<misc>REPLY-Trying to understand..

["Ron Browne" <rbrowne@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dick wrote:

Last week I traded in my '96 M3 for a '98 540i 6-speed (ohhhh... what a
car!). The new car has the free maintenance program. I know the people at my
dealership very and I asked the parts guy what oil is used. He told me that
they CURRENTLY use BMW 5W-30 synthetic and as soon as their stock ran out
they would start using the BMW 5W-40 "Longlife" synthetic. The new oil is
being released in conjunction with '99 3 series and their supposed 16K mile
oil change interval (I test drove a new 328 and the maintenance reminder
actually tells you the number of miles until the next change. The car I
drove said 15,000+ miles!).
Well - I guess I am old fashioned but I simply could not bring myself to
wait 16K miles between oil changes! I plan to do my regular changes at 1,200
miles and then every 3,000 miles. I will do the oil changes myself and have
the dealership do all of the other items in the maintenance plan.

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As an aside, if Im not mistaken, MB also introduce SI type lights to their
cars as well, but theirs actually analyzes the oil while its in the motor,
and then tells you when to change it, which also averages around 16k miles.

Now,  realizing that no matter what tests are done, what oil analysis are
done, what modern technological changes are made to lubricants and motors,
some folks will always change their oil with the same intervals that their
Dad's changed the old Quaker State in the old '72 Chrysler Imperial..every
3000 miles.  (Ever notice that even WITH frequent oil changes, the old cars
motors never made it to 200,000 and 300,000 miles like todays cars on 10,000
mile interval changes make it?  But I digress....) Thats fine.  To each his
own.
But if you just traded a 1996 M3 for a 1998 540i, you dont appear to be the
type of owner who keeps a car for, say, 10 years, and 250,000 miles.  With
that in mind, what benefit do you get by changing the oil every 3 thousand
miles, in a car you very well may trade while its still under the full
warranty?

Not trying to start a oil-change interval thread, 'cuz as I said, to each
his own.  And no, Im not jealous of you because you had a 1996 M3 and now
have a 1998 540i six speed.  OK..I am jealous, but thats another story.  ;-)
Just trying to understand the logic.

Ron Browne
1992 318is
  (4 cylinder which is harder on the oil than a 6 or 8, which is changed
about every 9600 miles with Mobil 1, and I guess Im a fluke to have made it
to 106,000 miles and counting).
Bowie, MD

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