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      11-11-2017, 08:56 AM   #89
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Sorry to revive such an old thread, but for those with a plastic oil pan and drain plug, what was "tight" for you? I know the torque spec is 6 ft lbs, but for those without such a tiny torque wrench, I wanted to see everyone else's opinion. I hand tightened mine then tightened with an Allen key until I felt some light resistance. The bottom of the drain plug is barely (and I mean barely) below the oil pan hole flange and the groves on the plug and pan are lining up. I drove the car 100 miles and checked the plug again and there was no seepage or any oil on the felt access panel, so I think I'm good to go. I've searched and searched and it seems everywhere, to include YouTube videos, just says "make sure not to over tighten it" but did not show the plastic plug being put back in or mention the grooves on the plug and pan.

I know I'm probably being super paranoid, but in all the zillion times I've done oil changes, I've never had to deal with this. Give me a metal oil pan and drain plug.

Since this is the wife's car and it's still under warranty (but not maintenance), I think I'll just take it to the dealer from here on out.
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      11-11-2017, 02:55 PM   #90
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[QUOTE=yjoonee;12528189]

I tried to search for engine oil capacity for our N20 engine, but had no luck. Owners manual just tells you to get engine oil change at the dealer... which is very informative... I called local BMW dealer today and asked one of the service adviser how much engine oil one should put with a new engine filter. The guy tells me 7qts... it seemed too much for a 2.0L engine (ex. Nissan 3.5L engines take 5qts) so I told him to check again for me. He put me on hold and got back to me 5 min later saying he was wrong and the engine should take 5 quarts after the oil change I ran the oil level check in the vehicle info screen, it was right at the top of max mark.

Hmm...so the BMW dealer service folks might not know proper oil change qty!...That's not comforting, since the "wonderful electronic dipstick" BMW gives us in lieu of the old and reliable manual one..DOES NOT indicate oil overfills!!!....See attached doc from BMW's ISTA official service manual that describes how the oil measuring system operates for all the current model generation cars (I've looked on Real OEM and all models use the same oil level sensor described in the ISTA doc).
Look in your owners' manual and I bet you see a bold warning telling owner to take car into service center "If excess oil is added..." Just how are we to know that?..Given the sensor doesn't detect "oil filled beyond maximum"
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File Type: pdf F48 X1 Oil Measuring System Operation Description - Copy.pdf (208.8 KB, 177 views)
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      11-12-2017, 06:22 PM   #91
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[QUOTE=spitpilot;22412566]
Quote:
Originally Posted by yjoonee View Post

I tried to search for engine oil capacity for our N20 engine, but had no luck. Owners manual just tells you to get engine oil change at the dealer... which is very informative... I called local BMW dealer today and asked one of the service adviser how much engine oil one should put with a new engine filter. The guy tells me 7qts... it seemed too much for a 2.0L engine (ex. Nissan 3.5L engines take 5qts) so I told him to check again for me. He put me on hold and got back to me 5 min later saying he was wrong and the engine should take 5 quarts after the oil change I ran the oil level check in the vehicle info screen, it was right at the top of max mark.

Hmm...so the BMW dealer service folks might not know proper oil change qty!...That's not comforting, since the "wonderful electronic dipstick" BMW gives us in lieu of the old and reliable manual one..DOES NOT indicate oil overfills!!!....See attached doc from BMW's ISTA official service manual that describes how the oil measuring system operates for all the current model generation cars (I've looked on Real OEM and all models use the same oil level sensor described in the ISTA doc).
Look in your owners' manual and I bet you see a bold warning telling owner to take car into service center "If excess oil is added..." Just how are we to know that?..Given the sensor doesn't detect "oil filled beyond maximum"
Capacity is 5 LITERS, not quarts. 5 quarts will be underfilled. Buy a 5L bottle of the proper oil (LL-01 5W-30 for mine) and pour it all in. End of story.
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      11-12-2017, 06:26 PM   #92
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PDM5 View Post
Sorry to revive such an old thread, but for those with a plastic oil pan and drain plug, what was "tight" for you? I know the torque spec is 6 ft lbs, but for those without such a tiny torque wrench, I wanted to see everyone else's opinion. I hand tightened mine then tightened with an Allen key until I felt some light resistance.
The seal is provided by the O-ring, so it's not super critical. The little ratchet mechanism on the plug keeps it from backing out. You checked and it isn't leaking. Your job is done! I have a tiny torque wrench but I do not use it on this job. 5 ft-lbs is just more than finger tight. I do it the same way you did, and I have changed my oil several times, and never had a problem.

Last edited by jsouth; 11-14-2017 at 08:58 AM..
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      11-13-2017, 07:14 PM   #93
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsouth View Post
The seal is provided by the O-ring, so it's not super critical. The little ratchet mechanism on the plug keeps it from backing out. You checked and it isn't leaking. Your job is done! I have a tiny torque wrench but I do not use it on this job. 6 ft-lbs is just more than finger tight. I do it the same way you did, and I have changed my oil several times, and never had a problem.
Excellent! Thank you for your response! Just for my future reference, is your plug almost flush with the oil pan flange it goes into? And did it take a few "clicks' of the ratchet mechanism until it was snug?
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      11-14-2017, 08:56 AM   #94
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Originally Posted by PDM5 View Post
Excellent! Thank you for your response! Just for my future reference, is your plug almost flush with the oil pan flange it goes into? And did it take a few "clicks' of the ratchet mechanism until it was snug?
Yes on both counts. I use my allen wrench and use fingertips on it, not gripping the length of it, in order to limit torque. I get it snug, not "tight." The torque spec is only 5 ft-lbs and it is plastic.
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      11-14-2017, 09:24 PM   #95
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsouth View Post
Yes on both counts. I use my allen wrench and use fingertips on it, not gripping the length of it, in order to limit torque. I get it snug, not "tight." The torque spec is only 5 ft-lbs and it is plastic.
Perfect thanks once again! Cheers!
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      11-15-2017, 08:51 AM   #96
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Oil Change

Hey all. First time posting here.

I did my oil change this morning which only took 20 minutes or so. With the oil filter mounted on top of the engine, I thought it was an easier oil change than on most cars which came as a big surprise to me.

There's nothing noteworthy about draining the oil but I would highly recommend purchasing a torque wrench. I'm sure you would be fine without it, but the drain plug is plastic. Over-tightening could cause the drain plug to break and you could end up spending a lot more removing it at that point. A torque wrench is $25 on Amazon and it seems silly to take a chance for the purpose of saving a small amount.

I've never replaced a top mounted oil filter but that too was pretty intuitive. Once you've unscrewed the filter unit, the filter comes out with a small amount of force. Removing the two seals is easy with the help of a flat head. The parts of the unit that the seals sit upon seem pretty durable but I was cautious not to cause damage. Seating the new seals was simple enough as well. The only confusion I had was in installing the new filter. It goes down with a little bit of force. Initially I didn't have it fully seated and quickly learned to push with a little more force. Reinstallation is easy too, using the same 25 Nm as the drain plug.

Only thing to note with the oil filter is when you're removing it, have paper towels handy as there's a decent amount of oil that will drip down and the alternator is directly below it.

I bought Castrol 0W-something (can't recall, 30 or 40) Euro spec with specific mention of BMW LL-01 on the back. None of the Penzoil or Mobil 1 products had BMW spec noted although Audi, Mercedes, etc. we included on their bottles. I did realized this morning that the car takes 5 LITERS and US sells quarts. 5 liters converts to 5.28 quarts. Since 5 quarts would be underfilling by roughly 5%, I figure I would fill up with 5 quarts and run the analyzer to see if more is needed.

And last, don't leave the new oil in your wife's car while you're changing the oil and she's at work. As a result, my car is technically disabled in the driveway until she comes home. Just when you think things are going a bit too smoothly...

Hope this helps! Honestly, if you've ever changed the oil in another car and are hesitant because it's German, don't be. Just buy the correct parts and the rest is very easy.
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      11-15-2017, 12:01 PM   #97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ram.matthew View Post
I did my oil change this morning which only took 20 minutes or so. With the oil filter mounted on top of the engine, I thought it was an easier oil change than on most cars which came as a big surprise to me.
Totally agree. I have been doing my own maintenance for 40 years and this car is by far the easiest one in which I have ever changed the oil.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ram.matthew View Post
I've never replaced a top mounted oil filter but that too was pretty intuitive. Once you've unscrewed the filter unit, the filter comes out with a small amount of force. Removing the two seals is easy with the help of a flat head. The parts of the unit that the seals sit upon seem pretty durable but I was cautious not to cause damage. Seating the new seals was simple enough as well. The only confusion I had was in installing the new filter. It goes down with a little bit of force. Initially I didn't have it fully seated and quickly learned to push with a little more force. Reinstallation is easy too, using the same 25 Nm as the drain plug.
Easy there, big fella! Drain plug torque is 7Nm (5.16 ft-lbs), not 25 Nm like the filter housing. I have in the past used a 1/4" torque wrench on the drain plug (62 inch-lbs = 5.16 ft-lbs) but don't find it necessary anymore.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ram.matthew View Post
Only thing to note with the oil filter is when you're removing it, have paper towels handy as there's a decent amount of oil that will drip down and the alternator is directly below it.
I lift the filter and let it drain into the housing quite a while before removing it to minimize drips. I put a towel over the alternator in advance to catch drips.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ram.matthew View Post
I bought Castrol 0W-something (can't recall, 30 or 40) Euro spec with specific mention of BMW LL-01 on the back. None of the Penzoil or Mobil 1 products had BMW spec noted although Audi, Mercedes, etc. we included on their bottles. I did realized this morning that the car takes 5 LITERS and US sells quarts. 5 liters converts to 5.28 quarts. Since 5 quarts would be underfilling by roughly 5%, I figure I would fill up with 5 quarts and run the analyzer to see if more is needed.
Many of the German brands which meet the LL-01 spec come in 5L containers. I look for them specifically, since it is so easy then to dump the entire container in and know that the correct amount is in the engine. I have used LiquiMoly and Ravenol, in addition to Castrol. All 5W-30.
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      11-15-2017, 12:10 PM   #98
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsouth View Post
Easy there, big fella! Drain plug torque is 7Nm (5.16 ft-lbs), not 25 Nm like the filter housing. I have in the past used a 1/4" torque wrench on the drain plug (62 inch-lbs = 5.16 ft-lbs) but don't find it necessary anymore.
We'll isn't that interesting. I guess I should have seen it clearly labeled on the drain plug LOL.

Considering it's plastic, do you think I should loosen and tighten to spec or just leave it as is?

Man, nothing like preaching the use of a torque wrench to screw it up anyway!
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      11-15-2017, 05:05 PM   #99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ram.matthew View Post
Considering it's plastic, do you think I should loosen and tighten to spec or just leave it as is?
I wouldn't mess with it. I'm actually shocked that it didn't break or strip at almost 4x the specified torque. German-engineered plastic LOL

Actually, it would be worth looking to see if there has been any leakage. If not, leave it. If so, replace it.

Last edited by jsouth; 11-15-2017 at 08:13 PM..
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      11-16-2017, 08:12 AM   #100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsouth View Post
I wouldn't mess with it. I'm actually shocked that it didn't break or strip at almost 4x the specified torque. German-engineered plastic LOL

Actually, it would be worth looking to see if there has been any leakage. If not, leave it. If so, replace it.
Before your reply, I made it home and loosened it up. I am also quite surprised but this plastic seems very strong. I loosened about a full turn and then tightened to spec. So far, no issues.

My big concern was with the engine heat and if it would cause the plug to crack. I figured I'd rather loosen and risk having to replace the plug versus the plug seizing or another problem arising.

Lesson here, folks, is that barring any foolish mistakes, this oil change really is easy
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      11-22-2017, 09:19 AM   #101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ram.matthew View Post
I did realized this morning that the car takes 5 LITERS and US sells quarts. 5 liters converts to 5.28 quarts. Since 5 quarts would be underfilling by roughly 5%, I figure I would fill up with 5 quarts and run the analyzer to see if more is needed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsouth View Post
Many of the German brands which meet the LL-01 spec come in 5L containers. I look for them specifically, since it is so easy then to dump the entire container in and know that the correct amount is in the engine. I have used LiquiMoly and Ravenol, in addition to Castrol. All 5W-30.
So 5L (5.28 us quarts) is what the N20 engine needs? It seems that online dealers sell kits with 6L of oil. Is that just to be safe?
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      11-23-2017, 08:47 PM   #102
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dirty elf View Post
So 5L (5.28 us quarts) is what the N20 engine needs? It seems that online dealers sell kits with 6L of oil. Is that just to be safe?
The N20 & N26 xdrive (AWD) take 5.1 qts (4.8L). The RWD models take 5.3qts (5L). This is straight from the Bentley repair manual and is as definitive as it gets.
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      11-27-2017, 06:21 PM   #103
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My first interval oil change light came on at 7000 miles when to dealer...now my computer telling me at 13500 miles i need to get oil change again....did bmw change this....i have 2016 428i...with free maintenance included.
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      12-03-2017, 02:47 PM   #104
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Short term lurker and new owner of a '15 320i also with similar questions about the CBS intervals and its logic. Searched a ton of forums here and there and couldn't quite figure out this situation so apologies if this is old hat.

I picked up my liquid blue ride from CarMax with only 5,999 miles on it so from what I can tell no maintenance had been performed on it ever. Vehicle status said oil change was due at 7,000. I just did it at 6,850 with the status showing yellow... it let me reset the oil change on the dash, but now it says I'm due for another oil change at 8,000. Should I wait until it turns red and reset it again? I know those who change their oil in between what is required don't reset it, but I mistakenly thought yellow was ok.

Also when I reset the oil change it dropped the Vehicle Check due date and mileage from 24k to 17k.

I guess you live and you learn, hope I didn't screw up the maintenance intervals. Thanks for listening...
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      03-18-2018, 08:45 PM   #105
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Oil Change

Just Picked up a 2014 F30 328i x drive last week. Trying to figure out how to do an oil change myself, car says oil service is due in 5000km.
Any advice and tips on which oil and oil filter to use and how much litters of oil?
By the way I'm Very New to this forum.

Last edited by NikX123; 03-19-2018 at 12:27 PM..
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      03-19-2018, 12:51 PM   #106
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NikX123 View Post
Just Picked up a 2014 F30 328i x drive last week. Trying to figure out how to do an oil change myself, car says oil service is due in 5000km.
Any advice and tips on which oil and oil filter to use and how much litters of oil?
By the way I'm Very New to this forum.
I'm not certain on the 2014, but I'm reasonably sure it calls for 5W-30 Synthetic oil meeting the BMW LL-01 standard. Use factory filter BMW 11 42 7 640 862 which has filter cartridge, o-rings for housing, and drainplug with built-in o-ring. ECSTuning.com has it cheaper than your dealer, but with shipping unless you spend $50 on your order.

It takes 5L of oil (which is over 5 qts). It is not always easy to find LL-01 oil at the corner auto parts store.

Observe the torque settings:
  • 20 nm (15 ft/lbs) for filter housing
  • 7 nm (5 ft/lbs) for plastic drain plug (barely over finger tight)
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      03-19-2018, 07:58 PM   #107
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Just Did the oil change today. Went to my local BMW dealer and spoke to the parts guy.
He said the F30 2012-2015 use 5W30 with 5L max. 2015 and newer use 0W20 5L. I bought the oil, 6L in total to be safe with the oil filter plus the O rings which came up to $107CAD. The dealer would have charged me over $200 dollars for the oil change.
Computer said there was still 4700km and 5 months left on the oil, but it was extremely black.
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      05-17-2018, 07:42 PM   #108
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Hello BMW Experts!

I did my first oil change on my 2017 330i RWD B46 today on my street in Brklyn. I think most of the posts here deal with the N20/26 engines, so let me add my two cents.
To get to my oil filter I had to remove the big engine cover & a small cover of electrics more towards the driver side fender. The filter is sort of tucked back under the fire wall, so much so that a straight socket & extension didn't sit square on the filter housing cap (26 or 27 mm?).
It worried me, but did come off with the socket at a cocked angle, and I loosened it fully, then went & got my jack, oil, etc. Came back & thought, "Hmm, I should reposition that car". Started car, did it, & blew over half the oil out the loosened oil filter cap. On the public street. It started running down the curb, past one car, two cars....
But anyway, my car has a metal pan drain plug, 17mm, just like my E46. The dealer had done one oil change on my car, & this plug was tight!
I put in Liqui Moly Ceratec, and green Liqui Moly Molygen oil:

https://www.amazon.com/Liqui-Moly-20...neration+5w-40

Murf

Last edited by Littlebear; 05-18-2018 at 05:42 AM..
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      05-17-2018, 09:36 PM   #109
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Its pretty straight forward just make sure you have the right o rings for the drain plug.
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      05-17-2018, 09:38 PM   #110
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[QUOTE=Littlebear;23207760]Hello BMW Experts!

I did my first oil change on my 2017 330i B46 today on my street in Brklyn. I think most of the posts here deal with the N20/26 engines, so let me add my two cents.

Liqui Moly Ceratec is a decent oil. Its used by a lot of BIM and Porsche drivers. Good stuff.
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