Need advice from high mileage user - E90

[129]

Hi I've just got a 320i.Based on my usage pattern, I'll hit almost 90k km per yr.And this car will be kept until around 300k km.To cut down running cost, I'm thinking of using another car for outstation trips.So would like to get some advice from high mileage guys.What are the first few items to go "kong" except the brakes, battery, tyres?At what mileage? Cost of these items?Thanks.

 

[totoro]

oh yea. i hope u did service ur car every 10K which means use good engine oil, change air and oil filter w/o fail. and make sure u change your auto trans (gear) oil now and fast. and your radiator..

the rest of stuff u can safely change when its rosak. but the 3 items mentioned must be looked after.

 

[Spaceman]

what is the Auto Tran oil change interval? 10k ? 20k? or once every yr? i havent change mine yet.
thanks

 

[129]

hi totoro, I thought the servicing interval is as per indicated on the car computer?
Are we able to send in at 10k interval?

 

[bimmerdude]

if u are a high mileage user, dont follow the onboard computer. u have to do at ur own cost the additional in between oil change, which is in addition to ur usual scheduled service based on the computer. every 5 to 10k oil change is good for the engine. and cheaper than changing a new transmission

 

[Schwepps]

Don't confuse the poor guy laa...engine oil and Automatic Transmission Fliud are two separate things!

129, if you're using the recommended BMW LL-01 fully synthetic oil (ie, what the dealers will fill for you under BSRI) you can safely take it up to 25k, as per the On Board Computer, which you will hit every 3 months or so anyway. Most of us take more than a year to reach that, so we might change at our own cost every 10 - 12k. It's not good to use an engine oil for more than 12 months.

BMW ATF is a lifetime fluid, meaning you don't need to change it. But if you wish to change it (I would and will), then change every 60 - 80k.

Use your BMW for outstation driving laa...it's built for fast motoring, not town puddling. Make it happy and blast down them open country roads!

BTW, welcome, but introduce yourself in the newbies section before you get flamed.

 

[bimmerdude]

well i was talking about the engine oil, which if not changed appropriately will in time cause transmission failure but good advice u have for him

 

[t2ribena]

well i was talking about the engine oil, which if not changed appropriately will in time cause transmission failure but good advice u have for him

bro...what engine oil has to do with the transmission la?

 

[astroboy]

If one understand the BMW or German culture, their maintenance schedules are not meant for their machines to last "forever" or rather to maximise up time to maximise output and they do not recommend taking care of machine like human being. Machines are suppose to work from day 1 until they die.. Shutting down machine for maintenance purposes to them is lost in productivity and must be avoided.

Their so called "lifetime" transmission oil are meant to last the life of the gearbox, or the car... estimated to be 160k km..

Religiously replacing your transmission oil would of course increase the chance of your gearbox surviving beyond 160k km.. :wink:

With that in mind, I wonder if all the other components like bearing, bushes, sprocket, gear, seals or what nots... are all designed with a specific life span in mind... and that's the "160k km"..

Few engineers I have spoken to have confirm the above BOLD statements.. which seems to be a common German engineering philosophy. That 's the difference between technology in countries that uses the same machine for the past 30 years versus another that keep using newer machines every 3 years.. :wink: ... which one is YOU?!

Hope I didn't confuse u.. what I'm trying to say is never follow a German's maintenance schedule.. I still believe their parts to last with proper care and attention.. :wink:

Engine oil change interval should not drag above 10k km and transmission oil should not go beyond 60k km. You should be alright.

These are after all the same people who built the Autobahn that has solid foundations that lasts centuries, German tanks that win wars and VW beetle that's air cool!

 

[bimmerdude]

bro...what engine oil has to do with the transmission la?

what i meant was if ur engine kaput, ur transmission also kaput la. they are connected to each other.

 

[glock_8]

what i meant was if ur engine kaput, ur transmission also kaput la. they are connected to each other.

i dont think so.

 

[Schwepps]

If one understand the BMW or German culture, their maintenance schedules are not meant for their machines to last "forever" or rather to maximise up time to maximise output and they do not recommend taking care of machine like human being. Machines are suppose to work from day 1 until they die.. Shutting down machine for maintenance purposes to them is lost in productivity and must be avoided.

Very true astro! Also, BMW is unlike Merc/Volvo/Peugeot who like to see their 10, 20, 30 year-old cars still running around. Like fashion, BMW designs age fast and they don't want their cars to last too long.

So the word 'lifetime' when describing their ATF can twist perceptions. 'Lifetime' to individuals means 'until I die'. 'Lifetime' to BMW could mean 'until the next model change'.

 

[astroboy]

what i meant was if ur engine kaput, ur transmission also kaput la. they are connected to each other.

Yes, they are connected to each other just like your battery connected to your engine. Your battery kaput, you don't need to replace engine. Your engine kaput, u don't need to replace battery..

 

[t2ribena]

what i meant was if ur engine kaput, ur transmission also kaput la. they are connected to each other.

u are the champion...:top:

 

[David Yong]

Anyway cars are not meant for you to drive lifetime.... it is meant for you to change it every 3 to 5 years

 

[E46Fanatic]

Anyway cars are not meant for you to drive lifetime.... it is meant for you to change it every 3 to 5 years

No wonder you were caught shopping around at the dealership :wink:. Its 2009 already, and your car is a 2006.

Twin Turbo FTW!

 

[davidtch]

No wonder you were caught shopping around at the dealership :wink:. Its 2009 already, and your car is a 2006.

Twin Turbo FTW!

E90 335:top:

 

[t2ribena]

DY time to upgrade liau...

 

[Daredevil]

Wow, 90,000km a year! You live in Spore and work in Thailand is it? Hehehehe....

Better to get a smaller car to do all the driving around...it's painful to see a nice ride clock such mileage over a year....it'll definitely affect your sales price in the near future if you were to seriously clock such mileage over such short period.

 

[racheltoh]

I think that is t2 company car. so "lup" to the max.....

Every 3 -5 yrs must change car....Yes, i hv been following this theory.