Originally Posted by
jb007
Does a Defender check oil quality in the engine and suggest service requirements?
The reason I ask is because my X5 with 3L inline diesel has CBS (Condition Based Servicing) and apparently there is/are sensor(s) in the engine which monitor oil quality. I believe the maximum interval between servicing is 2 years but if the vehicle detects the oil quality to be outside of "acceptable" range, it creates a new service requirement. The best thing is these services are covered as part of the BMW service plan i.e. the service plan doesn't list a fixed number of oil changes.
During COVID times when I was driving short distances, it suggested an oil change after 8 months and approx. 8,000 kms which seemed a bit too early to me but the service center replaced the oil and oil filter without any questions. In fact, now that I think about it, I never reached the full 2 year max oil replacement intervals ever for this vehicle and it uses about 6.5 liters of oil.
Similar system would make sense and make it fool proof - change oil whenever car tells you to (max 2 years or based on quality of the oil).
Just found this online from BMW site:
The oil quality sensor measures the electrical conductivity of the oil. As the additives in the oil wear out, the resistance of the fluid changes.