Jack points for lifting 2005 x5?

[xriderob]

Hey everyone just wondering where you place your jack to lift up your X5 for underbody access? I just want to make sure I'm using the right spot for my oil change tomorrow. It will be my first as it's a new vehicle to me and I am going with a 6000km change interval and seeing what Blackstone labs thinks of my oil.
But anyways any pictures or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

2005 X5 4.4
R

[mrbmwx5]

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...-question.html

[JCL]

mrbmwx5 gave you a good link to a recent thread, but it does focus on the rear of the vehicle more than the front (where you will be working to change the oil).

If using a trolley jack, make sure you use the single jack point in the centre at the front. There is a cutout for it in the underbody tray. Then put jackstands under the two side jacking points under the rocker panels towards the front. If using the factory jack (why?) use the side jacking points. In the link above, I attached a BMW drawing that shows the single jack point as (location 1), and the side jack points as (location 2).

Good luck.

PS: Why are you bothering with Blackstone analysis? What do you want to find out from it? A single sample is very unlikely to give you any useful data, as you have no baseline. The value comes from trending multiple samples. If you are sampling the new oil to establish that baseline, then great.

[motordavid]

I've done a few oil changes on our '01 X, but I usually just slide in and under the front of the car to access the oil drain.
A tad tight the first time; one gets "used" to it.

On the rare time I've lifted it for an oil change, I've lifted the front, which has a nice metal ridge to locate jack, and it doesn't
require much vertical lift, other than to get stands under the front sides stand points. With minimal lift in the front it's not too
angled to preclude a good drain, imo.
GL, mD

Front floor jack point:

[xriderob]

Thanks guys much appreciated!
I will be using my own jack definently though not BMW jack, thanks for info on that as well though always good to know. And I might try getting under there without lifting the vehicle as well since that will be much faster, safer and probably empty more oil as well.

As for Blackstone I like to keep doing samples (as I did with my last vehicle) as I see it as a relatively cheap way to keep an eye on your engine. I also want to see what they say about my oil thanks been in for this amount of time, maybe change it sooner next time and longer the next just to see if there is any differences. The whole 25,000km oil change interval seems like such a long time to me, but I need to do a little more research and see if there has been any real proof for or against.
What intervals are you changing your oils at?

[motordavid]

Some additional opins: if you haven't done an X before, it is tight under there, even though I rec'd that as a possibility. And, lying on the floor presents some awkward angles the first few times, for getting at the drain plug and then getting out of the way...those 8 qts are gonna come pouring/rushing out of there. A large dia/large capacity catch pan is rec'd, as is some newspaper spread under the "area".

I use a baffle/"funnel" made out of wine case cardboard to try and direct those rushing 8 qts. I have it down to almost not a mess, lol!

You might crack open the filter canister first; I think it allows for a better drain...

Read some of the Oil Change DIYs posts here...

As for intervals: pages of threads of opins: everything from every 5k miles to once per year, to never on a lease, other than on their dime.

Many do it yearly, in low mile situs or, at ~7500. I agree with JCL above, that a BStone lab look will tell you very little, with no benchmark. And, these are cars made to drive, not ProStock motors.
GL, mD

[JCL]

When you open the little flap to the oil drain plug, work it right around the hinge and remove it (without breaking the hinge). It is much cleaner, and clips right back on.

I would lift it and put it on jackstands the first time, as it will give you a chance to get under there and nose around. Check CV boots, things like that. Once you've done it a few times, you will likely not lift it any longer just for an oil change (I didn't).

MD is very correct that you will receive many different opinions on oil change intervals. There are two camps: those that are still waiting to see a BMW engine fail from following factory recommendations, and those that think of early changes as cheap insurance. Personally, I changed my X5 3.0 at 16,000 km usually. When I got annual low mileage changes for free I took them. My current BMW vehicles are running 20,000 km between changes. I posted pictures on this board of a 100,000 mile six cylinder BMW engine that looked very clean inside, after following the 24k oil change intervals with BMW oil. I wouldn't let it go past 2 years myself, but I wouldn't worry at all about the factory intervals impacting engine life. Cut the factory intervals by 1/3 if you like, to increase the safety margin. Just realize that every 6000 km is literally 4 x the factory recommendation, and you are (should be) using an oil that has better performance characteristics than those oils that existed when the engine was designed (likely API SM)

If it is a new to you vehicle, it is perfectly reasonable to change the oil to start the count clean.

Do you get into anything that would be described as severe service between Edmonton and Fort Mac, or is it a city car? Extended idling at -40C, forestry roads with lots of dust, etc? I drove Fords when I lived in Grande Prairie and Edmonton, but most of my driving there would have qualified as severe service, running out to Tumbler Ridge and Grande Cache on backroads. I'm a city dweller now, lol.

[xriderob]

Hey guys wish I woulda read some of your tips before I attempted. But it all went well, I went the non jacked up route and it was sort of awkward but after working on a cramped subaru for years felt right at home. Made a huge mess though lol the oil really does come out in a gush! But other than that all went well and besides the drain plug and filter being really on there, it all went smooth. Thanks for the info etc.

As for oil changes there sure are a lot of articles and opinions etc so I'm going to have to do some research and formulate my own I guess. Good to know you have been running 20,000km on multiple bmws with no issues. I drive mostly highway as far as I'm and no hard km at all since it's all on oared roads etc and the wife is driving it mostly these days so even less wear and tear since she drives like a grandma with baby on board. The most extreme conditions is the -40 weather we do get, and I just found that there is no block heater installed either so I'm going to have to get one of those for sure.
If I do decide to go with a higher km change it will be great as far as cost wise because I put high km on my vehicles and usually change oil every 1.5-2 months on average.

[JCL]

There are no block heaters available for current model BMWs. The factory design assumes you are using an appropriate oil for the conditions, likely changing to a 0W-30 if you are doing cold starts at -40C. I know, it doesn't sound right, but I had my X5, and most recently my X3, outside in -30C overnight on trips outside Vancouver, and never had any trouble starting it. Since there is no place to put a block heater, you can use the silicone electric pads that stick on the oil pan (from the truck supply shops) if you really want to add some heat to it.

If you are doing short trips with it next winter, be aware of the crankcase ventilation valve issues in very cold weather, perhaps inspect it and the lines if there is any doubt.

[xriderob]

Originally Posted by JCL

There are no block heaters available for current model BMWs. The factory design assumes you are using an appropriate oil for the conditions, likely changing to a 0W-30 if you are doing cold starts at -40C. I know, it doesn't sound right, but I had my X5, and most recently my X3, outside in -30C overnight on trips outside Vancouver, and never had any trouble starting it. Since there is no place to put a block heater, you can use the silicone electric pads that stick on the oil pan (from the truck supply shops) if you really want to add some heat to it.

If you are doing short trips with it next winter, be aware of the crankcase ventilation valve issues in very cold weather, perhaps inspect it and the lines if there is any doubt.

Well thank you, very good to know. I was just searching for block heaters and not finding much.
Could you please elaborate on the crankcase ventilation valve issue if possible please? I would definently like my vehicle to be in best of shape, I do not know the whole history but I know it is from Toronto area so it has been in the cold, but not fort mcmurray cold just yet. Allthough once I have the garage heated it will be better but still there is chances it will be outside for periods of time.
I will defiently adjust the oil though to the 0w-30, maybe see what the dealer reccommends. Thanks again!