Look, I like to plan for the future as much as the next guy, assuming the next guy doesn't really like to plan for the future. But I just got a warning from the BMW X5 long-termer that it would like an oil change.
Well, it would like an oil change in 1,800 miles anyway. Now, it's true that our long-term X5 has accumulated miles at an average of more than 2,000 per month, but our vehicle is a little unusual in this regard. It would take the average driver about a month-and-a-half or more to rack up that number of miles. And every time that average driver started up his X5 he would get the yellow warning and alert-dong notifying him of a service that's not required for many weeks.
But okay, better early than late, right? So we've got an appointment to get new goo and filter tomorrow and the service department of our local dealer promises it will cost us nothing, despite being early.
Curiously, the driver-information center between the gauges says we're looking at a time deadline of October, 2009 to get the service done. Stranger still, the Service Requirements portion of iDrive estimates a date of July, 2010. We can only assume this is referring to something else but we can't figure out what exactly that might be.
--Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
nealibob says:
12:40 PM, 02/18/09
well, you forgot to do the math. if you subtract the 7 in 7/2010 from the 10 in 10/2009, you get 3. add in the 2009 and ditch the 2010 and you will have a more reasonable 3/2009. just a heads up, the formula changes each time.
arm51 says:
01:26 PM, 02/18/09
BMW always provides a date and a mileage for their service intervals. I think that it has something to do with the included scheduled maintenance and that if you drive it less, they would still like it to have a service within a certain time frame.
As for the discrepancy between the service dates, I have no idea. Also, the computer tracks usage and I think that it presents reminders based on average useage not pre-defined milestones. At least, that's how it works in my 328i...
allthingshonda says:
05:42 PM, 02/18/09
The Maintenance Minder system in my Acura works much better. It is not based just on miles driven it also considers how you drive, temperature, and engine operating conditions and advises that an oil change is needed when oil life reaches 15%. It schedules other service requirements with oil changes to reduce the number of trips to the dealer.
roadburner says:
08:05 PM, 02/18/09
The first generation of BMW's Service Interval system calculated service intervals using a number of factors such as rpm, coolant temperature and ambient temperature. Later research showed that measuring fuel usage alone was just as accurate. The Condidion Based Service system is an evolution of the SI system which monitors additional vehicle systems.
zoomzoomn says:
05:35 AM, 02/19/09
The best part is that all of that stuff you show in you pic on the nav screen can come up at varying intervals. So you might go in for one svc and get a warning 2 months later for something else and then another few months later for yet something else! Fun? Eh. It's lovingly referred to as "Condition (or needs) Based Service". The car depreciates several items independently to their service point. It's better than it was when it was introduced starting with the '02 745 and then the '04 5 series and so on. They actually combine some of the stuff together now, but it's not as simple as it used to be when combined services were set at roughly 15,000 mile intervals. It's a catch 22, really. At least the customer gets to see the dealer more frequently (and visa-versa!).
minibro77 says:
08:32 AM, 02/19/09
"By allthingshonda on February 18, 2009 5:42 PM
The Maintenance Minder system in my Acura works much better. It is not based just on miles driven it also considers how you drive, temperature, and engine operating conditions and advises that an oil change is needed when oil life reaches 15%. It schedules other service requirements with oil changes to reduce the number of trips to the dealer."
So is the BMW system. Here's a quick one for you all including Daniel Pund. BMW's recommended Service Intervals are condition based. The reson why the oil change indicator reads a date of 7/2010 is simply because if you all of a sudden changed your driving habits or couldn't drive the car for whatever reason this is the recommended date for you to change the oil based on time. BMW and MINI recommend oil services every 12 months or every approximately 15,000 miles. The mileage interval can vary based on your particula driving/motoring habits. I've seen this interval be 16K for some, 18K for others, and even 14K for some. I work at a MINI dealer now but used to work at a BMW Dealer in the CPO department. MINI now uses the same system. Since it is condition based service system what allthingshonda says about his Acura is similar to how BMW's calculate their service. The Service and Warranty Info booklet that comes with the car informs you of this info.
roadburner says:
09:30 AM, 02/19/09
Whwn I took my Alpina B7 loaner to Motorsport Ranch the car informed me that my 90 minutes of track time took 900 miles off the life of the oil.
greenpony says:
06:13 AM, 02/20/09
I like the analog fuel economy gauge.
roadburner says:
06:32 AM, 02/20/09
"I like the analog fuel economy gauge."
A lot of folks think that it is just a vacuum gauge, but it displays actual fuel economy calculated from the vehicle speed/distance sensors and the pulse width of the fuel injectors.