upgraded from a Evo X to e92 m3 , need some input.

[uisim]

So I decided to upgrade from my beat up Mitsubishi Evo X to an 09 m3, and now have new car to read up on, Car runs great, it had one owner before me( from Florida) so this is the first Chicago winter the car has seen and it shows. I got it with 44K on the odometer along with a service record. oil changed according to BMW schedule but thats not a surprise really, why not take it in when you can get it done free. The part that got me was the pads were only changed once and theres still some life on them which tells me the car was not driven very hard. Who knows what he may have done but all I know is they are the 2nd OEM pads with decent life so its a small plus.

Basically need to know if its 100% necessary to use 10w60
are 7K oil change intervals good enough or should it be, say 5K
Any info on what dct setting is the less stressful on the drive train
finally if you were keeping the car for a while would you bother changing the rod bearings

[ashtaron14]

Welcome to the forum.

I don't follow BMW's recommended service intervals and change my engine oil every 5000km (It's more humid here in Hong Kong and I use my revs). I would say if you just got your car you might as well get an oil change to take your mind off the matter. If you have any doubt or are still concerned, then you can get a Blackstone oil analysis report. I haven't used Castrol 10w60 since my warranty expired, and have used other brands' 10w60 such as Shell and Repsol Carrera less of a performance drop after 3000km compared to the Castrol.

The engine's working temperature is 110C/230F, so that's why the 10w60 is recommended for proper lubrication for the nature of this engine.

Oh and I basically said "F it" to the Rod Bearing woes and went ahead to supercharging my car.

[Sandye90m3]

Too much stress in this post man.

I would say change the rods at some point, 80K miles (Just made that number up). In the next couple of months, there will be a lot more analysis on the rod bearings, as well as different remedies such as the Clevite bearings.

By no means is mine high mileage, but I'm at 67K miles same oil changed at 7500miles and haven't had any problems.

For the MDCT, any mode is fine. Technically speaking, the higher the mode (S5) the less work the clutch has to do and therefore the longer it will last. 90% of my driving is in S2, and I don't have any problems.

I just changed the diff oil last week and the car drives like butter sauce. Go out there and drive the thing. What fun is owning a car, if the only thing you do is worry about it?

Having said that, I might change the bearings at 80K and I might not. Maybe the Clevite remedy will be released by then, and will show some significant and factual evidence that there is a problem and that it can be fixed.

[dreamspeed]

Honestly, are you really expecting a different answer than what has already been said a thousand times on here about the rod bearings? There are different camps on the severity of the rod bearing issues. The only practical thing to do is read up as much as you can and make your own informed decisions.

[squartus]

I changed mine at 30k when I supercharged my engine, they were pretty shot to shit. I could of gotten another 30k out of them "maybe"
So basically going FI saved my engine, my advice is if its bothering you and is taking away enjoyment of the car drop 2 grand have them replaced with WPC treated bearings and get some ARP rod bolts while your at it.

At the worst you did something so you can enjoy your car and improve its lifespan, at the best you just spent 2k and saved your 25k engine from blowing up.

[CIFUM3]

I'm doing my caps and bearing the first week of March, I'm only doing it for piece of mind... People won't admit it but if people say they redline every now and again and the thought of the caps and bearings failing doesn't cross their mind they are lying! Hahaha
I'm supercharging mine before the summer and wouldn't install it with out doing caps and bearings first.

[Amirsm3]

Originally Posted by ashtaron14

Welcome to the forum.

I don't follow BMW's recommended service intervals and change my engine oil every 5000km (It's more humid here in Hong Kong and I use my revs). I would say if you just got your car you might as well get an oil change to take your mind off the matter. If you have any doubt or are still concerned, then you can get a Blackstone oil analysis report. I haven't used Castrol 10w60 since my warranty expired, and have used other brands' 10w60 such as Shell and Repsol Carrera less of a performance drop after 3000km compared to the Castrol.

The engine's working temperature is 110C/230F, so that's why the 10w60 is recommended for proper lubrication for the nature of this engine.

Oh and I basically said "F it" to the Rod Bearing woes and went ahead to supercharging my car.

Every 5,000 kilometers? Wow. Have you thought of getting an oil analysis done? That seems like overkill.

[uisim]

Originally Posted by Sandye90m3

Too much stress in this post man.

I would say change the rods at some point, 80K miles (Just made that number up). In the next couple of months, there will be a lot more analysis on the rod bearings, as well as different remedies such as the Clevite bearings.

By no means is mine high mileage, but I'm at 67K miles same oil changed at 7500miles and haven't had any problems.

For the MDCT, any mode is fine. Technically speaking, the higher the mode (S5) the less work the clutch has to do and therefore the longer it will last. 90% of my driving is in S2, and I don't have any problems.

I just changed the diff oil last week and the car drives like butter sauce. Go out there and drive the thing. What fun is owning a car, if the only thing you do is worry about it?

Having said that, I might change the bearings at 80K and I might not. Maybe the Clevite remedy will be released by then, and will show some significant and factual evidence that there is a problem and that it can be fixed.

just read up on this Clevie bearings but whats your opinion on something like this? I would be worried putting something new on a car like this. Unless i missed it what kind of testing did they or will they do? would any of you rather do this instead of replacing with OEM bearings or OEM/coated bearings?

[squartus]

Do not do coated bearings as it makes them thicker and makes the problem worse.
Right now WPC treated is the way to go as the treatment process actually makes them a tad thinner and its not a coating it actually changes the surface of the metal.

Clevite bearings I am excited about, but I myself would wait a little while after they come out to see how they do in the real world "fitment etc"
But I would be supprised if they did not work out well.

[ashtaron14]

Originally Posted by Amirsm3

Every 5,000 kilometers? Wow. Have you thought of getting an oil analysis done? That seems like overkill.

My service interval is 5000-6000km or 1/2 year whichever comes 1st. Hong Kong is a small place, so my 1/2 year usually comes 1st.

[uisim]

Is there any aftermarket warranty worth getting for this car? The more I read im thinking its pretty pointless to change rod bearings at 50k, closer to 80k-100k sure but 50k not so much. If there's an option to get a warranty id rather just pay for that and get a lot more covered than just the engine or just set aside the $ yearly on mods and be ready in case something big does go wrong in three years. After all, main bearings fail as well and ripping out the motor is not an option for me so doing just the rod bearings wouldn't be a cure for a blown engine.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by ashtaron14

My service interval is 5000-6000km or 1/2 year whichever comes 1st. Hong Kong is a small place, so my 1/2 year usually comes 1st.

That sounds healthy for sure, but a bit surprised over the interval. Is that according to local BMW or your own book?

Thx