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      06-12-2013, 12:32 PM   #287
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SilentAttack View Post
Thanks and I found the right info on BMW's website 10w-60 for the M3 and
0w-40 for the 328
getbmwparts.com has a full change kit for $160.
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      06-18-2013, 06:34 PM   #288
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Great thread, and a big thanks to coogs08 for his video. Changing the oil was a very simple operation, but it always helps watching someone else do it first! (I really saved myself some trouble hearing the tips about putting towels down around the oil filter housing.)

Also, just to throw my personal experience out there: I pulled the drain bolts with the engine warm (had been driving it about 30 minutes prior), and then allowed it to drain for approximately 2 hours (it had still been dripping a little until about this mark). My front end was up on jack stands, and my rear was lifted slightly higher on jack stands as well.

I filled (after a number of iterations of filling) a full 8.8 liters of 10W60 before my car's digital display read 1/2 way between MIN and MAX. After another 600 miles of driving, I have experienced no change, so I believe this to be fairly accurate.
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      06-18-2013, 06:52 PM   #289
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sapper_M3 View Post
Great thread, and a big thanks to coogs08 for his video. Changing the oil was a very simple operation, but it always helps watching someone else do it first! (I really saved myself some trouble hearing the tips about putting towels down around the oil filter housing.)

Also, just to throw my personal experience out there: I pulled the drain bolts with the engine warm (had been driving it about 30 minutes prior), and then allowed it to drain for approximately 2 hours (it had still been dripping a little until about this mark). My front end was up on jack stands, and my rear was lifted slightly higher on jack stands as well.

I filled (after a number of iterations of filling) a full 8.8 liters of 10W60 before my car's digital display read 1/2 way between MIN and MAX. After another 600 miles of driving, I have experienced no change, so I believe this to be fairly accurate.

but in the future there's no need to wait 2 hrs. It's always gonna drip, but by changing it warm you thin the oil and get it all out.
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      06-20-2013, 09:29 AM   #290
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s65e90
but in the future there's no need to wait 2 hrs. It's always gonna drip, but by changing it warm you thin the oil and get it all out.
Haha thanks; the two hours was less by design and more because I took a break to smoke a cigar. The dripping still occurring at the end though made me wonder if an hour of slow dripping might account for some of the small differences in volume to add we are seeing.

Ultimately not a big deal, but it does make me wonder when some people swear up and down that 8.5 liters added will put you over "MAX" and other maintain that the full 8.8 liters is necessary just to make it there.
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      07-09-2013, 12:50 PM   #291
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Could someone please tell me which of the two is the front sump.

My oil level is showing too high and I don't know which one it is I need to drain.
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      07-09-2013, 12:53 PM   #292
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Parrots View Post
Could someone please tell me which of the two is the front sump.

My oil level is showing too high and I don't know which one it is I need to drain.
Uhhh, the front sump would be in front of the rear sump. If the oil is too high, either drain plug will work.
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      07-09-2013, 12:55 PM   #293
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So it's the one nearest the front of the car.

The front sump I read only hold a little oil so I don't want to drain all the oil which the rear would do I believe.


Sorted.

Called the AA and they drained the sump and was still showing high so drained the whole lot and put new oil so I got a free oil change.

Last edited by Parrots; 07-09-2013 at 02:17 PM..
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      07-09-2013, 02:50 PM   #294
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So the dealer over filled your oil?!?!?!?!
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      07-09-2013, 02:53 PM   #295
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How important is it that the car be horizontal while draining the oil? I just got a set of the Rhino ramps (17 degrees) and was reading that the car really should be horizontal while draining. Alternatively, would it be possible to use a vacuum pump to get the remainder of the oil out while on ramps, or is that just silly?

Also, given the height of the car, I'm assuming I'll have to backup onto the ramps and have the rear elevated. Is that how most people do it (with Rhino ramps)?
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      07-09-2013, 05:01 PM   #296
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WangTa View Post
How important is it that the car be horizontal while draining the oil? I just got a set of the Rhino ramps (17 degrees) and was reading that the car really should be horizontal while draining. Alternatively, would it be possible to use a vacuum pump to get the remainder of the oil out while on ramps, or is that just silly?

Also, given the height of the car, I'm assuming I'll have to backup onto the ramps and have the rear elevated. Is that how most people do it (with Rhino ramps)?
I use rhino ramps and jack the front up to get the car levelled. I think it's important to have the car levelled to drain the oil properly. It's not possible to vacuum the oil out because it doesn't have a dipstick where you can access the sump. Someone else might have a different opinion. That's the best thing about this forum ...knowledge and experience sharing.
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      07-09-2013, 05:16 PM   #297
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aussiem3 View Post
I use rhino ramps and jack the front up to get the car levelled. I think it's important to have the car levelled to drain the oil properly. It's not possible to vacuum the oil out because it doesn't have a dipstick where you can access the sump. Someone else might have a different opinion. That's the best thing about this forum ...knowledge and experience sharing.
I thought it was more important to have car tipping forward (second best to having it horizontal), so rear end should be higher, to optimally drain the oil.
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      07-10-2013, 06:09 PM   #298
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My experience: ( 2008 M3, build date 12/07, mileage 24700 Km, 15000 miles)

Oil quantity indicator showed 1/2 to 1/3 continuously since last dealer warranty covered oil change.

One day, indicator showed MIN, ADD A QUART/LITER! .... just like that! Hmmmmm?

Read this thread and find out that the quantity indicator is a bit 'ball park' as one needs to add at least a quarter liter/quart to get a change of reading.....OK, I can live with that I guess.

So, got the kit and did the job....here's how it went:

1. Drained oil , removed filter,
2. Siphoned with turkey baster and 1/4 inch hose to the deepest depth of the oil filter housing and got at least another 1/4 quart out of there.
3. Let the car drain for 24 hours, tail up, tail down, tail level.....one drop every 20 minutes after 24 hours...I think I got it all!
4. Plugs back in, new filter added, and poured about 1/2 of a quart over the new filter to fill the depths of the filter housing with fresh gold.
4. Filled the rest of the engine with 8 liters....total now 8.5 Liters.
5. Started engine, warmed her up....(purrs so smooth now!)
6. Reset oil indicator....BELOW MIN, ADD A LITER!....iDrive shows also below min....Hmmmmm? ....scratch head for a while...
7. Added 1/4 liter.....now total 8.75 liters....manual reset and took her for a spin too.....BELOW MIN, ADD A LITER!....same with automatic reset.....some more head scratching..
8. Added the last 1/4 Liter to make the total 9 whole liters and still couldn't get the indication to show above MIN.........took her for a good spin this time, to the dealer 20 miles away to buy another liter of gold..... let her reset the quantity herself again, and still BELOW MIN.....manual reset in the dealership parking lot, and still no change..... do I have to add more?!
9. Bought another Liter, added 1/4 of it at the dealer, headed for home watching with great anticipation while the quantity reset clock spin round and round.... until....wait for it..........FULL! .... finally .... iDrive indication shows right on MAX now...OIL LEVEL OK...full green .....no overfill message....

TOTAL QUANTITY 9.25 LITERS

Go figure!

Last edited by hr2pilot; 07-10-2013 at 06:20 PM..
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      07-11-2013, 10:16 PM   #299
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So I had all the stuff ready to go today. Got the car up on the ramps. Pan ready. TORX 40 ready to go. Stumped on first bolt. Before trying anything, I took a close look at the bolt - it looked like it had gone through hell - nothing like the one in this picture. Gave it a shot anyway - thought maybe the edges on the bottom of the hole would maybe catch. I did the "bang" once instead of constant pressure. No luck. Made sure it was really seated in the hole before turning - just spining. I didn't want to try to much and strip it, so tried it maybe 4 times. Is it possible the dealer overcranked this? Not sure what my options are besides bring it in for an $270 oil change.

Pic is from someone else's oil change - just showing for reference. Did anyone else have problems with this bolt in particular?
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      07-11-2013, 10:25 PM   #300
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Man, I did a quick search - I guess this is common and usually due to overtightening, or using a bigger hex than needed after stripping? WTF. Mine looks exactly like this:



http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=835779
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      07-11-2013, 11:21 PM   #301
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It's not a T40 like some numb nuts have said. Both drain bolts are hex/Allen wrenches.
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      07-12-2013, 09:01 AM   #302
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Post 18 on very first page says it's a 6 mm hex.
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      07-12-2013, 09:06 AM   #303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PrimoM3 View Post
It's not a T40 like some numb nuts have said. Both drain bolts are hex/Allen wrenches. If you use a T40 it will strip- ask me how I know. I could punch the guy who made the DIY video but I guess that's what I get for trusting some random YouTube video. IT IS NOT A T40!
Yeah...I found this out too. Annoying. I commented on this video.
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      07-13-2013, 09:16 PM   #304
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PrimoM3 View Post
It's not a T40 like some numb nuts have said. Both drain bolts are hex/Allen wrenches. If you use a T40 it will strip- ask me how I know. I could punch the guy who made the DIY video but I guess that's what I get for trusting some random YouTube video. IT IS NOT A T40!
Geez...internet tough guy huh? That's what I get for trying to help people out.

I will add an annotation in the video. FWIW I have used a T40 torx everytime I've changed the oil (which as at least 5 times) with no issues.
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      07-13-2013, 09:28 PM   #305
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coogs08 View Post
Geez...internet tough guy huh? That's what I get for trying to help people out.

I will add an annotation in the video. FWIW I have used a T40 torx everytime I've changed the oil (which as at least 5 times) with no issues.
I'm a real life tough guy first and an internet tough guy in my spare time.

But truly, I do appreciate that you took time to put a video together and outline the process or I wouldn't have used it at all. I've changed my own oil on more than ten cars over the years, so I really only sourced your video for the specific size tools needed for the filter and plugs. That's where you made an error by stating it was a T40 and I made the error by assuming you were correct and not doing more research to confirm.

You happened to catch me while I was still fuming from having to drive back to the dealership for a new bolt after it stripped from the T40, so no hard feelings and no internet punches. My apologies - I'm over it now.

With that said, I think you need to either take down the video or make a correction. I don't think adding an annotation is good enough as some folks may not see it, especially if viewing from a mobile device. It is a Hex/Allen key - doesn't matter if your T40 worked five times - it's not the correct tool for the job, even according to BMW technicians.

Cheers.
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      07-13-2013, 09:45 PM   #306
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PrimoM3 View Post
I'm a real life tough guy first and an internet tough guy in my spare time.

But truly, I do appreciate that you took time to put a video together and outline the process or I wouldn't have used it at all. I've changed my own oil on more than ten cars over the years, so I really only sourced your video for the specific size tools needed for the filter and plugs. That's where you made an error by stating it was a T40 and I made the error by assuming you were correct and not doing more research to confirm.

You happened to catch me while I was still fuming from having to drive back to the dealership for a new bolt after it stripped from the T40, so no hard feelings and no internet punches. My apologies - I'm over it now.

With that said, I think you need to either take down the video or make a correction. I don't think adding an annotation is good enough as some folks may not see it, especially if viewing from a mobile device. It is a Hex/Allen key - doesn't matter if your T40 worked five times - it's not the correct tool for the job, even according to BMW technicians.

Cheers.
I'll take a closer look the next time I change the oil, it's due this month.

I will try to edit the video, in the meantime I've added an annotation. I'm sorry you stripped your plug...cheers man.
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      07-14-2013, 12:07 AM   #307
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5mm hex, per my post #18.
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      07-14-2013, 02:50 AM   #308
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Hey guys,

So I was able to finish my oil change today - looking back on it, it really wasn't too bad, but I forgot to get two tools which elongated the whole process. I think if you really want to, you could do this quite quick, maybe within an hour.

Here are the parts that I bought, all of which were easily obtainable and made it for a really easy change:

1. Oil change kit (self explanatory, ordered mine at getbmwparts.com)
2. HEX 6 socket (set is $10 at Sears)
3. Short socket wrench
4. Torque wrench (I had a long one from Sears). Probably way too big but it worked. Anyone have suggestions for a smaller/shorter inexpensive torque wrench?

5. 36mm socket ($9)
Get this, it's cheap and if you do it more than once, it makes the job easier. You could use pipe wrench, but it tears up the plastic top. Plus, you won't be able to torque it right (45nm - ignore what it says on the top!)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

6. Oil pan + tank combo ($17).
The funnel is not quite big enough to catch both drain holes. I had to use another medium funnel for the front hole to increase the reach to have all oil go into this container.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

7. Rhino ramps ($45)
These worked, but a part of the plastic on the bottom of one broke. I think it'll still work. But hey, they are $45 - you get what you pay for.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

8. Liquivac ($50).
I know some people use much more sophisticated oil vacuums (like hemivac) or whatever, but this thing kicks @ss! I use this for my motorcycles and it's perfect for sucking all the oil out of the oil filter housing and it's easy to transport afterwards - you just pop off the pump and put the cap on!

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...FVCf4AodjDkAdA

9. Medium funnel: For #5 above, and for oiling the new filter in the canister right before putting the top back on.

10. Two extra quarts of oil + two drain plugs
You don't need to get these BEFORE your oil change - I'd just pick these up the next time you drive by a BMW. You may need a little over 9 quarts to be maxed, depending on how well you drain the car, but the oil kit should get you to an acceptable level. I like to keep an extra in the car in case you need to top off later (hence by 2, depending on if you want to be maxed). You don't absolutely need the drain plugs, but they are $1.50 each - just grab two just in case and keep them in glove compartment for next time.

11. Other random things I found helpful: Flashlight (it's dark under the car - maybe a cheapo headlight), and a couple rags (you'll get dirty).

At the end, I all my dirty oil was in the oil pan storage tank and my liquivac, which I just ran to an advanced auto parts around the corner and recycled.

Done and DONE. Car feels smoother. I might do this every 5k? Or is that too soon? What are other anal members doing?

THANKS TO EVERYONE ON THIS THREAD - THE COMMENTS AND VIDEO WERE INVALUABLE!

Last edited by WangTa; 07-14-2013 at 03:09 AM..
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