[SquareWheels]

I had a 440 for about 4 years and changed the oil every 10k miles as recommended. I kept it to just about 50k miles. I never felt comfortable with that.

Now I have a new M550 and it's the same recommendation. I still feel uncomfortable as I grew up in the years of every 3k.

I don't add tunes to the cars, I am more on the side of babying them.

How often do you change your oil?

[Chappers 71]

When the car tells me it needs an oil change

Have had BMWs since 1995 & have always changed oil at bmw recommended oil change intervals, engine oil has come a long way over the years.

I had a e92 35i (N54) for just over eleven years before getting the G31 & the 35i had done over 125,000 miles when I sold it last August. It had been running a tune & some other go faster mods for 9 of those 11 years & never had any issues caused by changing the oil when the car asked for it, always used Castrol oil as that was BMW’s oil supplier when the 35i was built, with the G31 I’ll use Shell.

I know a lot of guys change theirs every 5,000 miles & yeah you can do that but in my experience it’s really not necessary. I also suspect that most of the 5k oil changers won’t have their cars when they are 5-10+ years old & have done 80-100.000 + miles so what’s the point?

[steveyo412]

I’ve been called every kinda stupid under the sun on this…. But I still change my oil every 3,000 - 5,000. Especially with a turbo

[LogicalApex]

Oil threads are always fun. You'll get some people proposing to stick with the OEM interval (like me) and others suggesting anything between 1 - 10K miles. Picking a random number that was the interval for when they got their first car in 1956.

The OEM interval is fine and BMW CBS is smart enough to adjust it down when it makes sense to do so.

If you prefer to donate money to your local oil company field office for more frequent changes. Up to you. Your money. Buy whatever makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

[n-hampt4]

Mileage has less to do with oil change intervals, moreso driving style and climate/environment.

On vehicles I lease, for sure go by whatever the vehicle tells me.

On vehicles I own, this one, I do 6ish month intervals, just based on our climate.

We have 60-70C temp swings between summer and winter. Change the oil late summer/fall. And change it again late winter/spring.

I don't want to run fuel washed oil from the winter (not uncommon the be hitting under -30) during the summer.

Plus the cost is negligible, as I get cost on parts from BMW.

[Remonster]

For an N63 V8, I'd do 7,500 miles. I spent 9 years managing a performance shop and sent a lot of used oil out to be analyzed and found that was about the sweet spot for keeping turbocharged engines clean. Naturally aspirated engines are don't tend to get the oil too dirty or otherwise degrade the oil until 9-10k miles. Seems like around 10k for many street cars, wear materials in used oil and the degradation of the oil itself begins to increase very noticeably. 5k or shorter intervals with modern street oils (not including race oils in this) is wasteful for sure.

[JoeFromPA]

I'm not yet an n63 owner, but I've owned 3 BMWs to date - an e39 m5, an e61 twin turbo n54 engine, and a an f80 m3.

It's important to understand that different engines/drivetrains have different needs and that manufacturers set oil change intervals based upon:

- Their warranty desires
- Their maintenance plans and costs
- Target lifespans of parts
- Ease of understanding for owners

If you have followed BMW over time, you'll have noticed MASSIVE changes of oil change intervals on their vehicles surrounding things like actual reliability, maintenance plan changes (i.e. when is BMW on the hook for covering an oil change), and changes to warranty plans as well.

Point being: BMW factory oil change intervals are not nirvana and should not be followed as if they are being driven by engineering principals who have your best interests at heart.

Next, understand that the n63 engine design is NOT the same as an the n54, n55, b58, and other turbo or twin turbo BMW engine designs. The n63 is unique in it's turbo placement in a way that has:

- Far more heat build-up and heat retention in and around the turbos
- A far worse reliability history for the first TEN YEARS of the engine design until a 3rd technical update

Remember, once upon a time BMW recommended 15k mile oil change intervals on this same engine. What led then to decrease that by 33%?

Lastly, conditions matter. If you are driving lots of highway cruising without much intense periods of throttle or sport plus mode keeping the RPMs up, nothing wrong with keeping to a longer interval. If you are driving in the southwest in big heat for months on end with aggressive driving, consider a more "severe interval".

I'm not knocking the 10k mile interval from BMW. I just wanted to note the history of BMW oil change intervals, what drives those intervals, and the history of the n63 as a very different engine design than many other BMWs.

[AP]

Yeh there are also differences in markets
In the U.K. my m550 has a 2 year or 19000 mile oil service(which ever comes first)

This is about double of the US market

The interval looks to be set in the VO
Example 8KA is 30km 24 months and 8KM is 12k 12 months ( there are 9 variations of these that I know of)

I’m also a bit sceptical and as my m550 is a keeper, I will look to get the oil changed yearly whic will work out about 7000 miles for me give it take

This will be over and above the service pack that I have purchased

In researching I found SIB000113 which replaces option 8KL with 8KC which is 10000 miles instead of 15 and yearly instead of 2 years. This is the uS market

[Joe-BMW33]

The only reason 10,000 is the interval is because BMW is paying for the first 3 years. History shows, when they pause these free maintenance programs, the interval becomes 5,000 ish mile$$$.

For a couple of hundred bucks, peace of mind at 5,000 miles. No one ever claimed changing your oil too much is detrimental.

[TEF]

I am not in a large city and lucky enough to have the same mechanic for 20 years. I supply the oil and filter and labor is only $35. However, the only source for LL-12 oil (required for diesel) costs three times more than the labor charge.

Have to agree that the 10,000 mile figures comes from BMW's effort to save a few bucks while a vehicle is in their maintainence program.

[LogicalApex]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

I'm not yet an n63 owner, but I've owned 3 BMWs to date - an e39 m5, an e61 twin turbo n54 engine, and a an f80 m3.

It's important to understand that different engines/drivetrains have different needs and that manufacturers set oil change intervals based upon:

- Their warranty desires
- Their maintenance plans and costs
- Target lifespans of parts
- Ease of understanding for owners

If you have followed BMW over time, you'll have noticed MASSIVE changes of oil change intervals on their vehicles surrounding things like actual reliability, maintenance plan changes (i.e. when is BMW on the hook for covering an oil change), and changes to warranty plans as well.

Point being: BMW factory oil change intervals are not nirvana and should not be followed as if they are being driven by engineering principals who have your best interests at heart.

Next, understand that the n63 engine design is NOT the same as an the n54, n55, b58, and other turbo or twin turbo BMW engine designs. The n63 is unique in it's turbo placement in a way that has:

- Far more heat build-up and heat retention in and around the turbos
- A far worse reliability history for the first TEN YEARS of the engine design until a 3rd technical update

Remember, once upon a time BMW recommended 15k mile oil change intervals on this same engine. What led then to decrease that by 33%?

Lastly, conditions matter. If you are driving lots of highway cruising without much intense periods of throttle or sport plus mode keeping the RPMs up, nothing wrong with keeping to a longer interval. If you are driving in the southwest in big heat for months on end with aggressive driving, consider a more "severe interval".

I'm not knocking the 10k mile interval from BMW. I just wanted to note the history of BMW oil change intervals, what drives those intervals, and the history of the n63 as a very different engine design than many other BMWs.

I'd argue that BMW reduced the OCI due to them noticing an uptick in warranty issues. I don't have proof of that though...

Keep in mind, BMW offers an unlimited mileage warranty on CPO cars. Most people don't drive a lot of miles, but we have had some members on the forums already over 100K miles on them. BMW would be on the hook for engine replacements if these cars were dying due to weak OCI intervals more often than not. As, most BMW owners lease following the standard OCI and most longer term owners buy them CPO and put a decent number of miles on them.

CBS already takes conditions into account from what I can tell. I've seen on a new oil chance CBS go as high as 1Y/11K miles on my 530e. If I've been on mostly electric it won't change much, but I've noticed when I'm driving more on gas and in conditions that can be more wear inducing the car has reduced the oil change mileage to speed it up.

For BMW paid for changes. They'll do them 1M/1K miles "early" as well. So technically, you can get them to pay for OCI every 9K miles.

[adhrp]

I know this discussion is about the N63, but I did 15k OCIs (per CBS) on my N20 328i for the first 50k miles, then reduced it to 7.5-8k OCIs thereafter. Had zero oil-related issues or engine issues when I sold it at 130k miles and 10 years old. In fact, the Blackstone oil analysis I did at a little north of 100k miles came back with flying colors. I am sticking with the CBS on my M550i, which is 1 yr/10k.

[Chappers 71]

I’ve copied & pasted below from a post by Efthreeoh on how the bmw oil conditionsensor/e dipstick works, now granted this was for the e series but the principles still the same. I know this won’t make a jot of difference to the 5,000 mile oil changers but for those that are interested in how the system works it’s a good if somewhat lengthy read


Oil Sensor Purpose:
The N-series engines in the E9X all use VANOS, which is a camshaft timing system to vary the timing of valve operation dependent upon engine load (power) requirements. VANOS is operated by relatively constant oil pressure in conjunction with varying oil volume flow though computer controlled solenoid-operated oil control valves. To insure proper operation of VANOS, the engine computer needs to determine the level of the engine oil, which is why the engine has an oil level sensor. The primary purpose of the oil level sensor is for the VANOS system, rather than to just notify the driver of the engine oil level. The e-dipstick is an adjunct function of the oil level sensor even though it offers the driver convenience of reviewing engine oil level from the driver’s seat. The oil level sensor operation is not well understood by most owners, and appears to give faulty readings, which is why owners suspect its reliability.

Oil Sensor Design:
The sensor design is quite simple. It uses a dual stack of concentric-ring capacitors to determine the oil quality (contamination level) and oil level. Dual stacked means one capacitor is on top of the other capacitor. Capacitors are an electrical device normally used to store electrical energy for short periods to provide electric devices with short bursts of electrical energy when needed. Capacitors use a dielectric material to store the electrical energy; for the BMW sensor, engine oil is the dielectric material; the BMW oil sensor uses the electrical-design theory of the capacitor as a measurement device rather than an electrical energy storage device. The oil sensor, called “OZS” by BMW, uses the lower capacitor to measure the oil quality and the upper capacitor is used to determine the oil level. The sensor measures the dielectric value of the oil against a dielectric constant (value) to determine the contamination level of the oil. The upper capacitor uses the value (amount) of the capacitance in the upper capacitor based on the amount of oil present to determine the engine oil level. Concentric-ring means the design of the capacitor stores the oil in between conductors of the capacitor to determine the dielectric value of the oil (imagine a small pipe inside a larger pipe with oil in between the two pipes). There are small openings at the top and bottom of the OZS housing that allow engine oil to slowly pass through the capacitors. There is very little to mechanically or electrically to break in a capacitor, which makes the BMW oil sensor device highly-reliable. For the OZS to correctly measure the oil, the temperature of the oil must also be known, so there is an oil temperature sensor built into the bottom of the OZS.

E-Dipstick Operation:
Mechanical dipsticks are direct-read devices, meaning the level of the engine oil in the crankcase is directly determined by presence of oil on the dipstick. The e-dipstick is not a direct-read device; it takes data and data analysis to determine the oil level, which also means it takes time to determine the oil level; BMW calls this the "dynamic oil level" measurement. To get an accurate oil level reading the oil must be at operating temperature (one of the reasons the OZS has a temperature sensor built into it), and the engine must have been in operation for a minimal time period and gone through a series of operational parameters to ensure oil has moved throughout the lubrication system while the engine is running. The engine operating temperature must reach and be above a minimum of 140 deg. F. Engine speed must have reached greater than 1,000 RPM, and the engine must have reached acceleration levels transverse (side to side) and longitudinal (forward) of greater than 12 – 15 feet per-second squared. It takes about 5 minutes to reach these parameters in normal driving and the e-dipstick will not provide a measurement until such time, which is why if the engine is cold, a small clock symbol appears in the e-dipstick window and no reading is provided. Once the time and other parameters are met, the e-dipstick updates to a new level reading. The engine computer then continuously monitors the oil level and updates the e-dipstick display every 20 minutes, which means you can only get a new level reading after every 20 minutes of continuous driving.

Static oil level measurement. The OZS also has a function to measure the oil level when the engine is cold (like after an oil change) to confirm you refilled the engine. Static oil level measurement at engine OFF is only a reference measurement as the oil condition sensor (OZS) is flooded when the engine is turned off and can only detect the minimum oil level [the oil level is measured correctly only when the engine is running]. After switching on the ignition, the static oil level measurement provides the driver with the opportunity of checking whether there is sufficient engine oil for safely and reliably starting the engine. You follow the same procedure as checking the dynamic oil level, the action will return the "OK" notification in the gauge cluster.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by AP

Yeh there are also differences in markets
In the U.K. my m550 has a 2 year or 19000 mile oil service(which ever comes first) This is about double of the US market

In researching I found SIB000113 which replaces option 8KL with 8KC which is 10000 miles instead of 15 and yearly instead of 2 years. This is the uS market

Ditto...here's info about the change in the US market from 15k/24 months to 10K/12 months for the CBS interval. Except the option code is reversed.

• The 15K/24 months is option code 8KC
• The 10K/12 months is option code 8KL

[SquareWheels]

Well, I just did my 5k oil change. 204.91 with taxes and fees. I put over 2k on it just getting it home, it's likely it will take me another year before I put 5k more on it.

[2022M550i]

Originally Posted by LogicalApex

Oil threads are always fun. You'll get some people proposing to stick with the OEM interval (like me) and others suggesting anything between 1 - 10K miles. Picking a random number that was the interval for when they got their first car in 1956.

The OEM interval is fine and BMW CBS is smart enough to adjust it down when it makes sense to do so.

If you prefer to donate money to your local oil company field office for more frequent changes. Up to you. Your money. Buy whatever makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Blackstone labs may disagree with your thoughts.

[dscabra]

I find it interesting to read these threads. I change my own oil and do it when the manufacture recommends a little before typically. For those that feel that more frequent changes are helpful in extending the longevity of their engines, how many will actually keep the car for any appreciable time past the warranty? I'd bet that a significant number of new BMWs on the road are leased and will be turned in before the warranty is expired. If you are really concerned, send a sample of your oil in with each oil change for a detailed analysis. That will tell you what's actually going on inside the engine and it's a lot cheaper than doing more frequent oil changes than necessary.

[2022M550i]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

The only reason 10,000 is the interval is because BMW is paying for the first 3 years. History shows, when they pause these free maintenance programs, the interval becomes 5,000 ish mile$$$.

For a couple of hundred bucks, peace of mind at 5,000 miles. No one ever claimed changing your oil too much is detrimental.

Exactly. BMW is also in business to sell cars and parts….

[Neusser]

Every 30,000 km/19,000 miles.

Oil is pretty advanced these days.

[dscabra]

Originally Posted by 2022M550i

Blackstone labs may disagree with your thoughts.

I use Blackstone Labs to analyze the oil in my Cobra because the engine is a hand-built engine, not a mass-produced OEM unit. I'm looking for signs of unusual bearing or ring wear mostly.

[dscabra]

Here is an example report from Blackstone Labs:

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by dscabra

I find it interesting to read these threads. I change my own oil and do it when the manufacture recommends a little before typically. For those that feel that more frequent changes are helpful in extending the longevity of their engines, how many will actually keep the car for any appreciable time past the warranty? I'd bet that a significant number of new BMWs on the road are leased and will be turned in before the warranty is expired. If you are really concerned, send a sample of your oil in with each oil change for a detailed analysis. That will tell you what's actually going on inside the engine and it's a lot cheaper than doing more frequent oil changes than necessary.

I'm just a fan of cars and the car community. I do in fact think about the next guy and I take a lot of pride in passing along all the TLC. I'm definitely not of the mindset of "not my problem" or in the camp of let's save money or be lazy and fuck the next guy over because I won't have the car in a year. Just not in my DNA. I want to be the guy you want to buy a car from.