15k mile oil change intervals on BMW's are not enough - see pics

[ekpolk]

I'd like to know what actual symptoms led to the opening of this engine. Massive failure? Generating smoke? What? I mean you don't usually get up in the morning and suddenly say to yourself, "hey, I think I'll drop my oil pan today to check for sludge. . ."

This is why I'll never take even a good oil (like the GC I'm using now) beyond the medium range OCI. I'd rather pay a little too much for a few extra oil changes than end up with a mess like this.

 

[haley10]

Forgive the stupid question, but I drive Detroit iron. I thought the BMW had sesors that actually monitored the oil's real condition rather than like GM's elementary "calculator."

I don't see how an oil life monitoring system of good design could allow this, unless the driver ignores it.

I have seen an engine that completely failed (friend's mom/nurse with Master's degree), but the oil was "never" changed at all.

[ December 02, 2004, 01:04 PM: Message edited by: haley10 ]

 

[falconguy]

I cant say what caused that sludge, none of us can, we cant even tell if its real after all. One thing I can be sure of, it was almost 7 years after that car was built that BMW extended its OCI. Thus this car was never exposed to the longer OCI until it was at least 7 years old, which would make the cause of the sludge a little less likely to be from an extended OCI.

Maybe the owner was just an Idiot?

 

[haley10]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ray H:

quote:

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Originally posted by Cary:
This has nothing to do with Green Party politics.

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It has everything to do with the Greens' eco-agenda by their legislating policy in Europe that's resulted in effectively tossing a common-sense approach to engine care - routine oil changes at sensible time/mileage intervals. Sure you can reliably go 15,000 miles - even 30,000 miles - between oil and filter changes, providing you can manage to drive at steady autobahn speeds with the engine fully warmed and use a first rate synthetic. Driving in the real world is another matter. Extreme weather - hot or cold, insufficiently warmed engines, and stop-and-go gridlock take an inevitable toll on any oil. Fifteen grand for general running around in the above conditions is just flat out excessive on highly tuned motors already running near the limit for available oils.

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I don't understand.

How am I doing environmental harm when my motor oil is re-refined and used again by government vehicles? My oil doesn't just get dumped, it goes to re-cycle and is probably running in some police car, where they will do the same thing. Where is the green issue for longer oci's.

 

[haley10]

Everything get's posted on the Internet.

The engine had issues or the oci was mis-stated.

I absolutely believe you could go to BMW requirements as a worst case and not suffer too much.

This was a malfunction, counterfeit el cheapo substandard dino or just a lie or non-performance of the maintenance interval.

It's a stretch, but any good syn would not do this. The Internet chatter doesn't convince me that BMW or GM recommendations are wrong, but I also go towards the conservative side.

 

[JHZR2]

13k OCIs with M1 in my fathers toyota show almost ne wear, with no consumption or makeup.

Its doable, and it isnt necessarily the greens, environmentalists or a sales gimmick.

Lots of people believe in the longevity to oil afforded by LC, and its 'approved' by many knowledgable people around here. There is also such a thing as progress, scientific advances, and general vast improvement in lubrication science. Chances are that person did something wrong, even if it was just too many short trips. Or maybe something did fail and causea problem. One way or another, I believe it is the exception, not the rule.

We have cars that run the gamut from always full-cold, 5 block drives to vehicles that do 40+ mile drives exclusively. And have had great success and low wear on both sides. Maybe were just lucky, but Im a firm believer in the fact that only those with problems actually tend to get vocal, and those problems are probably only 1% of owners/operators, which is just as would be reasonably expected.

JMH

 

[msparks]

quote:

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Originally posted by RedWolf4000:
This to me doesnt look very accurate, perhaps its Dino oil put in by accident, and changed accordingly to the OCI in the book, which is for synthetic.

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I think you hit the nail on the head.

Or,

It was a dumb driver that assumed 15K drains mean you don't have to check or add oil for 15K. This car could have had high quality synthetic, but was 3-4 quarts low.

Doesn't matter what kind of oil you are running, with only 1 quart to do the job of 4-6 it will thicken very quickly and slugde just as you see.

Believe me, I know very few people that check their oil periodically. I would say maybe 1 in 10. This is probably the #1 reason 3,000 mile OCI's are good for consumers. At least if their car is in okay mechanical shape they won't be more than 1 quart low.

Side story, sold my neighbor oil changes for his 2 new cars. Yesterday said he needed a quart so I sold him one. Then I hear his wife say, why do you have to add oil. These are brand new cars they shouldn't be using oil!!!
(I believe both of them have 4-5K on the current OCI) What a dummy!!

[ December 04, 2004, 08:58 AM: Message edited by: msparks ]

 

[TallPaul]

quote:

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Originally posted by msparks:

Originally posted by RedWolf4000:
[qb] Believe me, I know very few people that check their oil periodically. I would say maybe 1 in 10. This is probably the #1 reason 3,000 mile OCI's are good for consumers. At least if their car is in okay mechanical shape they won't be more than 1 quart low.

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There was a time I never checked my oil except right after a change. Then I would run the standard 3000 miles and change it again. I think a lot of people do this.

 

[sxg6]

similar to this

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=42;t=000992

 

[Primus]

quote:

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Originally posted by Cary:
As a long time BMW owner, I feel that BMW should be ashamed of themselves for the destroying what were the best sport sedans on the planet. They used to reliable vehicles that lasted for 250,000 miles or more. Now they are about as reliable as a Jaguar and last just about as long. The traditional BMW customers are slowly but surely dissapearing.

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We call this "BMW is the quality forever except repairs !" But to be fair BMW reliability was never comparable to japaneese cars.

As for BMW 5W-30, I don't know what is sold in the N.A., but in Europe this is rebadged TXT Softec LL01 5W-30 that has substituted BMW Power 5W-40. In a pure sense it is not 100 % synthetic oil and, obviously, its performance reserves are not enough for 15-20k OCI, especially if there are some, even slight, mechanical faults. At the same time, nowadays it's quite difficult to find a car used in "normal" conditions when such long OCIs can be applied. Usual error.

 

[Rob Taggs]

Amazes me how people want to try to blame pcv, or whatever. Maybe the engine is running perfectly alright and maintenance has been kept up properly. What will the excuses be then? Folks, sometimes products are not what they claim. Car makers count on you to go to the extreme on fluids etc.. It means a repeat customer? This is America - Home of the 100,000 mile cars and trucks not Europe. Take an American car engine apart, then take a German car engine apart you can clearly see the German car is far better quality. We americans make cookie cutter cars. **** , Japanese automobile plant line supervisiors wear white gloves around checking out quality down the line and talking to the assemblers. That is a lesson we need to learn. What made me really mad is one the guys at my job worked at the Ford plant in Claycomo, Missouri. He told all of us at work to never buy a ford made on friday thru monday. That is when most of the illegal drug users- car, truck assemblers are either stoned or recovering from being stoned. He said, many people are terminated from ford weekly, monthly due to dirty UA's. Drug use produces mismatched wiring, components not being connected etc... As far as line supervisors - no colleges or management skills for the most part. I knew on of their Product developement Engineers. He showed me the new Blackwood Edition pick up before it was made available to the public. He told me they (Ford) did not make the bed of the truck, a private company did. The cost is $18,000 per truck bed! Now that is idiotic to say the least. I'am no expert but, that bed was not worth over $3,000 to $5,000 at the most. Way over priced. I love America but, we need a wake up call.

 

[Primus]

Rob Taggs,
The guy just retold you the summary of Arthur Hailey "Wheels" .

 

[johnnyo4]

would an oil analysis given a hint that this was happening?

 

[Quattro Pete]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Taggs:
He told all of us at work to never buy a ford made on friday thru monday.

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And where on the Ford does it say what day of the week it was made?

On my car (not Ford) it only shows the month and a year.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Their have been many articles published online and some in magazines in Europe steing the LL oils and their LL change interval are bad. Many have also had plenty of sludged up engine pictures to show as well. The only probablem is they usualy are in German or Russian. A lot of good information on health and fitness and cars is never translated and republished in english. Some of these articles have appeared on bitog. Babble Fish does a horable job of translateing these though!

 

[Cary]

Someone commented that a good PAO oil would not have sludged up like that. The US BMW labled Synthetic oil is a group III hydrocracked oil, not a PAO.

 

[99 GASE2]

quote:

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Originally posted by Cary:
Someone commented that a good PAO oil would not have sludged up like that. The US BMW labled Synthetic oil is a group III hydrocracked oil, not a PAO.

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I wonder how German Castrol Syntec 0W30 or Mobil 1 0W40 would of handled for 15K miles ?

 

[dagmando]

I was a BMW service writer for years and I can tell you for sure this is not the results of a properly running 540 with 15K mile OCI, there is much, much more that is not revealed.

 

[kenw]

"He told me they (Ford) did not make the bed of the truck, a private company did. "

so what rock have you been hiding under? Subcontracting has and will be a way of life (in USA, Germany and especially JAPAN) for eons.

and venturing way OT.....

Blackwood? what a joke. It's a good thing they did subcontract that part, they sold less than 5k iirc.

Ford/Mercury Marketing Plan:

Let's take a Ford Pinto and double the taillights and call it a Mercury Bobcat.

Let's take a Ford Granda and double the taillights and call it a Lincoln Versailles.

Let's take a Ford Explorer and double the taillights and call it a Lincoln Navigator.

your turn:

Let's take a Ford _________and double the taillights and call it a Lincoln/Mercury __________.

 

[i]

Oh! Oh! I wanna play!

quote:

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Originally posted by kenw:


Let's take a Ford _________and double the taillights and call it a Lincoln/Mercury __________.

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Let's take a Ford TEMPO and double the taillights and callit a Mercury TOPAZ.


That was fun!!!