That's what happen if you follow BMW's EOCI

[hungdynasty]

The car's owner follows BMW's 5 green light OCI with synthetic oil

http://www.performingimports.com/maint.htm

 

[Spector]

No mention was made of what the manufacturer's OCI was that was followed to arrive at that mess in the engine? Or what synthetic oil failed to live up to its expectations?

 

[slalom44]

They're telling one side of the story. Unfortunately, the other side can't talk.

An engine that is not sludge-prone looking like that for no reason? And the OCI is the only answer? Maybe they can convince Average Joe that this is true, but he's going to have a tough time convincing this crowd.

 

[K-Man]

Too much goop. I'll bet that BMW stealer wasn't using synthetic oil but instead used regular dino oil and charged for the real stuff. We've seen other threads telling how dealers and quick-lube places pull this all too often.

The BMW engine oil monitor system in the car probably doesn't "know" the difference between types of oil, or so is my suspicion (and opinion). The oil change light possibly comes on at a predetermined interval anyway.

There has to be more to the story.

 

[nel]

Matt89, I agree with you. Those pictures just do not jive with my personal experience. Even using dino at the recommended oil change interval shouldn't result in that kind of sludge.

My wife has a '97 328i, and we also have a '95 525iT. Both cars have oil change indicators that goes off every 9K-10K miles. The owner's manuals do not specify a synthetic oil. BMW's went to factory installed synthetic later--and the oil change interval was changed to 15K miles.

Until finding BITOG, I've always used good quality dino oil and changed it when the oil change lights said to. Sump capacity is around 7 quarts so I didn't think too much about the long OCI. My 525iT went in this summer for cylinder head work (at 156K miles). The valve train was clean, sludge-free, and the mechanic noted that you could still see the hone marks in the cylinders. He commented that I must be maintaining the vehicles meticulously (not!).

Anyway, using Ted Kublin's (Too Slick on BITOG) oil change formula that uses hp, engine displacement, mpg, oil capacity and TBN, it's better to go about 5K-6K miles on dino, and 10K miles is not a problem with Mobil 1. Oil Change Formula (Theory 4)

 

[1maniac]

That's alot of gunk in there

! My 540i holds NINE quarts of synthetic oil. I find this article very hard to believe.

 

[sxg6]

i dont buy it.. if it were from an independant or neutral source that'd be one thing.. but this kind of claim from a shop

 

[Matt89]

I love the way they're like "we'll gladly change your 'quality motor oil' (read: cheapest dino 5w30) every 3,000 miles to avoid having this tragedy befall you"...

Hoisting flags BRAVO and SIERRA at this time...

 

[rpn453]

quote:

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Originally posted by Matt89:
I'd say this is bordering on fraud.

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I'll second that.

 

[Matt89]

I'd say this is bordering on fraud.