What's the recommend duration for oil change when you don't drive the car much!

mybank2828 · 07-23-2018, 04:57 PM

Hello All,

Would really like to hear your advices on the recommended length of time of when to do an oil change when the z4 is only driven about 5k per two years!

Since the past 16 months, I have only put 4k miles on the car. When I still had the maintenance free, my BMW consultant said that I can bring the car in for oil change in 1.5 year with the small amount of miles I put in. I drive it twice a week to work and some weekends. But the max miles I got so far is around 4k miles since last oil change 16 months ago. You think I can drive for another 6 months before the oil change? I probably would only get another 2k miles within the 6 months max.

Thanks for any feedbacks in advance!

paris1 · 07-23-2018, 05:23 PM

There may be some "official BMW" guidelines to go by here, but if it were me (and assuming you keep the car garaged and in a temperate [SoCal] environment), I would do it once a year.

ray7792 · 07-23-2018, 05:38 PM

I believe most brands (Mobil1, amsoil, etc) recommends changing once a year if you don't reach the mileage posted first.

mybank2828 · 07-23-2018, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paris1

There may be some "official BMW" guidelines to go by here, but if it were me (and assuming you keep the car garaged and in a temperate [SoCal] environment), I would do it once a year.

Thanks for the advice!

mybank2828 · 07-23-2018, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray7792

I believe most brands (Mobil1, amsoil, etc) recommends changing once a year if you don't reach the mileage posted first.

Thanks for the advice!

davis449 · 07-30-2018, 08:43 AM

I go by the computer, to be honest. I don't drive much these days at all, but when I did, I used to change oil in all my cars running synthetic oil at 5K. In the Z4, since I've owned it from brand new, it hasn't let me go much over 6K before telling me to go get it changed. For that, I kinda just trust it (that the oil condition sensors actually do their job). That's come out to around once a year.

Romer · 07-31-2018, 07:41 PM

there are no oil condition sensors. It is set to go off based on mileage from when it was last reset

07-23-2018, 04:57 PM	#1
mybank2828 Private First Class 21 Rep 161 Posts Drives: 2013 z4 35i (Manual,M package) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: alhambra, ca iTrader: (0)	What's the recommend duration for oil change when you don't drive the car much! Hello All, Would really like to hear your advices on the recommended length of time of when to do an oil change when the z4 is only driven about 5k per two years! Since the past 16 months, I have only put 4k miles on the car. When I still had the maintenance free, my BMW consultant said that I can bring the car in for oil change in 1.5 year with the small amount of miles I put in. I drive it twice a week to work and some weekends. But the max miles I got so far is around 4k miles since last oil change 16 months ago. You think I can drive for another 6 months before the oil change? I probably would only get another 2k miles within the 6 months max. Thanks for any feedbacks in advance!
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

07-23-2018, 05:23 PM	#2
paris1 Captain 90 Rep 745 Posts Drives: 2013 35i Space Grey over Coral Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Northern Calif. iTrader: (0)	There may be some "official BMW" guidelines to go by here, but if it were me (and assuming you keep the car garaged and in a temperate [SoCal] environment), I would do it once a year.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-23-2018, 05:38 PM	#3
ray7792 Private 12 Rep 65 Posts Drives: '14 35is Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	I believe most brands (Mobil1, amsoil, etc) recommends changing once a year if you don't reach the mileage posted first.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-30-2018, 08:43 AM	#6
davis449 Captain 423 Rep 887 Posts Drives: 2014 Audi SQ5 Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: San Antonio, TX iTrader: (0)	I go by the computer, to be honest. I don't drive much these days at all, but when I did, I used to change oil in all my cars running synthetic oil at 5K. In the Z4, since I've owned it from brand new, it hasn't let me go much over 6K before telling me to go get it changed. For that, I kinda just trust it (that the oil condition sensors actually do their job). That's come out to around once a year.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

07-31-2018, 07:41 PM	#7
Romer BMW and Toyota Enthusiast 73 Rep 212 Posts Drives: 2019 Z4 sDrive30i Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Centennial, CO iTrader: (0)	there are no oil condition sensors. It is set to go off based on mileage from when it was last reset __________________ 2019 Z4 sDrive30i, 1973 FJ40 Land Cruiser, 2014 URJ Land Cruiser and 2016 Kimberley Kamper
	Appreciate 0 Quote