I have a 2001 4.4i with 78,000 miles on it (do ALL of my own maintenance) and I have done the following:

ENGINE COMPARTMENT:

 R&R engine oil (and filter) with FULLY synthetic oil. I use Mobil 1 15W-50 year round because I live in Houston, Texas, but those up North would need to use 5W-30 during the cold months.

 R&R coolant with either the BMW “BLUE” colored coolant or any other coolant with “DEX-COOL, GM Approved” on the label which will be colored “ORANGE”. DO NOT USE THE “GREEN” coolants as their additive package contains “dissolved solids” which coat the interior of the cooling system to inhibit corrosion (this is old technology) thereby eating away at the water pump seals and leaving an insulative layer throughout the system which compromises efficient heat transfer. The BMW “BLUE” and DEX-COOL “ORANGE” coolants are new technology using organic additives which do not compromise the water pump seals or heat transfer.

 R&R the power steering oil. If you can get a “thief” (suction) pump remove the oil from the power steering reservoir (only) and replace it with regular red dyed ATF DEXRON III then drive the car several days and R&R the oil again. After 3 or 4 iterations you will have effectively changed out the majority of the oil. Be careful not to get dirt in the system!

 R&R the micro filter which filters air entering the vehicle interior (not a critical item). Be aware that there are two kinds of filters, the vehicle’s OEM filter is a more expensive one with activated carbon but most dealers will have replaced it with a less expensive plain filter without the Customers knowledge. You can tell the difference as the activated carbon filter element will be considerably more “substantial” (thicker/dense) and have a grayish appearance (my dealer’s parts department didn’t even stock the OEM activated carbon filter!).

 R&R (flush) the brake fluid. This needs to be done every 2 years because it has a propensity to absorb water from the atmosphere which will compromise braking and corrode the system.

TRANSMISSION:

 Although a BMW “Lifetime” oil, I don’t really think so if one is going to keep the vehicle a long time. The oil in the transmission is a CRITICAL APPLICATION in that it has additives in it which impart SPECIFIC FRICTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS which the CLUTCHES MUST HAVE or else they WILL BURN UP. The transmission will have a GREEN label on its pan which specifies the oil’s part number. Use of any other oil WILL DAMAGE THE TRANSMISSION. The oil is fully synthetic and I payed $25.50 per QUART for it from the dealer (simpler than trying to get it from a less expensive source). I do not R&R the filter because to do so would invite contamination (dropping the pan) & potential leaks. The filter should have the capacity to keep good oil free of particulates for the duration.


 NOTE: The transmission is oil level CRITICAL. You can’t just simply R&R the transmission oil unless you measure what’s being removed and replace it with the EXACT amount. The BMW “TIS” has the level checking procedure which a dealer should print out for you.

TRANSFER CASE:

 I just changed out my transfer case oil. BMW’s make-up / refill recommendation is regular ATF Dexron III, which is dyed red, so I was surprised to see a non-red dyed fluid drain out of my transfer case. After some investigation and comparison with a viscosity gauge I own it seems that BMW filled the transfer case of my 2001 X5 4.4i with the same synthetic oil they put in the transmission ........ so I did the same.

DIFFERENTIALS:

 Again, although a BMW “Lifetime” oil, I don’t really think so if one is going to keep the vehicle a long time. I have just R&R’d the fully synthetic gear oil in my differentials with the BMW recommended Castrol SAF-XO 75W-90 gear oil.

BATTERY:

 It’s a pain, but you might want to check the battery (under the spare tire and dome shaped air compressor). I checked mine about a year ago and the fluid level was OK. It’s almost 5 years old now and is still going strong, although it will probably give up soon as most batteries don’t live much longer than 5 years.

TIRES:

 Look at the rear tires. Because of the negative camber (top of wheel tilts inward) the inner tread of the rear tires will wear out unnoticed while the outside tread shows almost no wear. What I do when the inner tread has worn through is “flip” the tires on their wheels. As a matter of fact I did this today. I had NTB put the left rear tire on the right rear wheel with the inside of the tire showing on the outside. While this is not the most cosmetically appealing thing to do, at $250+ each tire it is the most economical thing to do (the flip & balance cost me $13.00).

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