Been loving and using a lot of info from the regulars here, but here's the first question from a newbie.

I bought my 2000 z3 with about 40k a year ago. For all my previous bimmers, cars and motorcycles, I was a 3k on the dot man for every oil change. This is the first BMW I have owned with the inspection and oil monitoring lights.

Well, I have run this baby for about 20k now, almost all highway, and I am still no closer to an oil change. Two yellow and one red light up when I start, but nothing stays illuminated as I read it's supposed to.

I am getting freaked out maybe the light is not working — or I'm not reading it right. Am I being paranoid, or can these synthetics really run that long? Also I'm getting a little creaking in my steering, not in the CV, but something making me think it is time for some maintenance. Will these lights ever come on?

Thanks, Jeffery212

Been loving and using a lot of info from the regulars here, but here's the first question from a newbie.

I bought my 2000 z3 with about 40k a year ago. For all my previous bimmers, cars and motorcycles, I was a 3k on the dot man for every oil change. This is the first BMW I have owned with the inspection and oil monitoring lights.

Well, I have run this baby for about 20k now, almost all highway, and I am still no closer to an oil change. Two yellow and one red light up when I start, but nothing stays illuminated as I read it's supposed to.

I am getting freaked out maybe the light is not working — or I'm not reading it right. Am I being paranoid, or can these synthetics really run that long? Also I'm getting a little creaking in my steering, not in the CV, but something making me think it is time for some maintenance. Will these lights ever come on?

Thanks, Jeffery212

i would not under any circumstances allow my car to go past 1 year or 15,000 miles, regardless of the oil service counter.

I even take it further....I change my synthetic oil every 7,500.

Well Jeffery, my boy, I've got bad news for you. When the RED light comes on, you are OVERDUE an oil change (that's the last one to light! It started out with green lights, worked their way off, one at a time about every 3K miles, then the yellow comes on indicating oil change is due, then red indicating OVERDUE). They are reset when your oil is changed using a service light reset tool.

It generally takes 15K miles to reach the yellow light. Most Bimmer aficionados (some of you chatroom kids won't know what that word means, look it up!) do intermediate oil changes at 5K or 7.5K miles.

Have fun!!

Bobertsr,
Thanks for breaking the news. I think I was utterly confused by the system and slightly mislead by the dealer — not a BMW dealer, incidentally.

I asked if the oil was changed upon purchase time and he said yes and the red light would would come on and STAY ON as an alert. Well, I changed it today, 20k miles late, and I'm just hoping there is no irreparable damage as it has continued to run fine and never used oil. Should have just followed my intuition and the odomoter like the old days.

- an inveterate, albeit ignorant, aficionado

I had to look up "inveterate"!! Good word! I'll try to remember it.