How much oil does your M6 use?

[CalifBrit]

I've had my car since June 2014 (GC, MT, Competition Package) and driven just over 7k miles. I've never had to add oil.

Took it in for the oil service yesterday and when I saw the dealer I bought it from he said "oil service or oil top up". I told him I've never had to add oil and he said I must drive it with high revs as the racing car engine it has needs to be driven at high revs.

Then the penny dropped. Being a MT I VERY rarely use 5th or 6th gears. Unless I'm 'relaxing', I'm usually in 3rd going anywhere from 80 to 100+ mph when I may then go up to 4th to let it cruise a bit. I just love the racing car sound it makes at such revs but I never knew that would contribute to the oil efficiency. In fact I thought the opposite.

Also the de-acceleration is amazing in 3rd, dropping from the low 100s to about 80 in next to no time without using any brakes, again high revs. That's a typical way how I approach an off ramp on the freeway.

So, how do you drive your cars and how much oil do you burn? I know most of you have the DCT so I'd be interested to know what you consider is the best way to drive it.

Personally, I just love the MT and it's saving me money.

Incidentally, I always seemed to be adding oil in my old E39 M5. Seemed to be every 700 or 800 miles.

[potassium3000]

Hi - you must mean 2014 so that means 7k miles and 8 months no oil.

I just got mine and followed advice on here and the manual about initial high revs but a member suggested engine braking is also needed which is not in the manual.

Looks like you have been doing this from the start so your car is proof its the way to go!

I had an E60 M5 which I bought secondhand but the previous owner clearly got it wrong as it was 1 litre per 1000-2000 miles….and I did over 100,000 miles!

I will carry on revving the new beast like I stole it.

[CalifBrit]

Changed to 2014. Thx

I did follow the initial 1200 miles rules quite closely. I can't quite remember but I think that was limit the rpm to no more than 5500 and not to exceed 105mph. Something like that anyway.

[BTF13M6]

Both my E63 and this F13 will need a quart added every 2k miles if I am in the higher rev range frequently.

[M6-Coupe]

This is my third F13. Both previous 650i and this M6 needed 1 quart every 1000-2000 miles; however the last time I added oil was on 12k and now at 16k just got the message...Also I had oil change at 10k... So basically this car is oil thirsty

[JimM6GC]

I realize I'm in the minority here, but I use the same break-in technique I have been using for the last 25 years or so (10+ vehicles). I keep it below 55 MPH and vary the speed quite frequently for the first 1k miles. It's a really boring and somewhat grueling procedure, but I have never had to add oil to any of the vehicles.

My wife and I put many miles on our cars, and I change the oil every 5k miles, so maybe that explains why I don't notice any oil consumption. We tend to trade our vehicles in after about 85k miles (except for my '06 Z06, which I sold on ebay after only 11 months - I just don't fit the Corvette demographic), and still no oil consumption problem during that time for any vehicle.

[chask]

Originally Posted by JimM6GC

I realize I'm in the minority here, but I use the same break-in technique I have been using for the last 25 years or so (10+ vehicles). I keep it below 55 MPH and vary the speed quite frequently for the first 1k miles. It's a really boring and somewhat grueling procedure, but I have never had to add oil to any of the vehicles.

My wife and I put many miles on our cars, and I change the oil every 5k miles, so maybe that explains why I don't notice any oil consumption. We tend to trade our vehicles in after about 85k miles (except for my '06 Z06, which I sold on ebay after only 11 months - I just don't fit the Corvette demographic), and still no oil consumption problem during that time for any vehicle.

I've been doing this for about 45 years (learned it from my Dad and that goes back into the '30s). I'm kind of with you, though I have a feeling my initial driving may be a bit more spirited. Unless I cannot avoid it there is no wide open throttle or high RPM excursions, just lots of changing revs and gears. Yes, it's a pain and boring, and especially frustrating when you get the occasional hint of what's to come (for me that's the hardest part of following this regimen). I guess my break in routine is like a warm up before a good workout. I just take it easy and let the engine (and drivetrain too) get accustomed to running. Once it had gone through the initial break in and the first oil change I'd still baby it a bit - still no WOT. I'd gradually start opening it up a bit more and more over the next thousand miles or so. Eventually I'd give it some occasional WOT but not for long. After a while I'd have at it - in retrospect, probably it was mostly because I couldn't stand it any more.

On a brand new engine or fresh rebuild I'd first change the oil after a few hundred miles (800-1000, whenever it started to look like it was getting dirty) then do regular oil changes every 2000-2500 - about the time the particulate from engine wear would build up enough to darken the oil. Those cars were all heavily modified and driven hard. I never had to add oil and those motors lasted for over 100-120,000 miles like that. Heck, the bodies and suspension bushings seemed to show more signs of fatigue than the motors ever did. But an oil change on those early 4 cylinder motors was only 4.5 quarts (and far less $) and oil back then wasn't made to last like oil can now (no synthetics). I still feel a bit uneasy about running oil that looks dirty in a nice engine but these synthetics seem to do just fine. I'm not sure what I am going to do for oil change interval on this new one. Probably watch the oil . . . oops, I'm so use to using the check oil level in iDrive that I haven't even looked to see if they still have dip sticks. There may not be a way to check how dirty the oil is anymore. Boy I guess I just dated myself with that one.

Anyway, I just got the manual yesterday (it's along story) and am checking for all the recommendations and procedures now. But I am not sure I will wait as long as they recommend for changes. I just never have felt that running oil full of engine particulate through some of the tight tolerances in these engines was a good idea, at least not for very long. I almost feel that way about break in too. Actually that used to be my criteria for when to do an oil change - when the oil started to get dark, not mileage. It just happened to occur about every 2-3,000 miles. So far all the compression tests I have run on my motors have been unusually high, especially for engines putting out that much power with a lot of miles on them (>100,000). But things have obviously changed (engine materials and the lubricants) and perhaps that is a bit extreme. I have a feeling your 5K miles is probably going to be about right for me too.

[jettie1767]

1 quart of oil every about 4k miles.

[RichardP]

Between 1/4 and 1/2 Litre (almost the same as a Quart) every 9,000 miles, shows it's down one step on the oil level gauge, at which point I change the oil anyway, so at 20,000 miles I've never had to add any.

I ran it in keeping high revs, but within the 5,500 limit, plenty of 3rd gear 70mph type driving for the first 150-200 miles. After that, driving very gently until the running in service. I also used as much engine braking as possible.

[adamg13]

I was told that these high performance engine seals are designed to expand and work best at higher temperatures, just like our brakes etc. and everything else that's race orientated. When you're cruising around at low RPM's the seals just don't expand, and the oil evaporates. I'm not mechanically inclined enough to say if this is true or not. My 750 needed oil every 1k miles, so far the M6 hasn't asked for any and it's got about 4500 miles on it.

What throttle mode do you MT owners typically use? I tend to hang out in Sport, and let my engine rev pretty high before shifting. I like to listen to the noise and hear the car alarms give their warning beeps when I let it gurgle around 4-5000 RPMS. I do use 5th and 6th gear in the highway when i'm just taking it easy and not interested in hearing any engine sounds. When I switch it to Economy mode I'm pretty sure it shuts off the extra exhaust flaps or something, cause it's noticeably quieter. I've de-coded active sound.

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by adamg13

What throttle mode do you MT owners typically use? I tend to hang out in Sport, and let my engine rev pretty high before shifting. I like to listen to the noise and hear the car alarms give their warning beeps when I let it gurgle around 4-5000 RPMS. I do use 5th and 6th gear in the highway when i'm just taking it easy and not interested in hearing any engine sounds. When I switch it to Economy mode I'm pretty sure it shuts off the extra exhaust flaps or something, cause it's noticeably quieter. I've de-coded active sound.

I'm always in sport+ throttle and S3/D3 and living near redline... I love that noise as well as shift kicking
IMO this car is built for this driving style otherwise 650i is much more practical, more comfortable/smooth and more fuel efficient...

[adamg13]

Does the DCT rev match on downshifts in Sport+? MT only rev matches on Eco and Sport.

[M6-Coupe]

Originally Posted by adamg13

Does the DCT rev match on downshifts in Sport+? MT only rev matches on Eco and Sport.

Yes...

[doug_999]

I'm sure BMW has their reasons.... however, babying the engine for the first 20-40 miles is the worst thing you can do.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I've had BMW V8 engines since 1999. I've added 1 quart of oil during this entire time.

Empirical proof? probably not... however, like I said, one quart - five cars...all V8s...