How Often Should Your BMW Get an Oil Change?

Dec 22, 2023

You’re driving smoothly along the road, then suddenly, your engine starts making a knocking noise. That’s a sign it’s time to stop by the BMW dealer for your next oil change, because the oil in your engine is old and dirty and needs to be replaced.

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to how frequently you need to change the oil in your BMW; there are a lot of factors that influence how frequently you need to change it out. The main thing to know is that you should never have oil in the car for more than a year. Even if you haven’t driven much in that year, you need to head to the dealer and get that oil replaced once it’s been sitting around in the car for around 12 months.

You may need to get the oil in your car changed more than once a year, but exactly how frequently depends on what BMW model you have. Take a peek at your BMW manual to see how often you need to take the car in to get the oil replaced. Modern BMW cars also have alerts built in that let you know when it’s time to get the oil replaced, check the engine, and more. Watch out for these alerts on your dashboard.

Signs Your Motor Oil Needs to Be Changed

Your motor oil quality drops over time, and some signs show up when the oil is no longer good enough to do its job properly. The amount of oil in your BMW also decreases over time, and that can cause problems, too. If you have an older model that doesn’t have an alert to tell you when you need new oil, then you need to look out for the signs we’re going to talk about.

Visibly Dirty Oil

Check your oil quality every few weeks. It should have a smooth texture and be amber to light brown. Gritty oil needs to be changed, as does any oil that’s too dark to see through.

Loud Engine Sounds

Knocking noises under the hood typically point to low oil quality. Your engine getting louder in general is also a sign you’re overdue to change your oil.

Bad Fuel Economy

If it seems like you can barely get through a quick trip to the store without needing to stop for gas, then old engine oil might be to blame. Visit the dealer any time you have reduced fuel economy, as many different issues can lead to your car guzzling gas.

Visit Valley Auto World BMW next time you need to get the oil in your engine changed or topped off. We want to keep your car running smoothly, and making sure you have enough high-quality motor oil in it is one of the simplest ways to do that.