AEC

No, the dealer told me that what i-drive says, goes. So, another 6,000 miles to go, or in my case, another 7 months. Maybe my dealer was pulling my legs, but I did like the idea of 18 month oil change interval.
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Your dealer is incorrect. Check your service/maintenence manual. My 2003 330i information clearly states that oil changes are required at one year regardless of mileage and therefore it should be covered under the included maintenence. I've had two of these "low mileage" oil changes so far at no charge.

speedracerF4i

I do not have laboratory equipments to test the oil condition. So, I relied on good old smell test and educated logical reasoning to extrapolate my need to change oil. Granted, the old oil is still molecularly sound, but the dealer says that they will change my oil only when the i-drive says so. That's another 6,000 miles or 7 month for me. So I decided to change it on my own.

Because I don't think it will harm my car if I changed oil more frequently than what the book says. Furthermore, I am not going to put peanut oil in my engine if BMW specifies motor oil. Again just common sense.

Because motor oil degration depends on many factors as: Climate, air temperature, frequency of start-ups, duration of trip, driving style, trafic condition, mileage/time....etc. The oil change interval the manufacture recommends, I believe, is just a mean reference on typical usage. Some people drives 30,000 miles a year, and some drives 8,000 miles a year. The oil may still be usable after 15,000 miles, but it's chemical properties has degraded since new. This is logical because oil degrades gradually until a critical breakdown point, I believe its after 15,000 miles or BMW will not recommend it. But my idea is to change it at mid point and have a fresh feeling engine to drive at 7,500 miles. You can do it as often as your wallet permits, but half-way is good for me.
I agree that the color of oil does not fully indicate the condition of the oil. But I beg to differ that oil color at 500 miles will look the same as 15,000 miles. The reason oil gets dark is because of carbon burnt combining with the lubricating oil. The thickness of oil comes from condensation (water) inside your cylinder mixing with oil, but did not evaporate due to short trips. Just look at your exhaust fume in the morning, it will be white because the condensation inside of your exhaust system is drying up.

I don't know how to respond on something I did not say. I only said that the viscousity of a heavier oil will put more drag on the moving parts lubricated by it. Due to smaller bike engine, and lower torque, the viscousity was way more apparent .
I wouldn't use "ignore," but rather "supplement" in this case. Doing more than it asks, rather than less. You can read my reasons given above.
There is no wrong or right. Just "adequately" or "preferably" in this case. I prefer to change my oil sooner than what BMW specified. In this case, only a month sooner. If you prefer to change yours at 15,000 recommended interval, then its adequate, not wrong. Pardon me for any mispelling.

speedracerF4i

Damn it

BetterMakeWay

Damn it
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If you hit the mileage like 15000 in less than a yer CHANGE IT! If you don't hit the mileage in one year, and the year is done even though the car is less run, also change it! So the question is this , as i said a milion times before:

What benefit do i get for changing the oil sooner than bmw tells me?

The dealer told me: none.

Of course it won't harm your engine. At least i think it won't harm (read a post earlier when it was stated that changing the oil way sooner harms your engine because the synthetic oil comes to 100% protection after a few thousand miles, it's like a brake-in for the oil smth like that. It said that changing the oil after brake-in is not uncessary it's even more wear to the engine because you'll put a new oil that will start to protect optimum after a few thousand miles). Anyway i don't know if that is true or not.

SO IN THE END: IMO it won't harm your engine but it won't do you much good either. Those oils are made to last and the car maker is the best expert to tell us what to do with the cars that they build. That's why they brake-in the engine before the cars leave the assebley line and that's why they suggest the oil changes times because they use the proper oil. Anyway just my opinion.

CVTBenhogan

Agreed Evenflow. Modern technology helps and, besides, engines hold more oil nowadays.

It might be a conspiracy by the Jiffy-Lubes, the Autozones, and the Wallmarts. Stores for the NASCAR fans

EBMCS03

I go with the in between changes too. when I hit 7000 to 8000 miles I pay for one and when the car tells me to I let the dealer do it.

JC3

Well, there's no free maintenance program here in Australia. :thumbsdown:

I'm interested in finding out if there is a definitive answer out there to this topic and especially the views of those drivers who live in a similar climate to myself here in Queensland, Australia where the weather is hot & humid but almost never cold to the point of 0 degrees celcius.

stream

Well, there's no free maintenance program here in Australia. :thumbsdown:

I'm interested in finding out if there is a definitive answer out there to this topic and especially the views of those drivers who live in a similar climate to myself here in Queensland, Australia where the weather is hot & humid but almost never cold to the point of 0 degrees celcius.
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I don't think you'll find a definitive answer to this question, which has been debated for years on every car forum I've visited. At the end of the day, do what you're comfortable with. For every car that doesn't have its oil/filter changed for 15,000 miles or more and runs for 200,000 miles, there will be another that has oil/filter changes every 7,500 miles and has significant engine problems. Do what you feel comfortable with.

EBMCS03

The 15,000 computer rule is like the bare minimum. If you want better you change it earlier. Its like any other thing... MINIMUM requirement vs in between vs TOO MUCH

I just think 7-8K is about right. Not too much not too little.

ceejay

OK so there are no technical reasons given as to why the manufacturers reccomendations should be ignored.

My theory is that it is an urban myth based on what it was like 30 years ago when engineering practice and materials of manufacture for engines where not as good - and oil not as advanced. Oh, and of course the good old oil companies.......

Who benefits from the more frequent oil changes?

The reason this subject keeps going round is that really, the guys who can tell on what happens to oil as it degrades are of course the oil companies. so they are going to tell us that there products are good for a life cycle of 30 000 miles? Yeah, Right!

So we should believe the next best - thats the manufacturers of the cars (and bikes) who have linked their R&D with the oil companies at huge expense to market the right product, with suitable perfomance, acceptable failure rates, and acceptable lifecycles.

More frequent oil changes are simply wasteful of a finite resource.