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      05-06-2013, 01:12 PM   #67
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128i

I just did my first oil change - thank you JimD this was extremely helpful. Simple, concise, and made me totally comfortable w my 2008 128i. Nice to have my droid tablet next to the car while following your steps!

The only variable I ran into was needing a strap wrench for my filter housing cap... no bolt as expected, just a threaded cover w/ finger indents. Is this a model year difference, or a Euro-US difference? Just curious. Anyway whoever put it on last (i bought my car off 23K miles leased) made it a bit too tight, so I couldn't get it by hand. The strap wrench was 8 bucks down at the corner hardware store. When I put it back on after the oil change, I just tightened till the green marks lined up.

Overall, it was a cake-walk and I'm so glad to have this happening in my garage for only the cost of oil and a filter each time. FYI for those noobs and getting the car up in the air - I bought 2 of these Rhino Ramps to roll the front up on. At x2 for $40... it was a no-brainer.

Thanks again JimD
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      06-06-2013, 10:45 AM   #68
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Which Filter? Yea - I'm a newbie

This is a great thread for a BMW newbie like me. I just picked up a 128i convertible and it truly is wonderful. This is my first BMW and it really does live up to the reputation... amazing.

I am getting ready to change the oil to establish my own oil change baseline. When I go to order the filter online the sites ask if I have the L6 N52B30A or the L6 N51B30A motor. How can I tell? Is the 11 42 7 566 237 filter the right part in either case?

Many thanks to all on this thread for getting me going!!

Ken
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      06-06-2013, 10:49 AM   #69
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If you are a Sulev state, you have the n51b30a, if not you have the n52b30a. I think Colorado is non sulev and you had the n52, but i would double check to be sure.
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      09-04-2013, 10:52 PM   #70
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Many thanks to all who posted as this was my reference for the first oil and filter change on the new 128i at 1200 mi.

The only major difference from what was pictured above was that the 2013 128 drains out the side of the pan instead of straight down.. It can make a serious mess like mentioned on the 135.. Fortunately, seeing this coming and had a binder clip and walked past a pack of playing cards... *clip* Problem solved..

What seemed like 50 pounds of hot oil out and a half-hour draining, I have never seen that amount of oil in an engine of that size and sat nursing beer in amazement, pondering dead, synthetic dinosaurs.

Filter and o-rings are exactly as prescribed above. Cleaned the housing and installed the new filter, o-rings and secured the cap. All tightened to the factory paint lines with a old skool oil wrench over a new shop towel as Tischer forgot to ship mine when I ordered the 50 pounds of oil and the filter.

Last of all, 6 1/2 quarts in.. Startup and first check ever so slightly over full. My assumption is a residual couple hundred pounds of fluid left in the motor..

Overall, this is the easiest oil and filter change on any vehicle that I have ever owned. Brilliantly designed with the only exception of the drain bolt direction.. Straight down would have been nice, but overall I could care less.. The whole process took an hour..

Items of note are that the oil wasn't that bad at 1200 miles but needed to go.. The filter was trashed and black.. Identifiable metal in the filter and in the bottom of the filter housing. It was time....

Thanks again to Jim and David for the insight!
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      09-05-2013, 09:02 AM   #71
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The nut on the top of the filter housing in the pictures is part of the cap wrench I got from Bavarian - it is not part of the housing. It is conveniently 17mm like the drain plug if I remember right.

My wife's 2013 also has an angled plug. Her's is an automatic unlike mine. I don't know if it is a model year thing or a manual versus automatic. I teased her it was because she didn't get the right transmission. I made a little blocking piece of cardboard to keep the oilflow down. I would prefer that BMW not do this but they did.
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      09-05-2013, 09:09 AM   #72
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my MT 2010 has a vertical bolt. my dad's mt 335i with the n54 has an sideways bolt.
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      09-05-2013, 07:20 PM   #73
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Hmmm... Might be seeing a pattern here..

Do you think BMW techs ever read this mindless drivel and bet on how long it takes for us to figure out?

Me either..
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      10-14-2013, 01:09 PM   #74
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3rd Oil Change

I did two oil changes early using kits and just did my third. I am now out of the "free" maintenance period and can't accept $100+ oil changes. I generally do oil changes myself to save time as well as money and to make sure it is done right.

I used Mobil 1 European 0-40W oil from Walmart (it's on BMW's list of acceptable oil). I bought two 5 quart containers and only put in a little over 1 quart of the second container. That is a little more work but the oil is only about $5/quart in the 5 quart versus close to $8 in individual quarts. I used a Mann HU816X which worked perfectly and looked exactly like the BMW filter. It also comes with the o rings and new gasket for the drain plug. I spent about $60 in materials but will spend about $35 next time and possibly one more (depending on whether the car asks for the other quart). So really more like $45/oil change for parts. I got the filter from Amazon. Seems like I order from them every few weeks and can use another $10 item to get to $25 so I get free shipping a fair number of times. I ordered the oil from the internet for in store pickup at walmart (so free shipping). It was available the same day which is odd because I've never seen it on the shelves there - I need to check again.

It is full to the maximum line according the my dash display after I added slightly over 6 quarts (as close to 6 as I could manage pouring the last quart out of a 5 quart jug). I forgot to raise the back to get it level. I also didn't do the filter until putting the drain plug back on. I think it retained a bit more old oil as a result. I plan to change every 5K miles so it should be fine regardless. I'd like to add a pint more to see the effect but I hate taking oil out so I probably won't.
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Last edited by JimD; 10-15-2013 at 07:51 AM..
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      10-14-2013, 02:03 PM   #75
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Thank you for posting that. I had originally ordered oil online from a different supplier and had it sent to my apartment, then picked up a filter from a local AZ. My initial investment seemed kind of high (included new used oil catch pan & rubberized strap wrench of filter cap removal), I think it was around 75$. Should be in the same ball park you are at, now that all I need is filter + oil.

If I am not mistaken, I think at 6qts it will still read full.
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      11-03-2013, 04:27 PM   #76
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Just did my first oil change thanks to the information on this thread and also Youtube. It was 3500 miles, due to mileage accumulated during Euro Delivery, PCD, and being busy the past few months. Oil and filter didn't look too bad (in my newbie opinion), but am still glad I did this. We'll see what Blackstone Labs has to say.

In case it helps, here are some notes:
1. On my car (a 2013 128i 6MT), the oil drains straight down. I know there was some discussion on whether the sideways drain bolt was due to being a newer model or AT vs MT. Small sample size, but this would suggest that the orientation of the bolt depends on the transmission.
2. I put in 6 quarts with just a splash (~1 second pour) from the 7th quart. After starting up and driving around a little, the oil level gauge read OK and was at the Max level. After about 10 miles of driving, the gauge had gone down by about 1/6 of the distance between the Min/Max levels. I let the car sit overnight and next day the reading was the same. I will probably add just a little more today to get back up to Max.
3. I used a DIY garage where you can rent a bay and car lift for $20/hr. For seasoned DIYers and if you are trying to minimize costs, this is probably irrelevant, but as this was my first ever DIY car project, having the car all the way up helped. I have ramps and plan to do future oil changes at home, but I will probably go back to this garage to do the transmission and rear diff fluids. If you are in the Dallas area, the place is called MyBay Automotive in Denton. Every 7 hours you buy, you get a free hour. I think there is a similar place in Plano.
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      11-03-2013, 05:49 PM   #77
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Yes but...

Does the oil flow inward or outward thru the filter?

isn't laying the old oil filter in the filter holder to let it drain going to put all the stuff that was filtered out back into the engine?

But then again I don't eat liver so maybe I'm just being paranoid.
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      11-03-2013, 10:21 PM   #78
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dorkdog View Post
Does the oil flow inward or outward thru the filter?
My guess would be that it flows from the inside out.

Quote:
isn't laying the old oil filter in the filter holder to let it drain going to put all the stuff that was filtered out back into the engine?
I think that all the junk that is filtered out is embedded in the filter itself and doesn't flow back into the engine...
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      11-04-2013, 09:23 AM   #79
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigD128i View Post
3. I used a DIY garage where you can rent a bay and car lift for $20/hr. For seasoned DIYers and if you are trying to minimize costs, this is probably irrelevant, but as this was my first ever DIY car project, having the car all the way up helped. I have ramps and plan to do future oil changes at home, but I will probably go back to this garage to do the transmission and rear diff fluids. If you are in the Dallas area, the place is called MyBay Automotive in Denton. Every 7 hours you buy, you get a free hour. I think there is a similar place in Plano.

I sure wish we had one of these DIY garages in the Colorado Springs area. Also, my first oil change went great. This thread was a big help. The cap was on way too tight and I really needed the socket. I made sure to torque properly and had no leaks, so it looks like no damage was done by the over torque by the shop on the last oil change.
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      11-04-2013, 11:33 AM   #80
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dorkdog View Post
Does the oil flow inward or outward thru the filter?

isn't laying the old oil filter in the filter holder to let it drain going to put all the stuff that was filtered out back into the engine?

But then again I don't eat liver so maybe I'm just being paranoid.
Paranoia. Oil flows through the center and extrudes through the inner filters and travels outwards. Majority of sediment is caught in the fibrous material that makes up the filter and remains trapped, which is why mileage per filter is kind of important. The residual leftovers draining back in is minimal. However, a filter that is not changed at the right interval loses integrity and can cause more damage than the "drip down" you are worried about.

Kind of like the filters for CNC wire EDM machines. Filters out the sediment from metals in the water, but as time goes by, the abundance of trapped materials causes poor / minimal filtering, which causes poor performance and more work for the machine. Same concept for a combustion motor.
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      11-05-2013, 08:41 AM   #81
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I'm still at max so I will probably just leave it alone. I noticed the comments on the filter and have a comment. I think it is best to leave the drain plug out until after you open up the filter housing to let that oil drain out. I didn't this last time and noticed a fair amount of oil drain down into the empty pan. Not the best. I will try to remember to leave the drain plug out until after changing the filter next time. I do not go to any great measures to remove all the oil from the housing but it would be good to let what will flow down go out.

With respect to ramps, I want to try changing the oil on my little 2x4 ramps. I made 1.5 inch tall ramps literally out of a scrap 2x4 ripped at a nice gentle angle to get the bimmer up high enough for my floor jack to get to the center jacking point. I change the oil in my step daughters Corolla with it sitting on the ground. I think I can do the bimmer with it up 1.5 inches. I don't need to see things very well to do it, I know what it looks like. I just need enough height to get the drain pan under the car. This method would also largely solve my concern about the angle of the car affecting how much oil drains out. 1.5 inches higher in front is pretty close to level.

It usually takes me a few oil changes to figure out how I want to do each car. Some are pretty easy and obvious (the Corolla is great, the oil filter is also right next to the drain plug). The only thing that makes the bimmer a little tougher is that it is low.

I also found my plastic piece that covers the drain plug missing when I went to change it. BMW must not have installed it properly after a previous oil change. I went onto RealOEM to see how much a replacement would cost and couldn't find the part. Does anybody know how to get one of these?
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      11-07-2013, 12:14 AM   #82
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Just did my break-in oil change at 1651 mi, and I thought I'd share my observations (car is a 128i N52). JimD, feel free to add my comments to your OP if you find anything useful:

-I measured off 6 qt 24 oz ± 4 oz (approx 6.8 qt) captured from my drain pan. This does not include stuff I siphoned off from the filter housing (another few oz?) and the bunch that I managed to splash into the underbody tray...(more on that later) In turn, I filled up 6.9 qt no questions asked. So I think this definitely proves that the capacity IS approx 7 qt, filling low is pointless seeing as you're draining off nearly 7 qt.

-To fill it back up if you have the big 5 qt jugs (I got Mobil 1 0W-40 Euro really cheap at Walmart for $22/jug on sale!), you could either measure off from the second jug what you need, or what I did was pour off until I the oil level left was between the 3L and 3qt marks. Since the first jug is 5qt/4.73L, pouring until you're between the 3L/3qt line gets you between 6.48L (or 6.85qt) and 7qt. The official capacity is 6.5L or 6.9qt, so I went until I was just a smidge below the 3L mark. Should be close enough, since lots of people fill all the way to 7 with no issues.

-Or you could make it easier and just get 7 single quart bottles. Bulk is usually cheaper though, if you can work with the volume.

-Make sure you get a filter wrench that you can actually use. I realized that my BMW OEM wrench needs a 27mm socket - not something you ordinarily have or easy to find for that matter. Got a nice set of impact sockets from HF for $15 + tax (1/2" drive needed). Save yourself the trouble and just get a filter wrench that either fits your 3/8" drive or a more ordinary socket size. The others here have already offered suggestions.

-Next time, I'm going to remove my plastic underbody tray to do the oil. Overkill? Probably. But me being the slightly messy type when it comes to auto work, it'll save on clean up. It looks like it only needs a few screws anyways.

-Rhino ramps will do (7" of lift?), but the car is still ridiculously low. If you have the supplies, use jack stands for more clearance.

-Also make sure you have some sort of metallic pick/tool to remove the o-rings from the filter housing. Fingers and plastic tools will NOT suffice.

OK that's all I remember. Time to keep piling on the miles (and find supplies to do the MTF and diff fluid too, before the miles get too high)!
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      11-07-2013, 06:54 AM   #83
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I carry a leatherman "micra" all the time (unless I am flying, then it is a deadly weapon). I find the little screwdriver, the size for the screws in glasses, works very well on the O-rings. It is also less likely to damage them than an ice pick or similar tool. Long fingernails would probably work but you need something that can get down in the groove.
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      11-07-2013, 07:11 AM   #84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texan Engineer View Post
-Make sure you get a filter wrench that you can actually use. I realized that my BMW OEM wrench needs a 27mm socket - not something you ordinarily have or easy to find for that matter. Got a nice set of impact sockets from HF for $15 + tax (1/2" drive needed). Save yourself the trouble and just get a filter wrench that either fits your 3/8" drive or a more ordinary socket size. The others here have already offered suggestions.
LOL! Just picked up my OEM filter housing socket. WTF? 27mm? Now I have to buy a socket for the socket. Grrrr. Wish they would do like Honda and make most of the drain plugs and filter sockets accept a 3/8" ratchet directly. Going to be using a 3/8" something anyways, may as well make it so that the use of something in between is superfluous.
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      11-07-2013, 10:14 AM   #85
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Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech View Post
Wish they would do like Honda and make most of the drain plugs and filter sockets accept a 3/8" ratchet directly.
On the plus side though, BMW did the intelligent thing and installed the oil filter on the top side. Unlike my Civic...which requires snaking your hand up past the oil pan, left driveshaft, avoiding all the random sharp bits, THEN unscrewing the filter canister from the back of the block (sandwiched against the firewall). Oh, and when you get it loose it'll puke about half a quart of oil down your arm and the back side of the block. Lots of fun to clean up...(not) Not to mention, the spindle that you're supposed to mount the filter on likes to come out with the filter most (all) the time. It's double threaded so I've given up on it and resigned myself to replacing an extra $4 part for every oil change.

/offtopic
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      11-10-2013, 08:45 AM   #86
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a nice video on changing the oil and filter and topping off fluids...
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      08-22-2014, 04:36 PM   #87
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I just realized I never posted my Dimple oil drain plugs in this thread. I really am more happy with the DImple plugs over the UUC plug. The magnet in the Dimple ones is way stronger than the UUC one.


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More Dimple plug pics here...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...=496058&page=2


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      08-22-2014, 07:17 PM   #88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dackelone
I just realized I never posted my Dimple oil drain plugs in this thread. I really am more happy with the DImple plugs over the UUC plug. The magnet in the Dimple ones is way stronger than the UUC one.


Attachment 1079943

Attachment 1079944

Attachment 1079945

Attachment 1079946


More Dimple plug pics here...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showt...058&page=2


Hey Dack,

Do you replace your drain plugs every oil change?
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