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      03-06-2007, 09:15 AM   #20
beh-em-veh-808
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Drives: E91 328iT
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SoCal

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Much thanks to Pierre Wei fork kindly sharing pix/documentation on the oil change for the '07 E9X series vehicle!!!!! It really help me with my own oil change that I completed this past Saturday.

I'd like to contribute my oil change experience on my 2007 E91 328iT in the form of "text / write-up." I think it goes well with the pix that Pierre Wei posted. Even though his pix are for an E92 and my write-up is for an E91, the differences in the process, parts, locations, instructions are nill.

Enjoy....

THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE...

1) Buy an OEM oil filter and engine oil from a BMW dealer's parts shop. This removes any doubts about getting the right part, compatibility, and warrenty. Filter P/N: 11-42-7-566-327-104. It is manufactured by MANN of Germany (P/N HU 816). The engine oil P/N is: 07-51-0-017-866-PG15. Viscosity is 5W30. Assael BMW in Monrovia, CA charged me $10.90 for the filter and $5.40 per quart of oil. The car requires ~ 6.5 Qts. Alternative BMW approved engine oils are: Mobil 1 0W40 and Castrol Syntec 0W30. Look for the BMW LL-01 text on back of oil containers. Next time, I will use Mobil 1 0W40.


2) Use lots of rags to clean/wipe any drips and to prevent drips. This is especially important when removing the oil filter cap and the oil filter itself.

3) Lifting the car and getting under it. I used a set of Rhino Ramps (12,000 capacity). I was able to drive up the ramp on my own w/o a second person to wach the wheels for me. I recommend a second person, "spotter". Some people had difficult time going up the ramp (due to slipping of the ramp along the ground, or the front air dam scraping against the ramp.) I did not experience this problem. I had a platform jack ready in case I had to jack up the car in order to slip the ramp under the front tire. In the end I did not have to do that, so I returned the jack to Pep Boys and saved $100.

4) The oil drain bold is hidden behind a "trap door." You can use a flat screw driver, coin, or fingernails to turn the plastic screw. The trap door will drop down. The door does get in the way/view of the drain bolt. This trap door is removeable so set it asside and replace after you're job is done. Use a 17 mm socket wrench to remove the drain bolt. It did not require much effort/force to removethe socket. Keep that in mind when re-installing the bolt, don't overtighten.

5) The oil drain outlet faces/shoots out horizontally (sideways) to the passenger side. It will shoot out quite far (almost 1 foot away), so use a large pan to catch all the oil. There will be some splashing, but nothing that a good rag won't be able to clean/wipe up.

6) CAUTION: Engine oil will be very hot!!!! I ran the car a few miles till it got to full operating temp. This is so that any/all bits and pieces in the oil will be kicked up and circulated so that it will drain out. And, with higher temperature, the oil will be less viscous so more will drain out. Less stuck on engine parts.

7) CAUTION: Oil filter cap will be very hot!!! I was able to unscrew by hand, using a thick rubber glove as insulation and for extra grip

8) The oil filter comes with 2 gaskets, 1 large one (black) for the oil filter cap threading and 1 tiny (green) one for the tip/shaft of the cap. It also comes with a copper colored "crush washer" for the oil drain plug. The orginal one will be chrome colored. NOTE after removing the drain plug and draining the oil, the drain plug washre may get stuck around the oil exit port on the oil pan. Just use your fingernail and pry it off. If you don't see it there, then it probably fell off already.

9) A good/solid plastic fork is a really usefull tool to use for pulling/removing the 2 gaskets from the engine oil cap (threading and shaft). Get a good plastic fork from a higher end takeout restaurant. It is solid enough to pry/pull the gasket out, but won't scratch any parts or threading. NOTE: The threading and shaft will be really greasy so using hand/fingers to remove gaskets will be tricky/difficult (but not impossible).

10) When installing the new gaskets onto the oil filter cap, remember to pre lubricate the gaskets with the new engine oil. Just dip your finger into the oil containers and rub on the gaskets. Also, it would be a good idea to rub a generous amout of new engine oil on the top and bottom parts of the new oil filter to preven scuffing when you re-install the filter and cap.

11) It is also a good idea to "pre-wick" the new filter with new engine oil. Just pour small amounts of new engine oil onto the new filter, directly on the elements. You will see the element soak up the oil and change color. NOTE: The oil filter itself is pretty small, about the size of an 8 oz yogurt cup.

12) Replacing the oil filter cap and oil drain plug. When re-tightenning the oil filter cap, I did not use a torque or strap wrench. I just used my hand (wearing rubber gloves). There is a green "dot" marker on the cap. This is a "location indicator. " Half of the green dot is on the cap, the other half on the oil filter housing. When you tighten the cap, just tighten it till it is really snug, just like when you were un-tightening it, and align the green dot. The cap is labled with a torque of "25 N M". However, I did not bother. Similar with the oil drain plug. Based on the force used ot remove the bolt, I used similar force to tighten. Just make sure to check and make sure there are no leaks after driving for a few miles. Same idea with the oil drain plug. REMEMBER install the copper crush washer on the drain plug!!!!!

13) After you re-install everything (drain plug, oil filter and gaskets, oil filter gap, and trap door, fill up with at least 6.5 QTS of new engine oil, close the engine oil cap, then start the engine. Let it idel warm up for a good 5 - 10 minutes. Since the new engine oil will be alot cooler than the old hot oil, you want to let the new oil warm up and circulate and lubricate the engine well before driving.

14) After warm up, drive the car around for 5 miles or so, then check the oil level to make sure it is full, but not over full. Then park the car on the driveway and look under the car to see if there are leaks.

This was a pretty easy job. It took me about 90 minutes because it was my first time on a BMW and first oil change since about 15 years ago . Next time, I'll shoot for 60 minutes, then, work my way down to 30 minutes.

I'm still used to the $12 DIY oil change on my civic and integra ($5 filter and 4 or 5 qts of 10-40's at $1.19 per qt.)

So, it was a bit of a shock to me is that the filter and engine oil combined to a cost of over $50!!!! I guess that's the price of owning a BMW.
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