[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by BMW 2006

Why would you want to change it yourself and pay for the oil... it's included with the pruchase of your E90! As far as the type (Brand) BMW uses...the dealer states it was specially made for our cars by Castrol. But can not be purchased else where except thru the dealer... not sure how much of that I believe but can not locate anyother information yet on this. Has anyone found out additional info on this?

BMW uses Castrol TXT 5W-30, we can buy it in stores here, as can europe, but it seems the USA cannot

[jwarcd]

Originally Posted by HRC

Hey jwarcd, how did you raise the car? I read that the E90 has special jack points and require a BMW jack, which I don't have. I was thinking of purchasing a couple of ramps to drive the car on. Do you think that will provide enough clearance to gain access to the drain plug? Also, how many covers do you have to remove to get to the dran plug? Are they secured by regular bolts(like 10mm) or are they specail torque-like bolts? Sorry for all the questions, I've never done an oil change on the E90(if that wasn't already clear!! ).

Thanks!
Danny

I put my jack under the rear jack pad and was able to raise both the front and the rear tires off the ground at one time. This allowed me to place a small jackstand under the front jack pad. I lowered the jack and repeated this on the other side.

The plastic cover for the drain plug was easy to remove by just turning the locking mechanism 180deg. with a screwdriver, etc.

The drain plug was the normal 17mm socket.

[stressdoc]

We really need an update from Miller on how to care for the E90. The instructions posted are out-of-date (2002) and for the likes of the E46. In regard to oil changes, I plan to follow the following schedule for engine oil changes: 1200, 8000 *15000, 22500, *30000, ... That is, an extra change after break in, and thereafter at 7500 mile intervals, letting BMW pay for all the scheduled 15000 mile changes. That is what I have done with my E46, and it is looking good. I am willing to be persuaded that longer intervals will work after I check the used oil a couple times. I also plan to change the trans, differential, brake fluid, coolant at twice the recommended frequency. This is a car that I plan to enjoy for a while, and then to turn over to someone else that will take good care of it.

[HRC]

Originally Posted by BMW 2006

Why would you want to change it yourself and pay for the oil... it's included with the pruchase of your E90!...

I want the oil changed at 1200 miles, dealer doesn't do that. I will bring it in for the 15K change but I plan on changing oil at 7500 mile intervals, again, dealer doesn't do that. Why do I want to do this? Because I love all my cars and this is what I do.

Danny

[stressdoc]

The dealer here is pretty reasonable -- something like $75 for an oil change. So it is worth it to me to let them do the extra changes.

[BMRu4ia]

Originally Posted by HRC

I want the oil changed at 1200 miles, dealer doesn't do that. I will bring it in for the 15K change but I plan on changing oil at 7500 mile intervals, again, dealer doesn't do that. Why do I want to do this? Because I love all my cars and this is what I do.

Danny

Maybe a few of us in the area can come on over to get some tips when you do your oil change.

[fredtoo]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

The dealer here is pretty reasonable -- something like $75 for an oil change. So it is worth it to me to let them do the extra changes.

I find that I don't mind doing the oil changes while the weather is nice, but should it come due when there is snow on the ground, it is off to the dealer

[HRC]

Originally Posted by BMRu4ia

Maybe a few of us in the area can come on over to get some tips when you do your oil change.

I got a better idea...how about a mini-meet to change the oil??!! But if you guys don't need/want to change your oil, you can just watch/help me! I plan on changing my oil either this weekend or next. I have almost 1100 miles.

Danny

[HRC]

I'm going to the dealer today to see if I can purchase the tool for the oil filter.

Danny

[BMRu4ia]

Originally Posted by HRC

I'm going to the dealer today to see if I can purchase the tool for the oil filter.

Danny

Let us know the cost and part number. Also the height of the ramp you will be using.
Good Luck ... May the force be with you
I think Costco has Mobil 1 too.

[txusa03]

guys/gals, dont drive your beautiful car onto ramps (especially if you have the sport package). been there, done that and I got a big scrape on the fender when I tried to drive up a ramp. I forgot how low the car was. if u buy a ramp, i suggest u buy the ramp front extension which MIGHT help prevent the scrape. The extension is just a connection to the ramp right before you hit the ramp, it reduces the steep angle which MIGHT prevent scrapes.

take some pics and post them...

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by BMRu4ia

Let us know the cost and part number. Also the height of the ramp you will be using.
Good Luck ... May the force be with you
I think Costco has Mobil 1 too.

Price is to dealers, so may be more expensove to customers

Oil Filter Cap Wrench
PN 90 88 6 119 240
Price= $17.75
Used to remove the oil filter cap on all N52 engines.

Its also known as "Special tool 11 9 240"

[HRC]

Originally Posted by txusa03

guys/gals, dont drive your beautiful car onto ramps (especially if you have the sport package). been there, done that and I got a big scrape on the fender when I tried to drive up a ramp. I forgot how low the car was. if u buy a ramp, i suggest u buy the ramp front extension which MIGHT help prevent the scrape. The extension is just a connection to the ramp right before you hit the ramp, it reduces the steep angle which MIGHT prevent scrapes.

take some pics and post them...

Hmm, the ramps I was thinking of look like this:


It doesn't appear to be too steep for my car(w/sport), but I am concerned that they are too low and won't provide enough clearance for me to get under the car.

Can I use a regular jack with a block of wood or something on the jackpoints of hte car?

Danny

[HRC]

I went to the parts department this afternoon to purchase the tool to remove/replace the oil filter cap cover. The parts guys did not have that item and told me to get it from the snap-on or mac tool truck. A mechanic came out and told me to just use a strap wrench to get hte cap off, strange! I asked him about the need to re-torque the cap back and he replied that I can just approximate it and it will be fine.

I did however purchase the oil filter which comes with the both the gasket for the filter and the drain plug. The filter costs $18.38.

I wanted to buy Motul LL-01 oil but the dealer had the BMW ones so I figured to go with that instead. I purchased a case for $48.00. The case contains 12 quarts.

All I need now are ramps or some other way to lift the car to gain access to the drain plug!

Danny

[longtran]

Originally Posted by HRC

I went to the parts department this afternoon to purchase the tool to remove/replace the oil filter cap cover. The parts guys did not have that item and told me to get it from the snap-on or mac tool truck. A mechanic came out and told me to just use a strap wrench to get hte cap off, strange! I asked him about the need to re-torque the cap back and he replied that I can just approximate it and it will be fine.

I did however purchase the oil filter which comes with the both the gasket for the filter and the drain plug. The filter costs $18.38.

I wanted to buy Motul LL-01 oil but the dealer had the BMW ones so I figured to go with that instead. I purchased a case for $48.00. The case contains 12 quarts.

All I need now are ramps or some other way to lift the car to gain access to the drain plug!



Danny

why go through all that trouble when you can pay $75 for an oil change at the dealer??? somewhere on this thread someone said it.
48+1838= 66.38 total to do it yourself??? and you get an extra 7 quarts of oil, for what?? next time? i'll let the dealer take care of it. or just go jiffy lube. you can bring your own oil.

[YYdoodle]

Cause for some there's much satisfaction to be had from working on your own car. :rocks:

[HRC]

Originally Posted by Terps

Cause for some there's much satisfaction to be had from working on your own car. :rocks:

Werd!!

Danny

[CC 330i]

Originally Posted by HRC

I went to the parts department this afternoon to purchase the tool to remove/replace the oil filter cap cover. The parts guys did not have that item and told me to get it from the snap-on or mac tool truck. A mechanic came out and told me to just use a strap wrench to get hte cap off, strange! I asked him about the need to re-torque the cap back and he replied that I can just approximate it and it will be fine.

I did however purchase the oil filter which comes with the both the gasket for the filter and the drain plug. The filter costs $18.38.

I wanted to buy Motul LL-01 oil but the dealer had the BMW ones so I figured to go with that instead. I purchased a case for $48.00. The case contains 12 quarts.

All I need now are ramps or some other way to lift the car to gain access to the drain plug!

Danny

I have always just hand torqued the oil filter in past cars I have owned. You basically want to tighten it so it won't come off, which is about 1/2 turn past where you start getting a lot of resistance. Similarly, if it wasn't overtorqued putting it on last time, it should be easy enough to remove by hand without even usign a strap wrench. You just have to keep applying twisting pressure on it and it will likely come off. It won't feel like it is turning but it will be. THe rubber gasket has a lot of give and tends to fuse to the metal of the engine block. It may require a strap wrench though if was really tight from the factory.

One trick I have used is to park my car at the entrance to my driveway, which allows there to be a big space under the car behind the front wheels. (there is a slight ramp up my driveway to transition from street level to sidewalk level). I drive the front wheels up until they are at sidewalk level, leaving the back of the car at street level. Just be sure to set the brake and leave the car in gear or park. Many people will have the same thing, and it works like a free ramp. If you are lucky, you can get under there to do the oil change. Depends a lot on what part (front or back) of the engine that the filter is located if this will work. Not sure where the BMW filter and drain plug is but as long as it is not too far forward, it may be possible to get at it this way.

If nothing else, it is a way to see how cool looking the underside of your BMW is!

[NaTuReB0Y]

Originally Posted by Terps

Cause for some there's much satisfaction to be had from working on your own car. :rocks:

Real men change their own oil......

[Jesse Wilson]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

Price is to dealers, so may be more expensove to customers

Oil Filter Cap Wrench
PN 90 88 6 119 240
Price= $17.75
Used to remove the oil filter cap on all N52 engines.

Its also known as "Special tool 11 9 240"

I have had a fun time trying to get this part. I called more then 5 places and seem to have a problem at every place. First of all I have not had one price that matches anyone else's. I have gotten these prices so far:

$21.66
$25.50
$32.64
$35.78
$39.85

Whats up with that? Then Pacific BMW says they can't ship this item, that it's a over the counter item only. At another dealer I was told that they have 14 on special order for an "parts employee" and that I cant have them. All the other dealers are special order only. Whats the big deal here, this part works for all N52 engines why is it not in stock anywhere. I went to 4 auto parts stores and tried about 15 different cap wrenches and every single one of them were to small or to big.


Oh and when I went to go buy the filter, the parts guy some some line about "BMW's maitinence limitations" or some crap like that. Basically infering that if I did any of the maintinence myself that there would be a problem. The only thing I can think of that he could mean is that it would somehow void the rest of my maintinence agreement. Becuase it sure as hell better not void the warrantee.

Whats up with that? Is this guy just a moron or what?


Jesse

[HRC]

Originally Posted by Jesse Wilson

I have had a fun time trying to get this part. I called more then 5 places and seem to have a problem at every place. First of all I have not had one price that matches anyone else's. I have gotten these prices so far:

$21.66
$25.50
$32.64
$35.78
$39.85

Whats up with that? Then Pacific BMW says they can't ship this item, that it's a over the counter item only. At another dealer I was told that they have 14 on special order for an "parts employee" and that I cant have them. All the other dealers are special order only. Whats the big deal here, this part works for all N52 engines why is it not in stock anywhere. I went to 4 auto parts stores and tried about 15 different cap wrenches and every single one of them were to small or to big.


Oh and when I went to go buy the filter, the parts guy some some line about "BMW's maitinence limitations" or some crap like that. Basically infering that if I did any of the maintinence myself that there would be a problem. The only thing I can think of that he could mean is that it would somehow void the rest of my maintinence agreement. Becuase it sure as hell better not void the warrantee.

Whats up with that? Is this guy just a moron or what?


Jesse

Well at least your able to find this part! My dealer said I had to get it off the mack or snap-on truck! Yea, a BMW part from a tool truck!

I didn't get any flack about changing my own oil from anybody at the parts department. I am not expecting any problems from my dealer just because I changed my own oil. I think your guy is a moron who's smoking crack!

BTW, what are you going to do about jacking your car up?

Danny

[Jesse Wilson]

I just used a standard jack at the jack point on the front drivers side and it worked with no problem.


Jesse