BMW 135i Coupe... Factory Fill and other questions

[Dominic]

My dad recently bought a brand new BMW 135i Coupe, and of course it's now going to be his toy and might get driven 5000 miles per year. Since BMW now offers free maintenance for 4yrs 50k miles, I'm concerned about the engine and the oil.

Some things to note:
1. He lives in Wisconsin and won't be driving it in the snow
2. The engine sump is ~ 8 quarts
3. BMW doesn't recommend changing the oil until 13000-15000 miles

What I wonder is the following?
1. Will BMW change it sooner on a time basis if he doesn't drive it often?
2. What kind of oil does BMW use in their cars at the dealer?
3. If he changes his own oil, will it void the BMW maintenance plan?

Any of you who have BMWs, some info would be appreciated, since this is our first bimmer in the family Thanks guys!

 

[JHZR2]

what do you mean they dont recommend changing the oil until then??? They wont do it for free, or they physically won't do it with his dollars as an incentive?

Intersting point about the voiding of the maintenance plan, or more importantly, the warranty... The MM act states effectively that if you HAVE to use a specific item to maintain warranty, they have to give it to you for free (or something along those lines...). But BMW is giving it to you for free, so the question becomes an issue if that constrains you in any way...

JMH

 

[Johnny]

Where in Wisconsin does your Dad live? Find out the name of the dealer he purchased it from, and I can find out what oil they use there.

 

[vranasaurus]

What does the manual say with regards to oil changes? Does it give a time period? Say at least annually.

I can't imagine leaving oil in a car for over a year.

Also if they are providing the maintenance for free they can require you to use their provided maintenance to keep the warranty.

 

[JAG]

1. I don't know if the oil change interval is time and mileage based. I need to find this out for my own purposes.

2. Most or all dealers use Castrol 5W-30 meeting BMW requirements.

3. Nobody will know if he changes the oil sooner. I highly recommend he does change it himself between the dealer changes if they change it on a mileage basis. I'm going to change mine at least every 3K miles until I find out how many miles Mobil 1 5W-40 TDT CJ-4 will last in it.

FYI: the oil temp. in mine gets to around 245 F in summer.

 

[exranger06]

My mother owns a 2005 BMW 330ci....it only has about 8000 miles. Needless to say, it doesn't get driven much. She got free oil changes once a year. This year was the last year of free maintenance, so from now on, I'll be doing the oil changes. They also flush the brake fluid every 2 years, replace windshield wipers if you say they're bad, I think replace cabin air filter every 2 years, etc etc basically everything in the maintenance schedule and anything they think needs done.

I don't know what kind of oil they used, and I don't really care. I'm almost positive it's some sort of synthetic, which should've easily lasted the 1 year intervals. I'm sure the engine will last just fine. I'll be using Lubro-Moly 5w-30 in it with a Napa Gold filter from now on.

 

[JHZR2]

I saw a brocheure on the 135i convertible... man oh man would I love to have that car to commute in.

Maybe in 20 years, Ill bu a new '08

JMH

 

[mva]

BMW uses a good quality full synthetic combined with extended but adequate OCI's.

If you have any doubts check out this thread:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1196764#Post1196764

And, if you are going to use anything else make sure it has the correct BMW approvals for that car/engine - probably BMW LL04.

Mike

 

[ecotourist]

I have a 2000 BMW 528i. The oil monitoring system will let you go 20,000 - 22,000 km (12,500 - 13,750 miles) between changes. The manual however recommends a change at least every year.

The dealer apparently uses a 5W-30 Syntec and as you say there are about 7 quarts in the sump.

I bought the car 3 years old and had problems early on with the dual vanos system (thankfully while under warrantee). Some on the BMW Roadfly site say this problem many be due to too long oil change intervals.

I developed a good relationship with the shop foreman at the BMW dealership and his advice was, if I planned to keep the car for the long run, to do an extra interval oil change (ie 10,000 -12,000 km). That's what I do.

I do the changes myself and use GC which is BMW LL-01 rated.

Ecotourist

 

[The Critic]

1. I know the E92s switched to BMW's new "Condition Based Service" system, which is completely different than the old Service Interval Indicator. At least on the new MINI Coopers, I know that a service is due at a particular mileage and/or TWO years from the date of the last service. Therefore, I'm not sure if you they are still doing the once-a-year low mileage oil changes anymore. You'll have to ask.

2. BMW High Performance Synthetic 5w-30. It's an A3/B3 rated synthetic that is made by Castrol. It is NOT your over-the-counter Syntec 5w-30.

3. No, just don't reset the onboard computer between dealer services.

 

[The Critic]

Here's some information on how the Condition Based Service (CBS) system works:

http://www.autodiagnos.com/fileadmin/[censored]...bs_bulletin.pdf

It's much more complex than the old Service Interval Indicator use to have.

 

[SamSpade]

Great ride. That car is 1st on my wish list.

The 135i and the 335i have the same N54 engine. Check out this thread for more info oil info: Best oil for BMW 335i N54 twin turbo?.

If I owned one I would do an extra oil change in between every scheduled dealer oil change, or every year whichever comes first, mainly because of the sustained high temps the oil is subjected to.

I don't know if most people here subscribe to an oil change after the first 1,500-2,000 miles for a brand new car, but I'd do it though. Wouldn't hurt.