I purchased my Z4 new in Sep. 2008 and have just under 20,000 miles on it now. I have the oil changed twice a year and one change is covered by the maintenance program. But, I am trying to find out what the maintenance intervals are for other items. I just took my car in for its annual oil change and inspection. The manual states that the car needs to have brake fluid replaced every 2 years. I had to specifically ask for this to be done, and first they tried to charge me for it. The owners manual is very vague about what is to be done as routine (covered) maintenance and at what time or mileage intervals. Is there a clearly defined maintenance schedule for this car? Any help would be appreciated.
The maintenance & warranty manual should have that info - should be in your folder with the owner's manual.
As best as I can see it lists "inspection I" and "inspection II" as service points but with no mileage or time frame for these inspections.
Very useful page here http://bimmerzone.com/inspection.htm There's a lot of information on this page. I didn't want to monopolize the thread by posting so much data at once. Just click on the link to find out everything you could possibly want to know about Inspection I and II, as well as mileage intervals, which I believe was your core question.
That may well be true. However, most non-engineers relate easier to mileages. The car's OSI (Oil Service Indicator) and SI (Service Inspection) lights work on formulas, and will trigger the lights at the appropriate intervals. Since these formulas are not transparent to most users, those who aren't as familiar with how these two indicators work can still get ballpark figures on when they need to do what service on the cars. Mileage intervals are meant as a guideline, not a rigid rule. Some people feel better changing at slightly more frequent intervals. Some like to fudge a bit. Your mileage will vary. My preference is to rely on the lights. However, electronics being a notable weak point on BMW's, it's helpful to have mileage intervals to fall back on when this happens.
Thank you for the link. That indicates a 30,000 mile interval between Inspection I and II. It would be nice if the owner's manual was that clear. I know the miles remaining to the next recommended oil service shows whenever the car is started. Is there a way to see the miles remaining to the next recommended service interval?
Without making things too complicated... ...for that you might want to consider keeping a tiny service journal, along with a pocket calculator (most cellphones have a calculator function also). Just subtract your current mileage from your next service interval. The oil-change places do that with an acrylic decal on the inside front corner of your windshield. A piece of masking tape and a Sharpie would accomplish the same thing.
The Service Interval Indicator always counts down to the next required service and indicates what type of service that will be. This is explained in the owner's and/or service manual. When you complete an oil service, the tech will reset the SII and it will begin to count down to the next inspection service. The display will indicate this (INSPECTION rather than OIL SERVICE). All you need to remember is whether it's due for an Inspection I or Inspection II, and for that, you have the service record pages in the manual: A series of blocks in the correct sequence (Oil, Insp.I, Oil, Insp. II, ad nauseum). There are enough pages to cover literally decades for most people. Remind the dealership to stamp the book and note the mileage, or record it yourself if they forget. FYI, the interval is driven primarily by fuel consumption. Basically you're reminded to service the car after consuming X gallons of fuel.
