Shipkiller
Veteran
I have read a lot of different comments here on the board over the last two years about maintenance on your Z4. Some by some very knowledgeable persons, some by persons who should know better, and by some who have to ask where the oil filter is located, then give out expert advise.
So now it is my turn... This is not to bash anyone. Just to lay out my thought on the subject..
As a part time 'performance track driver', 'mechanic', 'tinkerer' and full time 'Electrical/Computer Engineer', I would like to think I have a little common sense. I would also like to think that others do too, but as an old friend who is a Nuclear Engineer always says: "Common Sense is not so Common"
My Automobile Axioms
Axiom One: Anything made my MAN will BREAK...
Axiom Two: There is No Maximum Maintenance, only minimum maintenance.
Axiom Three: The stupid will be punished. Eventually... See Axiom Two above
Axiom Four: BMW stands for "Bring Money With You". If you don't like the 'cost of ownership" (maintenance) on a BMW, get a new car.... A Honda or Toyota....
And I do own a Honda....
Some say that "BMW maintenance schedule is good enough for me, 15,000 miles between oil changes and I only drive 5000 miles a year, and I plan on keeping the car forever...".
That's an oil change every three years.... If you really believe that read on....
Even BMW recommends an engine oil and filter change at least once a year in cases of low-mileage vehicles that fail to rack up the mileage necessary to trigger BMW's ridiculously-long computer monitored oil change intervals.
BMW's concern with the time component of engine oil is based upon the level of condensation (water/acids/fuel) present in the oil. That condensation level is increased by U.S. commuter driving, cold climates and BMW's crankcase ventilation system. The crankcase ventilation systems is designed to meet U.S. emissions requirements, but is fundamentally flawed in a number ways, one of which in inordinate susceptibility to destructive condensation in very cold climates. This condensation is not an issue with older BMW engines, eg. pre-OBD-II (pre-1996).
My experience with oil analysis's, and research into older BMW (and other manufactures) indicates that the time factor of one or two years doesn't really effect low-mileage engine oil per-se, except the concerns with condensation in the oil, in modern BMW's.
Why BMW has done away with with maintenance? It is a matter of cost, obviously, and for the marketing benefits of its 'Free Maintenance' program during the first 50,000 miles. Additionally, its also for environmental reasons. Like all manufactures, BMW is under great pressure from environmental groups and governments to reduce the mount of waist from cars. Liquid and gaseous...
This was the reasoning behind BMW's harebrained refusal to change the so-called 'lifetime fill' lubricants in the manual gearboxes, automatic transmissions, AWD transfer cases and differentials. You can certainly surmise that this leads to premature component wear and failure, although most stated above outlasted the longest BMW warranty of 100,000 miles, so now they are safe....
BMW sells new and CPO'ed cars and they recognize that most won't keep them forever. Now, people want 'maintenance free' cars, so BMW gives them 'maintenance free' cars. ANYTHING can be maintenance free, just don't maintain it. If a drive train component fails due to lack of 'proper' maintenance after 100,000 miles, that does not affect BMW or the original owner in most cases. That is called the "old car ownership experience", and no one cares about that except for the small number of persons that keep a car a long time.
If you do plan on keeping your BMW past the 100,000 mile mark, (you should also apply this to all brands) you should be doing more maintenance than what BMW recommends. Develop your own maintenance schedule and not the computer controlled one BMW uses.
Why????
If you really look at the actual work being performed during Inspections I and II. You will find a great deal of 'check this', 'verify that' and 'adjust this'.
But you will not find very much of 'remove and replace' or 'drain and fill'.
Yep, it is important to check, verify and adjust things, but equally important to change your operating fluids if you want your cars systems and components to last.
My basic maintenance schedule for the Zed is:
Engine Oil/filter: 7000 to 7500 miles or once a year. High revving engines need better oil protection.
Automatic Transmission fluid/filter: 30,000 miles or every four years. Especially the Automatic Transmission.......
Manual Transmission: Best case 30,000, worst case 50,000 miles
Differential fluid: Best case 30,000, worst case 50,000 miles
Drain and flush the coolant every two years. Coolant does not wear out, but the corrosion resistant properties fade.
Flush the break fluid every two years. Its hydroscopic - absorbs water. Reduces temperature that fluid will boil.
Change Spark Plugs every 50,000 miles. Very cheap insurance.
Replace upstream (front) O2 sensors every 65,000 miles. The design life of most O2 sensors is 60,000 miles.
Clean my Air Filter every three to six months..
My 97' F-150 with a 5.4L V8, and a Paxton supercharger that produces 360HP @RW, but redline is 5000 RPM and in normal driving never gets above 3000 RPM. Current mileage is 179,000 miles with 25,000 of extreme off-roading miles and four years of towing a 6000lb. boat.
Engine oil/filter: 7000 to 10,000 miles or once a year.
Automatic Transmission fluid/filter: 30,000 miles or every four years.
Automatic Computer Controlled Transfer case: 30,000 miles or every four years.
Both front and rear Differential fluid: Best case 30,000 miles. More if I have been in a lot if high water. Especially the Front Differential... CJjeeper will understand..... :lol:
Drain and flush the coolant every two years.
Flush the break fluid every two years.
Change Spark Plugs every 50,000 miles. It is NOT easy on this engine. It takes two to three hours as least...
Replace upstream (front) O2 sensors every 65,000 miles.
Clean my Air Filter every three to six months..
I use the same maintenance schedule I use on the Zed for my 2006 Honda Accord....
The two track cars that I use, (not mine) we do a lot more maintenance on them than the basic. And they are also daily drivers for the owner..
I use Amsoil in all my vehicles and have been using it for the last 20 years. Not just the engine but everywhere in the vehicle....
I tried RoyalPurple in the Zed's engine for 7000 miles but did not like the oil analysis report I got back from using it. Went back to Amsoil. Life is good again...
Really and truly, like waxes, there is no 'Best Oil'. Some oils offer better protection for the longer drain intervals. Some offer adequate protection on shorter drain intervals.
So now it is my turn... This is not to bash anyone. Just to lay out my thought on the subject..
As a part time 'performance track driver', 'mechanic', 'tinkerer' and full time 'Electrical/Computer Engineer', I would like to think I have a little common sense. I would also like to think that others do too, but as an old friend who is a Nuclear Engineer always says: "Common Sense is not so Common"
My Automobile Axioms
Axiom One: Anything made my MAN will BREAK...
Axiom Two: There is No Maximum Maintenance, only minimum maintenance.
Axiom Three: The stupid will be punished. Eventually... See Axiom Two above
Axiom Four: BMW stands for "Bring Money With You". If you don't like the 'cost of ownership" (maintenance) on a BMW, get a new car.... A Honda or Toyota....
And I do own a Honda....
Some say that "BMW maintenance schedule is good enough for me, 15,000 miles between oil changes and I only drive 5000 miles a year, and I plan on keeping the car forever...".
That's an oil change every three years.... If you really believe that read on....
Even BMW recommends an engine oil and filter change at least once a year in cases of low-mileage vehicles that fail to rack up the mileage necessary to trigger BMW's ridiculously-long computer monitored oil change intervals.
BMW's concern with the time component of engine oil is based upon the level of condensation (water/acids/fuel) present in the oil. That condensation level is increased by U.S. commuter driving, cold climates and BMW's crankcase ventilation system. The crankcase ventilation systems is designed to meet U.S. emissions requirements, but is fundamentally flawed in a number ways, one of which in inordinate susceptibility to destructive condensation in very cold climates. This condensation is not an issue with older BMW engines, eg. pre-OBD-II (pre-1996).
My experience with oil analysis's, and research into older BMW (and other manufactures) indicates that the time factor of one or two years doesn't really effect low-mileage engine oil per-se, except the concerns with condensation in the oil, in modern BMW's.
Why BMW has done away with with maintenance? It is a matter of cost, obviously, and for the marketing benefits of its 'Free Maintenance' program during the first 50,000 miles. Additionally, its also for environmental reasons. Like all manufactures, BMW is under great pressure from environmental groups and governments to reduce the mount of waist from cars. Liquid and gaseous...
This was the reasoning behind BMW's harebrained refusal to change the so-called 'lifetime fill' lubricants in the manual gearboxes, automatic transmissions, AWD transfer cases and differentials. You can certainly surmise that this leads to premature component wear and failure, although most stated above outlasted the longest BMW warranty of 100,000 miles, so now they are safe....
BMW sells new and CPO'ed cars and they recognize that most won't keep them forever. Now, people want 'maintenance free' cars, so BMW gives them 'maintenance free' cars. ANYTHING can be maintenance free, just don't maintain it. If a drive train component fails due to lack of 'proper' maintenance after 100,000 miles, that does not affect BMW or the original owner in most cases. That is called the "old car ownership experience", and no one cares about that except for the small number of persons that keep a car a long time.
If you do plan on keeping your BMW past the 100,000 mile mark, (you should also apply this to all brands) you should be doing more maintenance than what BMW recommends. Develop your own maintenance schedule and not the computer controlled one BMW uses.
Why????
If you really look at the actual work being performed during Inspections I and II. You will find a great deal of 'check this', 'verify that' and 'adjust this'.
But you will not find very much of 'remove and replace' or 'drain and fill'.
Yep, it is important to check, verify and adjust things, but equally important to change your operating fluids if you want your cars systems and components to last.
My basic maintenance schedule for the Zed is:
Engine Oil/filter: 7000 to 7500 miles or once a year. High revving engines need better oil protection.
Automatic Transmission fluid/filter: 30,000 miles or every four years. Especially the Automatic Transmission.......
Manual Transmission: Best case 30,000, worst case 50,000 miles
Differential fluid: Best case 30,000, worst case 50,000 miles
Drain and flush the coolant every two years. Coolant does not wear out, but the corrosion resistant properties fade.
Flush the break fluid every two years. Its hydroscopic - absorbs water. Reduces temperature that fluid will boil.
Change Spark Plugs every 50,000 miles. Very cheap insurance.
Replace upstream (front) O2 sensors every 65,000 miles. The design life of most O2 sensors is 60,000 miles.
Clean my Air Filter every three to six months..
My 97' F-150 with a 5.4L V8, and a Paxton supercharger that produces 360HP @RW, but redline is 5000 RPM and in normal driving never gets above 3000 RPM. Current mileage is 179,000 miles with 25,000 of extreme off-roading miles and four years of towing a 6000lb. boat.
Engine oil/filter: 7000 to 10,000 miles or once a year.
Automatic Transmission fluid/filter: 30,000 miles or every four years.
Automatic Computer Controlled Transfer case: 30,000 miles or every four years.
Both front and rear Differential fluid: Best case 30,000 miles. More if I have been in a lot if high water. Especially the Front Differential... CJjeeper will understand..... :lol:
Drain and flush the coolant every two years.
Flush the break fluid every two years.
Change Spark Plugs every 50,000 miles. It is NOT easy on this engine. It takes two to three hours as least...
Replace upstream (front) O2 sensors every 65,000 miles.
Clean my Air Filter every three to six months..
I use the same maintenance schedule I use on the Zed for my 2006 Honda Accord....
The two track cars that I use, (not mine) we do a lot more maintenance on them than the basic. And they are also daily drivers for the owner..
I use Amsoil in all my vehicles and have been using it for the last 20 years. Not just the engine but everywhere in the vehicle....
I tried RoyalPurple in the Zed's engine for 7000 miles but did not like the oil analysis report I got back from using it. Went back to Amsoil. Life is good again...
Really and truly, like waxes, there is no 'Best Oil'. Some oils offer better protection for the longer drain intervals. Some offer adequate protection on shorter drain intervals.
Liverpool
North West Surrey
