Oil change

[328xirednj]

2008 328xi NAV/Xenon/Winter/ipod 2 year lease 15k miles a year. With 8 months to go I'm at 29k. Due to relocation I don't believe I'll put more than 8k on car which brings me over by about 6k or 7k max. This was my first new car and 2nd BMW. I really like the car but after reading the bit about the oil change at 15k being too modest I don't think I should. I did change the oil at 15k and will change at 30k. Two points:

- Should I buy the car with the unfortunate oil change history?
- Would I be able to pay less than the residual (29k)? how much less?

[roadfly001]

Always synthetic oil !

[328xirednj]

Thanks for the reply, I will probably change the oil @ 8k if I end up buying the car...any suggestions regarding the long term damage/viability of the engine? did I shave off 10k miles from the life of the engine or more like 30k+. Will engine power be an issue later on? I now understand that BMW came up with this oil change every 15k miles so they wouldn't have to cover more than 3 oil changes under the warranty and not because that is what their Engineers recommend (SHAME ON YOU BMWNA).

[BG]

As soon as maintenance was covered 100 percent: Ta daaa, almost no maintenance is needed any more in your super-durable German-engineered wunderauto. This is a real disservice to the typical customer because most are not mechanically-inclined and believe what the manufacturer tells them. Few remember the days when BMW recommended annual brake fluid and coolant changes.

There may be a bit of cynical marketing in all of this. Even with minimal maintenance, the car will probably work adequately for 5 or 6 years. By then it typically goes on to "secondary" buyers, who are not the demographic that BMW cares about. But this is counterproductive. These folks eventually become more affluent and remember their bad experience with the used BMW - and turn to Honda or Lexus or Acura when it's time to buy their first new car.

[BMW330xi]

I bought my 2006 330xi, first oil change at 18k miles (I drive a lot of highway), and 2nd oil change around 17k more miles. I paid for the 3rd oil change at 5xk miles, now the car has 63k miles. My commute is 80 miles a day, about 60 miles of highway.

So you don't think this engine will last 120k miles?

[Stinger9]

as as result of the engine giving out. Mostly it'll be body rusting out, general overall beatness, or probably in our case some expensive system not being worth repairing compared to the value of the car at the time.
I doubt with your less than every 7500 mile oil changes has any meaningful damage been done, especially at the beginning of the life of the engine.
I'd have no hesitation to buy your car unless you have driven it excessively hard. I'd use a quart of oil flush before the next oil change and then do them with double the factory frequency.

[Stinger9]

Your highway miles are ever so easy on a car. Mine the same.

If you have an auto trans, do you change the fluid and filter?

[roadfly001]

[BMW330xi]

I go by what the computer interval is...

[Stinger9]

[HBWT]

easy on the transmission I wouldn't go past 50K under any circumstances. I do my cars 30K.

<a href="http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p315/hoscarnag/roadflypix/?action=view¤t=335siggy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p315/hoscarnag/roadflypix/335siggy.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
2008 335i Coupe Alpine PP SP CP Saddle Heated Seats Comfort Access Sirius iPod

[BMW330xi]

fluid?

[gkb]

They figure the original owner will probably have dumped the car by then and they also figure that in the past most BMW automatic trannies packed it in by 100K so no one will blame the lack of fluid changes - this is normal operating behavior (i.e. failure).

I just got a 2009 335xi (6 spd) and the dealer will NOT change the transmission or diff fluid at 2K even at my expense (I am still working on them). Has anyone convinced their dealer to do so? I know the M3 has a break in change. I may have better luck paying them to change the oil when I want. If I get my independent mechanic to change and put in Redline and then I have a problem will BMW honor the warranty? Who knows. Right now I will probably not change the tranny fluid until out of warranty (will be <50K miles) and will get oil changes at 7-8K.gkb

88 M6
87 635
73 3.5 CS
91 iX (2)
09 335xi

[gkb]

Does this affect warranty? Do you use Redline or BMW fluids?gkb

88 M6
87 635
73 3.5 CS
91 iX (2)
09 335xi

[HBWT]

has always done everything I ask them to...especially if it's my dime. They're really sharp and I've never had to return because of a screw-up with the exception of 3 trips to correct "flawed" MFing runflat tires on my 335i. Hate the tires-love the service dept!

<a href="http://s131.photobucket.com/albums/p315/hoscarnag/roadflypix/?action=view¤t=335siggy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p315/hoscarnag/roadflypix/335siggy.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
2008 335i Coupe Alpine PP SP CP Saddle Heated Seats Comfort Access Sirius iPod

[Stinger9]

as if I were a knuckle scraping moron to want to change the manual trans and diff fluid. So I asked them to humor me and he said he'd have to check with the shop to see how much it would cost. Next day he called with the bargain price of $250!
Took the car to an indy with my own fluid and he changed both for $58.

[Stinger9]

I actually bought the proper fluids from my dealer, which is what I had my indy put in. That way if there was ever any warranty problem, even a chemical analysis would reveal nothing but BMW oem fluids.

[gkb]

You are right in staying with their fluids under warranty (I will) - then switch to Redline. The manual transmission fluid is about $30 a liter - looks like the dealer wanted 2 hours labor to change. Did you change the differential fluid as well? Was it a hassle for your mechanic - I think there isn't a fill hole on one of them (diff?) and it may need to be sucked out. I do have a good independent mechanic for my other cars so I have someone I know well.

The dealer also looked at me like I was crazy - but as I drove my iX to work today and it turned 174,000 miles (original transmission) - I know why. Shame it is rusting out.

gkb

88 M6
87 635
73 3.5 CS
91 iX (2)
09 335xi

[BMW330xi]

To get a good comparison between the differences. You only quoted the $58 labor.

--------------
Next day he called with the bargain price of $250!
Took the car to an indy with my own fluid and he changed both for $58.

[Stinger9]

That's another can of worms. Dealer doesn't have anything smaller than 55 gallons drums of the BMW tranny/diff fluids, so they told me bring my own container. So I cleaned out clear plastic orange juice containers and trekked back to my dealer.
Parts counter guys looked up the computer data on my VIN and seemed perplexed as to which two fluids to sell to me. (guys, is it this much trouble every time you guys work on a car and have to replace/top-off fluids?)
So, as I recall, I bought 2 quarts of trans fluid and 1 1/2 quarts of diff fluid. Cost for the bunch was just north of $100 as I recall. I know that much more expensive than Redline that would be just as good, but I was in warranty and wanted to pass the smell test if I ever had the unlikely trans/diff failure.