Anyone have better reading retention than me?

[pushin9s]

I am travelling through Minnesota and stopped in today at one of the MSP dealers to have the oil and transmission fluid changed on the LT. I normally do this myself, but it is blustery and I just didn't feel like doing it so I unbegrudgingly paid the dealer to keep me on my mx schedule.

After the service was done, I asked to talk to the technician to ask him how the trans fluid looked. He said it looked good with only a slight amount of fuzz; but no chunks!! Then he told me that my oil (Mobil 1) was very dark. I told him that was odd because I change the oil every 6K miles (or 2 or 3 months with the riding I've been doing). He looked at me bewildered and asked why I would do a thing like that. I told him that I was sure the schedule for engine oil was 6K. He insisted that BMW required the engine oil to be changed between every 6K service, or every 3K miles. Is this so? I'm very meticulous about reading the owner's manual, service manuals and every other piece of documentation on any vehicle I own. I'm sure, nay, positive that the oil change recommendation interval for both the LT and RT is 6K. Am I mistaken?

BTW, this is not intended to develop into another synth/dino oil debate. I changed the oil every 6K when I ran dino oil and did not change the interval with the synth. FWIW, the RT has 68K miles and the LT has 60K. The RT gets about 20K per year on it and the LT gets about 10K on it.

[DavidTaylor]

Scheduled oil changes on the LT are at 6000 miles. The tech needs to go back to school.

[CharlieVT]

I had a conversation with a guy who said that he had been paying to have the dealer change the oil on his prior K1200LT every 3K miles.

When I countered that the specified interval was 6K miles he assured me that I was wrong and that it was 3K. I told him I had been doing maintence on the basis of the owners manual and service manual for my year 2000 KLT. He continued to insist that the interval was 3K and somehow I had it wrong.

I dropped the issue, but I came away wondering if his year KLT had a different interval specified (although I had never heard of that); more likely his service department was "motivated" to do more service and had told him it should be done at 3K. It is hard to imagine a BMW authorized dealer doesn't know the specified oil change intervals.

In any case, he clearly isn't alone in being told by a "knowledgable" service department that the specified interval was 3K.

Go Carefully.

[RiderRay]

The interval is every 6k and especially with synthetic, that shouldn't be any problem at all.

[bowlesj]

I am travelling through Minnesota and stopped in today at one of the MSP dealers to have the oil and transmission fluid changed on the LT. I normally do this myself, but it is blustery and I just didn't feel like doing it so I unbegrudgingly paid the dealer to keep me on my mx schedule.

After the service was done, I asked to talk to the technician to ask him how the trans fluid looked. He said it looked good with only a slight amount of fuzz; but no chunks!! Then he told me that my oil (Mobil 1) was very dark. I told him that was odd because I change the oil every 6K miles (or 2 or 3 months with the riding I've been doing). He looked at me bewildered and asked why I would do a thing like that. I told him that I was sure the schedule for engine oil was 6K. He insisted that BMW required the engine oil to be changed between every 6K service, or every 3K miles. Is this so? I'm very meticulous about reading the owner's manual, service manuals and every other piece of documentation on any vehicle I own. I'm sure, nay, positive that the oil change recommendation interval for both the LT and RT is 6K. Am I mistaken?

BTW, this is not intended to develop into another synth/dino oil debate. I changed the oil every 6K when I ran dino oil and did not change the interval with the synth. FWIW, the RT has 68K miles and the LT has 60K. The RT gets about 20K per year on it and the LT gets about 10K on it.

Well, given that experience, I bet I know which MSP dealer you went too:eek:

It's good as an owner, that your reading retention is excellant.

[donn]

Did you have the service done at Leo's South by any chance?

[Gizmo1137]

Scheduled oil changes on the LT are at 6000 miles. The tech needs to go back to school.

Yep, back to school for that dude or he is trying to soak you for more service.

[pushin9s]

Did you have the service done at Leo's South by any chance?

Don,

You guessed it right. How'd you know?

[rkimmel2]

I figured out a long time ago that the only folks out there recommending 3000 mile oil drains were folks selling oil for a living. Find it in an owner's manual and you might want a different vehicle. Click and Clack on NPR have been attacking this industry scam for years. I agree with them that early changes of good, clean oil is environmentally and socially irresponsible. Once again, how many out there have recently had oil related failures on any vehicle?

[bowlesj]

Don,

You guessed it right. How'd you know?

They are the "stay away from service dealer up there". Good deals on bikes though.

I went to the parts counter to inquire about the wire diagrams for my LT, first question from the counter guy was, no kidding, "what brand bike is your LT". Next question after he couldn't find the part number for diagrams was "why do you need those?" duhh?

[JATownsend]

This is what the BMW LT 'Maintenance Sheet' sez...

If the motorcycle is ridden only for short distances or at outside temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F), this work must be
done every 3 months or at least every 3,000 km (1,800 miles) *)

Not every one rides as frequently as some. If I only rode short distances, I would consider following this directive.

See attachment below:

[donn]

Pushin9s
Next time your up this way and need service try Moon Motor Sports. They have one Master Mechanic for BMW. The man knows his stuff, give him a try. Don't think you get a master at the other place......ride on.
http://www.moonmotorsports.com/service.asp

[rockmw55422]

Do you have any experience with the Hopkins Hitching Post in St Louis Park? If Moon Motorsports has better customer service and will do a better job on my bike, then that's where I'll take it.

[GBarnes]

I figured out a long time ago that the only folks out there recommending 3000 mile oil drains were folks selling oil for a living. Find it in an owner's manual and you might want a different vehicle. Click and Clack on NPR have been attacking this industry scam for years. I agree with them that early changes of good, clean oil is environmentally and socially irresponsible. Once again, how many out there have recently had oil related failures on any vehicle?


I manage a small fleet of vehicles at work. We get the oils changed at a local, privately owned quick-lube type place. They always put their stickers on the inside of the windshield telling us to get the next service done at 3,000 miles. This really pisses me off; I have to deal wiht the minimum-wage-paid drivers that insist I am ignoring the "required maintenance interval". I asked the quick-lube people to print the stickers with 5,000 mile intervals, but they say they can't do that, (their software won't "allow" them to!). So, I just have them give me blank stickers and I write in the mileage that I want and put them in, (I tried no stickers at all, then was accused of just taking them out and ignoring the vehicles altogether!).

GB