I did. But I couldn't finish it. I'm on a half-truth diet. It's much easier to stomach.

 

You can't handle the truth...

 

Wouldn't this whole argument be based on how you drive your car? I mean, if you're consistently doing long stretches of highway driving 15K of that is much different than 15K in heavy traffic, right?

 

Valid point, but wouldn't the OBC know and be able to calculate that?

 

I'm gueesing b/c you can get every other oil change free.... Only reason I see to be worried about the 15k is if you race the car, but in "normal" driving I'll go with the people who engineered my car.

 

I would think so, that's my understanding. Meaning the OBC should give you the timing for your oil change. I know in mine, in 36K of driving I was told to change my oil only twice. Once after about 17K of driving and the next time right around 34K. I trust the OBC to know more about the insides of the car to be honest.

 

The most telling advice I have gotten was from my MINI SA...........get it changed every year no matter the mileage. This I have been doing for the last 25 years of using synthetics with no problems.

Mobil 1 is rated G4, above the SJ rating.....

 

with cylinder presure & more stress on the MCS, it makes no logical sense to me that they would also run 15k miles

what other company does this?

I will not let mine go that long, it's just not gonna happen

now if I only drove it as a daily, and never drove it hard, yeah maybe I would

 

If filter not lasting as long as oil is a concern to you, you could change the filter only between your oil changes and add little bit of fresh oil to make up for the volume lost in the filter.

 

That's what I'm thinking of doing.

Probably the best way to sort this issue out is to send a sample of oil off to Blackstone to have it analyzed when you've reached a mileage close to where you think it might need to be changed.

 

Could you explain your thoughts in detail? Why do you feel that way?

 

Why don't you guys stop you're bantering and just sent your oil off to Blackstone and get the truth.

 

I have to agree with what others have already said, oil analysis is your only real measure of what condition the oil is in. I will probably send oil off to blackstone at 10000 and 12500 miles in order to at least know how accurate the OBC is. I plan to change the oil after the break-in no matter what.

As far as the recommended service interval goes, in the diesel world, the that ranges normally between 7500-10000 miles. I don't know of a diesel that does not require a full synthetic oil. Some diesel owners on the boards really put their faith in it, they do not get it changed until things begin to saturate, often changing the filter 3-4 times between oil changes. The modern full synthetics can go a lot longer than the old dino oils could.

Color is a pretty poor indicator of the oil's condition, unless it is turning white If you change the oil in my truck, and drain a little out before starting it, it is still nice and golden. After starting it, it is black as night. It's still pretty much the same oil, only run in the engine long enough to start the engine, wait for the pressure to come up, and shut it off. But it looks like it is time to change it.


I realize these are not diesels, diesel fuel is more lubricating, and what is changing the color of the oil in my truck is soot. But a lot of the same general traits apply to the otto cycle engines, too. Especially this enigine, it uses direct injection, and has no throttle. Heck, lets plug up the spark plug holes, and get some really domed pistons... Oh wait, they already make one, they just don't sell it here. Besides, I am sure the gasser block would destroy itself from the high compression, I think one of the dopier Big Three makers tried that once...

On an aside, does anyone know the service interval for the LSD? I was under the impression that it was pretty important to change the transmission oil quickly after the break-in period for them.

 

turbo vs non turbo, do I really need to explain how it stresses the engine?

 

no

 

just so everyone is clear on the subject, the OBC only calculates when the oil change is needed based on miles, time, and engine load. It doesn't actually analyse the oil or anything, so it's only a rough estimate at best. Like a lot of people said, getting an oil analysis from blackstone is the ONLY way to tell if the oil is still within operating parameters.

 

Way to duck the question...

So you're saying that this particular engine only used by a select few auto manufacturers should be lumped in with every other turbo out there?

 

I'm not sure what your asking me, or what I'm ducking?

as indicated in my post, I'm saying turbo's have quite a bit more stress on the oil, cylinder presures are much higher, oil WILL break down faster, anything that burns past the rings ends up in the oil.

the bmw's oil change indicator is pretty simple, they have used it sense the mid 1970's

it does work, but it's NOT testing your oil, it's guessing when the oil will wear out, by comparing engine RPM & temp, the bmw forums have the exact formula posted, I found it on bimmerforums a few years ago

if you trust the math that it uses, more power to you, that is your choice and the risk YOU are deciding to take.

I do not, it's just an hour every 6 months for me to do the extra oil change, I realise some may not like that, but I'm sure you/they will get over that, if not, it really does not matter, because it's NOT YOUR CAR.

I'm really not sure why this gets so much attention, it's almost as if the people that let it go to 15,000 miles are just trying to justify to the rest of us, and convince us to do it too.


these threads should stick to the FACTS

FACT, turbo's WILL be harder on the oil
FACT, bmw/mini's oil change indicator is a METRIC, a mathmatical formula of RPM + MILES + TEMP
FACT, it does NOT test your oil, it only estimates when it's probably getting bad

people that manage to find this forum are smart enough to use these facts to decide for themselves if they should let the computer tell them when to change oil, or do it for themselves

 

I follow the manufacturer's recommendations and I do not feel I have to justify doing so. The reason these threads go on and on is because those who want to change their oil sooner are doing it for their own peace of mind, which is fine, but many insist on implying those of us who don't are stupidly or ignorantly endangering our engines. As I pointed out earlier, any pat miles one chooses, less than the recommendation are purely arbirary. I know of no one who would have their oil tested every time before changing it. On this thread alone I have seen several suggested mileages posted. And there have been many others on many other threads. So, if you want to change your oil at some mileage you have a belief in, fine. But don't suggest I am damaging my engine because I choose another parameter, which just happens to be the one recommended by the designer of the engine. That's why.

 

I'm confused as well, are you saying that the mini engine operates exactly the same with the same stresses regardless if it's in the N/A form for the Mini or the Turbo form for the Mini S?

 

unfortunatly that metric used to tell you when to change your oil simply cannot calculate the real world conditions, if you live in a dusty area, your oil will not last as long as those of us that are in non dusty areas, MCS's even less because of boost.

I would not want anyone to think that the mileage math used for the oil change indicator can really tell when it truely is time to change the oil.


Personally I will change mine at 7500, and let bmw change it at 15,000 or when indicated, this is simple, and gets the max life from my oil, because I will be letting bmw do those free oil changes when they are required.

 

FACT- It's un-needed and based on an understanding of yesterdays technology. Pavlov as you may.

FACT- It's not my car but it is MY planet and everyone elses on here. Use it wisely. Small things add up to big consequences when multiplied by many.

 

I'm saying that there's no apple to apple comparison.

 

Yes, but my point is, without testing the oil first, any mileage you select is arbitrary. So, while you chose 7500, someone will tell you you should do it at 5,000. Or 3,000. That is my point.

 

This discussion can go round and round forever until more facts are known. Right now it comes down to whether you trust BMW to select the optimum oil change time for your needs (engine life, ease of oil changes).

Or, you think they might be pushing it due to marketing pressures and are very suspicious that the MCS has the same oil change period as the MC. Unless we could pick the brains of the people at BMW who made the decision, we can't know what they took into account when setting the OBC parameters.

I personally plan to have my oil tested and will make my decision based on that. I may take the first test as an indicator for future oil change periods. Or I may have it tested again later when the car is more broken in.

If testing verifies that 16,000 miles* is good. I'll probably change only the filter at a more frequent rate.

*My current OBC figure.