Why????

 

1. Potentially better workmanship as one can allow nearly every drop of oil to drain out.
2. Able to use the exact bran of oil that the owner desires.
3. Way to become familiar with the car mechanically. Can prompt further study a d looking at parts of the car.
4. Saves money
5. Can do at your own schedule, like nights and weekends.
6. Sense of self satisfaction
7. Can change the drain plug if worn by previous oil changes or mechanics
8. No oily smudges left inside the car as can happen at dealers.
9. No need to drive to the dealer.

 

Likely wants it changed before the condition based servicing computer says it's due.

 

video not playing all the way thru...stops at the exciting part.

 

Not to mention that new oil (and a fresh filter) is better for the engine than oil that has done up to 18,000m, ffs!

Dear me.

:eeps:

 

For MY14 and on F30 the oil change interval is 10k/1-year, so it is unlikely a MY16 340i will see 18k miles without an oil change. The OCI also has an "in-range" parameter, e.g. 2000 miles. So in practice many get free oil change every 7k to 8k miles for MY14 and on.

My guess is that post#2 is questioning why DIY oil change provided it is free from BMWNA every 7k to 8k miles.

 

On my new 2016 340i its 18,000m or two years.

I'm not waiting till then...probably get done at 2,500m

 

It's usually important to not perform the very 1st oil change on a new vehicle before the recommended interval. New engines will ship with a different formulation of oil that is optimized for break-in of the engine.

I agree that the oil change intervals are a little long. However, I would stick to the factory recommendation for the 1st oil change. After the first one is done, you can shorten the interval with no risk to the engine.

JMHO

 

It's usually important to not perform the very 1st oil change on a new vehicle before the recommended interval. New engines will ship with a different formulation of oil that is optimized for break-in of the engine.

Where did you hear that? Any reliable evidence??

:dunno:

 

I don't know what happened to the video in the OP. Those who wish to see it can find it on YouTube using the search 2016 BMW 340i oil change. Thanks everyone.

 

It won't play in YouTube either...all your others do, but not that one.

 

A BMWUSA conspiracy !

 

I looked at the video but the oil filter removal was a little hard to see. What size is the filter cap nut and how long of an extension do I need?

Thanks

(Oh, and you said torque it to 20/ft. lbs. On my previous BMWs it was 25Nm which converted to 18.44 ft./lbs. Just saying.)

 

It won't let me expand it to full screen. I am having trouble reading what kind of wrench setup you are using to remove the filter. I do all my own oil changes (new car on free maintenance or not). I have been spoiled by the previous BMW engines with the filter right in front. Have 440 on order. Need to get up to speed for first oil change which I will do around 3-4,000 miles.

Thanks.

 

I apologize for the poor quality of the images. I used an old socket wrench inserted into a pipe for a breaker bar (which shouldn't be necessary for oil drain plugs on BMWs because they should be torqued at or below 20 ft lbs). For screwing in the oil drain plug, I used a 0-100 ft lbs torque wrench, set at 20 ft lbs. For accessing the oil filter housing cover, I used a Gearwrench 120XP flex head socket wrench with a ten-inch socket extension with a wobble end that allows the attached socket to wobble. Instead of a wobble socket extension, you could use a universal joint, which attaches to your socket wrench like a normal socket, but then allows it to then attach to the socket. That universal joint then allows you to access hard to reach areas like the oil filter housing behind the engine on the 340i. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO LET THE SOCKET OR THE EXTENSIONS FALL OFF THE SOCKET WRENCH WHEN WORKING UNDER THE HOOD, or you'll likely have to remove the skid plate and cover underneath the engine bay to retrieve it (or let it rattle around down there until it falls out on its own). For the socket used to remove the oil filter housing cover, you'll need a 32mm low profile six-point socket.
Don't forget the beer. Enjoy.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm off to sears to get a locking extension and some wobble sockets.

I have a 32mm socket that I used on my 335d but it is 1 1/2 inches deep.

How hard is it to get the old oil filter off the engine without spilling the oil?

Yours is the first info I have found on doing B58 engine oil change.

Thanks again.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm off to sears to get a locking extension and some wobble sockets.

I have a 32mm socket that I used on my 335d but it is 1 1/2 inches deep.

How hard is it to get the old oil filter off the engine without spilling the oil?

Yours is the first info I have found on doing B58 engine oil change.

Thanks again.

It's a lot easier than I imagined. Once the engine cover is removed, you simply need to hold the socket wrench handle in your left hand, and the socket and socket extension in the right hand, and carefully negotiate that right hand between the fuse box on the right and the engine on the left. There's plenty of room. Once you get the socket seated onto the hex nut filter housing cover, you should be able to angle the extension between the socket and the wrench and be able to ratchet it in either direction for loosening and tightening. Try to loosen the cover slowly and carefully knowing that the filter housing assembly is a separate unit that is attached directly to the engine. You don't want to break a seal or gasket. The old/used filter element takes a bit of pulling pressure to get it out of the filter housing cylinder. It should simply pop right out. Getting the new one in requires a bit of patience. It can either pop back in to the filter housing assembly by itself (popping it in to the bottom, separate from the cover), or you can pop it onto the cover and simply install the element by putting the cover back on. By screwing the cover back on with the filter element attached to the underside of the cover, the filter element should pop back on or seat itself onto the bottom of the filter housing assembly by itself. I tried the first method -- popping the element onto the bottom of the filter housing assembly without the cover. However, I had a problem screwing the cover back on. Then I tried the second method -- attaching the element onto the underside of the cover and then simply screwing the cover back onto the housing assembly with the filter attached to the cover. That worked great. As to whether you'll have issues with your fairly long/tall socket, I can't say for sure but you shouldn't have any problems. If you do, simply get a low profile socket and try replacing the wobble extension with a universal joint with regular extension attached. Good luck and have fun. Don't forget the beer.

 

Thanks for all the good info.

This sounds like way too much fun to let the dealer mechanic have. I won't have to do an oil change for a few months but am looking forward to it now. When I first saw the location of the oil filter on the engine diagrams I did a double take. Back of the engine? What were they thinking? Maybe they had to make room for the intercooler air intake tube.

Anyway, good luck with your car.

Oh yeah, and trust me, I won't forget the beer.

 

I'm curious how many of the advocates of early oil changes have put extensive miles on a vehicle that was running high quality synth oil? By high quality I mean an oil that demonstrates good TBN and low SAPs for direct injection applications.

Wife had a 1st gen Honda Insight when we 1st met. I started taking care of all the maintenance for her shortly after we met. I used mobile 1 0-20 in that car and only changed it per Mobile's rec of 1yr or 10K miles, whichever come first. The upper of that motor was clean as a brand new sewing machine when we traded it in. Ran about 80k miles with extended oil changes occurring at 9-10.5k intervals. Total mileage on trade in was 130k.

The story was the same with my 2004 F150. I used Mobile 5-20 synth and changed it at the recommended interval. Had no problems with the "sludging" effect that the 5.4 Triton V8 was known for. The upper was clean. I even cut open an old filter once to observe. Nothing but clean oil was observable. I traded that vehicle at 100k to avoid the infamous 2004-2007 spark plug debacle

I'm servicing my Escape the same way, except I will change the oil early if the vehicle prompts me to via the OLM. So far all oil changes have occurred at 9-9.5k intervals. I've put almost 80k miles on the motor. The upper is still perfectly clean and extracted oil is a rich amber color.

I just don't think there is any legit reason to accelerate oil changes for a vehicle that isn't being run on the track or left idling for extended periods. I'm not a tree hugger by any means, but I still prefer to not waste resources if I don't need to. Modern lubricants are far superior to the dinosaur oil that was used back in the seventies. I've maintained a series of vehicles for a cumulative total of over 250k miles with extended oil change intervals and have not had any engine problems whatsoever. If both the oil manufacturer and the auto manufacturer recommend a reasonable interval, I will use it. If they recommend different intervals, I will use the shorter one.

I fully admit that in the case of BMW, they may have a conflict of interest due to their free maintenance program. In this case, I would look to the various "approved" oils and see what the oil manufacturer recommended intervals are. If they are shorter than BMW I would use that shorter interval.

I'm wondering if there is a general misunderstanding out there regarding DI motors and carbon buildup? Increased OCI won't solve DI carbon buildup issues. The best PM for that is to only burn quality gas and to use low SAPs oils. All of the factory recommended oils should be low SAPs and "Top Tier" gasoline is easy to find.

 

I'm curious how many of the advocates of early oil changes have put extensive miles on a vehicle that was running high quality synth oil? By high quality I mean an oil that demonstrates good TBN and low SAPs for direct injection applications.

Wife had a 1st gen Honda Insight when we 1st met. I started taking care of all the maintenance for her shortly after we met. I used mobile 1 0-20 in that car and only changed it per Mobile's rec of 1yr or 10K miles, whichever come first. The upper of that motor was clean as a brand new sewing machine when we traded it in. Ran about 80k miles with extended oil changes occurring at 9-10.5k intervals. Total mileage on trade in was 130k.

The story was the same with my 2004 F150. I used Mobile 5-20 synth and changed it at the recommended interval. Had no problems with the "sludging" effect that the 5.4 Triton V8 was known for. The upper was clean. I even cut open an old filter once to observe. Nothing but clean oil was observable. I traded that vehicle at 100k to avoid the infamous 2004-2007 spark plug debacle

I'm servicing my Escape the same way, except I will change the oil early if the vehicle prompts me to via the OLM. So far all oil changes have occurred at 9-9.5k intervals. I've put almost 80k miles on the motor. The upper is still perfectly clean and extracted oil is a rich amber color.

I just don't think there is any legit reason to accelerate oil changes for a vehicle that isn't being run on the track or left idling for extended periods. I'm not a tree hugger by any means, but I still prefer to not waste resources if I don't need to. Modern lubricants are far superior to the dinosaur oil that was used back in the seventies. I've maintained a series of vehicles for a cumulative total of over 250k miles with extended oil change intervals and have not had any engine problems whatsoever. If both the oil manufacturer and the auto manufacturer recommend a reasonable interval, I will use it. If they recommend different intervals, I will use the shorter one.

I fully admit that in the case of BMW, they may have a conflict of interest due to their free maintenance program. In this case, I would look to the various "approved" oils and see what the oil manufacturer recommended intervals are. If they are shorter than BMW I would use that shorter interval.

I'm wondering if there is a general misunderstanding out there regarding DI motors and carbon buildup? Increased OCI won't solve DI carbon buildup issues. The best PM for that is to only burn quality gas and to use low SAPs oils. All of the factory recommended oils should be low SAPs and "Top Tier" gasoline is easy to find.

Good info. I'm changing every 5,000 miles.

 

How much oil did you use to refill?

 

My bet is: 6.9 Qts. if it is like the N54 and N55.

My guess.

 

Yep...oil and filter....and I'll rest assured it's been done properly using best oil and new oem filter, along with dealer carrying out servicing per BMW standards to ensure warranty compliance.

:thumbup:

 

I'm certainly not interested in running my new sophisticated car on 'nominal' especially to first oil change which could be in UK 18,000m.

My last n54 was beginning to require very costly maintenance at just 60,000m and sounding like it had a handful of spoons rattling around inside and sometimes refusing to start first crank. That on 2 oil services to 37,000m and oil and filter changes every 5,000m thereafter.

Sorry not taking the risk...and please don't tell me the oil still being standard or nominal at 18,000m.

IMHO

 

For me it is two things:

1. Most oil change recommendations come with a mileage and a time i.e. "10,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first". As a low milage driver, my annual oil changes occur with 3-5,000 miles on the oil.

2. I am a car wierdo who loves to get under the hood and will use any excuse to do so. So I will change the oil on a new engine somewhere around the 3,000 mile interval.

 

:thumbup:

 

My '16 428ix GC (N26) called for first CBS change @ 8,800mi. My wife's '15 Honda CRV called for first change @ 9,300mi. Honda doesn't pay for that. Virtually every auto manufacturer now is around 8-10,000 for oil changes. Oil is much better now, especially synthetics.

 

This is starting to get weird.

There's plenty of scientific data and other evidence out there to support either approach.

I really don't understand why this is a subject for argument.

 

I dropped nearly $60,000 (incl taxes/fees) on a new car that I plan to keep for quite some time.
Are mid-interval changes necessary? That depends on how you look at it -- how and where you drive, etc. Bottom line: it's debatable.
Will mid-interval changes hurt the vehicle? Absolutely not. Personally I think it's foolish to (a) wait 10,000 miles between changes and (b) trust your car to the 20-year-old son of the dealership's owner.
Be an American man -- learn to love to change your own oil with a cold beer in the garage and the game on the radio. If you'd rather spend that time sitting in a dealership's waiting area with all the 50-something housewives, with sales people bothering you every two minutes, then more power to ya I guess. Maybe you can start your own thread sharing some of the recipes you get from those cougars in the waiting area. Or you can start a "trolling for dummies" thread.

Done.

 

I do 5k. I'm low mileage so 5k comes right around the 1 year mark. It's also a convenient way to remind me. I suppose I prefer that reminder over a light on the dash.

On one of my cars I've only done 1k miles this year. Seems strange to change the oil, but that's what the gurus advocate and I enjoy the project anyways.

 

I do 5k. I'm low mileage so 5k comes right around the 1 year mark. It's also a convenient way to remind me. I suppose I prefer that reminder over a light on the dash.

On one of my cars I've only done 1k miles this year. Seems strange to change the oil, but that's what the gurus advocate and I enjoy the project anyways.

We change our own gawdam oil every 5,000 miles.

 

When do you reckon we should change our trans fluid?

:jawdrop:

 

OK, the positioning of the oil filter made it just a little bit fiddly but it's done. 6 litres of Fuchs GT1 0w-20 ACEA A1/B1 Longlife -14FE+ and a genuine BMW filter 11 42 8 583 898 from stealers.

Engine cover simply pulls off.

There is a pair of cables restricting access to the filter but they pull away easily...black plastic push fit clip. I found it easier to fit the filter in the engine and then put the cover over the top and get the thread started by hand...it can only go in one way... To be sure, the top of the filter push fits into the cover. Note the positioning of the replacement O ring on the cover and lube before screwing in.

I used an universal joint, a 3 inch extension and an ordinary socket ratchet. Ball bearing fittings were tight so no risk of it drooping the 32 mm socket into oblivion.

Engine sounds rattly like my old 335i but sound disappeared when the engine cover was push fitted. Full of sound insulation. For the test run I left the cover off and checked for leaks around the filter on my return.

There is a rather nifty program that you can run in the menu that checks the oil level accurately with the engine running on a level road on stop. There is another that also checks the level when running...both gave ok levels at 6 litres.

Looking at the black oil that came out there were tiny metallic particles...swath, presumably from the running-in process...I expected that. Don't know why the oil drain plug isn't magnetic. Although, particles don't appear to be attracted by same. Tiny little particles, not many and present in the filter also.

2,260m

:thumbup:

 

Looking at the black oil that came out there were tiny metallic particles...swath, presumably from the running-in process...I expected that. Don't know why the oil drain plug isn't magnetic. Although, particles don't appear to be attracted by same. Tiny little particles, not many and present in the filter also.

2,260m

:thumbup:

Is there any ferrous metal in this engine's internals? If not, a mag trap would be pointless.

 

So you don't need jacks?

 

Didn't used jacks or stands, my homemade ramps are substantial although Health and Safety might have had a blue fit. Any job not supported by the wheels and I use belt and braces...trolley jacks and stands.

Tiny iron fillings like particles. Some ferrous metals are not magnetic eg some stainless steels. Don't know...not a metallurgist. I remember the good old days when I used to change the oil on my clapped out mini...magnetic drain plug used to look like a Christmas tree with the worn off metal from my mains and big ends. Used to add a can of Wynns STP...like treacle, or my pressure would be far less than 60.

My back is telling me wtf Rob...you're clapped out son. My head is telling me Yes! Bit like Murray feels this morning I suspect.

:thumbup: