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Alternative BMW Maintenance Schedule (oil and filter excerpts)
Enhanced Maintenance Schedule by Mike Miller of Bimmer and Roundel magazines
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).
This is an alternative to BMW’s factory-recommended maintenance schedule. It is not, “Mike Miller’s maintenance schedule.” It is actually BMW’s 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.
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 driveline 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.
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 BMW’s oil, I recommend an oil and filter change interval between 5,000 and 7,500 miles.
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Although I've followed the computer for my past three 3-series and used premium fuel, I've decided to change the oil and filter in my M2 every 5,000 miles and only use Shell V-Power fuel even though it's not tracked and only used locally on nice days (garaged for the three winter months).
When I took it in recently for an oil and filter change at 5,000 miles, it turned out to be free since it was within 3 months of the computer scheduled September recommendation.
If you can afford it, I'd say go for more frequent service intervals. It can't hurt and the records will help if/when you sell the car.
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