[tatoweb]

Hi all. My 2024 has 2,000 miles and would like to know what the majority thinks about how often oil changes must be done.

1) I’ve seen many posts about some saying just stick to what BMW recommends which is 7,500-10,000 miles between changes.

2) Others say that’s way too much and prefer to be on the safe side and do it every 5,000 miles.

My last question is, do you guys recommend to do the first oil change at around 1,500 miles which is past the break in period?.

I plan to keep this car for at least 5-6 years/100K-120K miles.

Thanks!

[Rup91]

BMW is only on the hook for 4 years or 48,000 miles, whichever comes first. With the lastest oil additive packages, I’m sure the engine will have no problem at those intervals.

If you are a short term consumer, ie, trade cars before manufacture’s warranty expires, then I don’t see the issue folowing BMW suggested service intervals. You will be covered for most items by BMW.

For long term consumers, I would definitely service in between intervals. I personally changed the oil at 1,500 miles, and my next oil change will be at 4500 miles. After that, it will be every 4500 miles. Overkill? Probably. But it is cheap insurance and it only costs around $90-120 if you diy.

Engines are not “broken” in at factory. We break them in as we drive them which is why I think it is crucial for the 1,200-1500 oil change. Manufacture’s dont require the break in service interval and many have removed them as a way for them to reduce cost. Only select models require a break in and its a small percentage of what total bmw sales are to retain higher profit and lower costs for them.

An oil change is too cheap to not do it if you care about your cars. My 2 cents

[tatoweb]

Originally Posted by Rup91

BMW is only on the hook for 4 years or 48,000 miles, whichever comes first. With the lastest oil additive packages, I’m sure the engine will have no problem at those intervals.

If you are a short term consumer, ie, trade cars before manufacture’s warranty expires, then I don’t see the issue folowing BMW suggested service intervals. You will be covered for most items by BMW.

For long term consumers, I would definitely service in between intervals. I personally changed the oil at 1,500 miles, and my next oil change will be at 4500 miles. After that, it will be every 4500 miles. Overkill? Probably. But it is cheap insurance and it only costs around $90-120 if you diy.

Engines are not “broken” in at factory. We break them in as we drive them which is why I think it is crucial for the 1,200-1500 oil change. Manufacture’s dont require the break in service interval and many have removed them as a way for them to reduce cost. Only select models require a break in and its a small percentage of what total bmw sales are to retain higher profit and lower costs for them.

An oil change is too cheap to not do it if you care about your cars. My 2 cents

Just added to my post that I plan to keep this car for 5-6 years/100K-120K miles.

I can’t do it myself. For people using dealers, if you go in their website, many have “value service special” which is basically an oil and filter change for $100 (6 cylinders) and $130 (8 cyl). I don’t know why some people report here paying $300-$400 for an oil change.

For $100 makes sense to change oil every 5K miles. Will schedule “break in oil change” for next week.

[Brendon]

I just purchased my car, but my plan is to do a drain and refill every 5k miles. It's super easy to do and gets you 90% of the way there, without the hassle of the filter. It'll also extend the life of the filter. The filter I'll do every ~10k.

[rjabend]

My service folks are recommending 10K miles between oil changes with a top-grade 10w40 oil. I have always changed oil at shorter intervals but will give their recommendation at try since my practice is likely out of date.

[GCR]

I am a self confessed maintenance slut. I’ve been in the German car repair business for 45 years, and have seen countless examples of over vs under maintenance and the long term results of both.

5k intervals, or 12 months, whichever comes first on my own vehicles. On the wife’s X7, transfer case and differential fluid changes every 25k, transmission every 50k. Fluid capacities on the T/Case and diffs are now so minuscule, that frequent service is a very good idea to get max life out of these components.

[Steve737]

Originally Posted by Brendon

I just purchased my car, but my plan is to do a drain and refill every 5k miles. It's super easy to do and gets you 90% of the way there, without the hassle of the filter. It'll also extend the life of the filter. The filter I'll do every ~10k.

If you’re going to go through the trouble of draining the oil I would definitely recommend changing the filter. If I were going to do only one of those I would prioritize the filter over the oil.

[rjabend]

I should add that I was only expressing a highly subjective opinion on this thread. I would like to see an objectively developed recommendation if someone can offer that. As one example an oil analysis at different mileages might provide that.

[lloyd99]

Please forgive me hijacking this thread. I have a related question... I purchased BMW Ultimate Care+ (which includes scheduled routine maintenance, engine oil & filter changes, cabin air filter changes, wiper blade changes, brake pads & rotors, etc). It specifies engine oil & filter change intervals - for example, approximately every 10,000 miles or 1 year. Alongside that, Ultimate Care+ includes cabin air filter changes every 2 oil changes/20,000 miles, spark plug changes 6 oil changes/60,000 miles, etc.

My question is... what happens if I do an extra proactive engine oil & filter change (say at 5,000 miles) in between the "included" scheduled oil change at the 10,000 mile intervals? I would likely have it done at the dealership - so they'd have all the records. But I am curious - will that screw up the "every 2 oil change" services that are supposed to be included with my Ultimate Care+? I might have an interest in doing the extra proactive oil changes, I just don't want to do that, and then go in for my 10,000 mile "included" oil change and have them say their system can't handle it being "no charge" because its only been 5,000 since my last oil change (the one I paid extra for). Does that question make sense? Thanks in advance.

[chicagox7]

Originally Posted by lloyd99

Please forgive me hijacking this thread. I have a related question... I purchased BMW Ultimate Care+ (which includes scheduled routine maintenance, engine oil & filter changes, cabin air filter changes, wiper blade changes, brake pads & rotors, etc). It specifies engine oil & filter change intervals - for example, approximately every 10,000 miles or 1 year. Alongside that, Ultimate Care+ includes cabin air filter changes every 2 oil changes/20,000 miles, spark plug changes 6 oil changes/60,000 miles, etc.

My question is... what happens if I do an extra proactive engine oil & filter change (say at 5,000 miles) in between the "included" scheduled oil change at the 10,000 mile intervals? I would likely have it done at the dealership - so they'd have all the records. But I am curious - will that screw up the "every 2 oil change" services that are supposed to be included with my Ultimate Care+? I might have an interest in doing the extra proactive oil changes, I just don't want to do that, and then go in for my 10,000 mile "included" oil change and have them say their system can't handle it being "no charge" because its only been 5,000 since my last oil change (the one I paid extra for). Does that question make sense? Thanks in advance.

Just tell them not to reset the system on your ‘off’ changes and have it reset on the annual/10k changes. I did an oil change at 5k and they told me they wouldn’t reset the system so as not to mess with the ‘normal’ schedule of things.

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by chicagox7

Just tell them not to reset the system on your ‘off’ changes and have it reset on the annual/10k changes. I did an oil change at 5k and they told me they wouldn’t reset the system so as not to mess with the ‘normal’ schedule of things.

Understood, thanks very much.

[mimeport]

Did you pay out of pocket for that ‘off’ oil change? Or is it still covered by UC+?

[chicagox7]

Originally Posted by mimeport

Did you pay out of pocket for that ‘off’ oil change? Or is it still covered by UC+?

Paid out of pocket.

[blutob2]

I have zero issues waiting 10,000 miles for an oil change. Engines and oil have come a long way. Every car I own (other than one that I change every 3-5K miles or 6 months), I change the oil around 10K miles and zero issues for the last 20 years that I've been doing it.

[mimeport]

Originally Posted by chicagox7

Paid out of pocket.

Thanks! How much is it typically? I'm in the Northern VA area and still at 1000 miles. So wondering when to take it for first oil-change and how much it will run me!

[lloyd99]

Originally Posted by blutob2

I have zero issues waiting 10,000 miles for an oil change. Engines and oil have come a long way. Every car I own (other than one that I change every 3-5K miles or 6 months), I change the oil around 10K miles and zero issues for the last 20 years that I've been doing it.

I have nearly zero mechanical knowledge myself. A good friend of mine is a 20+ year veteran auto mechanic. When I tell him I wait 10k miles for engine oil & filter changes in my X7, he typically gives me some grief. He says its not the degradation of the oil itself that is the issue. He says its the sludge that builds up and clogs oil passages for things like variable valve timing systems and variable lift systems (I may have his exact language wrong - I am going from memory). Does that sludge concern apply to an X7? I historically only keep my vehicles for 3 years and less than 50k miles - so engine life has never been an issue for me for the past 20 years or so. But I purchased my X7 as a CPO with 20k miles a year ago, and I'm (currently) planning to keep it until the new 2027 model comes out. So I'm more interested in long-term care for this vehicle than my other prior vehicles.

[tatoweb]

Originally Posted by lloyd99

I have nearly zero mechanical knowledge myself. A good friend of mine is a 20+ year veteran auto mechanic. When I tell him I wait 10k miles for engine oil & filter changes in my X7, he typically gives me some grief. He says its not the degradation of the oil itself that is the issue. He says its the sludge that builds up and clogs oil passages for things like variable valve timing systems and variable lift systems (I may have his exact language wrong - I am going from memory). Does that sludge concern apply to an X7? I historically only keep my vehicles for 3 years and less than 50k miles - so engine life has never been an issue for me for the past 20 years or so. But I purchased my X7 as a CPO with 20k miles a year ago, and I'm (currently) planning to keep it until the new 2027 model comes out. So I'm more interested in long-term care for this vehicle than my other prior vehicles.

Just do what many of us do. Every 5,000 miles $150

[tatoweb]

Originally Posted by mimeport

Thanks! How much is it typically? I'm in the Northern VA area and still at 1000 miles. So wondering when to take it for first oil-change and how much it will run me!

After calling 2 dealers which gave me the same price, I paid one of them $150 today for an oil change.

I did it at 2,000 miles. I’d do it anytime between 1,500 and 2,500 miles.

[mimeport]

Got it! Thanks @tatoweb!

[mimeport]

Also, does UC+ include tire-rotation? My SA says anythign related to tires (balance, rotate) are covered in UC+!

[srbabu790]

Originally Posted by mimeport

Also, does UC+ include tire-rotation? My SA says anythign related to tires (balance, rotate) are covered in UC+!

Anything related to tire balance/rotate/alignment are not covered in UC+. My dealer told me so.

[mimeport]

Originally Posted by srbabu790

Anything related to tire balance/rotate/alignment are not covered in UC+. My dealer told me so.

Got it! Sorry I had a typo in my earlier statement. My SA said tires are NOT covered in UC+. Which looks like is what your dealer told you as well! I wish at least the tire rotations were included in UC+!