[waltermus]

Hi everyone, I've been reading a lot about the long oil change interval and the condition of the oil coming out of the engine. And so after much deliberation and research, I thought i'd change my oil on my E90 335i. Here are some (hopefully) helpful notes:

Read -> "Best oil for BMW 335i N54" Link

1) Equipment:
- Rhino Ramps (12,000lbs version, on sale $49.99) from Canadian Tire
- Oil pan - make sure it can hold over 6.5L of waste oil (from $3.99)
- Gloves - Nitrile Rubber Gloves Link
I find a good snug fit will go a long ways when trying to do intricate work as in changing the filter gaskets.
- Funnel - using an old one i found in the garage
- Cardboard to lie on while under the car
- Oil filter wrench - can't find one in the Lower Mainland. Called multiple dealerships and they would not sell me the tool. I ended up ordering from getBMWparts.com ($27USD part number 83300493936)

2) Oil Filter:
- I didn't even consider using other brands of filters. I find OEM is still the best plus it comes with required gaskets.
- Price quoted from Vancouver BMW Dealerships $18
- Price from getBMWparts.com 10 filters for $80 USD + shipping
- If you plan on keeping your BMW for the long-term, I would go for the 10 pack - which is what I did.


3) Oil
- This is the most subjective part but here are some of the brands I considered:
- Mobil 1 0w40 (from $9.79/1L at Canadian Tire)
- German Castrol (GC) 0w30 ($9.89/1L at Walmart) - Must say "Made in Germany" on the back Link
- Redline 5w30 (from $12.99/1L at Canadian Tire)
- Motul 8100 X-Cess 5w40 (currently on sale at PDM-Racing.com $13.95/1L)
- In the end, I purchased GC because of it's good review and the price point. I know there are "better" oils out there but I will be changing my oil every 6 months. This, i find, is more sound rather than trying to reach the limits of oil change intervals/oil life of more expensive brands.

Procedures: in DIY forum!

Thanks for reading. I hope this can help someone who is (or was) as lost as me. This is certainly not the end all of oil change information. Please make sure you do your research before attempting anything. Good luck and have fun!

[miniritz]

thanks for the good info

just curious, how did the oil look after your first oil change? (i'm assuming you did one yourself after the break in period)

i'm currently at 5000 myself and trying to decide whether or not to get an oil change done now.

[bolty]

Just went through this a couple weeks ago -- oil ended up actually being cheaper at the dealer.

Dealer oil was under 9 bucks for a litre.

[scooby9]

Originally Posted by bolty

Just went through this a couple weeks ago -- oil ended up actually being cheaper at the dealer.

Dealer oil was under 9 bucks for a litre.

Good to know! Mobil 1 0W40 at NAPA in Edmonton is almost 10 bucks. Probably best to use the OEM stuff anyways.

[samchoi604]

very, very good informative post. You can save a lot following these steps and doing the oil change yourself!

[waltermus]

Originally Posted by miniritz

thanks for the good info

just curious, how did the oil look after your first oil change? (i'm assuming you did one yourself after the break in period)

i'm currently at 5000 myself and trying to decide whether or not to get an oil change done now.

I have 11,000km on my car which is already stretching it. I just ordered my filters from Tischer, hopefully it'll arrive this week. Will post some findings after I do the change.

Also, I forgot to ask the dealership about the BMW Oil.. so thanks for the heads up!

Lastly, Canadian Tire will take your used oil & oil filter back - no fees.

[CdnE90]

For the comparison shoppers out there:

Oil and filter from dealer: $8.41 per litre x 7 and the filter is $18.00 plus taxes for a total of about $77.

To get the dealer to do the change: Package price is $123.00 plus $6.00 environmental fee plus taxes.

Savings: about $50. Enough to buy a new set of Rhino Ramps!

Unfortunately, you are stuck taking your messy, dirty oil yourself to CT for disposal.

[waltermus]

Hi everyone,

Well, I finally got around to changing my oil and filter.. the results:

KM: 11,300
Time: 1.5hrs - lots of unexpected cleaning up

Quite a few metal particles in the oil filter.
Make sure you have the proper socket to fit the BMW Filter Tool (27mm socket with 1/2" or 1/4" Drive $8 CT).
I made a mess on my skid plate (and on the floor)..
It's easier to work if the engine has cooled to the touch!
And lastly, to my surprise.. the GC was GREEN GC.. it looks really cool!

Well, hope this helps.. it was certainly a good experience for me.

[islandbimmer]

visted my two weeks ago mom who lives in another province. No one checked when she had her last oil change, turns out it was 31k km's and 2 years ago, got oil from the dealer. Did a hot oil change and the old stuff looked suprisingly good for running that long.

[Me_Hi]

Originally Posted by islandbimmer

visted my two weeks ago mom who lives in another province. No one checked when she had her last oil change, turns out it was 31k km's and 2 years ago, got oil from the dealer. Did a hot oil change and the old stuff looked suprisingly good for running that long.

how much did came out ? 1/2 of it must be gunk stuck inside the engine bay.
I'm sorry, no oil that's even 10k looks good

[Kit523]

i am doing my oil change this coming sat=)