I bought a 2008 535 xi CPO with low miles - previous owner had an X5, tried but didn't like the wagon. My gain... I have a little over 8000 miles - yet to get to 1st interval - and I am now low on oil. Does anyone have any experience with oil consumption on the new 535 engines? Since I am new to the vehicle, I am not sure if this is the 1st quart of oil (which would be OK), or if the engine will need oil more frequently. Thanks in advance
not extreme Proper break-in of a new vehicle can have an influence on oil consumption. But considering you have gone 8000 miles on that oil 1 quart isn't that much. It is overdue for a change. Even though BMW says up to 15k miles is OK between changes you'll enjoy a better running car in the long run by at least cutting that OCI in half. Some oil consumption by the way is considered 'normal' if you ask a mechanic. I have heard of some engines needing a quart after 3000 miles.
I have read plenty of posts on various forums indicating that with the new Twin Turbo, Its not uncommon to need a quart between 6000-8000. I hear that once the engine is past its break-in period consumption will drop (assuming it was not abused during break-in). As far as oil changes are concerned, I agree that 15K is too long. I intend to cut the OCI in half. I'll change it myself at 7500-8K on my nickel, then let the dealer cover the normal 15K/1-year intervals under covered maintenance.
I have an '08 535xi sedan. Bought it new and it used a quart in the first 5000 miles. Now at 15k no further oil added. Seems to be the experience of others.
Oil Change Interval If I had the 535xi, I'd go for a change at least every 7500 miles, and depending on climate and usage patterns, might drop that to every 5,000 miles. You'd have to believe that the oil is really getting a workout in that application, with high turbo RPMs, and vast ranges of temperature change.
Some enthusiasts have their crankcase oil analyzed here: http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ to determine how the oil is holding up. While the synthetic base oil can usually go a long distance, its the additive package that breaks down with milage. I've seen some people report their 15K oil still had sufficient additive life to go farther. Personally, I think changing it at 7500-8000 miles is cheap insurance.
I had the same experience with my 2008 535xi and at 6000miles got a low oil warning...added a quart then called the dealer. Was told that the oil consumption during initial breakin was normal. So why don't the plan a routine oil change--gotta wonder who's running the show, the engineers or the sales staff? Ordered a filter & picked up the Castrol Syntex oil at Advanced Auto . Sure a lot cheaper than the $200 the dealer wants for an "early" oil change.
A little oil consumption is normal... and oil consumption and oil change is two different things. The poster who mentioned blackstone labs is right on the money. There is no need to guess as to how long the oil lasts, there are ways to know. If you want to learn tons about oil, check out the "bob is the oil guy" site... http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/ and learn more than you ever wanted to know. Now, with new synthetic oils, you CAN run much longer. If you're really paranoid, you can change out the filter at a shorter interval and top up. Think if everyone in the country ran short intervals, you're talking about a lot of oil! But that siad the longer intervals mean that there is more time for consumtion, so even if you do run the longer periods you still have to check the level and top up between services! For the cars with no dip stick, I can see this as a problem (why BMW decided to do this is beyond me....). For cars with a dipstick, just check monthy and fill as needed. Matt
I started using Mobil1 back in the mid 70's when it became generally available for consumer use. I had read test reports of engines being bench-tested under load using M1 for the equivalent of 100K miles, then torn down to measure wear. No measurable wear in key areas like crank journals, main bearings, cams, etc. I was sold. Not to mention it could withstand higher temperatures without breaking down, made for easier cold cranking, and seemed to need less topping up between changes. Over time, I was finding that chaning oil at 5K miles seemed crazy... The oil was draining out still reasonably clear and in good shape. The valve train and other upper engine parts looked new and clean when viewed through the oil filler cap on the valve cover. So I upped my change interval to 7500 to 10K miles. I think in many cases it can go higher, but 7500 to 10K is about as much as I can mentally tolerate. But I'll always use top grade synthetics, no matter what.
With the super-hot twin turbo (N54) engine, I would change that oil at 3500 to 4000 miles. Especially if I had dropped close to $50k for the car.
3500-4000 Mile Oil changes won't hurt... But in my opinion thats wasting money. BMW designs the engine and specifies top-tier 100% Synthetic Oil to withstand a 15,000 mile change interval. I'll never go that long - I'm too old school. But my Volvo's had turbos, and they ran perfectly with Synthetics and 7500 Mile change intervals. I see no reason to do any differently with the 535i.