[roylo]

Hi. I recently bought my first BMW a 2010 320d sedan and I have a few questions someone here might be able to answer.

I cannot find an engine temp guage and Im suspecting it doesnt have one? How do I know when the engine is warmed up etc?

Also cannot find power steering oil check/fill.

Nothing in the service book about changing diff or auto gearbox oil or engine coolant ever! Is this correct?

[username604]

as far as i know, only the 335i has the temp gauge instead of the mpg under the tachometer.
Flip through the BC menu, and while you're driving, if you can check the oil level, you're all warmed up.

[simonsingh]

My 325i has an oil temp gauge. Just drive it sensibly for 15 minutes.

[username604]

i guess i spoke out of my butt.
in the US anyways, i know the 328i doesn't have the temp gauge so i assumed a 320 wouldn't.

i also believe (at least with us-spec cars) all the fluids (most of them anyways) are lifetime. Many people will tell you that its all bull crap.
I remember reading a post stating that clever people and lawyers understand the phrase that states the transmission oil "is meant to last the life of the transmission" meaning that bmw expects the transmissions to fail from lack of oil changes.

I honestly believe if bmw is willing to put their reputation for making quality cars on the line, than I'm sure they're certain about the lifetime fluids. It's not like anyone would replace their tranny at a stealership anyways, and unless bmw's running some big scam with independent repair shops, there's no reason not to recommend fluid changes. (so what if they have to raise the price of the extended maint. plan?)
If it was a matter of maintenance costs, bmw would use cheaper oils.
Anyways, just my rant, let's not get too off topic now.

[Taipei-TT]

The d will take longer to warm up, but you're in Sydney, so 10 or 15 minutes probably is enough.

The temp is shown for the E92, and mileage shown for e90s that are not 335i. Go figure on the logic behind that one. I would be quite annoyed by the mileage gauge, but I think it was at one point a US federal requirement that cars beyond a certain amount of power also had to display mileage.

[gos]

Originally Posted by roylo

Also cannot find power steering oil check/fill.

Nothing in the service book about changing diff or auto gearbox oil or engine coolant ever! Is this correct?

Two views:

BMW doesn't recommend a change interval on any of them, because the maximum warranty extension is to 100k miles, and they're unlikely to cause problems in the first 100k. If you're definitely getting rid of the car before 100k, no real need to change them yourself.

However, the "old school" recommendation for all those extra fluids is 30k miles each. If you plan to keep your car for longer, or you want to get more money by selling it to someone who knows anything about BMWs, it's probably a good idea to maintain it as if you were keeping it a long time. Even at dealership rates, it's not that expensive for the fluid changes specified.