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      07-25-2013, 09:26 AM   #79
Weaselboy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CirrusSR22 View Post
Why are they doing it then? Just to be nice? That only leaves one option left.
I have a theory.

I have not seen it mentioned yet in this thread, but BMW allows a free annual "low mileage" oil change. This is for cars that are not driven enough in a year to trigger the condition based service (CBS) change at around 15,000 miles (or more). I suspect this change was done to simplify things and end all the confusion surrounding the low mileage annual oil changes vs. CBS changes.

Let's use me as an example. I had a 2012 335i (F30) I bought new in April 2012. In April 2013 the car had 14,600 miles on it and CBS still showed a change was not due for another 2,500 miles. I don't use the car a lot, but when I do it tends to be long trips, so the CBS intervals are usually very long for me.

So in April 2013, I took it in and got my free low mileage annual oil change and the car was returned still showing a CBS change due in about 2,500 miles like it should.

Fast forward to now. I turned the car in at the dealer yesterday (2014 335i is on the way ) and the car had 17,027 miles on it. The CBS warning was popping up showing an oil change due in 400 miles. Had I not traded in the car I would have gotten that change done this week. The dealer would have done the change and reset the CBS back to 15,000 miles / 24 months.

So in my example, BMW paid for an oil change in April 2013 at 14,600 miles, then would have done another change three months later at 17,400 miles because CBS called for it.

Had I kept the car, this cycle would have repeated next year. I would have gotten an annual low mileage change in July 2014, then CBS probably would go off for another change around November or so.

I have owned one E90 and two E92s... and with all three this has been the pattern. I always ended up with the annual change, then three to five months later the CBS change.

I always end up with two oil changes per calendar year after the first year passes.

So with this new CBS interval of 10,000 miles / 12 months, BMW will potentially be doing slightly fewer oil changes on some owners cars and at the same time ending all this confusion about the "low mileage" annual oil changes.
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