Mityvac Oil Change

The marine mechanics shop next to my work gave me a huuuuge mityvac that holds about 15 litres. So excited to have this addition for free!

Does anyone have an suggestions for this process. Im under the understanding that you just put the tube down the dip stick and start pumpin' (obv with removal of the oil filter etc). Is there anything else that I should be aware of seeing as I have never done an oil change on my e46 before.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by conzbmw

The marine mechanics shop next to my work gave me a huuuuge mityvac that holds about 15 litres. So excited to have this addition for free!

Does anyone have an suggestions for this process. Im under the understanding that you just put the tube down the dip stick and start pumpin' (obv with removal of the oil filter etc). Is there anything else that I should be aware of seeing as I have never done an oil change on my e46 before.

Thanks.

Nope. Straightforward. You won't even need to get under the car or get dirty! Great score!

Originally Posted by conzbmw

The marine mechanics shop next to my work gave me a huuuuge mityvac that holds about 15 litres. So excited to have this addition for free!

Does anyone have an suggestions for this process. Im under the understanding that you just put the tube down the dip stick and start pumpin' (obv with removal of the oil filter etc). Is there anything else that I should be aware of seeing as I have never done an oil change on my e46 before.

Thanks.

Use the largest tube that will fit in the oil dipstick tube as that will speed up the process.

Make sure you use some rags around the oil filter assembly when you take out the oil filter 'cause oil tends to drip.

That's it!! No fuss no muss and no jacking!!!

awesome thanks you guys! Yeah its a great score! Im looking forward to doing it this weekend..ive put 4500 miles on it in 8 months!

Yeah im excited about the fact that I dont have to jack the thing up!

Originally Posted by djstrachan

Use the largest tube that will fit in the oil dipstick tube as that will speed up the process.

Make sure you use some rags around the oil filter assembly when you take out the oil filter 'cause oil tends to drip.

That's it!! No fuss no muss and no jacking!!!

Fixed with the appropriate smiley

Quick question regarding Mityvac.
Just got a 7201.
I usually have done oil changes with the engine warm to try to get more junk out. I am thinking, however, that temps like that might not be healthy for the PE tubing; and the last thing I want to do is end up with part of it softening/coming apart and jammed up in my pan or elsewhere.
Thoughts experience on temp?

Originally Posted by kimmy

Quick question regarding Mityvac.
Just got a 7201.
I usually have done oil changes with the engine warm to try to get more junk out. I am thinking, however, that temps like that might not be healthy for the PE tubing; and the last thing I want to do is end up with part of it softening/coming apart and jammed up in my pan or elsewhere.
Thoughts experience on temp?

Yeah, I thought so too, at first. I usually let it cool approximately 1 hour before inserting the tube into the dipstick. I mean, the oil is hot, but not say, hotter than a bride's kiss, as my father (RIP) used to say.

No problems in about four years of use.

Originally Posted by smolck

Fixed with the appropriate smiley

As this is the OP's first experience with the Mityvac, I hope he doesn't take you seriously and think that is part of the process. Not that it would do any damage, or can cars go blind??.

I am thinking, however, that temps like that might not be healthy for the PE tubing; and the last thing I want to do is end up with part of it softening/coming apart and jammed up in my pan or elsewhere.
Thoughts experience on temp?

I warmed my engine up to operating temp and used the Mityvac right away. No problems at all and the tubing showed absolutely no signs of softening. I do believe the hot oil temp was factored into the material design based on it's intended use.

I run my engine for about 10min before I use my Mityvac 7201, temp hasn't been an issue. I use the largest tubing that will fit the dipstick. Insert the tubing until it hits the bottom of your oil pan, then withdraw the tubing just a bit so it's not in contact with the pan. Start pumping about 10-15 pumps, let it take up what it can on that amount of suction. Once it no longer has sufficient suction, I'll pump the vac again a few times. Once you start pulling air, sounds like little metal pinging, you can advance the mityvac tube fully to get any residual.

I have a plastic bag waiting immediately for when I remove the oil filter, wrap it in the grocery bag and tie it off.

thanks for the input guys.

Back in March I had a slight oil filter housing leak that stopped when the spring hit. Am I at any risk of triggering this problem by using the Mityvac. I read on a 325i DIY on this that you should check the oil filter housing once you've refilled the engine with oil.

Originally Posted by conzbmw

thanks for the input guys.

Back in March I had a slight oil filter housing leak that stopped when the spring hit. Am I at any risk of triggering this problem by using the Mityvac. I read on a 325i DIY on this that you should check the oil filter housing once you've refilled the engine with oil.

You don't need to check the filter housing, though you should circle back and check the oil level after the motor has run. Swap the filter, close the housing, put in the right amount of oil (~6-6.5qts), check for a good level. Run the motor then let it sit a few minutes, check the level again and top off if needed.

These filter housings don't need to be burped like the one on my old 535 did. That was messy once. Quick learning curve......

Originally Posted by conzbmw

thanks for the input guys.

Back in March I had a slight oil filter housing leak that stopped when the spring hit. Am I at any risk of triggering this problem by using the Mityvac. I read on a 325i DIY on this that you should check the oil filter housing once you've refilled the engine with oil.

Just remember to wet the new filter housing o-ring with some excess fresh oil before you torque it down to ensure a proper seal.

Originally Posted by Gryphon

Just remember to wet the new filter housing o-ring with some excess fresh oil before you torque it down to ensure a proper seal.

...and make sure you pay attention to WHICH grove the ring sits in on the filter housing cover!

Originally Posted by wingspan

...and make sure you pay attention to WHICH grove the ring sits in on the filter housing cover!

Not speaking from experience I hope? Now that would be a recipe for mess and damage!!

OP - if you are looking for the 36mm socket for the filter cover, Princess Auto has them for $9Cdn. It is a 3/4 drive but you can get a 1/2 to 3/4 adapter at Princes Auto for $8Cdn and you are set. This set up is cheap but effective and allows me to use my torque wrench for this process (18 Ft Lbs).

Originally Posted by djstrachan

Not speaking from experience I hope? Now that would be a recipe for mess and damage!!
.

Absolutely not!

Originally Posted by wingspan

...and make sure you pay attention to WHICH grove the ring sits in on the filter housing cover!

I thought there was just the one groove that the rubber ring fits into? anyone care to elaborate?

Originally Posted by conzbmw

I thought there was just the one groove that the rubber ring fits into? anyone care to elaborate?

Just having some fun. The o ring goes on the last groove just under the cap. Push it all the way to the top and you are good to go.

If you're not sure how well your car had been maintained or how frequent the oil changes have been, you may want to change the 2 small o-rings within the filter housing as well. THey don't come with the oil filter kit so you would have to get them at an auto parts store or the BMW dealer. Probably cost .50 cents each. The Bentley Manual recommends these be changed with every oil change which, if you are following the BMW schedule, is every 25,000kms. I do my changes every 12,000kms and plan to change out the small o-rings every 24,000kms.

Originally Posted by djstrachan

Just having some fun. The o ring goes on the last groove just under the cap. Push it all the way to the top and you are good to go.

If you're not sure how well your car had been maintained or how frequent the oil changes have been, you may want to change the 2 small o-rings within the filter housing as well. THey don't come with the oil filter kit so you would have to get them at an auto parts store or the BMW dealer. Probably cost .50 cents each. The Bentley Manual recommends these be changed with every oil change which, if you are following the BMW schedule, is every 25,000kms. I do my changes every 12,000kms and plan to change out the small o-rings every 24,000kms.

Nice tip.

It's early and I'm on my first cup of coffee, I saw 20,000mi and 12,000mi instead of km....
I'm like that's awefully long between oil changes.

Originally Posted by Gryphon

Nice tip.

It's early and I'm on my first cup of coffee, I saw 20,000mi and 12,000mi instead of km....
I'm like that's awefully long between oil changes.

That would be a rather long interval. I wait until I have had at least 2 cups of coffee before I atempt to read anything remotely technical.

Originally Posted by Gryphon

Nice tip.

It's early and I'm on my first cup of coffee, I saw 20,000mi and 12,000mi instead of km....

I think you can be forgiven for that. NASA crashing the Mars Climate Orbiter into the planet because contractors forgot to convert imperial->metric is another story.

Originally Posted by Melquin

I think you can be forgiven for that. NASA crashing the Mars Climate Orbiter into the planet because contractors forgot to convert imperial->metric is another story.

Yeah, we were all laughing at them in Kinematics class....until we realized in the end we foot the bill.