Service Interval Indicator

1 When you turn on the ignition, you will see up to 5 green lights on the left of the indicator. These will go out after the car has started. Over a period of time, depending on how you have driven and the distance you have covered, a progressively reducing number of green lights will show when the ignition is switched on.

2 As long as you have at least one green light showing, you don't need any maintenance.

3 Some time after reaching the final green light an orange light will illuminate, together with the words oil service. This acts as a permanent reminder that you should now bring your car in for an oil service. Should you ignore the orange light, a red indicator will illuminate to indicate that the oil service is overdue. This is only a warning light and will not affect your BMW’s performance in the short term.

4 Following an oil service your Service Interval Indicator is re-set and you will now see 5 green lights on the left of the indicator when the ignition is switched on.

5 The green lights will again go out, one by one, counting down to your first major service. For pre September 1995 6 cylinder diesels an additional oil service will be required before the major service. These may seem to disappear quite quickly, but remember, the Service Interval Indicator has been monitoring your cars requirement for an inspection since delivery and not from your oil service when the BMW dealer service changed your oil and filter.

6 When the green lights have all disappeared the orange light and the word inspection appear, as a reminder until the car is serviced. Should you ignore the orange light, than a red warning light will appear alongside it to indicate that the service is now overdue.

7 Following an inspection your Service Interval Indicator is re-set by the BMW Service Technicians and you will again see 5 green lights on the left of the indicator.

8 For 1991 models onwards, every 24 months, timed from the original date of delivery, a small clock symbol, together with the word inspection will come on. For the E32 750i, 750iL, E31 850 and M models up to September 1994, the clock symbol comes on at 12 month intervals. It is now time for your car's brake fluid to be changed.

For pre-91 models and all 3 Series models excluding the current 3 Series, the clock symbol will appear every 12 months. It is now time for your car's Annual Check. The Service Interval Indicator will continue to monitor your BMW’s requirement for either an oil service or Inspection independent of the check.

9 On completion of the brake fluid change or Annual Check the Service Technicians will re-set this facility on the Service Interval Indicator.

Taking the guesswork out of calculating service intervals

To derive maximum satisfaction from driving your car, it is essential that it operates at peak efficiency. To this end, incorporated in the refined technology of your car is the BMW Service Interval Indicator.

With the Service Interval Indicator the timing of an Oil Service or relevant Inspection is an exact science rather than hopeful guesswork.

When determining at what time your car is in need of a service, driving style and road traffic conditions are far more important factors than merely the completion of a pre-ordained mileage.

For example, a car that is driven consistently on short journeys over congested roads will require more frequent servicing than a car which is mainly used for cruising at motorway speeds.

The BMW Service Interval Indicator monitors fuel consumption, and advised when an Oil Service or Inspection is needed from the volume of fuel consumed.

That may sound as simplistic as regulating service intervals by distance travelled or time. But it isn't. Because in a BMW, the Digital Motor Electronics (DME) systems meters fuel to the engine in precise response to how and where your car is being driven. The DME can even tell when the engine is being subjected to high stress conditions, such as pulling a heavy trailer up a steep hill. It governs all engine controls, including ignition timing and fuel injection, to ensure optimum efficiency at all times. It controls every opening of the fuel injectors- which can last for only a few milli-seconds - to meter the exact amount of fuel required at any point in time.

By this means, fuel consumption in a BMW gives a very precise indication of the stresses and strains that the engine is experiencing. By recording fuel consumption and advising a service at a set volume of fuel consumed, the Service Interval Indicator is using a very accurate assessment of the driving conditions your car has undergone, and making a service recommendation which is both informed and efficient for your car and your operating costs.

source: found on the net