[JayM40i]

I've been following the break in rules as outlined by bmw and just hit the 1200 mile mark. Question is do I take it in for a 1200 mile service? After reading through the forums a number of people stated they change the fluids when they hit 1200. Is this a thing or can I skip it? Excited to finally drive the car the way it's meant to be driven.

[kscarrol]

The 1,200 mile service is a thing on M cars but I don't think it's required for the M40i.

[titomi]

Originally Posted by JayM40i

I've been following the break in rules as outlined by bmw and just hit the 1200 mile mark. Question is do I take it in for a 1200 mile service? After reading through the forums a number of people stated they change the fluids when they hit 1200. Is this a thing or can I skip it? Excited to finally drive the car the way it's meant to be driven.

If you followed the rules for break-in, why don't follow them regarding service intervals? There isn't one required after break-in.

[ramparts]

Originally Posted by titomi

If you followed the rules for break-in, why don't follow them regarding service intervals? There isn't one required after break-in.

I always like to get an oil change at the very least after 1500 miles. Last three cars, it's been filthy as ! You can usually supply the oil yourself and just get the dealer to do the change of you don't want to get dirty, but it's really not a hard job to do it yourself.

[Yellowmattei]

BMW will pay for this service on M cars, but not the M40i. You can (and should) have it done on your own dime, as Mike Miller, who is the BMW Guru on Roundel magazine recommends changing it. BMW always used to require it until they realized they were spending too much money doing an oil change they decided they could get away without doing. They also used to require transmission fluid changes at 60k intervals, but now it's a lifetime fill, (amongst a bunch of other things) etc. If you plan on keeping the car a long time - say 7-8 years or more at least, it's worth it to do all the maintenance that BMW used to require - especially if you put a lot of miles on your car, or drive it hard like many of us do!

If I remember right, I believe the reason for changing the oil at 1200 was because there are more small metal pieces from the initial engine break-in period in the oil than you will create over a 7500 mile interval later.

YM

[ramparts]

^^ What he said

[383vett]

Good advice. If it is a leased vehicle, don't worry about it. If you plan to keep it, change it on your own dime.

[Dullimite]

This is interesting, I'll be taking delivery of my third BMW next month and I've never heard about an oil change after the break in period. I've been lucky enough to have all three in Germany and it was never mentioned which I'm surprised because none of the services are free like they are in the states which means more money for the dealership.

[ColoM40i]

Originally Posted by titomi

If you followed the rules for break-in, why don't follow them regarding service intervals? There isn't one required after break-in.

I agree. If BMW doesn't demand a way, way overpriced oil change after the break in period. Why do it? If BMW thought not doing so was going to cost them a warranty repair, you'd know about it.

[DiamondLights]

Spoke to BMW (Sytner Group in UK) and their Service guys.

The M40i does not require a 'Run In' Service, only full M cars require it.

The company who runs BMW Service Plans in UK is EMAC and they set my car incorrectly as requiring it, but it is not needed for an M40i.

[383vett]

BMW warranties their powertrains for 4 years or 50000 miles. If you want to keep the car past then, changing fluids early is a good idea.

[ramparts]

Originally Posted by DiamondLights

Spoke to BMW (Sytner Group in UK) and their Service guys.

The M40i does not require a 'Run In' Service, only full M cars require it.

The company who runs BMW Service Plans in UK is EMAC and they set my car incorrectly as requiring it, but it is not needed for an M40i.

Originally Posted by DiamondLights

Spoke to BMW (Sytner Group in UK) and their Service guys.

The M40i does not require a 'Run In' Service, only full M cars require it.

The company who runs BMW Service Plans in UK is EMAC and they set my car incorrectly as requiring it, but it is not needed for an M40i.

It's not required, but if you saw the state of the oil that comes out after the first 1000, you'd be booking in!

I'll take some photos when my new one comes (mid October ), should only take a week or so to get to the necessary mileage

[Pray for Mojo]

I changed ours at 1,200 miles, have done that for both our BMWs. It's a few bucks but with the cost of these cars it seems like a small price for peace of mind. Also recommend switching to the Twin Power 0W-30 for better protection with a tiny mileage penalty.

[ColoM40i]

Originally Posted by davidoff86

It's not required, but if you saw the state of the oil that comes out after the first 1000, you'd be booking in!

I'll take some photos when my new one comes (mid October ), should only take a week or so to get to the necessary mileage

I'm sure BMW knows what color the oil is after the first 1k miles and would require it to be changed if they thought for a moment it was going to cost them a warranty repair for not doing so.

[Alias1431]

I don't think they meant color, which would look fine, I'm guessing they were referring to metal shavings. And I don't doubt for a second that BMW is perfectly fine to skip what would otherwise be a recommended oil change if they are of the belief that the engine will still make it past the measly 3 (4) year warranty term. But for those of us that want the value of driving the car long term- you can bet your ass we're going to be on top of maintenance stuff like that.

[ColoM40i]

Originally Posted by Alias1431

I don't think they meant color, which would look fine, I'm guessing they were referring to metal shavings. And I don't doubt for a second that BMW is perfectly fine to skip what would otherwise be a recommended oil change if they are of the belief that the engine will still make it past the measly 3 year warranty term. But for those of us that want the value of driving the car long term- you can bet your ass we're going to be on top of maintenance stuff like that.

Isn't the warranty 4 years/50,000 miles? Yep. Change your oil when recommended.

[mreg376]

I'm going to split-the-baby and have the first oil change done at 5,000 miles.

[ramparts]

It's not gonna blow up if you don't change it, but it certainly won't be operating at peak performance.

DIY oil change is less than 100. And on a 50,000 vehicle it's splitting hairs

[Alias1431]

Originally Posted by mreg376

I'm going to split-the-baby and have the first oil change done at 5,000 miles.

Exactly what I did. Figure I'll change it twice a year, before the summer months, and before the winter months.

[rrayburn]

I always do mine at 1200 even though it is not required. None of my BMWs that I have done this on have ever consumed oil later on in their lives. I know this is anecdotal but it has worked for me. It is better to get rid of as much of the microscopic metal shavings and assembly lubricants as possible early on. This is just good, conservative practice IMHO. Though it does not change the warranty, if it runs better through your entire ownership, it is worth it. I asked my sales manager when I got the car and he arranged for me to get it done at cost in their service department...my dealership team is great I am lucky to have them on my team!

[383vett]

Originally Posted by rrayburn

I always do mine at 1200 even though it is not required. None of my BMWs that I have done this on have ever consumed oil later on in their lives. I know this is anecdotal but it has worked for me. It is better to get rid of as much of the microscopic metal shavings and assembly lubricants as possible early on. This is just good, conservative practice IMHO. Though it does not change the warranty, if it runs better through your entire ownership, it is worth it. I asked my sales manager when I got the car and he arranged for me to get it done at cost in their service department...my dealership team is great I am lucky to have them on my team!

Where is your dealer located in California?

[mreg376]

Originally Posted by rrayburn

I always do mine at 1200 even though it is not required. None of my BMWs that I have done this on have ever consumed oil later on in their lives. I know this is anecdotal but it has worked for me. It is better to get rid of as much of the microscopic metal shavings and assembly lubricants as possible early on. This is just good, conservative practice IMHO. Though it does not change the warranty, if it runs better through your entire ownership, it is worth it. I asked my sales manager when I got the car and he arranged for me to get it done at cost in their service department...my dealership team is great I am lucky to have them on my team!

I used to be a strict first oil changer at 1,000 miles and every 3,000 miles thereafter, for essentially the same reasons you just outlined, but I've since decided to follow the science. If you do research, you will find that precision computer engineering has virtually eliminated the metal shavings and assembly lubricant in modern engines, and that this has been the case for years, with the oil filter being more than capable of catching the tiny bit that may still be there. Basically, to change the oil that early is now just a waste of money and oil.

That being said, I still don't trust any oil to last 10,000 miles, and do my changes at 5,000, so I'm a bit of a hypocrite. :-)

Edit: Worth a read: https://www.edmunds.com/car-maintena...-your-oil.html