3.0si maintenance intervals

[Panta Rhei]

Yes hello,
I would like to ask for help people far smarter than myself
03/2006 make, milage for today is 62500 km ~ 39000 miles. Manual transmission.
Previous owner was not running the service book. He visited dealership only once (first oil service after 2 years of owning a new car) in 8 years of owning the car. The rest was not registered in the official maintenance book. Thus today I can only imagine what has been done.
I have only one stamp from 2009 and it stands for oil service. First and only.
Second owner bought car in 2015 and did oil service by himself and I bought the car on 10/2016 and made oilservice on 05/2017.
There has been brake fluid change in 2009, manual says clearly that the production date counts (2006) not first registration (2007). I do not know why the dealer made it in 2009.
From what I have read it goes like this:
15k miles or 2 years - Oil service (2008 for me, but it has been done in 2009)
30k miles or 2 years - Inspection I (2010 for me)
45k miles or 2 years - Oil service (2012 for me)
60k miles or 2 years - Inspection II (2014 for me)
75k miles or 2 years - Oil service (2016 for me)
90k miles or 2 years - Inspection I (2018 for me)
etc...
I have changed the following on 05/2017:
-oil
-oil filter
-air filter
-cabin air filter
BUT I heard it is recommended by BMW to change every 2 years:
-brake fluid
-transmission fluid
-spark plugs? when?
I do not know when or if previous owners have done that.
My question is what should I change and when because I have a headache. What capacity of those fluids should I buy, also I do not know when and if previous owner changed spark plugs, should I consider doing this aswell?
Thank you so much. Please respond.

[Scooba_Steve]

Don't forget coolant every 2 years minimum too.
Gearbox is not every 2 years, bmw say filled for life but i run intervals of 30k miles or 5 years, diff could be double that. If I were you I would make sure the equivalent of an Insp II including new sparks was carried out along with gearbox, diff, coolant, brake fluid. That should give you a good starting point but I'd be tempted to change the oil again 1k miles after just to make sure anything left was cleaned out and consider analysing what's drains both times.
Have a look for lifetime bmw maintenance schedule online, I think it's a good starting point for DIYers.
Manual box is about 1.4L, diff about 1L, N52 EXACTLY 6.5L. Brake and coolant just fill to indication.

[Panta Rhei]

Don't forget coolant every 2 years minimum too.
Gearbox is not every 2 years, bmw say filled for life but i run intervals of 30k miles or 5 years, diff could be double that. If I were you I would make sure the equivalent of an Insp II including new sparks was carried out along with gearbox, diff, coolant, brake fluid. That should give you a good starting point but I'd be tempted to change the oil again 1k miles after just to make sure anything left was cleaned out and consider analysing what's drains both times.
Have a look for lifetime bmw maintenance schedule online, I think it's a good starting point for DIYers.
Manual box is about 1.4L, diff about 1L, N52 EXACTLY 6.5L. Brake and coolant just fill to indication.

Thank you very much.

[earthdweller]

I’d echo the above

Start with an Insp 2 and brake fluid .. ensure they do the roof drains during the service

Then minimum of every two years brake fluid and a service regardless of mileage

It runs .. oil service
Insp 1
Oil service
Insp 2
Repeat ... if you do significant miles then service as per service indicator but at least every two years

However very few cars will be found to have followed that regime

Andy

[earthdweller]

Insp 2 should be done at 8 years regardless of mileage ... this includes plugs

Brake fluid would be two years from date of production not registration then every two years onwards

[Panta Rhei]

Insp 2 should be done at 8 years regardless of mileage ... this includes plugs

Brake fluid would be two years from date of production not registration then every two years onwards

Then again, oil, oil filter and microfilter every year - that's what I heve read in service and warranty information from 2006.
Spark plugs at 100k miles according to BMW and oxygen sensor at 120k miles.
'The engine coolant has a lifetime rating and does
not need to be changed.'
Same with transmission oil according to them.
How about differential and power steering fluid?
So many fluids to come up with and all at different milages.

[Scooba_Steve]

O2 sensors I would not replace preventatively, just when they fail.
As I said, I use 2 years for coolant and 30k/5y for box, 60k for diff as that doesn't work as hard as the box.
You don't have any power steering fluid

Read up on the lifetime schedule, I agree with the correlation between increasing intervals and inclusive service packages/fitting to consumer demand over mechanical sympathy.

[Panta Rhei]

Thank you kind sir

[srhutch]

Insp 2 should be done at 8 years regardless of mileage ... this includes plugs

Brake fluid would be two years from date of production not registration then every two years onwards

Sorry, but not correct. You can have extra oil services between inspections if mileage not reached.

Only requirement as per service book is oil and brake fluid every two years.

[Panta Rhei]

Insp 2 should be done at 8 years regardless of mileage ... this includes plugs

Brake fluid would be two years from date of production not registration then every two years onwards

Sorry, but not correct. You can have extra oil services between inspections if mileage not reached.

Only requirement as per service book is oil and brake fluid every two years.

Despite milage, which I of course cannot reach in 1 year, oil service is every 2 years BUT, there is this note on the service and warranty information.
Then I need to change oil and oil filter every year and air filter and cabin filter every oilservice and inspection I/II - so every two years if I am correct, because I will not reach milage.

[srhutch]

Insp 2 should be done at 8 years regardless of mileage ... this includes plugs

Brake fluid would be two years from date of production not registration then every two years onwards

Sorry, but not correct. You can have extra oil services between inspections if mileage not reached.

Only requirement as per service book is oil and brake fluid every two years.

Despite milage, which I of course cannot reach in 1 year, oil service is every 2 years BUT, there is this note on the service and warranty information.
Then I need to change oil and oil filter every year and air filter and cabin filter every oilservice and inspection I/II - so every two years if I am correct, because I will not reach milage.

Where are you based, particularly hot/dusty environment?

UK service book states oil every 2 years.

[Panta Rhei]

Not at all. Poland so the same weather conditions as in UK I guess.

[R60BBA]

All,

Servicing mainly depends on how often you drive and what you use the car for.

I have put servicing recommendations for 3 types of driver below.

Daily driver:

Oil service every 6 months
Full service once a year
Engine coolant every 3 years
Brake fluid every 2 years

Weekend driver:

Full service once a year
Engine coolant every 4 years
Brake fluid every 2 years

Track driver:

Oil service before every track day
Full service once a year
Engine coolant every year
Brake fluid before every track day

In regards to your service book, call up BMW customer services and ask for a service report (don't call up your local garage as they will only have information on cars that they have serviced and do not have access to the BMW national database).

This will give you a history of all of the BMW garages that the car has been serviced at. Also, run an MOT history check on the DVLA website as they have now updated it to include the garage where the MOT was taken. It may be worth calling up each garage to find out if the car was serviced at each before being put through for MOT. (If you're keen - it may be worth buying a new book and backdating the necessary stamps).

Main thing to check on the E86 are the rear springs. If all else is well, you should be fine.