# when should i get my oil changed?



## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

i bought the car through CPO with 3600 miles on it. at around 8000, i went in for what i thought was the "annual" oil change due through warranty when you don't hit 15000 soon enough. I was told by one dealer that I was due this annual oil "change" and then the oil "service" at 15000. turns out that a dealer back here in CA performed the oil "service" at 8000 so when i went in today at 16000 the dealer said they can't do another "service" for 6000 more miles.

1) does this all sound right?
2) how often do you guys get your oil changed, and where do you have it done for these interim changes?

thanks,
Wes


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## Mr. The Edge (Dec 19, 2001)

this sounds like someone screwed up somewhere.

What is your indicator showing when you start up the car? (What service and how many miles left until that service?)


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## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

the indicator shows 6000 miles left to go before next service. but i figured that even though the dealership reset it at 8000 I was still due service at 15000...

the dealership i was at today checked the code and said it was the full "oil service" and not just a "change." they called the dealer I was serviced at previously to confirm that the full oil service was performed, and it was, so they said I was "ahead of the game" :-/ and that i am not due for my next service for another 6000 miles. the manager then lowered his voice and recommended I get a change inbetween, but that it wasn't covered under my maintenance plan.


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## Josh03SGM3 (Apr 1, 2003)

8000 miles is too long of an interval for oil changes especially on the M3... If you're in Berkeley, avoid Weatherford.... their service dept is a joke... Try East Bay BMW in Pleasanton. Those guys would take care of you...


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## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

yes i had the first service done at weatherford, and it will be my last there if I can help it. i didn't care for the treatment I got from the service advisor (DO NOT tell me what TSB this is, that's my job, just tell me the problem. sticky pedal? ok we'll take a look. blah blah blah.) and the sales guys treated me as if someone my age shouldn't be in their showroom. anyways, i work near Peter Pan so I'm giving them a shot...


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

It should not matter. If the change was done on the basis of time (annual) then the car still gets serviced when the mileage comes up. It oil service is based on both the service indicator AND the computer records of service.

The only time an annual service is also the mileage based service is when it is expected that the mileage based service will occur within 60 days of the annual service based on average miles per month.

I found the copy of the SI

"Annual Oil Change SI

BMW issued SI 00 04 01 today (10/25/01) to clarify the oil change situation for low annual mileage owners.

“A limited number of BMW owners accumulate very low mileage on their BMWs annually, in some situations insufficient for the Service Interval Indicator System to call for an Oil Service or Inspection. However, all BMWs should have an engine oil change at a minimum of once a year, regardless of whether synthetic or petroleum-based oil is used.”

As a part of the BMW Maintenance Program your dealer should perform the annual oil service and update/stamp the Service and Warranty Information Statement but SHOULD NOT RE-SET THE SERVICE INDICATOR SYSTEM.

If your driving pattern remains constant (i.e., low mileage) the Service Interval Indicator System will under most circumstances ( i.e., excluding really low annual mileages) call for an Oil Service within the next 12 months at which time your BMW Center’s service department should perform the oil service (including oil filter replacement), update/stamp the Service and Warranty Information Statement and RE-SET THE SERVICE INDICATOR SYSTEM.

If the annual oil service occurs within 60 days of the time when the Service Indicator System would call for an Oil Service or Inspection, then the upcoming service should be performed and the Service Indicator System reset. 

In situations where you request a more frequent oil service (at your own expense) than as called for by the Service Interval Indicator System, the same logic applies – your dealer should not reset the Service Indicator System until the maintenance is performed that is called for by the System. This is especially critical for vehicles still covered by the BMW Maintenance Program.

Please see your BMW Center’s service department for more details or questions. My only purpose here is to acquaint you with the basics."

So even though the other dealer screwed up and reset the indicator, you are due a service. Get the BMW NA regional rep involved.


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## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

awesome, thanks for posting this =) I will send this text to the dealer for review, and if I don't get anywhere I'll talk to BMWNA...

love this board,
Wes


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## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

*unbelievable.*

so here is the dealer's email response:

"I am familiar with this bulletin. However, Weatherford coded that service as an oil service. I called them when you where here and the gentleman on the phone confirmed they did an oil service not an annual oil change. With that information I can't do another oil service or an annual oil change until one year from that date."

The way I read the text of the bulletin, there is no differentiation between the service that is to be performed annually, and the standard mileage-based service. am I crazy?!?!?

Wes


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## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

ok, talked to a bmwna rep. after it taking WAY too long to explain what had happened, he finally agreed with me that Weatherford had made a mistake and that they should NOT have reset the indicator when service was performed at 8000 miles, and that had they not, I would be due for another service under the maintenance agreement now at 15,000.

HOWEVER, he said that because they did reset, I'm basically SOL. He said that since BMWNA states that they will pay for an oil service every 12 months or 15,000 miles from the time of the last one, that they will not force it through. He recommended I follow up with Weatherford to see if they will do the service through good faith since they made the mistake. WTF kind of service is that?!?!?!


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## Josh03SGM3 (Apr 1, 2003)

if they do not comply, call BBB and the bereau of automotive repair. Why should you pay when they messed up? That's just wrong.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

///M3 Wes said:


> *ok, talked to a bmwna rep. after it taking WAY too long to explain what had happened, he finally agreed with me that Weatherford had made a mistake and that they should NOT have reset the indicator when service was performed at 8000 miles, and that had they not, I would be due for another service under the maintenance agreement now at 15,000.
> 
> HOWEVER, he said that because they did reset, I'm basically SOL. He said that since BMWNA states that they will pay for an oil service every 12 months or 15,000 miles from the time of the last one, that they will not force it through. He recommended I follow up with Weatherford to see if they will do the service through good faith since they made the mistake. WTF kind of service is that?!?!?! *


First try another rep. 

Then pay to have the oil changed, and file a small claim against both dealers and BMW NA. File the claim for the oil change, all your time dealing with the screwup, and your time to go to court, at what your gross income is per hour.

Basically what is happening is BS. It was an annual oil change. You deserve a change properly at the point where the service indicator would have gotten to 0, not more than 15,000 miles.


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## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

glad you guys agree :thumbup: 

the time lost is the thing that's killing me more than anything!


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## ///M3 Wes (Aug 23, 2002)

heard back from Weatherford:

"I looked into your history with us a Weatherford BMW and found that when your car was in here 12.3.02 @8840 miles that we in fact did the oil service and not the low mileage oil change-It was done slightly early but due to the fact that the car was almost a 1 1/2 old the service advisor had the oil service performed and the lights/mileage reset-Your next service due will be the bmw Inspection I or a low mileage oil and filter if come December 03 you are not ready for the next service.You have a brake fluid flush which will be due in June of this year-(2 years from production date)"

am i not reading the SI correctly or what is with these guys?!?


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## SARAFIL (Feb 19, 2003)

When you look at the DCS sheet, it will list the repairs and the defect codes that the dealer uses to make a claim to BMWNA.

--------87MP is a low mileage service
--------89MP is a first oil service (15k)
--------91MP is a standard oil service to be used after the first service
--------92MP is an Inspection I
--------93MP is an Inspection II

Herein lies the problem. If the dealer did and was paid for the full oil service (either 89MP or 91MP), then no dealer can do that service again. They will have to wait for the indicator to go off or for the one year mark to pass before they can claim a low mileage service (87MP) or the Inspection I (92MP). If the service that they previously claimed had been a low mileage service, then they could have done an oil service for you now (89MP or 91MP)

The BMW TSB says that a car is elligible for an oil service after one year. However, the existing BMW policy says to do a full service at the two year mark regardless of mileage. If you were closer to two years than one, that could be why the dealer did a full service instead of the low mileage variety. Either way, they screwed up, so now no BMW dealer can do that service for you. It is not the other dealers fault, nor is it BMWs. The only party responsible for this is the dealer that originally performed your service.


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