Had a friend bring their 2013 BMW 550i to me yesterday to see what the engine noise is. I asked her when was the oil changed last and she said when I did it during 2019 at 122k miles. Needless to say she has 159k on it now and she wonders why the valve train is rattling around. Fixing to go drain it now. I expect it to be pretty low too. I'll let y'all know.

A BMW 550i engine is not one you want to abuse in my opinion.

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Jim

you will be marrying this car soon, its a literal pandora's box now - and it will start leaking oil from every crevice once the new oil cleans some sludge out.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

It is already leaking like a sieve. To be honest I think she ran it low on oil. It was 3 quarts down when it came in. The electronic level indicator never said anything but full is what she said when I asked.

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Jim

What did you see on the electronic level indicator ?

The indicator probably malfunctioned due to sludge. Do lotsa short interval changes with slightly thicker viscosity and hope for the best.

Timing chain and it's components are probably very worn.

Can you scope a valve cover for pics?

Good luck!!!

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

I did pull the level indicator out and cleaned the thin layer of build up off of it.

I think I'm seeing metal flakes in the oil filter. Plans are to take it to work and look at it a little closer tomorrow.

I'm going to send it down the road.

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Jim

Pictures! I love "sludge porn."

Pull the stick on the frau's ride

The lady that owns it is a hottie.

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Jim

Most BMW's don't have dipsticks. They started putting them back on the V8's because they burn so much oil, and because the electronic measurement is so inaccurate and takes so long to accomplish.

The service writers at BMW of Bubbaville (BMWoB) keep oil under their podiums to get their V8 customers in and out quickly.

Time to send that P.O.C. on down the road .

I too would love to see pix of the oil oil and SWARF within .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

She is trying to figure out what to do with it. Let me know if you got any interest Auto.

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Jim

Unless it's thrashed and FULGY, service the hell out of it, detail it and dump it cheaply .

Or, just scrap it .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

Car looks very good in regards to body and interior. The engine is so noisy I don't think any amount of service will make that go away. She supposed to pick up today.

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Jim

Back in the early-2000's, BMW was claiming 20k-mile oil change intervals (OCI's) were sufficient. That didn't end well. Now, they're at 10k miles. My 2002 M3 calculated OCI's based on the fuel burned: When X liters of fuel has been burned, it's time for an oil change. My M3 wanted an oil change at around 13k to 13.5k miles. I did mine at 6.5k miles. I'd get every other one for free with BMW's free maintenance.

I've done 8k-mile OCI's with synthetic oil on a V6 Honda, a Chevy Cobalt, and now two turbocharged BMW's. Looking down the oil fill holes, the engines are spotless. The plastic timing chain guides turn from white to brown, but that's the plastic absorbing oil, not the oil leaving deposits. This will cost me about $300 (three oil changes) more than 10k-mile oil changes over 100k mile. But, I know the engine will be clean.

Varnish (brown coating) on the valve cover and stationary parts visible down the oil fill hole doesn't really hurt. But, if there's varnish there, you have to worry about what's lurking on the pistons and piston rings.

About 55% of new BMW's (and M-B's) put on the road in the US are leased, usually for three years. I suspect most of those lessees never open the hood. If they get a low-oil or low-coolant warning message, they take the car in for free maintenance.

There was a woman on a BMW board who had her leased BMW towed into the dealership because she got a low-coolant warning. It never occurred to her to open the hood and add some water to the coolant tank. A lot of BMW lessees bring their car to the dealership when they get a low tire pressure message, too.

BMW's now have two coolant circuits, one for the engine, one for the intercooler and turbocharger.