Planning ahead for service...What to do?

S

shiney28

Member
Hi all,

Picked up my Z4MC last Friday night. (2007/07 Reg - 28/3/07)
Service history so far;
Running in service - 1216 miles
Oil service/Brake Fluid - 12,000 (March 09)
The car currently has 19,750 on the clock and the on board pc says 6150 to next service.
I only do approx 4,000 miles a year, so with 8 months to the 2 year interval. I anticipate I will have added about another 2700 miles to the car.
This will make the following situation;
Car mileage : 22,500 approx
2 year interval : would be due (March 11)
Pc reading : 3400 to insp 1

If these figures are the case in March 11;
1. Should I have the inspection 1 done even though the pc says 3400 miles?
2. Should I get another oil service done with brake fluid?
Then wait for the pc to count down to inspection 1?

If I take option 2, with the pc saying 3400 miles to insp 1, this would take me a further 10 months to complete.
Yes, the oil & brake fluid would of been changed at the 2 year maximum, but it would be in time nearly 3 years between original oil change and inspection 1!

Is that acceptable, what would you do?

Cheers
 
The simple answer is that if you want to keep the full service history tag then you will have to get the Insp 1 done when the 2 years is up. Also if your going to exploit the cars performance then you'll see the 6150 miles to next service drop by big chunks as the service intervals are calculated solely on the amount of fuel used and not by the amount of miles done. The mileage figure to the next figure is only an estimate of when the service would be due based on the rate that fuel has been used since the last service.

Personally I would get the service done on the two year mark to maintain the FSH.
 
dgm said:
The simple answer is that if you want to keep the full service history tag then you will have to get the Insp 1 done when the 2 years is up. Also if your going to exploit the cars performance then you'll see the 6150 miles to next service drop by big chunks as the service intervals are calculated solely on the amount of fuel used and not by the amount of miles done. The mileage figure to the next figure is only an estimate of when the service would be due based on the rate that fuel has been used since the last service.

Personally I would get the service done on the two year mark to maintain the FSH.
Click to expand...

I do not believe this is correct unless the ///Mis different to the other engines. The 2 year interval applies only to brake fluid (time based) and oil changes (low mileage use cars) and the inspection I and II do not need to be pulled forward based upon time.

Read the inside front page of the service book and it will be very specific on what to do, but assuming there is nothing different would expect it to require an interim oil change and brake fluid in March 11 then count down to the normal inspection.
 
I would certainly change the oil at 2 years along with the brake fluid regardless of mileage. If you drive it as it should be driven then you may find the 'miles left to inspection 1' will be a lot less anyway.
 
From BMW:

'Minimal use drivers,who drive fewer than about 6,200 miles/10,000 km per year, should nevertheless have the oil changed at least every 2 years since engine oil deteriorates over time, regardless of use........... and brake fluid every 2 years.'

So CJ, agree with you: time based for brake fluid and oil (bi-annual) and distance based for I and II. Of course others may want to change the fluids more regularly but this is personal choice. I do the oil once a year regardless of mileage.
 
jeff spangle said:
I would personally prefer to drop the oil on an M car twice as often as the schedule states.
Click to expand...
That's why I do mine every 6,000-7,000 miles - it was every 3,000 miles on the M5, so I'm saving a fortune in oil :P
 
The manual says the car should be serviced every two years regardless of milage.

Oil degrades whether its' being used or not.
 
Cheers for the replies guys.
Looks like a split verdict.
The brake fluid and oil change are definitely going to be done at the 2 year max (March 11).
I take on board if I drive the car 'spirited' the pc number to inspection 1 will significantly reduce to a likely figure, that will make it sensible to do the inspection 1,in March 11 as well. (that's a plan I like....to drive the 'M' like it wants to be driven!).

So, as the subject heading says....planning ahead!

After the inspection 1, the pc will say 16,000 to oil service. I will only have done 8000 miles in 2 years. Obviously on this occasion I take no notice of the pc because of the 2 years max.

But what about after that, 2 years later the pc will say 8000 to inspection 2. So same question really, would we have an interim oil service and 2 years/8000 miles later have the inspection 2? Or ignore the pc and bring the inspection 2 forward 2 years!

If I follow the 2 years max with the inspections, this would make the likely mileage at inspection 2 @ 38,000 miles.
Does that not seem early, when higher mileage (ie 12,000 per year) drivers would not be having theirs done until 72,000 miles.

Cheers
 
My Insp 2 will probably be due at around 40,000 miles if my current trend continues ie

Oil Service - 9004
Insp 1 - 19,624
Oil Service - approx 30,000

Based on that I wouldn't concern myself too much.
 
toplad said:
The manual says the car should be serviced every two years regardless of milage.

Oil degrades whether its' being used or not.
Click to expand...

Does it really or does it actually say that the oil should be changed every 2 years on low mileage cars? Big difference between an oil change and an inspection 1 or 2
 
CJ10jeeper,

I think you are correct.

On the inside of my M service book it says "calculation of the Service interval covers almost all operating situations. However, if you drive only very low annual distances, you should have the engine oil changed every two years at the latest, since it ages regardless of the distance the car has covered"

Prior to that under the heading 'Service Interval Indicator' it says the "service interval indicator tells you when an Oil Service, an Inspection - always Inspection I and II alternately - or a brake fluid change is necessary. A special feature is that the servicing intervals are not fixed distances, but take the actual conditions in which your BMW has been operated into consideration"

In other words - you have the car serviced according to the Service Interval Indicator UNLESS you have had 2 years between Service Interval Indicator scheduled services (in which case you have the oil and brake fluid changed).
 
Thanks for confirming original guvnor.

It's exactly the same as any other engine in the Zed then, so no need to accelerate inspections just do the brake fluid and oil changes.

Above that is personal choice (and imho changing oil a great idea) but no need to pay dealers too much and falsly advance inspections :)
 
Guys,

Don't get me wrong, I want was is best for the car.

But just thought of something that maybe contradicts what I am saying.

For example, on insp 1 & insp 2 the valve clearances are checked. (which I believe is very important)

So go a bit more extreme with a low mileage individual.
If someone only did 2000 miles a year then that car would have it's 1st oil service after 2 years with 4000 miles on clock.
2 years later the pc could say 12,000 to insp 1, so an interim oil and brake fluid change would occur.
At this rate it would take a further 6 years before the pc says insp 1 is due!
Therefore feasibly the car could have 4 oil/brake changes before the pc says insp 1 is due.
The car would have done 20,000 miles and be 10 years old and never had the valve clearances checked!
This can't be right either?
 
shiney28 said:
The car would have done 20,000 miles and be 10 years old and never had the valve clearances checked!
This can't be right either?
Click to expand...
Yes it can, because the clearances go out of spec with use, not time - but there's nothing to stop you getting them done every couple of years if you so wish.

For example, you wouldn't replace a clutch after 10 years if it'd only done 20,000 miles?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom