Service Reset Question

[1BMW2VWs]

When you guys change your oil, independant of the indicator, do you reset the service indicator or just let it run its course, then reset it?

I'll have to do my first oil change very soon.
Can't believe it, I got the car in April, and have put 2500 miles on it already...

Thanks!

[SilverStreak]

I just let it run it's course when I do it myself, but you can buy the tool if you so desire, it hear it's under $100...

[Uj2]

If scheduled maintenance is part of your warranty just let the indicator run its course. The dealer won't do the oil change under warranty unless the indicator shows it is due no matter how many miles you've driven. Changed the oil twice since I got the car and still have two green lights left. Dealer turned me away :

[SilverStreak]

I think the dealer will do it at least once a year even if your indicator lights don't say it's time, for free, as part of the warranty.

Which to me means I'll change my own oil 2-3 times a year, and they will do it once a year for free... and reset my lights then...

[Uj2]

Thanks for bringing that up. I hadn't considered the 'time' factor. At the rate I personally am going milage wise, it won't be a factor for sure!

[SilverStreak]

Me too, I do about 6K miles a year nowadays, so the 1 year mark always comes up before the lights would say I'm ready for an oil change at the dealer for warranty purposes, etc...

[Uj2]

So far the banana has done 8K in 3.5 months, mostly because of work :emo . About to do change #3! They're gonna pay this time!!!

[SilverStreak]

5500 miles in 9 mos here... :

[Hugo]

7500 miles in 4½ months!

[DakarDave]

I have my oil/filter changed every 3K miles and I don't let the dealer reset the service indicators.

It's even more important when you are still under factory maintence warranty. The dealer will only perform service when the indicators indicate service is needed (or one oil change a year, if you don't drive alot)

[Rel44 M3]

Couple of things, if you are doing an oil change in between service intervals, you should leave the indicator alone. You should only reset it at a service indicator. Also, free-maintenance under the free-maintenance warranty is dependent on the dealership. Mine had no problem doing the work for free when there was one or two green lights left.

[///MINI]

I'm a pussy. I don't change the oil on my car. Hey, at least I'm honest.

[Hugo]

You should try it, it's probably the car on which changing the oil is the easiest. This applies to 3-series as well.

[JoeZ]

It looks like Hugo and I are on the same page when it comes to mileage. I've got 11k on the Z3 since December, and it wasn't driven daily until about 4 weeks ago (also went about 6 weeks without being driven at all). I do about 22-26k a year on average

As for the lights I change my oil every 2.5-3k on my own and let the lights go. About a week ago the last green light went out and "oil service" came up. I'm going to buy the reset tool that also does diagnostic checks as well. I figure it will be a nice thing to have as insurance if a check engine light or anything else goes wrong and I want to bring it to the dealer and not get ripped off.

[Rel44 M3]

You can also use a paperclip to reset the lights. You just short two pins on the diagnostic connector. Unfortunately I don't remember offhand what those pins are.

[Hugo]

Check out my oil change thread. You short the #7 pin by plugging a wire into it, then putting the other end of the wire on the engine block or manifold or hook for 10 seconds. Worked on mine.

[SilverStreak]

yeah, like Rel said, just change the oil, leave the lights alone, even if the dealer does it for you, then when they do all light up, let the dealer do the change and do the lights then....

For me, it'll probably be Year 2 or something at the rate I'm going... although you guys would be proud, we put 200 miles on the Roadster this past weekend....

[Rel44 M3]

Or you can do what my friend does on his 325i. He's changed the oil a bunch of times but never reset the service lights. It's infinitely stuck on oil service.

[SilverStreak]

: I wonder if that would "effect" one's warranty, though, with a newer car....?

[Rel44 M3]

Free maintenance? Yeah, probably.

[SilverStreak]

It could also effect your warranty too, they could technically say you did not hold up your end of the warranty (eventhough the oil was changed, just not by a dealer, etc)...

[stoneweed1]

do u think that bmw prolongs the interval between oil changes, so as to decrease maintainence costs while increasing chances of engine wearing out after warranty so that the owners take it to the dealership and pay $$$ or buy a new vehicle.

or are the long intervals adequate? is there a chip/mod that would decrease interval time?

[SilverStreak]

I doubt anyone has made a chip to decrease the service interval, and if so, it would likely invalidate your warranty as an aftermarket chip...

And with synthetic oil, under normal conditions you can go longer between oil changes than in the past, for sure.

But personally, get it changed or do it yourself more often, and take it to the dealer when the lights tell you to for the free oil change and keep your warranty valid.

I'm not sure any car maker provides Free Maintenance and allows for 4 oil changes a year under that plan....