k and change, I couldn't get a loaner until Dec 3 and just ran out of miles. The oil was dark, but not black, like a deep amber. That made me feel a little better about waiting as long as I did, still had 160 on the meter when I did it.

[arentz07]

Originally Posted by billnchristy

Mine came on and I just changed myself at 11k and change, I couldn't get a loaner until Dec 3 and just ran out of miles. The oil was dark, but not black, like a deep amber. That made me feel a little better about waiting as long as I did, still had 160 on the meter when I did it.

Hmm interesting. We're also in the ATL area so maybe that is reason enough for me to settle down on the oil changes.

On the Lexus I'll probably continue doing it every 5k since I drive spiritedly. The 330i is my wife's daily so it can probably go 10k more easily.

[billnchristy]

You could say I drive spiritedly...or you could say I'm a typical BMW asshole.

[TTG]

Originally Posted by Rawhide

I changed it after the first 3k and plan to change it every 5k thereafter.

This!

[pdxdbo]

I have 8k set in iDrive but generally perform oil changes at half that interval.

[arentz07]

Originally Posted by billnchristy

You could say I drive spiritedly...or you could say I'm a typical BMW asshole.

I mean, do you randomly take the long way home? Or do you just refuse to use turn signals and speed everywhere?

Since I work from home the IS 350 is a glorified toy/grocery-getter. The wife actually drives the 330i to work a few times a week.

I don't know... I sometimes fear I am being paranoid, but also it's hard to argue with being safe rather than sorry. Oil samples are nice, but they don't always tell the full story. An oil sample doesn't show you the inside of the cylinder, for instance. It doesn't show what may have gotten gunked up around the piston rings - yes, that is a real thing that happens with longer OCIs. So at least for now I am sticking to 5k.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by zazzau

I would go with LL04 (EU spec) but that could void my warranty. Once I'm out of warranty I'd likely switch to LL04.

I think LL04 oils are spec'ed and qualified with EU's low-sulfur gasoline, so it does not work well even with CA's gasoline spec.

[TruthOne]

What I don't get is people won't trust BMW when they say you can change the oil at 10k but trust BMW when they say you have to wait 1200 miles to break the car in before pushing it. If they say 10k is fine 10k is fine, the car will alert you if you need to change it sooner based on driving habits.

[zazzau]

Originally Posted by bavarianride

I think LL04 oils are spec'ed and qualified with EU's low-sulfur gasoline, so it does not work well even with CA's gasoline spec.

I think it's more that there isn't an equivalent LL04 FE here. We are forced to use LL01FE because of the CAFE standard.

Edit: I should also add that EU does not use LL01-based oils because LL01 has more metallic additives/ash dispersants which result in higher SAPS that, in turn, ruins DPF/GPF. I don't believe US models come spec'd with GPF at all so LL01 is totally fine for us here. Not sure any of this has to do with our gasoline necessarily.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by TruthOne

What I don't get is people won't trust BMW when they say you can change the oil at 10k but trust BMW when they say you have to wait 1200 miles to break the car in before pushing it. If they say 10k is fine 10k is fine, the car will alert you if you need to change it sooner based on driving habits.

Because many think they know more than the engineers that built the engine.


Oil changes are condition based and not set at 10k miles. That is the starting point and then mileage value can be changed up or down depending on usage. For example, since I do a lot of highway miles mine is usually around 13k for my X5.

[bavarianride]

Originally Posted by zazzau

I think it's more that there isn't an equivalent LL04 FE here. We are forced to use LL01FE because of the CAFE standard.

Edit: I should also add that EU does not use LL01-based oils because LL01 has more metallic additives/ash dispersants which result in higher SAPS that, in turn, ruins DPF/GPF. I don't believe US models come spec'd with GPF at all so LL01 is totally fine for us here. Not sure any of this has to do with our gasoline necessarily.

I think LL04 is mid-SAPS with lower TBN than high-SAP LL01. The high(er) TBN of LL01 helps to combat the high(er) sulfur content of US gasoline.

I guess if one uses LL04 with US gaoline then one should reduce OCI.

[RCook]

Does the use of LL-01 or LL-04 matter much to US drivers of G20? When I first joined this list, I read a thread on the matter, and *believe* the author, who seemed steeped in the technology, said either works.
Correct me if I misunderstood.
BTW, I am stuck with California gas. Additive companies paid off state politicians three Governors ago, and no one seems to care.

[TTG]

Originally Posted by TruthOne

What I don't get is people won't trust BMW when they say you can change the oil at 10k but trust BMW when they say you have to wait 1200 miles to break the car in before pushing it. If they say 10k is fine 10k is fine, the car will alert you if you need to change it sooner based on driving habits.

That is a huge debate that has been discussed over and over again. You can of course trust the manufacturer and follow their recommendation, no problems with that. And many trusted BMW's CBT when the oil change intervals were 15K miles, I recommend reading some of the nightmares and law suits that caused forcing them to reduce it to 10K miles.

But TBH, 10K miles should be just fine especially with current modern oils.