The BMW Maintenance strategy is designed to maximize vehicle safety and reliability, and minimize breakdowns resulting from wear. The Service Interval light system and the Service Countdown system will indicate when you are due for service based on your driving habits.

The Service Indicator consists of five green, one yellow, and one red light and the inscriptions: “Oil service” and “Inspection” located on your instrument panel.

Whenever the ignition is switched on, up to five green lights will light up.  Depending on vehicle use and driving style, the green lights will turn off one by one as you drive your BMW. As you approach the last green light, this is an indication that the next service is almost due and helps you to make any necessary arrangements in a convenient manner.

When the last green light turns off, a yellow light appears with one of the inscriptions (Oil Service or Inspection). This indicates that your next maintenance service is now due.

If you continue to delay maintenance service, the yellow light and red light appear together with one of the inscriptions (oil service or inspection).  The presence of the red light essentially indicates that your prescribed service is overdue, and you should make plans as soon as possible to get your BMW serviced.

The Service Countdown is an alternate display that appears in the instrument cluster when you first start your BMW.  Instead of color coded lights, this system displays the mileage remaining until your next service is due and the words “Oil Service” or “Inspection”, indicating what is due when the countdown is completed.  The purpose of this system is identical to the “Service Interval light system.  It helps the BMW owner plan for their pending services in a convenient manner.

At Advantage Certified Auto Group we take great care in following and exceeding BMW’s maintenance guidelines in an effort to help you, the BMW owner, protect your investment.  This maintenance is critical to maintaining superior handling, ultimate performance, and most importantly, the safety and reliability of your BMW.  It is our expertise and familiarity with the problem areas, common failure points, and the practical service needs of your particular BMW model that allows us you offer you the very best in BMW Service.

Our Enhanced Maintenance Service exceeds BMW’s factory warranty requirements.  It includes procedures that BMW used to include in their services.  Prior to 1996, BMW included additional procedures in their services, however since the introduction of scheduled maintenance service* BMW lowered their maintenance guidelines.  Our Enhanced Maintenance service will assure your BMW’s longevity and performance.

*(The included Scheduled Maintenance and Full Maintenance expense was included in the cost of the vehicle.)

The BMW service intervals consist of three main service groups.

•   Oil Service: Engine oil and filter change and additional preventative maintenance services.

•   Inspection I: Major vehicle maintenance as specified in your Service Booklet.

•   Inspection II: Additional major vehicle maintenance as specified in your Service Booklet.

In addition, there are additional services that are required periodically.  These procedures used to be part of the Inspection I and II, and then BMW started making them an upsale item.  We still include them in our services. 

•   Brake fluid flush is required annually.  We include it in our Inspection I and II

•   Coolant fluid flush is required semi-annually.  We include it in our Inspection II

•   Sparkplug replacement used to be suggested at 30,000 miles.  Then BMW decided they would be replaced at 100,000 miles.  We replace sparkplugs at Inspection II, which will be at 30,000 on earlier BMWs and 60,000 miles on later model BMWs.

•   Oxygen sensor replacement is suggested at 100,000 miles.  We find that if the other services are performed in a timely fashion, quite often the oxygen sensors are fine well beyond the 100,000 mile mark.

This table should help explain the suggested services and intervals.  The suggested services are in the far right column.  The items in blue are the services suggested by BMW.  The items in red are supplemental services endorsed by the overwhelming majority of service professionals.  Certainly, if you have any questions, we would encourage you to contact one of our Service Consultants to discuss your BMW’s service needs.