[sickem]

Hey Fellas,

I recently took my car in for service (I had about 28,500 mi on it - it's a E90 N52). Light on instrument cluster said service with the car on the lift graphic. When I got the car back the paper work says they checked it out (paraphrasing...it's in mumbo jumbo and I don't have it in front of me right now...), but they hadn't changed the oil. In fact, it doesn't seem like they did much other than change the wipers...

Does this sound right? I think the oil was last changed around 15,000 or 16K mi. I asked my SA about this and he gave me an answer that didn't really convince me he knew what he was talking about.

So I have two questions:

1) does it sound like they should have changed the oil, or should I trust that the car would've told them it was time?

2) if they reset the maintainence function, does that mean it will come on in a few thousand miles for an oil change?

Thanks in advance,

Andy

[fdriller9]

Unless you car's CBS says to change the oil, the dealer won't change it until the car indicates it or the customer requests it.

However the dealer will probably charge you for an "early" change.

If you plan on keeping your car for a while, you should be changing the oil at 6-7k intervals.

Search Mike Miller's old school BMW maintenance.

[sickem]

Originally Posted by *********

Unless you car's CBS says to change the oil, the dealer won't change it until the car indicates it or the customer requests it.

However the dealer will probably charge you for an "early" change.

If you plan on keeping your car for a while, you should be changing the oil at 6-7k intervals.

Search Mike Miller's old school BMW maintenance.

thanks *********..but jeez that sounds like a lot of oil changes! I put about 22-23K mi per year on my car...I don't think they're going to change it that often under the maintainence plan! so I guess it should come up soon for a change though, no?

[ceb]

You'll be perfectly fine changing your oil at the CBS specified intervals. Europe has long had 30k km intervals (or 3 years) without any negative impacts. It is only in the US that we are obsessed with frequent oil changes.

Jiffy Lube has brainwashed America to believe that these 15k intervals are bad.

Truth is that there are plenty of Blackstone lab tests that show that the oil is perfectly good at 15k miles.

[sickem]

Originally Posted by ceb

You'll be perfectly fine changing your oil at the CBS specified intervals. Europe has long had 30k km intervals (or 3 years) without any negative impacts. It is only in the US that we are obsessed with frequent oil changes.

Jiffy Lube has brainwashed America to believe that these 15k intervals are bad.

Truth is that there are plenty of Blackstone lab tests that show that the oil is perfectly good at 15k miles.

thanks ceb...I tend to agree with you. Particularly given that it is synthetic oil and I don't beat the snot out of it.

[Tom K.]

The 30k service is an "Inspection" and is independent of CBS oil changes. So unless the change was called for (or you offered to pay for an "Interim" change), the dealer was correct in not doing it as they would not be compensated by BMW. See "Service Requirements" in your manual to learn how to read when each service item is due on your dash computer and/or idrive.

Tom

[sickem]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

The 30k service is an "Inspection" and is independent of CBS oil changes. So unless the change was called for (or you offered to pay for an "Interim" change), the dealer was correct in not doing it as they would not be compensated by BMW. See "Service Requirements" in your manual to learn how to read when each service item is due on your dash computer and/or idrive.

Tom

Tom, thanks. I will pay a little more attention to the manual. I presume I can just reset the service message myself? I'll check the manual or search here.

[ceb]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

The 30k service is an "Inspection" and is independent of CBS oil changes. So unless the change was called for (or you offered to pay for an "Interim" change), the dealer was correct in not doing it as they would not be compensated by BMW. See "Service Requirements" in your manual to learn how to read when each service item is due on your dash computer and/or idrive.

Tom

Originally Posted by sickem

Tom, thanks. I will pay a little more attention to the manual. I presume I can just reset the service message myself? I'll check the manual or search here.

However, depending on how many miles you still have to go before the oil change, you can ask the dealer to combine both services and if the miles are pretty close 1k miles or so, then they'll probably do the oil change too.

That's why it is important to know when and what services are due.

[John 070]

When my car was new, and I've told this story before, the service manager told me if you lease the car, why bother with anything, do whatever is free and nothing more.

Then he said if I owned your car, I would change the oil at 1,200, and then every 7,500. He told me why is your 335i any less than an M car which requires an oil change at 1,200? And to tell you the truth, in this day and age, it's probably not necessary. But we'll do it for you for $71 (at the time, it's now $160). He said it's his opinion, and if the car is leased, like most of the cars they see, why bother.