The E90, E92, and E93 M3 are fantastic cars. They come from the factory with the lively, high revving S65 V8 engine. Up top at 8400 RPM, not many cars give the same feeling as this. This guide is meant to cover the maintenance to ensure you will continue to have many trips up to 8400 RPM without worry.
The graphs below provide a sample maintenance interval approach to keeping your S65 healthy, along with some other important components to consider changing. Find your mileage, and look across the row to see what columns contain a checkbox. That will tell you which service may be required for your car at the top of the columns.
Here is a sample tracker if you were to buy your car at 30,000 Miles.
Here is a sample tracker if you were to buy your car at 50,000 Miles.
Here is a sample tracker if you were to buy your car at 70,000 Miles. Note that for cars 70,000 miles and above, I would also consider changing O2 Sensors and Injectors since it's is coming due to swap those out anyways. Evaluate based on your cars condition and milage.
***Please note, this is a guide. Some owners may elect to hold on certain services, or may feel that the service interval should be different. Do your research, and do what works best FOR YOU. What is best for your car? Based on how many miles it has, how hard you drive it, what climate you live in, etc.***
I will admit, I like to think of my approach as very conservative. I like to start from scratch, that way I have a starting point to go off of. That is why I have the first row of each graph to practically do every service, so that I know for a fact how fresh the fluids are, and what condition my car is in. If someone tells you ‘all the fluids have been done’ or ‘Rod Bearings have been done,’ please ask for a service receipt that shows what exactly was done to the car, and what date the services were performed. At least you have some proof, but even then, somebody might fake something. Or you may find out that maybe the parts it was replaced with are not up to par with your standards. So you never 100% know until you do it yourself, or with your trusted auto shop. Just be cautious, and ask for proof.
I find this chart to be much more digestible compared to some other guides you may find out there. It also just makes sense.
Think of it like this: Are you going to take your car into the shop at 105,000 miles to change brake fluid? Then take it back to the shop at 108,000 miles to change your microfilter? Just to take it back again at 110,000 miles for an oil change?
That’s 3 trips to the shop within 5,000 miles to do services that could be bulked together had they been started on a more ideal maintenance schedule. This is why I elected to do nearly everything the second you purchase your car, since you know the current state of your fluids and parts from day 1, and it also aligns the services nicely for the rest of your ownership. This way, you’ll know that there is a lot of maintenance work to be done roughly every 30,000 miles, and you don't have to worry about anything else except regular Oil and Oil Filter changes. It makes everything more efficient, easier to remember, and saves you time.
Now you might be wondering, what about Rod Bearings? What about Throttle Actuators? What about the Idle Control Valve? Here’s a quick rundown on those ‘common’ issues and when to expect those jobs:
Rod Bearings:
I would say the generally accepted window to replace Rod Bearings on the S65 V8 is between 60,000 to 80,000 miles. That is when most people elect to do them. Some are not believers in it, and will go to 100,000 or 120,000+ miles and it may not matter because they may sell the car before trouble hits. I’ve seen some make it to 140,000 miles. Some did not have the same luck with a bearing failing at a mere 40,000 or 50,000 miles. And then a very small count of motors experiencing bearing failure as early as 20,000. But those seem to be outliers at that point, just like the 140,000+ mile ones.
Here is your warning. If you want to gamble it, go for it. This is one I would not mess with since you won’t have a simple check engine light or limp mode, you may also have a spun bearing or a nice hole in the block to let some fresh air into the engine… One that was not supposed to be there initially. So you’ll be on the hook for a new motor. I changed my bearings at 30,000 miles because I’d rather not risk anything, and I wanted to get it over with. Especially given the way my motor sees 8400 or even 8600 (increased RPM limit) every time I drive the car. Plus track days. We did see elevated wear, especially wear that I believe doesn't match up to a 30,000 mile car. It looked consistent with bearings out of a majority of 60,000 ish mile cars. I wouldn't say I caught them ‘just in time’ because that would be over dramatic and inflate the problem. They showed decent wear, and I could’ve gone longer, but it really doesn't matter. What matters is that they have been replaced with extra clearance bearings and I shouldn't have to worry about them anymore. If you want to read more on Rod Bearings, I’ll be writing another post about them soon. In the meantime, check out the video we did during my service. Video Link
Throttle Actuators:
This will put your car into limp mode, and throw a Check Engine Light (CEL). I would not recommend driving it to the shop as clearly the car won’t be running right, so it is best to get it towed to the shop.
Idle Control Valve:
I have not experienced this first hand, but I believe you will get a CEL and it might throw your car into limp mode. Someone in the comments can expand on their experience.
Fuel Breather Valve:
I have not experienced this first hand, but I believe you will get a CEL and it might throw your car into limp mode. Someone in the comments can expand on their experience.
I hope this Service Interval guide has been helpful, and again, do what works for you. Whichever way you decide to care for your M3, I hope you enjoy it for many years to come. I sure will be looking forward to all of the memories to be made with mine.
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