Should I trust the service indicator?

[Stu]

I want to do oil changes every 7500 miles. Should I trust my oil service indicator for this interval? That is, when it hits 7500, should I get my oil changed, or go with what my local BMW shop put on my sticker? They did use LL-01 oil. I do know the service indicator adapts to your driving style and distance, so I feel that it can be trusted, but I honestly do not know if I should trust it since BMW says 15000 is good, but we all know it's not.

[billschusteriv]

What did they put on the sticker?

Blackstone Oil lab has enough info on our cars and oil that shows 8000 is when the majority of the additives are gone. I'd suggest getting samples of your oil done.

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[Stu]

I got it changed at ~95,000 on 3/20/11 and I'm at ~101,000 right now. They put down 102,000 for the next oil change, but no date. My service indicator shows around 9000 miles until the next inspection. I was considering a Blackstone analysis. I may do that just out of curiosity.

[jayjay_dee]

me personally, i would change the oil every 5K miles, 7.5K miles tops... or every 6 months... thats just me...

[Whitexi]

It really depends on how your car is driven.

I change mine every 10k by the interval from 117k it used to be every 15k when my cousin had it from 55k. My cousin has followed the 15k interval for the last 90k on the other 02 325xi which is now at 190k.

Ive had both valve covers off each car and it was spotless with no sludge in there but thats for cars that see mostly hwy very little city.

[danewilson77]

What did they put on the sticker?

Blackstone Oil lab has enough info on our cars and oil that shows 8000 is when the majority of the additives are gone. I'd suggest getting samples of your oil done.

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I swear they recommended I wait till 9k miles next time.....

[danewilson77]

I got it changed at ~95,000 on 3/20/11 and I'm at ~101,000 right now. They put down 102,000 for the next oil change, but no date. My service indicator shows around 9000 miles until the next inspection. I was considering a Blackstone analysis. I may do that just out of curiosity.

If you change it within the next 2k miles you should be good.

[az3579]

The Service Indicator varies the mileage based on your driving habits. If it shows 15,000 miles left and you drive exactly 7,500 miles, it is guaranteed not to show 7,500 miles till service. It will vary the mileage based on how hard it thinks the engine is being driven. If it's all city, that figure will drop very quickly and will require more frequent maintenance. If it's all highway, it's more likely to extend the service towards the 15,000 mark.

[Johal E32]

I'd say every 7500 miles, if not every 5k

[Stu]

Good to know.

I was gonna do the oil change tomorrow, but since the mirror incident.... $$$ = :(

I can wait another 1,000 miles. I don't drive it too often during school, but I do drive it long enough distances that I feel okay doing 7500 miles rather than sooner.

[danewilson77]

Probably 7.5k to 10k and you're good. I wouldn't go over 10k though just to be safe. I think this is also fiscally responsible.

HTC Thunderbolt+TT

[Rovert]

From what I have heard from BMW techs, the service indicator was put into place to mainly save BMW money on vehicles with free maintenance. It's enough to get by and keep the engine going long enough even after power train warranty expires. Now I don't think there are any longevity tests of an engine being run with high quality oil for 15K intervals vs 7.5K intervals but private oil sample tests show differences in how well the oil protects. :)