BMW 3.0d Service Intervals

[Lyons]

folks, looking at an 05 X5 here with 100k. The ad says it has a full service history but when I enquired it's only had 5. I thought this was a bit light for an 11 year old car, but the only reference to service intervals I can find online suggests that they are 24k apart, which ties in with the services of this car. Is 24k right? Is there no time element, just distance?

All 5 have been done at BMW, the 1st at 21k in 08 and 2nd at 44k in '11. That's 2 in 6 years .

Seems mental, but if that's what BMW advise then I'd not be as bothered.

What about gearbox and diff servicing, is the gearbox "sealed for life"? How often does the diff oil need changed?

 

[Alan_B]

Yep that's BMWs crappy long life service scheme.

Get the engine flushed immediately and run on 10w-40 semi synthetic and change it every 5k with a good quality filter.

Gearbox - opinions differ, I never touched mine and it was OK when sold on 147k. maybe 15k of that was after a map. Some believe that after 100k you are better leaving it alone.

 

[Lyons]

Also, does the 3.0 have the same crankcase breather issue as the 2.0?

 

[AMG]

Yeah normal enough with BMW, dad had an 08 3.0d, sold with 52k miles on it and the service light only came on for its second service en route to dropping it off the day he sold it!

 

[Alan_B]

Also, does the 3.0 have the same crankcase breather issue as the 2.0?

Sure does, easy well to tell if its blocked - turn on engine and pull out the dipstick. If the breather is blocked the sump will be pressurised and you'll have a fountain of oil squirt at you. Even if it doesn't do this the vortex style breathers are about £20 and don't need replaced.

 

[Nicky]

Sure does, easy well to tell if its blocked - turn on engine and pull out the dipstick. If the breather is blocked the sump will be pressurised and you'll have a fountain of oil squirt at you. Even if it doesn't do this the vortex style breathers are about £20 and don't need replaced.

This makes me so happy... lol

 

[Boabybooster]

Brake fluid change is every 2 years on BMWs, check that as well, could catch you out when it says FSH!

 

[Alan_B]

I'm turning in to you.

 

[Coog]

I've always done a wee interim service on my motors between the long services. Oil and filter usually at 6/7k miles. 24k seems like ages between services. The mini is something like 15k and IMO that's too long.

 

[dddrrift]

an 05 one should have the new design crankcase breather anyway. and no swirl flaps

 

[Lyons]

Did the engine change with the facelift model?

 

[davey-dimples]

I intend to do mine every 10k

 

[dddrrift]

nope same engine but different crankcase breather and no swirl flaps on an x5

 

[Woodcutter]

Yep that's BMWs crappy long life service scheme.

Get the engine flushed immediately and run on 10w-40 semi synthetic and change it every 5k with a good quality filter.

Gearbox - opinions differ, I never touched mine and it was OK when sold on 147k. maybe 15k of that was after a map. Some believe that after 100k you are better leaving it alone.

I would be running 5w30 FS, not 10w40 semi.

 

[Alan_B]

I would be running 5w30 FS, not 10w40 semi.

5W30 Fully Synthetic is over kill if you go for 5k changes. I've run all my diesels on good quality 10W40 semi on short changes, 5k miles for me is every 10-12 weeks!

 

[Woodcutter]

5W30 Fully Synthetic is over kill if you go for 5k changes. I've run all my diesels on good quality 10W40 semi on short changes, 5k miles for me is every 10-12 weeks!

10w40 oil in modern vehicles is asking for trouble to be fair, although the risk of problems is reduced a lot with short 5k intervals, but every oil manufacturer recommends 5w30 low ash for that car for a reason. 10k intervals on good 5w30 oil will be the job IMHO.

There are still garages out there that throw 10w40 oil in everything though, and that is a receipe for disaster!

 

[colin84]

The service intervals are rediculous, that's how my 535d ended up wrecked. Something like 12 stamps from a BMW dealer, with only 4 oil changes in over 100k. Unknown to me the oil was like cutting paste and the damage was already done.

Kind of like BMW's sealed for life auto boxes, have you ever seen and smelled the oil from an auto box at over 100k? It's a wonder it can lubricate anything.

 

[Nicky]

10w40 oil in modern vehicles is asking for trouble to be fair, although the risk of problems is reduced a lot with short 5k intervals, but every oil manufacturer recommends 5w30 low ash for that car for a reason. 10k intervals on good 5w30 oil will be the job IMHO.

There are still garages out there that throw 10w40 oil in everything though, and that is a receipe for disaster!

Any engine oil contained in an engine for that duration will be very heavily contaminated, and will most definitely resemble cutting paste as @colin84 stated.

The fully synthetic long life oil is the reason behind more than 9 out of 10 turbo failures, and that's documented by Garrett, Borg Warner/KKK and Mitsubishi, 3 of the biggest turbo manufacturers in the world (possibly others, but that's the literature that I've read anyway).

Imagine what it's doing to the rest of the engine if an external bolt-on part suffers so badly...

 

[Lyons]

Would it be ok to go for as long as I start regular oil changes, or could lasting damage have been done?

 

[DC.]

Just don't buy a diesel BMW. So much hassle

 

[Nicky]

Would it be ok to go for as long as I start regular oil changes, or could lasting damage have been done?

Lasting damage may already have been done to a certain extent, though turbo aside, the diesel BM engines are some of the hardiest engines built and cope well (as well as possible) with the long intervals.

I'd be happy taking 1 of those engine with 200,000 miles and changing the oil soon after purchase, then again at 2-3k miles and keep on top of 8-10k mile changes. For all the price of the oil and filter, and how easy done it is in them (you don't even need a jack), it'd be a sin to not be doing it every so often yourself.

 

[brendy]

Would it be ok to go for as long as I start regular oil changes, or could lasting damage have been done?

No-one can answer that matey, it could be damaged from 20k. It could live to 500k.

 

[Lyons]

I appreciate that, just wasn't sure if it would be a definite to avoid it. I'm happy enough to take the chance.

 

[dddrrift]

history wouldnt worry me at all, go for it and give it a good service when you get it home, the 3.0d is a good lump and good for big mileage.

 

[wheeliekool]

I ignored all this lifelong stuff and stick to the usual once a year, roughly 5k mark.

But, a poorly serviced 330d would worry me, as with any car really. Too many nightmare stories with fuel injectors packing in and wotnot. This is my second 330d and the difference is night n day. First one had barely any history, 10 previous owners lol and run like cows clap shortly after. The one i have now runs like clockwork and never gives me bother. I nearly sold it on few weeks back or at least entertained the idea but honestly its going nowhere cos i owe it big time and intend on looking after it for the forseeable future.