BMW S55 Maintenance Intervals

BMW's maintenance booklets never name an engine: they list services by model column and count them in engine oil services ("every 6th engine oil service, approx. 60,000 mi"). This page reads those booklets for the cars that carry the S55 and prints their figures in the first two tables. Where BMW gives no number, a separate table shows SixLine's own estimates, labelled as such.

S55 at a glance

Engine: 3.0 L (2,979 cc) straight-six, twin-turbo (BMW M version of the N55)
Built: F80 M3 2014–2018, F82/F83 M4 2014–2020, F87 M2 Competition 2019–2021
Booklet years covered: MY2015–2021
Spark plugs: 3rd service: ≈ 30,000 mi / ≈ 48,000 km; 6th service: ≈ 60,000 mi / ≈ 96,000 km

Intervals BMW prints for S55 cars

Item	Booklet interval	Distance	Booklet years
Engine oil and oil filter (derived, see below)	every oil service	≈ 10,000 mi ≈ 16,000 km	MY2015–2021
Ventilation microfilter	2nd service	≈ 20,000 mi ≈ 32,000 km	MY2015–2021
Remote-control key battery	2nd service	≈ 20,000 mi ≈ 32,000 km	MY2019–2021
Engine air filter element	3rd service	≈ 30,000 mi ≈ 48,000 km	MY2015–2021
Spark plugs	3rd or 6th service, depending on model and year	≈ 30,000 mi ≈ 48,000 km ≈ 60,000 mi ≈ 96,000 km	MY2015–2021
Rear axle differential fluid (M models only)	5th service	≈ 50,000 mi ≈ 80,000 km	MY2015–2021
Oxygen sensors (150,000 mi for California-warranty and SULEV cars)	120,000 mi	120,000 mi ≈ 193,000 km	MY2015–2017
Oxygen sensors	150,000 mi	150,000 mi ≈ 241,000 km	MY2018–2021

An oil service is the booklet's unit, but no booklet prints a mileage for the oil change itself (BMW calls it Condition Based Service). The distance shown for one oil service is therefore derived, our own division of what the booklets do print: from MY2017 the 2nd service is "approx. 20,000 mi", so one service ≈ 10,000 mi ≈ 16,000 km; in MY2014–2016 spark plugs are due "at every 6th Engine Oil Service (approximately 60,000 miles)", so one service ≈ 10,000 mi ≈ 16,000 km. The oil change itself is not fixed: CBS counts it down on the car, and BMW also codes some cars with a shorter or longer oil interval (option codes 8K…). BMW of North America's bulletin SI B01 06 13 (October 2013) states the engine-oil "Due in" date uses a 12-month interval on BMW vehicles produced on or after July 1, 2013 (24 months before that; E71 and E88 excepted), and the vehicle check a 48-month interval.

How the intervals change by model year

Booklet	One oil service (derived)	Air filter	Spark plugs	Cabin filter
MY2015	≈ 10,000 mi	3rd	6th	2nd
MY2016	≈ 10,000 mi	3rd	3rd	2nd
MY2017	≈ 10,000 mi	3rd	3rd	2nd
MY2018	≈ 10,000 mi	3rd	3rd	2nd
MY2019	≈ 10,000 mi	3rd	3rd	2nd
MY2020	≈ 10,000 mi	3rd	3rd	2nd
MY2021	≈ 10,000 mi	3rd	3rd	2nd

Air-filter timing depends on the model column, so different cars on this engine can sit at different services in the same year.

Running-in service and differential oil on M cars

From MY2013 (M5, M6) and MY2015 (every M booklet) the booklets prescribe a 1,200-mile (≈ 1,930 km) running-in service for M models only: engine oil and filter and rear-axle differential oil (older booklets add manual-gearbox oil); the X5 M / X6 M and the MY2012 M6 booklets do not mention one. After it the M columns differ by year and model: spark plugs at the 3rd or 6th oil service and the rear differential fluid at the 5th, as the table above shows for each year.

SixLine's estimates for everything else

BMW leaves these items to CBS or gives no number: brake pads and brake discs run through CBS, brake fluid is a CBS item with no figure, and the cooling system is described as long-term rated. So SixLine starts from the preventive estimates below. They are SixLine's own numbers, not BMW's, and every interval can be edited in the app. For a US car covered by a booklet, the BMW figures in the table above replace the estimate for those items.

Item	Distance	Time	Applies to
Oil service	8,000 km ≈ 5,000 mi	12 months	All
Air filter	30,000 km ≈ 19,000 mi	36 months	All
Cabin filter	20,000 km ≈ 12,000 mi	24 months	All
Accessory belt	100,000 km ≈ 62,000 mi	60 months	All
Brake fluid	—	24 months	All
Front brake pads	40,000 km ≈ 25,000 mi	—	All
Rear brake pads	60,000 km ≈ 37,000 mi	—	All
Front brake discs	80,000 km ≈ 50,000 mi	—	All
Rear brake discs	100,000 km ≈ 62,000 mi	—	All
Spark plugs	30,000 km ≈ 19,000 mi	36 months	All
Timing chain condition check	100,000 km ≈ 62,000 mi	96 months	All
DCT fluid	60,000 km ≈ 37,000 mi	48 months	DCT
Manual transmission oil	100,000 km ≈ 62,000 mi	96 months	manual gearbox
Rear differential fluid	80,000 km ≈ 50,000 mi	60 months	All
Vehicle check	—	24 months	All
Remote key battery	—	24 months	All
Oxygen sensors	240,000 km ≈ 150,000 mi	—	All
Coolant	100,000 km ≈ 62,000 mi	60 months	All
Battery check	—	48 months	All

Estimates, not official BMW figures for your car. The BMW figures are read from BMW USA's printed maintenance booklets for US-market cars, in miles; the kilometre values are our conversion (one oil service is our derivation from the booklets: ≈ 10,000 mi ≈ 16,000 km). Everything in the estimates table is SixLine's own number, not BMW's. BMW's Condition Based Service (CBS) decides the real due date on your car, and your owner's manual or a BMW center is the authority for your VIN. The booklet figures are for US-market cars; other markets (EU, UK, Asia) may differ.

Get your S55 schedule on your phone

SixLine sets up a schedule like this for your S55 and drivetrain, counts each item down by distance and by date, and reminds you before it is due. Every interval can be edited. Free for one car, with no account.

Download on theApp Store

Sources

MY2015 booklet (M3/M4/M5/M6), PDF p. 10–12
MY2016 booklet (M2/M3/M4/M5/M6), PDF p. 10–12
MY2017 booklet, printed p. 7–8
MY2018 booklet, printed p. 7
MY2019 booklet, printed p. 10–12
MY2020 booklet, printed p. 10–11
MY2021 booklet, printed p. 10–11 (Dealer-hosted mirror of the BMW print file; no bmwusa.com URL located.)
Engine facts: Wikipedia (fetched 2026-11-10).

BMW S55 maintenance intervals