1st X3 Oil Change at 7500 Miles

[jwbekens]

Did my first X3 oil change today. Hayuku's pictorial was helpful. Got a 36 mm socket for the filter cannister off ebay, but I found them for the same price at Advance. The X3 takes 6.6 quarts of oil, a quart less than an X5. When I bought the oil at the dealer, the service tech told me they put in 6.9 quarts routinely. The stiffening plate on the X3 is so far from the oil drain hole that using a torque wrench for the drain plug is near impossible with the X3 on a set of Rhino ramps. (Torque wrench handle hits the ground unless you have VERY tall ramps.) Yet another reason to get a fumoto drain plug. The drain plug area is well protected by the stiffening plate is way up in there, so a nipple drain plug has an extremely low chance of getting stuck on something if you are going off-road.
Oh, there was no crush washer on the drain plug from the factory. The old filter looked exactly like the one in hayuku's pictorial (pretty filthy). Glad I changed it and the oil.

Jon

[dkl]

Hmmm...having a smaller oil pan is one more reason to change out the oil more frequently than what's recommended. I did mine yesterday and I had to put in a tad bit over 8 quarts on my 3.0i X5. I only jacked up the driver side of the vehicle to drain the oil, so I guessed that emptied out more oil that way

As simple as an oil change is, Hayaku's DIY instructions were extremely helpful since you don't have to try and hunt for the right sockets/tools while lying on your back!

[Rick in Prescott]

If you put in 8 qts, you put in way to much. What does your dipstick read on level ground?
We've had our X3 for 8 weeks and just broke 7k miles. I bought oil and a filter on Saturday while down in Scottsdale. Going to do my change before we head to California in a few weeks.

[Rick in Prescott]

I changed oil last week. What a stinkin mess. The stiffening pan is so far from the oil pan that the wind (if it's windy) throws the oil up on top of the stiffener. Next time, I'll take the time to remove the stiffening pan first. BMW was pretty clever to put that big slot on the stiffener but it really does create quite a mess. Live and learn. The time I spent cleaning up the mess could of been used to take that darn stiffener off.

[X3 Skier]

Originally Posted by Rick in Prescott

I changed oil last week. What a stinkin mess. The stiffening pan is so far from the oil pan that the wind (if it's windy) throws the oil up on top of the stiffener. Next time, I'll take the time to remove the stiffening pan first. BMW was pretty clever to put that big slot on the stiffener but it really does create quite a mess. Live and learn. The time I spent cleaning up the mess could of been used to take that darn stiffener off.

Or letting the BMW Service Tech get their hands dirty.

Cheers

[Rick in Prescott]

I'm going to let BMW do the 15k change. I did one at 7500. Regardless of what BMW says, I like to change oil at about 7 to 8k intervals. The next time, at 15k, BMW will change the oil.

[X3 Skier]

Agree. Once every 15000 (or once a year as my dealer does for free) is too long for my taste.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by Rick in Prescott

If you put in 8 qts, you put in way to much. What does your dipstick read on level ground? ...

Rick,
DKL's post "8 Qts", is for an X5 and, the IL6 X5s do hold 8 qts.

BR,mD

[Rick in Prescott]

Wow, didn't know he was talking about the X5 and didn't know it held 8 qts. My old 95 540M/sport held close to that if I remember.

[vern]

Originally Posted by jwbekens

Did my first X3 oil change today. Hayuku's pictorial was helpful. Got a 36 mm socket for the filter cannister off ebay, but I found them for the same price at Advance. The X3 takes 6.6 quarts of oil, a quart less than an X5. When I bought the oil at the dealer, the service tech told me they put in 6.9 quarts routinely. The stiffening plate on the X3 is so far from the oil drain hole that using a torque wrench for the drain plug is near impossible with the X3 on a set of Rhino ramps. (Torque wrench handle hits the ground unless you have VERY tall ramps.) Yet another reason to get a fumoto drain plug. The drain plug area is well protected by the stiffening plate is way up in there, so a nipple drain plug has an extremely low chance of getting stuck on something if you are going off-road.
Oh, there was no crush washer on the drain plug from the factory. The old filter looked exactly like the one in hayuku's pictorial (pretty filthy). Glad I changed it and the oil.

Jon

Sorry i'm coming in with a late answer to your oil change delimma. I just became a X3 World member a short period of time ago. The easy way to do a oil change thats quick and you don't get DIRTY is with a OIL EXTRACTOR.I could give you tons of information about the subject but the easy way is to do a search on www.bimmerfest.com. I'm sure all your questions will be answered,where to buy, price, how good does it realy work,different test results from people that have tried it, etc. Good luck
cheers
vern