Just bought E46 M3 - low mile use, Still service each year?

[161BMW]

IMO you can never change the engine oil enough
Obviously the benefit / cost ratio decreases the closer these engine oil changes are

[The Restorer]

Service interval counter counts down from 15,000 miles but I believe uses your mpg to recalculate, so in effect I get around 12,000 miles before the next service is due @ around an average 24mpg.

[Stone Cold]

161BMW said:

BMW Oil Service including gearbox, LSD, brake fluid, coolant, air filter, fuel filter, BMW Double VANOS filter

Do they do all of this for a std oil service, I thought it was just engine oil and filter?

[Stone Cold]

Only time I have got near 30mpg is on a very steady motorway run (65-70mph) anything over 70mph and drops to sub 30mpg, around town nearer 18mpg but I didn't but it for economy

[N7GTX]

If you follow the BMW inspection/oil service indicator you wont go far wrong. The Castrol oil is made for these engines and should last perfectly okay.

But.....

I'm an OCD freak and I do a full Inspection 2 every year, renewing engine oil and filter, air filter, pollen filter, gearbox oil, LSD oil etc. Yes, it is all unnecessary but for a parts bill of around £200+vat and doing it myself, I think it is worth it.

[E30M3SE]

^^^^^^
VANOS filter?

[N7GTX]

Yes, it comes under 'etc'.

[161BMW]

Stone Cold said:

Do they do all of this for a std oil service, I thought it was just engine oil and filter?

Those were all extras at my request

[161BMW]

N7GTX said:

If you follow the BMW inspection/oil service indicator you wont go far wrong. The Castrol oil is made for these engines and should last perfectly okay.

But.....

I'm an OCD freak and I do a full Inspection 2 every year, renewing engine oil and filter, air filter, pollen filter, gearbox oil, LSD oil etc. Yes, it is all unnecessary but for a parts bill of around £200+vat and doing it myself, I think it is worth it.

Is this for E46 M3 ????

[HannsG]

161BMW said:

Is this for E46 M3 ????

When looking for cars. There were some owners who always did an insp 2 regardless. On average in such cases you would probably find the odd inspection 1 maybe.

These cars tended to be standard and low mileage examples.

[toon10]

Stone Cold said:

it goes like this
1200 miles running in service
approx 15000 miles or after 2 years Oil service
approx 15000 miles or after 2 years Inspection 1 service
approx 15000 miles or after 2 years Oil service
approx 15000 miles or after 2 years Inspection 2 service

and repeat, apart from the 1200 mile running in, which you must make sure has been done, if you haven't checked and seen the service book stamped please make sure you do, but I am sure you know that already

The oil changes as discussed above are personal preference not BMW std intervals, but they will of course do the oil, stamp the book and leave the service indicator as is for the next 'scheduled' service as above

Sorry to be a bit of a thickie here. The servicing costs were the only thing that put me off buying one of these. I do about 7k miles per year so if I had taken the plunge, I could do an oil service and then nothing for 2 years until the inspection 1. After that, another 2 years before the next oil service and then 2 years later (I'd have sold the car by then) the dreaded Inspection 2. If that's the case I should have done more research.

[thebigmacmoomin]

The Restorer said:

Service interval counter counts down from 15,000 miles but I believe uses your mpg to recalculate, so in effect I get around 12,000 miles before the next service is due @ around an average 24mpg.

I did about 8 miles in one trip in mine & the service indicator went down by more than 8. Mine says an Inspection service is due in 9875 miles but the last service was August '12, roughly 2200 miles ago, so I guess it will drop quite quickly now. It will be for sale before that as im only keeping it for a few more months (my orignal plan not due to any disliking of the car).

[E30M3SE]

toon10 said:

Sorry to be a bit of a thickie here. The servicing costs were the only thing that put me off buying one of these. I do about 7k miles per year so if I had taken the plunge, I could do an oil service and then nothing for 2 years until the inspection 1. After that, another 2 years before the next oil service and then 2 years later (I'd have sold the car by then) the dreaded Inspection 2. If that's the case I should have done more research.

In a word, yes.

But, if the 7k per year are particularly hard, e.g. throw in a track day or two, then the services will come up on the mileage countdown at shorter than 2 year intervals. Resetting the service counter counts down from 14,000 miles.

[toon10]

E30M3SE said:

In a word, yes.

But, if the 7k per year are particularly hard, e.g. throw in a track day or two, then the services will come up on the mileage countdown at shorter than 2 year intervals. Resetting the service counter counts down from 14,000 miles.

Thanks for information. I suppose the urban mpg figures AT are posting of 13.8 is another reason for me to avoid. I never get more than 22mpg from my 325 as it's all urban driving. Still, if a good M3 came up locally I'm sure I could do some man maths to justify.

[bass2rez]

RichardM5 said:

Oil degrades when stored at low temperatures. So, probably best change the oil at least once a year in the spring, preferably twice, autumn and spring, but don't reset the service indicator unless due anyway. Do the Inspections as per the service indicator.

Sometimes, this "not resetting the service indicator" request can be rather harder than it needs to be, I find.

I recently put my M3 in for an oil change at an independent BMW garage, and stated that I wanted the service indicator left alone, as it was counting down to an official "oil service" at which time I would then put the car in for the proper oil service. I iterated that this was an "extra" oil change.

This is the service indicator before the oil change:



This was the service indicator when I picked the car back up:



I can't really believe they went to the trouble to hack the on-board computer to achieve that, especially when I did not want them to touch it at all!

So now, when I put the car in for its official "oil service" I will need to explain that it isn't an Inspection service that is necessary, its just an oil service!

Cheers,
Steve

[thebigmacmoomin]

My M3's last 2 services have been Inspection 2's. No idea why but my service indicator says the next service should be another Inspection. Is that just because it follows the sequence Oil, Insp 1, Oil Insp 2, Oil .... etc ?

[jayemm89]

When I bought my E46 330Ci the last two inspections had both been Inspection IIs, I think because people see it as handy when selling the car.

Personally with a car like an M3 I would definitely change the oil each year, regardless of mileage.

I assume like the M54 the S54 is chain driven but on cars with belts if they've been left for some time I sometimes change the belt prematurely as they can take on the shape they are parked in and I'm sure that isn't healthy. Same goes for a lot of rubber and perishables I guess.

[N7GTX]

161BMW said:

N7GTX said:

If you follow the BMW inspection/oil service indicator you wont go far wrong. The Castrol oil is made for these engines and should last perfectly okay.

But.....

I'm an OCD freak and I do a full Inspection 2 every year, renewing engine oil and filter, air filter, pollen filter, gearbox oil, LSD oil etc. Yes, it is all unnecessary but for a parts bill of around £200+vat and doing it myself, I think it is worth it.

Is this for E46 M3 ????

Sorry for late reply. Must have missed it before.
Yes, its my E46 M3 with low mileage (30,000 2002) and I get a nice trade discount. So it seems a shame not to do it and as said by another, low mileage and selling point (hopefully!).

[N7GTX]

HannsG said:

161BMW said:

Is this for E46 M3 ????

When looking for cars. There were some owners who always did an insp 2 regardless. On average in such cases you would probably find the odd inspection 1 maybe.

These cars tended to be standard and low mileage examples.

Spot on!

[Neil_M]

The service is more than an oil change as some have hinted towards.

Part of the service is the inspection, which while up on ramps, an issue could be spotted before something goes south.

I'd go for the calendar option.

Especially on something like a low mileage car, I think its a great reassuring thing to see.