I found this article, a few people have asked me to post it. Might be a sticky.

Real BMW Service Intervals: Alternative BMW Maintenance Schedule

BMWs Free Scheduled Maintenance program means that BMW will perform scheduled maintenance free of charge during the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty period.

Prior to the advent of BMW Free Scheduled Maintenance, approximate BMW maintenance recommendations were: automatic transmission fluid (ATF) and filter changes every 15,000 miles, manual gearbox and differential oil changes every 30,000 miles, annual brake fluid changes, and coolant changes every two years. Spark plugs, air filter, and fuel filters were typically replaced every 30,000 miles on most BMWs (this is a tune-up) except M cars up to 1995, which got new spark plugs and a valve adjustment every 15,000. Later advances in computer engine management and spark plug technology legitimately allow 60,000-mile spark plug life if not more.

Prior to Free Scheduled Maintenance, you couldnt change engine oil often enough according to most dealerships. And when the car was in the shop it would often be due for this service or that inspection, all at the owners expense.

But once BMW began paying for scheduled maintenance, lo and behold the schedule was revised. Now, magically, the cars hardly need any maintenance at all! The 1,200-mile break-in service was done away with except for M cars. Engine oil suddenly lasts 15,000 miles (dealers are supposed to use BMW synthetic oil). Manual gearbox and differential oil? No worries there now BMW says they NEVER need to be changed, its lifetime fill. Brake fluid and coolant service intervals were doubled with no change in the original BMW brake fluid and anti-freeze dealers are supposed to use.

So, is Free Scheduled Maintenance all about marketing and cost reduction BMWs costs? Draw your own conclusions. There is no doubt that many buyers incorrectly view BMWs as high maintenance cars. Nothing can address that more effectively than Free Scheduled Maintenance. But the operative word in the name is scheduled. In my opinion, extended service intervals and lifetime fill came very close on the heels of Free Scheduled Maintenance.

This is an alternative to BMWs factory-recommended maintenance schedule. It is not, Mike Millers maintenance schedule. It is actually BMWs maintenance schedule, more or less, which was used prior to Free Scheduled Maintenance. It also represents my opinion, based upon my experience and that of my readers, tech advisors, and professional BMW technicians both dealer and independent. I have prepared it because of the large number of readers asking for this information. The fact that my opinions may differ from those of others does not mean anyone is necessarily right or wrong. You will get a different answer from every person you ask about routine vehicle maintenance.

You should also know that in my work I have observed the most common reason for BMW drivability problems in contemporary cars with over 100,000 miles is that they need a tune up spark plugs, air filter, and fuel filter.

Break-in Service for New Cars

Traditionally, BMW performed a break-in service at 1,200 miles on new cars, which included changing the engine oil and filter, manual gearbox oil or automatic transmission fluid, and differential oil. With the advent of Free Scheduled Maintenance, BMW stopped performing break-in services except on M cars.

I have seen that the engine and drive-line oils in new modern BMWs are literally full of metal at 1,200 miles as has always been the case with any new car. For this reason, I recommend a 1,200-mile break-in service.

Engine

Oil and Filter Intervals

BMW recommends their Castrol 5W-30 synthetic motor oil in all BMWs except contemporary M cars, for which they recommend their Castrol 10W-60 synthetic motor oil. The factory oil change interval is controlled electronically, but is presently about every 15,000 miles. If you are running BMWs oil, I recommend an oil and filter change interval between 5,000 and 7,500 miles.

I use Red Line synthetic oil (www.redlineoil.com) in 5W-30, 10W-40, 15W-50, or 20W-50, depending on factory recommendation, ambient temperatures, and severity of service (track use, sustained high rpm use), with a drain interval 7,500 to 18,000 miles depending on engine and severity of service. Under racing or track conditions Id use a short interval; same for carbureted engines which tend to get some fuel into the oil. I would run the same intervals with very high end synthetics such as Amsoil and Lubrication Engineers Monolec Ultra.

All other commercially available synthetic oils, 5,000-7,500-mile drain intervals (Mobil-1 is good, we dont know much about the factory BMW Castrol product).

Old fashioned petroleum oil, same viscosities, 3,000-to-5,000 mile drain intervals (I prefer Kendall)

The following information is courtesy of Motorwatch.com:

Redline is Group V (polyol ester) based (POE or esters).

Amsoil and Mobil-1 are Group IV (poly-alpha olefin) based (PAO or synthesized hydrocarbons SHC).

Castrol Syntec and all the others calling themselves synthetic are Group III (hydrocracked slack wax).

The petroleum motor alls are all mineral oil based and make up Group II.

We really should group Red Line by itself, and put the others in separate categories (according to the groups) because their performance is so different.

See motorwatch>AutoMotiveBible>Oil Change Intervals>oil classifications
http://www.motorwatch.com/images/oilclassifications.jpg

AutoMotiveBible> Oil Change Intervals>oil change intervals
http://www.motorwatch.com/images/oil...intervals.jpg

Original BMW filters are recommended for price and quality, or MANN, Mahle, Bosch, or Knecht filters

Spark Plugs

There is no reason to deviate from the factory-recommended Bosch or NGK spark plug specification, changed at 30,000-to-60,000-mile intervals, depending upon the car and severity of service. Basically, any BMW produced after 1993 can easily run 60,000 miles on a set of spark plugs.

The factory also has part numbers and applications for 100,000-mile spark plugs. These are good too, and are capable of 100,000 miles of service assuming no other problems, which might cause them to foul during that time. However, in engines with spark plugs recessed into the middle of the cylinder head, oil can leak into the spark plug recesses past the valve cover gaskets. This is a hidden leak if the plugs are left in service for an extended period of time, because no one looks in there until theyre changing the plugs or chasing a problem. An oil leak in the spark plug recesses, left to fester, can cause ignition coil failure and even ECU failure. So, even if you want to leave the plugs in service, you should at least check the spark plug recesses for signs of oil leakage at least every 60,000 miles. And at the point youre in there, you might as well replace the plugs. This is the issue with 100,000-mile plugs.

Moreover, while you may not have any problems running spark plugs for 100,000 miles in some BMWs, this does not mean the plugs will not be worn, or that that wear is not affecting engine performance. In other words, for optimum engine performance, most BMWs want spark plugs every 30,000-to-60,000 miles. M cars except the US specification S50/S52 powered E36 variants want plugs about every 15,000 miles.

Stay away from platinum plugs in BMWs. These dont last as long as the regular Bosch copper or silver plugs and NGK plus, and have been known to fail in other ways. The regular old Bosch Platinum single electrode plug is, however, a very good choice for cars OTHER THAN BMWs.

Air Filter

Stock paper element, check every 15,000 miles, tap out dirt, replace if necessary, standard interval 30,000 miles, use Original BMW filters or aftermarket filters such as Knecht, MANN, Mahle, or Bosch

K&N oiled cotton gauze filters, clean every 15,000 to 30,000 miles depending on condition, use only K&N approved cleaner and oil, and follow K&N cleaning procedures

Fuel Filter

Replace every 30,000 miles, also replace if fuel pump is replaced, use original BMW filters or Bosch, Knecht, MANN, or Mahle.

Valve Adjustment

Perform every 15,000 to 20,000 miles where applicable

Timing Belt, Tensioner Pulley, and Front Cam Seal

Replace every 5 years or 50,000 miles on vehicles so equipped, water pump replacement also recommended as preventative attendant service, but not required, 40,000 miles or four years on the E30 325iX (1988-1991)

Engine Drive Belts

Replace O.E. or O.E.M. BMW poly-ribbed serpentine belts every 60,000 miles

Replace O.E.M. Continental or Pirelli or original BMW V-belts every 30,000 miles

Replace auto store quality V-belts every 15,000 miles

Engine Coolant Service

I recommend changing engine coolant at two-year intervals, using only factory BMW anti-freeze mixed 50-50 with distilled water (reason BMW anti-freeze is phosphate free, phosphates cause aluminum oxidation, which blocks cylinder head coolant passages and causes head gasket failure, others may claim to be aluminum safe or phosphate free make your choice, but Ive used BMW anti-freeze exclusively in many cars and have never had an aluminum oxidation or head gasket problem)

The factory coolant change interval used to be every two years. It is now every four years.

Continuted....

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In the days before BMW included "free" maintenance with the purchase of their cars, their maintenance intervals were about double the frequency of their current schedule. Quote: I found this article, a few people have asked me to post it. Might be a sticky. Real BMW Service Intervals: Alternative BMW Maintenance Schedule BMWs Free Scheduled Maintenance program means that BMW will perform scheduled maintenance free of charge during the BMW New Vehicle Limited Warranty period. Prior to the advent of BMW Free Scheduled Maintenance, approximate BMW maintenance recommendations were: automatic transmission fluid (ATF) and filter changes every 15,000 miles, manual gearbox and differential oil changes every 30,000 miles, annual brake fluid changes, and coolant changes every two years. Spark plugs, air filter, and fuel filters were typically replaced every 30,000 miles on most BMWs (this is a tune-up) except M cars up to 1995, which got new spark plugs and a valve adjustment every 15,000. Later advances in computer engine management and spark plug technology legitimately allow 60,000-mile spark plug life if not more. Prior to Free Scheduled Maintenance, you couldnt change engine oil often enough according to most dealerships. And when the car was in the shop it would often be due for this service or that inspection, all at the owners expense. But once BMW began paying for scheduled maintenance, lo and behold the schedule was revised. Now, magically, the cars hardly need any maintenance at all! The 1,200-mile break-in service was done away with except for M cars. Engine oil suddenly lasts 15,000 miles (dealers are supposed to use BMW synthetic oil). Manual gearbox and differential oil? No worries there now BMW says they NEVER need to be changed, its lifetime fill. Brake fluid and coolant service intervals were doubled with no change in the original BMW brake fluid and anti-freeze dealers are supposed to use. So, is Free Scheduled Maintenance all about marketing and cost reduction BMWs costs? Draw your own conclusions. There is no doubt that many buyers incorrectly view BMWs as high maintenance cars. Nothing can address that more effectively than Free Scheduled Maintenance. But the operative word in the name is scheduled. In my opinion, extended service intervals and lifetime fill came very close on the heels of Free Scheduled Maintenance. This is an alternative to BMWs factory-recommended maintenance schedule. It is not, Mike Millers maintenance schedule. It is actually BMWs maintenance schedule, more or less, which was used prior to Free Scheduled Maintenance. It also represents my opinion, based upon my experience and that of my readers, tech advisors, and professional BMW technicians both dealer and independent. I have prepared it because of the large number of readers asking for this information. The fact that my opinions may differ from those of others does not mean anyone is necessarily right or wrong. You will get a different answer from every person you ask about routine vehicle maintenance. You should also know that in my work I have observed the most common reason for BMW drivability problems in contemporary cars with over 100,000 miles is that they need a tune up spark plugs, air filter, and fuel filter. Break-in Service for New Cars Traditionally, BMW performed a break-in service at 1,200 miles on new cars, which included changing the engine oil and filter, manual gearbox oil or automatic transmission fluid, and differential oil. With the advent of Free Scheduled Maintenance, BMW stopped performing break-in services except on M cars. I have seen that the engine and drive-line oils in new modern BMWs are literally full of metal at 1,200 miles as has always been the case with any new car. For this reason, I recommend a 1,200-mile break-in service. Engine Oil and Filter Intervals BMW recommends their Castrol 5W-30 synthetic motor oil in all BMWs except contemporary M cars, for which they recommend their Castrol 10W-60 synthetic motor oil. The factory oil change interval is controlled electronically, but is presently about every 15,000 miles. If you are running BMWs oil, I recommend an oil and filter change interval between 5,000 and 7,500 miles. I use Red Line synthetic oil (www.redlineoil.com) in 5W-30, 10W-40, 15W-50, or 20W-50, depending on factory recommendation, ambient temperatures, and severity of service (track use, sustained high rpm use), with a drain interval 7,500 to 18,000 miles depending on engine and severity of service. Under racing or track conditions Id use a short interval; same for carbureted engines which tend to get some fuel into the oil. I would run the same intervals with very high end synthetics such as Amsoil and Lubrication Engineers Monolec Ultra. All other commercially available synthetic oils, 5,000-7,500-mile drain intervals (Mobil-1 is good, we dont know much about the factory BMW Castrol product). Old fashioned petroleum oil, same viscosities, 3,000-to-5,000 mile drain intervals (I prefer Kendall) The following information is courtesy of Motorwatch.com: Redline is Group V (polyol ester) based (POE or esters). Amsoil and Mobil-1 are Group IV (poly-alpha olefin) based (PAO or synthesized hydrocarbons SHC). M3_Dust Michelin Man Castrol Syntec and all the others calling themselves synthetic are Group III (hydrocracked slack wax). 111 Rep The petroleum motor alls are all mineral oil based and make up Group II. 677 Posts We really should group Red Line by itself, and put the others in separate categories (according to the groups) because their performance is so different. Drives: F10 535i M Sport See motorwatch>AutoMotiveBible>Oil Change Intervals>oil classifications Join Date: Apr 2008 http://www.motorwatch.com/images/oilclassifications.jpg Location: on forums AutoMotiveBible> Oil Change Intervals>oil change intervals iTrader: (0) http://www.motorwatch.com/images/oil...intervals.jpg Original BMW filters are recommended for price and quality, or MANN, Mahle, Bosch, or Knecht filters Spark Plugs There is no reason to deviate from the factory-recommended Bosch or NGK spark plug specification, changed at 30,000-to-60,000-mile intervals, depending upon the car and severity of service. Basically, any BMW produced after 1993 can easily run 60,000 miles on a set of spark plugs. The factory also has part numbers and applications for 100,000-mile spark plugs. These are good too, and are capable of 100,000 miles of service assuming no other problems, which might cause them to foul during that time. However, in engines with spark plugs recessed into the middle of the cylinder head, oil can leak into the spark plug recesses past the valve cover gaskets. This is a hidden leak if the plugs are left in service for an extended period of time, because no one looks in there until theyre changing the plugs or chasing a problem. An oil leak in the spark plug recesses, left to fester, can cause ignition coil failure and even ECU failure. So, even if you want to leave the plugs in service, you should at least check the spark plug recesses for signs of oil leakage at least every 60,000 miles. And at the point youre in there, you might as well replace the plugs. This is the issue with 100,000-mile plugs. Moreover, while you may not have any problems running spark plugs for 100,000 miles in some BMWs, this does not mean the plugs will not be worn, or that that wear is not affecting engine performance. In other words, for optimum engine performance, most BMWs want spark plugs every 30,000-to-60,000 miles. M cars except the US specification S50/S52 powered E36 variants want plugs about every 15,000 miles. Stay away from platinum plugs in BMWs. These dont last as long as the regular Bosch copper or silver plugs and NGK plus, and have been known to fail in other ways. The regular old Bosch Platinum single electrode plug is, however, a very good choice for cars OTHER THAN BMWs. Air Filter Stock paper element, check every 15,000 miles, tap out dirt, replace if necessary, standard interval 30,000 miles, use Original BMW filters or aftermarket filters such as Knecht, MANN, Mahle, or Bosch K&N oiled cotton gauze filters, clean every 15,000 to 30,000 miles depending on condition, use only K&N approved cleaner and oil, and follow K&N cleaning procedures Fuel Filter Replace every 30,000 miles, also replace if fuel pump is replaced, use original BMW filters or Bosch, Knecht, MANN, or Mahle. Valve Adjustment Perform every 15,000 to 20,000 miles where applicable Timing Belt, Tensioner Pulley, and Front Cam Seal Replace every 5 years or 50,000 miles on vehicles so equipped, water pump replacement also recommended as preventative attendant service, but not required, 40,000 miles or four years on the E30 325iX (1988-1991) Engine Drive Belts Replace O.E. or O.E.M. BMW poly-ribbed serpentine belts every 60,000 miles Replace O.E.M. Continental or Pirelli or original BMW V-belts every 30,000 miles Replace auto store quality V-belts every 15,000 miles Engine Coolant Service I recommend changing engine coolant at two-year intervals, using only factory BMW anti-freeze mixed 50-50 with distilled water (reason BMW anti-freeze is phosphate free, phosphates cause aluminum oxidation, which blocks cylinder head coolant passages and causes head gasket failure, others may claim to be aluminum safe or phosphate free make your choice, but Ive used BMW anti-freeze exclusively in many cars and have never had an aluminum oxidation or head gasket problem) The factory coolant change interval used to be every two years. It is now every four years. Continuted.... Appreciate 1 niceast 37.00 Tweet Quote 04-03-2008, 02:12 PM #2 Part 2 Quote: Water and Fuel Hoses Replace water and fuel hoses every 150,000 miles, highly recommended use of O.E. or O.E.M. hoses only, along with the original hose clamps or Wurth/Zebra replacements. The original BMW hose clamps are far superior to anything you’ll find in a U.S. auto store. Power Steering Fluid Replace every 30,000 miles. This is a very neglected operating fluid. Almost all BMWs use automatic transmission fluid in the power steering system, except for some E32 7 Series cars, which use Pentosin hydraulic oil. Nothing will balls up the works faster than using one when you should be using the other. Check the sticker on the reservoir, check the owner’s manual, and if you are still confused, take the car to a pro or e-mail me. It is not necessary to evacuate the entire power steering system. I just open a line down by the pump. I have had great experience using Red Line Synthetic Power Steering Fluid – 184,000 miles and counting on the original rack and pinion unit and pump on the vehicle I used to test this product. But I would not use it in place of Pentosin hydraulic oil where that product is specified. Manual Gearbox Oil Only synthetic oil should be used in BMW manual gearboxes, drain interval 30,000 miles Red Line products are highly recommended (www.redlineoil.com). Questions or problems, e-mail me or dave@redlineoil.com. All the BMW gearbox re-builders I know use Red Line MTL exclusively, regardless of model year or gearbox. The general consensus is, MTL is the better lubricant. However, the D4ATF product will require less shifter babying during cold operation. I use Red Line MTL in manual gearboxes except where I can’t trust the driver to shift properly when the gearbox is cold, in which case I use Red Line D4 ATF. Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) and Filter For older automatics using Red Line or other synthetic ATF, drain interval 30,000 miles. Old fashioned petroleum ATF, drain interval 15,000 miles M3_Dust Michelin Man At various production dates in the mid-1990s, which vary according to model, BMW switched to their so-called “lifetime fill” ATF in automatic transmissions, as well as manual gearbox lubricant and differential oil. The reason for this, as far as anyone can tell, is marketing and not engineering – the idea being to foster the notion of the low-maintenance BMW. 111 Rep There was no explanation of what “lifetime” meant, i.e., lifetime of the car, the component, or for that matter the driver. If it was the component, then obviously anything could be “lifetime fill”. The factory’s initial position is that these lubricants never need to be changed. Then, some time later, it came out that “lifetime” means 100,000 miles. Many dealerships are now recommending manual gearbox and differential oil changes be done at customer expense every 60,000 miles. Every independent BMW technician I know recommends a 30,000-mile interval, and many recommend Red Line synthetic oils (www.redlineoil.com), but not for automatics with “lifetime fill.” 677 Posts Older automatic transmission models, which do not have “lifetime fill” should have ATF and filter services every 15,000 miles if using petroleum ATF; every 30,000 miles with synthetic. Drives: F10 535i M Sport However, the modern automatic transmissions are different. No one knows exactly what BMW’s proprietary ATF is, so no one knows if there are viable alternatives. We do know that BMW dealerships charge about $500 for an ATF and filter service, due to the price of the ATF. And that’s assuming you can get them to do the job, which is not often the case. Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: on forums Under no circumstances would I recommend draining any previously unmaintained automatic transmission with much more than 50,000 miles. I have seen it happen too many times, where a well-meaning owner or technician performs an ATF and filter service on a neglected but well-shifting automatic, and then all of the sudden it starts slipping. I can’t explain it, but my feeling is the fresh ATF flushes a bit of sludge from a place where it was doing no harm to a place where it does do harm. Overfilling, under-filling, and cleanliness are also issues in ATF and filter servicing, but these should not be problematic for a professional BMW technician, dealer or independent. iTrader: (0) BMW has “backed off” their lifetime fill mantra for automatic transmissions, currently recommending an ATF and filter change every 100,000 miles. My inclination is to tell people to change “lifetime” ATF and filter every 30,000 miles. However the fact is, I've seen BMW automatic transmissions that were maintained break anyway. In that event, say it happens at 90,000 miles, you would like to have that $1,500 you spent on ATF and filter changes to put toward your new automatic transmission. And if I told you to spend it on maintenance you’re probably not going to be very happy with me. On the other hand, I have seen maintained automatics last 200,000 miles. I have also seen unmaintained automatics last 200,000 miles, although both are very rare. There's just no predicting with these transmissions. When you choose to buy an automatic transmission, you also buy into the vagaries of the darn things, which is one reason technicians hate them. Whether to maintain a modern BMW automatic is up to you. I am washing my hands of automatic transmissions – I don’t like them, I don’t buy them, and I don’t mess around with them under the car. At the end of the day, for long-term durability, order the car with a manual gearbox. At automatic transmission replacement time, we are confronted with the reality that the local transmission shop cannot rebuild BMW automatic transmissions, even those built by GM (BMW’s GM transmissions bear not resemblance to GM transmission in domestic cars). There are some domestic specialists who concentrate in BMW automatic transmission rebuilding, and you’ll see their ads in Roundel. However, I have no experience with any of the current domestic re-builders. My experience in the past is…well, I wound up buying a BMW factory rebuilt automatic transmission every time, and this is the course I recommend to readers – “back to the dealer.” Some of you, having seen the light, may be interested in converting to a manual gearbox. This is always possible, but for most of us it won’t be less expensive than a replacement automatic transmission. This is because of all the other parts and additional labor required. And the newer the car the harder the job will be. It is certainly a doable swap, but there’s no cost savings even if you do the work yourself. The exception would be if you have access to a manual gearbox donor car for little or no expense. Differential Oil Recommend Red Line 75W-90 synthetic gear oil, drain interval 30,000 miles in any BMW differential Okay to use Red Line 75W-90 in place of BMW “lifetime fill” gear oil Brake Fluid Recommend one-year brake fluid changes, or prior to each driving school or track event. BMW now recommends two-year brake fluid changes, but used to recommend a one-year interval. Recommend ATE SL brake fluid for normal street use, ATE Type 200 or Pentosin Racing Brake Fluid for track work or very high performance use Note It has to be recognized that the benefits of good drive-train lubricant maintenance do not accrue until the car matures. The difference between the car that ran 15,000-mile oil change intervals and never had it's gearbox or differential oil changed (as per BMW instructions) and the one that ran high-end synthetic lubricants and had it's drive-line maintained in contravention of BMW's instructions, is the strong likelihood that the second car will be running strong at 200,000 miles whereas the first car will likely have a worn out drive-train. BMWs, and most modern cars, will run 100,000 miles just fine with zero maintenance. So, if you're maintaining the car religiously only to sell it at 75,000 miles then you're a good guy for helping out subsequent owners. That's nice, but to realize the fruits of your diligence, you need to keep the car longer. © 2002 Mike Miller Appreciate 1 niceast 37.00 Quote 04-03-2008, 02:50 PM #3 Crowley Major 46 good read .. Rep 1,015 thanks, Posts Crowley __________________ Drives: Join Date: Oct 2007 The last words on the powerplant should go to a clearly overwhelmed Hormazd Sorabjee, editor and publisher of Autocar India: There is something simply magical about BMWs in-line six. It has a creamy smoothness that makes velvet feel like sandpaper. iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 04-03-2008, 03:51 PM #4 john970 1er 70 Rep 1,205 Posts The best info in all of this is that just about any modern car will last 100k with almost no maintenance. For those of us leasing or getting new cars before then (most of us), maintenance becomes a moot point. Drives: 08 135 One of the reasons I think engine break in and oil change intervals are such a religion is very few people who have the car at 0 miles also have it at 200,000 miles (and remember what they did when it had 0 miles). Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Denver iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 04-03-2008, 04:04 PM #5 Robert Major General 374 Rep 6,962 Posts Question on transmission service. Is it a flush or drain and refill? Does it require special tools or it's as easy as engine oil? __________________ Drives: 135i -> is350 -> Tesla M3 perf - There's nothing in my pocket other than knives and lint Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Socal iTrader: (1) Appreciate 0 Quote 04-03-2008, 05:24 PM #6 Oregon NRA Life Member, BMW CCA 30 year member 156 Rep 2,614 Posts Very helpful thread. Thanks M3. __________________ Drives: 04' M3 Resigned 1ADDICTS Moderator Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Oregon To disarm the people is the best and most effective way to enslave them. George Mason iTrader: (1) Garage List 1971 2002 [0.00] 2004 M3 [0.00] 2008 135i [0.00] Appreciate 0 Quote 04-04-2008, 09:51 AM #7 BMWhokie Private 6 Rep 92 Posts Great post. When I bought my first car at 16, I was still young and ignorant. Now that the 135 should be here within a week, I want to maintain this car as best as I could. Drives: BMW 135i Now all we need is a thread in the DIY section on how to change engine, tranny, and diff oil. Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fairfax,VA iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 04-04-2008, 03:43 PM #8 M3_Dust Michelin Man 111 Quote: Rep 677 Originally Posted by BMWhokie Posts Now all we need is a thread in the DIY section on how to change engine, tranny, and diff oil. Drives: F10 535i M Sport Join Date: Apr 2008 I am looking forward to seeing those DIY threads :thumbup: Location: on forums I can't imagine that those jobs are any more difficult than they were on previous generation BMW's, the oil change on my E36 and E46's is the easiest I have ever done on any car (once you get the car on the ramps). iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 04-08-2008, 06:06 PM #9 Brandon26pdx Lieutenant Colonel 27 Rep 1,938 Posts I've read that article on E46fanatics before, and it's very good IMO. (printed out a copy to keep). Anyone who really cares about their car only uses the BMW schedule for the freebies. Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (1) Appreciate 0 Quote 04-08-2008, 09:44 PM #10 ManMachine Lieutenant 27 Rep 480 Posts Thank Mike Miller for all this helpful information. __________________ Drives: 3 328i Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Volcanoes iTrader: (0) Appreciate 1 Olgeezer1 155.00 Quote 05-22-2008, 07:24 PM #11 Jack in Jax Second Lieutenant 8 I find it's much more helpful to get my own digital copy of Mike Miller's comments. A simple email to Mike, along with a 'Thanks, much...', will result in an immediate reply with his comments attached in .pdf format. Rep 226 Mike Miller Posts BMW CCA Roundel Magazine Technical Editor techtalk@roundel.org Drives: Pearson 424 Ketch Join Date: May 2008 There's some scary stuff there, even if buying a new car. E.g. note the description of how the differential has squoosed down in size (the gear oil volume along with it) and the ongoing saga of problematic automatic transmissions. Ouch... Location: Jacksonville FL Jack iTrader: (0) Appreciate 1 Olgeezer1 155.00 Quote 05-23-2008, 02:08 AM #12 Quote: mistermojorizin Originally Posted by Jack in St. Pete Lieutenant Colonel I find it's much more helpful to get my own digital copy of Mike Miller's comments. A simple email to Mike, along with a 'Thanks, much...', will result in an immediate reply with his comments attached in .pdf format. 37 Rep Mike Miller 1,657 BMW CCA Roundel Magazine Technical Editor Posts techtalk@roundel.org Drives: 135i There's some scary stuff there, even if buying a new car. E.g. note the description of how the differential has squoosed down in size (the gear oil volume along with it) and the ongoing saga of problematic automatic transmissions. Ouch... Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Los Angeles Jack iTrader: (0) could you please attach the pdf? (use the little paperclip symbol when posting) Thanks so much. __________________ "KOPEYKA" /// Titanium Silver / Black Leather / Gray Poplar / Sport Package / Premium Package / 6MT / Feb 08 Production Appreciate 0 Quote 05-23-2008, 12:33 PM #13 dbtheo 1addicts CA 72 Rep I've read that article before too.. 1,245 Going from personal experience Posts I had a 2000 323i that I purchased brand new. I never deviated from the "scheduled" service intervals. Never did oil changes sooner etc. But I never missed or neglected anything either. My car was heavily modified, and saw a fair amount of track & autocross time as well. Drives: 2005 330i ZHP cic, 2021 X5 40i Join Date: May 2006 I sold that 323i this past summer with 229,000 miles on it. The car still ran flawlessly. The current owner now now has 237k on it, & still drives it every day. Location: Tampa, Florida Maybe I was lucky, don't know, but my 323i was driven very hard & it made me a believer of the engineering of the car. iTrader: (0) Garage List 2005 330i cv ZHP [0.00] Appreciate 0 Quote 07-17-2008, 10:00 PM #14 MikeCCrutchfield Lieutenant 17 Rep 587 Just thought I would add a little comment here since I have a slightly different perspective living in Germany (for the time being) and have heard some other information about the extended service intervals. Posts BMW does not provide free service over here, but the service intervals are the same. BMW would not change service intervals world-wide just so the dealerships in NA could provide free service. The reason I have read is that BMW was pressured to lower the environmental impact of their cars. Going to extended (or life-time in some cases) fluids lowers the amount of possible environmental impact that the car will make over the course of it's lifetime. Drives: 2008 135i Vert Join Date: Nov 2006 One other thing to think about: If it could be proven that the BMW extended service intervals severely degraded the life of the car, I am sure that BMW NA would have a nasty class action lawsuit on their hands for trying to ensure shortened car life to generate more business (just because Americans are sue happy) Location: Chestertown, MD With all of that said, I will be doing a break-in change myself, and probably half-cycle changes for the life-time of the car once i get it in a couple of weeks. iTrader: (3) (Oh, and my comment about Americans being sue-happy....I am American, just working overseas on an Army base. After living over here, it is refreshing to see that you can't sue over as many stupid things in other countries...not saying a class action suit over something like that wouldn't be appropriate, just saying it would only happen in the US) Garage List 2008 135i Convertible [0.00] 2007 VW Rabbit [0.00] 2006 VW Jetta TDI [0.00] Appreciate 0 Quote 07-20-2008, 08:48 PM #15 mjovic Lieutenant 41 Rep 457 Posts I am leasing BMW's car and if they want me to change the oil on THEIR car every 15,000 miles then that's what I'll do. If it were MY car, I would do every 5,000. Drives: 135i Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bolingbrook, IL iTrader: (1) Appreciate 1 bobowar135 3183.00 Quote 07-21-2008, 09:25 AM #16 Jack in Jax Second Lieutenant 8 Having lived in Europe for most of the last 5 years, I'm sure Mike is correct in suggesting that one factor in BMW's service interval changes has been due to environmental compliance. There is a much stronger emphasis on 'green' initiatives out of Brussels on behalf of the EU generally, and some countries (including Germany) are especially sympathetic to 'green' issues, even to the extent that they have major political parties with that focus as the backbone of their party platform. Rep 226 Having said all that, BMW is like any other manufacturer and enjoys legal limits on its warranty-related and even safety-related liabilities. It is not going to experience legal liability if its transfer case, diff, AT or MT suffer excessive wear at 100,000+ miles due to lack of lube oil replacement. Comments like Dave's are always reassuring to hear - long, trouble-free mileage while following the newer, more limited maintenance regimen. Unfortunately, there are other owners who have had different experiences (which Mike Miller addresses to some degree in the OP). Posts It's just my opinion but I break the 'right level of maintenance' into 2 categories: 1) If planning short-term ownership or leasing, obviously do only what's recommended...but obviously, this may have a ripple effect on Owner #2 or #3; 2) If you want to leave open the door to long-term ownership (not likely for most new car buyers these days), then the choice is whether you want to put the odds more in your favor...or not. Running engine lube oil without filter or oil replacement for your first 20K km, or choosing to believe diff lube oil is 'lifetime' capable are simply choices that don't help your odds (rather than some kind of death sentence that applies across the board). Drives: Pearson 424 Ketch Join Date: May 2008 BTW it doesn't make sense to post a copy of Mike Miller's .pdf file here because he routinely edits and updates his commentary on maintenance. Far better to contact Mike and get his most recent edition (for which I've offered his email address in an above post). Location: Jacksonville FL Jack iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 12-09-2008, 11:31 PM #17 lamal3 Enlisted Member 4 Rep 42 Posts So is the BMW 135i considered an M car or not? Would the break-in service apply to it? Drives: BMW 135i Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Vancouver iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 12-10-2008, 06:36 AM #18 Mad Dragon . 25 Rep 932 Posts The 135i is not an M car. Drives: 2010 GTI Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: MD iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 01-27-2009, 10:07 PM #19 skiguy1981 Mike is cool 24 Rep Quote: 160 Posts Originally Posted by Mad Dragon The 135i is not an M car. Drives: White '09 135i Join Date: Jan 2009 yea i know it sucks Location: Naperville, IL it should be iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 05-06-2009, 02:16 PM #20 jkp1187 Unindicted co-conspirator 60 Rep 1,734 Just an observation - Mike Miller, the author of this material, has asked that people NOT post it on the internet because (a) it is copyrighted (b) he updates it periodically with new information (looks like the copyright date on this one is 2002,) and (c) he is willing to email a free copy of the latest version of the maintenance schedule to any of his readers who request one. Posts I believe his contact info can be found here: http://bmwcca.org/index.php?pageid=r...staff_masthead Drives: to work, mostly. Join Date: Oct 2008 EDIT: Sorry, didn't notice Jack in St. Pete's comments. Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / Detroit, Michigan iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 05-06-2009, 06:00 PM #21 sinj New Member 0 Rep 14 Posts Good read Wow.... Drives: 135i Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Landstuhl iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote 06-05-2009, 04:46 PM #22 MikesG23 Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts 135I oil change Good post M3 Dust. I'm wondering if you could tell me how much oil the 135i takes? Also if i do the oil change myself, would it effect up my computer? Drives: '08 135i Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MA iTrader: (0) Appreciate 0 Quote Post Reply Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 > Bookmarks * twitter * Facebook * Digg * Google * StumbleUpon * del.icio.us * My Yahoo! « Previous Thread | Next Thread » Posting Rules You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts BB code is On Smilies are On [IMG] code is On HTML code is Off Forum Rules All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:34 AM . 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