[924er]

I noticed when I get an oil change at 5k miles, the oil is very dark black. Can't believe BMW oil change intervals are 15k miles. That's a joke!

[BravoJohny33]

Your process sounds extremely scientific

[Nicky92]

Originally Posted by BravoJohny33

Your process sounds extremely scientific

[Miller335]

The oil should be black after a few hundred miles.
Have you done an oil report?

Here's my first one with a 5k OCI.

[DJtoad]

The fact that the oil is black means nothing. Changing it every 5K is a little extreme but if you'd like to know for sure, get a free oil sample kit at the link below, send back a sample along with $28, and they'll send you a detailed report, including their recommended oil change frequency based on how your engine is wearing. It's well worth the investment.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/free-test-kits.php

[barefootin]

Originally Posted by Miller335

The oil should be black after a few hundred miles.

Really...?
My oil in my Saab(s), Land Rover(s), 67MGB, and Chevy K2500 with over 300K on it comes out at 5K about as dark as Quaker State or Pennzoil comes out of the bottle.... It's a nice dark amber that still has translucent properties (It's perfect to filter and run through the old M35a2 as fuel). If you look inside the VC's they look like the day they left the factory, even the old Chevy.... The only vehicle I ever had dark oil on was a Lincoln Mark VII that I owned for a short period of time that apparently had a worse life than service records indicated. You could change the oil, start it up, shut it down to check the level and it was black as coal with no miles on it....

[larrysing]

Depends on the engine type, also. My 335d (and all diesels) starting "blacking that thing up" almost immediately.

If your oil comes out clean after 5K miles, I'd say it's not doing much.

It really depends on the engine.

[barefootin]

Originally Posted by larrysing

If your oil comes out clean after 5K miles, I'd say it's not doing much.

It really depends on the engine.

Trust me, it's doing a lot..

Nothing I have is stock, not even the weed eater. It is an addiction to which I know no cure...

You are correct on engine design, PCV design as well has a lot to do with sludge tendencies. Letting the cars idle down a little also helps with keeping coaking down..

[Riceball777]

I remember I had to change the oil pan in my s2000 once and the new pan leaked so I drive it literally with new oil for like 10 miles and I had to drain the oil and remove the old pan again. The 10 miles oil looks just as dark at 5,000 mile oil. Oil being super dark means nothing.

[jt335i]

Dark oil is meaningless. It is normal unless it comes out as globs of sludge then that would be a big problem.

The 15K oil change interval is for reference or guide, and, your car’s oil service indicator (when reset right) tells you the approximate date and miles left before you should change it, but it’s up to you what mileage and frequency you choose to do it. Because your engine is high performance, full synthetic oil is used, therefore it lasts longer than conventional oil and so you don’t have to change it as frequently, but it depends on many different things such as driving conditions (tropical regions, cold regions, wet/rainy, hot dry), driving terrain (mountains/hills, flat plains), driving environment (majority city driving, majority hwy driving, mixed city/hwy), or you (the driver) and how hard you push the engine.

The oil was changed on mine last year and that was more than 10,000 miles from the prior oil change. It was as dark as the conventional oil when I changed on my 1997 Corolla and I change that about every 5,000 miles.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by Nicky92

Remember with the N54, CR put it on the avoid and most unreliable list, then put it on the recommended list for 2010? They also trashed the new GTI when it came out.

They go on and on about how they do things scientifically, despite the world's smartest mathematicians trying to explain some really simple concepts to them--reliability, validity, sample size.

[RJ_]

Originally Posted by jt335i

Dark oil is meaningless. It is normal unless it comes out as globs of sludge then that would be a big problem.

Right. Oil darkens due to heat, so it doesn't take very long at all for it to change colors. How dark it gets probably depends a lot on the brand and quantity/types of modifiers they put in the oil.

[924er]

Oh cool guys well I didn't know dark oil means nothing. I really thought it meant it was dirty and ready to be changed.

My car is full bolt ons and I frequently do some spirited driving. I feel comfortable changing my oil every 5k miles. It's not like it would hurt the car, maybe my wallet.

BMW is retarded for doing 15k mile intervals, even the techs at BMW disagree. I'm sure it saves them $$$ on those maintenance packaged people buy and cause more cars needing repairs.

[sk55]

15k makes maintenance cheaper makes Bmw
jd powers rating better.

[BravoJohny33]

Originally Posted by 924er

Oh cool guys well I didn't know dark oil means nothing. I really thought it meant it was dirty and ready to be changed.

My car is full bolt ons and I frequently do some spirited driving. I feel comfortable changing my oil every 5k miles. It's not like it would hurt the car, maybe my wallet.

BMW is retarded for doing 15k mile intervals, even the techs at BMW disagree. I'm sure it saves them $$$ on those maintenance packaged people buy and cause more cars needing repairs.

How are they retarded? The engine and oil is designed to last that long.

[924er]

Originally Posted by BravoJohny33

How are they retarded? The engine and oil is designed to last that long.

I'm sure it can last 30k miles, it doesn't mean it's healthy for the engine. BMW oil is just plain old synthetic oil nothing special

[Efthreeoh]

I've gone 300,000 miles on 21 oil changes, you can go do the math...

From new (0 miles) to 221,630 miles was on 13 oil changes, again you can do the math.

From 221K to 300K averaged a 9,800 OCI. Motor runs perfect and uses a liter of oil about every 6,000 miles. Still returns my lifetime fuel consumption of 27 MPG.

BMW 5W-30 oil and OE filter used for all 21 oil changes.

[onefireball]

My last change was at 8500 miles and sent to Blackstone analysis.
Report said that the oil (Mobil 1 0W40) was good to go longer, they suggested 10k miles.
and that the engine is healthy..This on a 160k mile car FBO and driven hard for the last 100k

[F3_BMW]

5k is way to soon, you can always take you oil in to get it tested. But fun syn should be good until 15k and start breaking down maybe 7.5k if you have turbos

[924er]

I think I posted this in the wrong section, NA cars can make the oil last longer compared to having turbos lol

[DOCTOR.Y]

first time I did oil change after 7500km and found it was not that dirty. Since then I changed every 10000km and so far so good

[CantCatchMe]

Originally Posted by F3_BMW

5k is way to soon, you can always take you oil in to get it tested. But fun syn should be good until 15k and start breaking down maybe 7.5k if you have turbos

Depends on driving conditions and how hard the car is being pushed(hence, FBO and tune, etc).