Maintenance

[DOrtiz]

Hi everyone.

So I was looking at a few YouTube videos and can't believe how simple changing the oil is on the X1 (or so it seems). However, at 6 quarts + filter, is it really cheaper to do it yourself?

If not, maybe it's better the BMW dealer does it because they can check the car for other possible issues? Additionally; if I do it, what record do I have showing it was done other than a receipt for the oil and filter. I'm concerned my extended warranty carrier "may" challenge that if any repair arises.

Also, aside from repairs (which would be covered bumper-to-bumper) is it really that expensive to maintain these cars? I feel like I may have to open a separate maintenance savings account for added peace of mind.

I'm almost afraid to drive her. Heck, maybe I'll have to accept I'm out of my league and come to the realization bimmers are mainly for wealthy people.

Anyway, here's the Davis Report for this car. It appears service was done at regular intervals up until the time I purchased her.

[sayemthree]

That’s the reason for having extended warranty so you can drive it and not worry . Just keep all your receipts in all likelihood If anything goes wrong it will not be related to oil changes

[DOrtiz]

Originally Posted by sayemthree

That's the reason for having extended warranty so you can drive it and not worry . Just keep all your receipts in all likelihood If anything goes wrong it will not be related to oil changes

Thank you Sayemthree,

I use to change the oil on my former MINI. They require the same time interval 1yr/10k miles.

Well, being old school and living in this excruciatingly HOT State (Florida), I find it hard to let a car go 10k miles between oil changes. As a result, I'd let MINI do one (on their dime), and I'd do one (at my expense) in between. Resulting in an oil change every 5k miles.

The difference here is I don't have extended service (like I did with my MINI), so I'd have to pay for every one. I always use high-end full synthetic oil at $10 quart and a K&N oil filter. For this car at 6 quarts + filter it would cost me around $80. Not sure what an oil change costs for this car at the dealer. I'll have to call BMW to find out.

[mcdanielvzw]

Get your oil (and other parts) from FCPEuro, and you won't have to worry as much about cost. They have a lifetime warranty on everything, so all you have to do is make the initial purchase for any item and future items will effectively only cost you return shipping since they will refund your money when you return it (Yes even oil).

There is no reason to get the dealer to do every oil change unless you specifically have money to burn.

[Turbod]

Oil changes run me about $75 - $85. The dealership near me charges $85 - $110 but they also wash and vacuum the car.

[Gamb1t]

Oil change on this car is easy. I don't even have to jack it up as the drain panel/hole is easily accessible. I don't enjoy sitting around the dealership even though my local one is quite nice. It takes me very little time to perform the job.
Also it is an opportunity to inspect the car myself.

[DOrtiz]

Looks like no one will touch the original question. Which was, "Aside from repairs (which would be covered bumper-to-bumper) is it really that expensive to maintain these cars?"

I'll assume the answer is yes. Ironically, when I was part of NorthAmerican Motoring (a MINI board), every other post was about some repair, carbon buildup, etc. etc. I was hoping to get away from the constant complaints and looking forward to interacting with "satisfied" owners of the BMW line.

Best
David

[sayemthree]

Mobil 1 0w40 is 22$ for 5 quarts at Walmart. Why pay $10 per quart?

I would say maintenance on these cars not real expensive because of extended service intervals You can also take your car into an independent dealer that you trust will charge you less than a dealer

[LevinBR]

These cars are just as easy (and expensive) to service than any other car. Where you'll pay a premium is on the hourly rate of a BMW tech. A good independent shop will trim that rate down. Doing work yourself will eliminate it entirely.

Take care of your preventive maintenance and don't cheap out! Spend a nickel to save a dime. That's my best savings tip for any vehicle out there.

[mcdanielvzw]

You may not get a direct answer because it's been answered in the past, in other threads.

I'll say if you can do or are willing to learn to do the work yourself, the cost really isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. At the very least, everything I've run across has not been expensive - keep in mind I haven't had major engine, transmission, or transfer case issues and technically bought a 2nd car so I can have a backup vehicle if I ever do and need to work on them.

I've almost always done my own work, so it is hard to comment on the cost of work that's needed to be done that I can't perform. Paying others to work on your cars is always expensive IMO, and if I couldn't work on cars I personally could not afford to have not just 1 but 2 BMWs. The same applies to my house though, if I paid others to do all the work there I wouldn't have a house or wouldn't have all the other things in the house I do.

As for the paying $10/quart comment..... Re-read the post, because it's an upfront and not final cost. Not to say I don't trust Castrol or Mobil01, but if I can use the OEM oil as much as I want for the same cost, I'm going that route.

[DOrtiz]

Thanks everyone for coming back with that valuable feedback/advice. I humbly appreciate it.

I'll do some research and post my findings.

[Gamb1t]

I feel maintenance cost is OK in general. Coolant is cheap. Diff/xfer case oil i not. Engine oil can be bought anywhere... just watch for deals. Same with filters. Parts can be pricey if you go to the BMW dealership. There are alternatives. I am currently snipping my local Craigslist for any F30, e90 or X1 part outs.

BMWs seem to require a few "not as common" tools compared to Japanese cars. The area that I detest the most is its requirement for updating the ECU on certain maintenance items such as Xfer case oil, tranny oil and battery change.

[DOrtiz]

I was referred to this site here:
https://www.fcpeuro.com

Do I need to order 6 or 7 quarts of oil. This is the Total price with a Mann filter (Free delivery).

[mcdanielvzw]

28 Engine, AWD, with filter..........5.8 quarts
Engine, RWD, with filter..........5.3 quarts
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ub...e-oil-capacity

[DOrtiz]

Interesting...

[DOrtiz]

Wasn't doing to bad on MPG today on my way home. Set cruise control and let her go.

[mcdanielvzw]

Oooo, someone doesn't reset their tripometer (lol).

Nice. I never use cruise, but at 80 it sits at 30 in my 328. I've never watched my 35i because the gauge is digital and only the average, not the real time, is accurate IMO. I should take a pic at either 35 or 45 (forget which), because it hovers well above 35 mpg!

It's nice to get about 380 miles/tank on average in the 328 before I'm totally out of fuel (like, 1 gal left). Except long trips, I get about 330 in the 35i. It is tuned and AWD after all....

On long trips from FL to the north, I've seen 28 MPG over successive fillups in the 35i though.

Back in the day, I could get 30+ MPG in my Mazda 6 - That was 450 miles/tank as the light came on - damn I miss the days before ethanol in gas!

Here's my fuelly link. The 35i doesn't have all the inputs because I had my 2015, then my 2014 (which had identical mileage) but I didn't track the 2014 for I think 15k miles so I just put in something that would average the 21 mpg I know I get for driving conditions. The 328i is accurate, but I did a lot of random maintenance that affected mpg (e.g. heavy fuel system and oil additives primarily) for many gas tanks.

http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/328i/2...nielvzw/818726