Are BMW’s Lengthy Oil Change Intervals Leading to Engine Damage?
One technician online recently showed why the recommended maintenance interval for certain BMW engines may potentially be damaging them, according to Motor1.
Many hold a negative view of the turbocharged four-cylinder engines produced by BMW in the mid-2010s. The automaker’s recommended 15,000-mile oil change interval was criticized for being too long, leading to varnish and sludge building up and deteriorating plastic and rubber in the engine.
The biggest flaw these engines are typically credited with, brittle plastic timing chain guides, is what created the failed N26 four-cylinder engine that YouTube channel I Do Cars delved into.
Dark brown-stained metal is found in the engine’s head, followed by chunks of timing chain guide as the YouTube technician goes further in. He eventually reaches the oil pickup tube, where chunks of timing chain guide have blocked oil from reaching the pump.
BMW has since reduced its prescribed oil change interval from 15,000 to 10,000 miles, which is still a few thousand shy of the typical 5,000 to 7,000-mile interval recommended to drivers.
