[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by DanG

BMW Oil is Castrol Oil if I remember correctly. Previously it was Shell Oil.

BMW keep changing round for some reason, it says to use Castrol on my oil cap and I only use that.

[ctcarbonari]

Originally Posted by Vindicator3

This is the first I'm hearing of "lifetime fluids" and I have to agree with the skeptics on that one. I'm just checking out the Mike Miller document, thanks for the tip. Glad to see he's a Red Line fan - I used Valvoline/Pennzoil/etc from Walmart for engine oil in my Hondas/Acuras but religiously used Red Line MTL for my manual gearboxes after it worked wonders on a failing clutch (at nearly 200k) miles in my 1992 Civic, 20 years ago. That stuff is magic.

The "lifetime fluid" is in reference to the transmission. It's directly related to extended warranties and "good will" repair limitations set forth by BMW. ZF, the manufacturer of your transmission recommends service (fluid/filter) at ~60k miles / 8 years. IMHO, this is also a good time to change the transfer case oil & differential oils (although i think it may be a tad bit early).

If you get bored, google "BMW lifetime transmission fill" then sit back and enjoy all the good reads out there!

[Mavus]

keep an eye on tires and inspect them regularly. also ensure lug bolts are trqd to spec even after dealer or other shop visit and keep tire pressures inflated to spec esp of there are temp changes. this will ensure the car is smooth.

bmw has star (*) spec tires that are developed for specific models including runflats. you can use other tires of any brand if you wish but they will have different properties even if the tire name is the same but is not star spec. there are many treads on this topic.


another one is tier 1, 93 fuel like Sunoco, Shell, Phillips etc. Also there are many treads on this topic

[G30M]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

With regards to oil, use Pennzoil Platinum Euro LL04, and make damn sure you don't go past 5K miles.

in my country BMW recommends (insists- sales person told me i'm wasting my money!) 24 month 18641 miles (30k km) oil change

even for the M3 and M5

i refuse to buy used BMWs here

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by G30M

in my country BMW recommends (insists- sales person told me i'm wasting my money!) 24 month 18641 miles (30k km) oil change

even for the M3 and M5

i refuse to buy used BMWs here

That's because all they care about are the first owners, and they hope to sell them a new car every 3 years.

[Vindicator3]

On that topic, is anyone aware of a version of the Mike Miller maintenance document more recent than version 03.13?

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by Vindicator3

On that topic, is anyone aware of a version of the Mike Miller maintenance document more recent than version 03.13?

Mike Miller? That's a name I haven't seen in a while. Read his column in one of the BMW specific magazines. He knows his stuff.

[Efthreeoh]

35-year BMW owner here. Cumulative of 1.2M miles driving BMWs. I DIY all maintenance requirements and most all repairs. One of my BMWs is 27 years old this year and I've owned it since new. My 2-cents to follow.

Mike Miller's service requirements document is outdated. He calls for GA aircraft levels of preventative maintenance and premature parts replacements.

BMW switched to a Condtion Based Service (CBS) system nearly 20 years ago. For engine oil, the CBS system tracks the contamination level of the oil, and along with other real-time engine operating data, calculates when the oil service is required. It's a better system than Honda uses, as it electronically measures the health of the oil rather than assuming the oil is good based on just miles. I own a 26-year old Honda motorcycle and owned an Acura Integra for 8 years/230,000 miles, so I am familiar with Honda maintenance requirements.

Following the CBS and using BMW oil and filters and fluids, my 2006 E90 has over 425,000 miles on the original driveline. Buying BMW engine oil and filters on line are no more expensive than other brands. Most modern cars easily tolerate 10,000-mile oil change intervals. Carefully read the service information for your new BMW to understand the term "lifetime". Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering have advanced the state of the art for maintenance requirements of modern automobiles. You can chose to over-maintain your BMW but it will not increase the longevity of it nor reduce repair requirements. There is no BMW conspiracy to under-maintain your new car so you have to replace it when it reaches 100,000 miles. If you don't get at minimum 250,000 miles out of a BMW, your are doing it wrong, or wrecked it.

Regarding BMW Star rated tires, I've never bought a BMW Star tire as replacements. I've used the well-known brands that sell high-performance all-season tires in the correct size and have never had an issue.

If you are the type of owner who checks the engine oil level and frequently tops off the oil level if it's a millimeter under the "full" mark, then you've never read an owners manual on how to properly check and top off the oil. The area between the marks on the dipstick indicate the safe operating range of the oil level. The BMW e-dipstick operates on the same principle.

I hope you enjoy your new Bimmer when it arrives.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

35-year BMW owner here. Cumulative of 1.2M miles driving BMWs. I DIY all maintenance requirements and most all repairs. One of my BMWs is 27 years old this year and I've owned it since new. My 2-cents to follow.

Mike Miller's service requirements document is outdated. He calls for GA aircraft levels of preventative maintenance and premature parts replacements.

BMW switched to a Condtion Based Service (CBS) system nearly 20 years ago. For engine oil, the CBS system tracks the contamination level of the oil, and along with other real-time engine operating data, calculates when the oil service is required. It's a better system than Honda uses, as it electronically measures the health of the oil rather than assuming the oil is good based on just miles. I own a 26-year old Honda motorcycle and owned an Acura Integra for 8 years/230,000 miles, so I am familiar with Honda maintenance requirements.

Following the CBS and using BMW oil and filters and fluids, my 2006 E90 has over 425,000 miles on the original driveline. Buying BMW engine oil and filters on line are no more expensive than other brands. Most modern cars easily tolerate 10,000-mile oil change intervals. Carefully read the service information for your new BMW to understand the term "lifetime". Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering have advanced the state of the art for maintenance requirements of modern automobiles. You can chose to over-maintain your BMW but it will not increase the longevity of it nor reduce repair requirements. There is no BMW conspiracy to under-maintain your new car so you have to replace it when it reaches 100,000 miles. If you don't get at minimum 250,000 miles out of a BMW, your are doing it wrong, or wrecked it.

Regarding BMW Star rated tires, I've never bought a BMW Star tire as replacements. I've used the well-known brands that sell high-performance all-season tires in the correct size and have never had an issue.

If you are the type of owner who checks the engine oil level and frequently tops off the oil level if it's a millimeter under the "full" mark, then you've never read an owners manual on how to properly check and top off the oil. The area between the marks on the dipstick indicate the safe operating range of the oil level. The BMW e-dipstick operates on the same principle.

I hope you enjoy your new Bimmer when it arrives.

Great post!! Not the least bit surprised!!

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ctcarbonari

The "lifetime fluid" is in reference to the transmission. It's directly related to extended warranties and "good will" repair limitations set forth by BMW. ZF, the manufacturer of your transmission recommends service (fluid/filter) at ~60k miles / 8 years. IMHO, this is also a good time to change the transfer case oil & differential oils (although i think it may be a tad bit early).

If you get bored, google "BMW lifetime transmission fill" then sit back and enjoy all the good reads out there!

In the E90 Service supplement booklet that comes with the cars set of manuals, the service schedule specifically states the automatic transmission fluid should be changed at 100,000-mile intervals. The manual transmission in the E90 has a sticker that states the manual transmission lube is "lifetime". I've followed the 100,000-mile replacement guideline for both the manual transmission and differential. Multiple hundreds of thousands of miles later both are still in excellent running condition.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

In the E90 Service supplement booklet that comes with the cars set of manuals, the service schedule specifically states the automatic transmission fluid should be changed at 100,000-mile intervals. The manual transmission in the E90 has a sticker that states the manual transmission lube is "lifetime". I've followed the 100,000-mile replacement guideline for both the manual transmission and differential. Multiple hundreds of thousands of miles later both are still in excellent running condition.

Your posts about your E90 reminded me of this. I miss being able to check my oil on the fly in my E90 330i. I used to do it numerous times as I drove down the highway when I was taking a road trip.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Your posts about your E90 reminded me of this. I miss being able to check my oil on the fly in my E90 330i. I used to do it numerous times as I drove down the highway when I was taking a road trip.

I know most members here hate the E90 e-dipstick. I really questioned the application of it when I was first looking at the E90 back in 2006. I was (wrongly) one of those guys who kept his oil level constantly topped off. Then I educated myself on the subject matter and saw the light. I've now adopted and love the e-dipstick concept. I'm a convert.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

I know most members here hate the E90 e-dipstick. I really questioned the application of it when I was first looking at the E90 back in 2006. I was (wrongly) one of those guys who kept his oil level constantly topped off. Then I educated myself on the subject matter and saw the light. I've now adopted and love the e-dipstick concept. I'm a convert.

lol……I’m not a total convert. I have no problem with it being there and it’s very useful for its intended audience, those who can’t be bothered to ever pop the hood, but I still think it’s utterly stupid not to have a physical dipstick, too. Saving $1.25 may be worth it to BMW, but it’s not worth it to me! I do agree with folks who say if you are low on oil, granting the car would have told you, having to warm the motor for close to 20 or 30 minutes to get an oil reading in the generations following the E90 is stupid.

[ctcarbonari]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

lol……I’m not a total convert. I have no problem with it being there and it’s very useful for its intended audience, those who can’t be bothered to ever pop the hood, but I still think it’s utterly stupid not to have a physical dipstick, too. Saving $1.25 may be worth it to BMW, but it’s not worth it to me! I do agree with folks who say if you are low on oil, granting the car would have told you, having to warm the motor for close to 20 or 30 minutes to get an oil reading in the generations following the E90 is stupid.

^Agree^ Not to mention that I've measured the oil level in my (F10) electronically. Driven to the other side of the parking lot, measured again, and have recorded a different reading.

[SteVTEC]

I currently have non-Star Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3+ on my E93, and it was NOT HAPPY at the standard 33 psi front, 41 psi rear BMW recommended tire pressures. There was clearly a difference in construction of the tire vs BMW star tires. They're great tires, but the suspension was clearly out of sync with the tires, and needed about +3-5 psi more per corner to be happy. Never would have thought that would be an issue with any Michelin Pilot Sport tire, so when buying tires I strongly recommend trying to find some feedback in the forum here.

As far as tires overall, plenty here end up ditching the run-flat tires and end up getting standard go-flat tires, which tend to be cheaper and ride and handle better, and then just have a tool kit and pump handy in their cars. On lots of BMW's there's a sub-trunk with space for a donut spare that you can order as an accessory. Plenty do that as well.