[Boosted_TiAg]

on our oil changes is the dealer suppose to change the long micro filter i think its called above the engine bay??? also can you guys list everything that they are supposed to service when you get your regular oil change? what is the average price that you guys pay and how often do you need to change it(miles)? thanks:thumbup:

 

[truwon]

the best price I've gotten from a dealer is around $60 or so.
I try to change my oil change every 5000 miles.
its an easy DIY.

 

[Boosted_TiAg]

is there such a thing where you can get an iol change every 15,000 miles??? ive heard ppl talking about it but wasnt sure if its possible. when i got mine changed they told me its good for 5,000 with castrol synthec in it. any info on this???:dunno:

 

[Mikaly]

I believe that the 15,000 mile just refers to the "free" oil change service that your dealership does for you.

I would highly recommend getting at least a couple of oil changes in between those. Most people on the board tend to shoot for 3000-5000 mile intervals.

I don't think there is any motor oil out there that can withstand 15,000 miles worth of driving without going really bad. I'm gonna get one of those oil pumps people have been talking about on the boards so I can start doing this myself

 

[dave162]

Yeah, get an oil extractor, it makes the job so much easier and cleaner. You should change your oil more often than what BMW recommends, say at least half of their time interval.

 

[Mikaly]

Just a quick question for those of you who change your own oil... (didn't want to start a new thread and I couldn't find it in 'seach' with multiple queries).

When you change your oil filter, do you guys use tools (the oil filter wrench)? If so, what sized one is sufficient? Thanks for any help!

 

[boarderfolife]

I asked my dealer about this when I was buying the car and he said that DEFINITELY you only need to change the oil and maintenance every 15,000 miles. and he said it is his responsibility if he is wrong about this. what do you guys think?

 

[ArsenalFC]

Well if you drive slow there is no need to change the oil every 4-5 thousand i know i change my oil every 4000 miles but thats a different story. Its better to be safe than sorry.:thumbup:

 

[starscream]

mikaly, you don't need an oil filter wrench for the bmw. however, you do need a 36mm socket to get the oil filter out. I hit up auto zone and borrowed a torque wrench and 36mm socket (for free, just leave a deposit). Worked out just fine for me. I also recommend getting an oil extractor so u dont have to get under the car Check out this thread for more info on the extractors.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=118622

I got mine from: http://www.mytoolstore.com/astro/asthan11.html

 

[blau3guy]

To answer the original poster's question, yes the "oil service" that your dealer provides includes changing the microfilter under the cowl with the oil and filter change.

However, at least at my local dealer's service prices, you can buy the oil, oil filter, and microfilter from your dealer, plus an oil pan, oil extractor, and socket to fit the filter cover for half of what the dealer would charge you.

You buy all that crap, change your own oil twice (every 5000 miles), and have the stealer do it every 15k under warranty and you're golden, plus you've saved some $$$ for something else....

 

[Wagon Man]

Seems like it is 00 MY, like mine, service warranty should have been expired. Dealer won't replace the microfilter unless you order & agree to pay for it. But it is a no brainer take-out / drop-in type of deal, why bother to pay someone to do it.

I love Oil Extractor, they are all as good. But I use MityVac as it has 7.7 Qt capacity, large enough for just 1 "extraction" on my 540iT. If you have an air compressor, MityVac has a version specific let to use with the compressor, it just sucks the oil out in NO TIME!

15k oil change? LOL. BMW simply saves $$ on their 3 yr FREE service maintainence. With synthetic oil, I donlt think we need ot change oil for less than 5k mls. I do mine every 7.5k

Life-time Trans fluid? more LOL. both my 00 323iT and 00 540iT had had some warranty work done recently on the clutch/transmissions related areas, both involved replacing the trans fluid. They now shift like NEW! The difference is so obvious that I will replace the trans fliud every 30k .... Life-Time my ass.

 

[FLY by YOU]

OFF topic but a reminder to have your tires rotated every 10,000 miles~ w/5-7k oil changes! done! next question! =)

 

[BahnBorn330i]

Actual answer to the original question...

In addition to changing the oil and filter you should be replacing the rubber seal on the filter housing (dip the new one in fresh oil before installing) and change the copper washer/gasket on the drain plug. Both the filter housing and the drain plug should be torqued to 18 ft/lbs.

Recycle your used motor oil! You can take it to any Jiffy Lube or perhaps even your local recycling pick-up will take care of it. Please don't just put it in the trash.

 

[thekubiaks]

on our oil changes is the dealer suppose to change the long micro filter i think its called above the engine bay???

You are talking about the microfilter for the climate control system. I think the part is about $25 and takes about as long as it took me to type this message to replace. Just two turn screws inside the engine compartment right below the windshield wipers about 3 feet long by 8 inches wide. Open the compartment, pop out the old filter, pop in the new one, nothing fancy. If you are getting this filter and an oil change for $60, that is not bad. Oil changes are very easy too.