Noob to X5: Oil change and coolant top up

[Bouchedag84]

Got my 2006 E53 4.4i at the end of August. Today it informed to check my coolant level. I haven't done so yet as I got to work the engine is still hot.

Anyways,
Coolant: Do you guys highly recommend only picking up coolant from a BMW dealer or is there an equivalent that I can pick up at Canadian Tire etc?

Oil Change: I like to get my oil changed shortly after purchasing a new used vehicle. Am I ok to take the X5 to somewhere like JiffyLube / Minute Lube etc or do I have to go to the dealer?

sorry for the noob questions

[thrillcat]

Originally Posted by Bouchedag84

Oil Change: I like to get my oil changed shortly after purchasing a new used vehicle. Am I ok to take the X5 to somewhere like JiffyLube / Minute Lube etc or do I have to go to the dealer?

sorry for the noob questions

I would say find an indie to do your oil change, or learn to do it yourself. My indie charges about $75 for an oil/filter/lube, which I think is very reasonable, considering I go 7500 miles or so between services, and I do that when I don't have the time to do it myself.

I just don't trust the kids at the quickie places, and they usually don't have the best quality oil to put in.

ADD: My gf used to take her Audi to a quickie joint, and by the time they did an oil/filter/lube with 100% synthetic and added their "European fee", she was saving about $7 by taking the risk.

If you don't want to do it yourself, find a good indie to do it. It will help them get to know your vehicle, and you, and you can start to build that working relationship with them. I like knowing that my indie knows my vehicle - and I've only had it since July. I can already call them and they know me as "Travis with the Imola Red X5".

[Goaltender46]

I use Zerez g-05 coolant this is close to the original BMW formula from what I've read. You DO NOT want to use the generic green stuff. Bmws have lots of plastic components in the cooling system that corrode if use the the wrong coolant. I'm sure a jiffy lube type place can handle the oil change I would provide my own Mann brand oil filter available online and make sure they use the right synthetic oil.

[dkl]

Why take the risk when the BMW coolant is only approx. $20/gallon...fairly competitively priced with the rest of the generic "long life" stuffs.

[Goaltender46]

Originally Posted by trader4

+1 on the G05. I don't agree about the plastic corrosion though. Only metals corrode, not plastic, so I think the possible corrosion issue with using the wrong coolant is the metal parts.

Regarding JiffyLube, I'm not too keen on JL. I have a MB 300SD with one of the big, old style cannister filters. Took it to JL and instead of using a wrench to loosen the two nuts on top of the cannister, the guy used a pair of pliers.... Had a colleage at work who had his engine trashed by one of the quick lube places. I don't remember the details, if they left the plug out, it fell out, etc but within a few miles after the shop, the engine was trashed. Also back in the day when GM switched to the extended life coolant, they warned against using the old style coolant in the car. I can't prove it was JL that did anything, but all I know is the cooling system became fouled with gunk and the dealer said it was from mixing in the wrong coolant. I can't prove they did it, but I only know that I didn't add anything and they were the only other ones that top off the coolants. Thank God it was a corp lease car and not my problem. Oh, and then there was the time that I wound up with washerfluid that smelled horrific. Never had anything like it before or since. Every time you squirted it on the WS, it smelled like hell in the car. That too came from one of the quick lube places.

Seems if you can get it done by a real repair shop for just a bit more, that's the better option. Or DIY. For me, the biggest hassle with DIY is taking the old oil back for disposal. I'm not to crazy about hauling oil buckets around in the car....

Not sure if corrosion is the proper term but when I first got my current X5 I serviced the cooling system and while I was at it the plastic couplers on the hoses crumbled apart in my hands. I read it was due to the wrong coolant being used. As for jiffy lube I do all my own work but yeah I agree a quality Indy is probably better than jiffy lube. Although an oil change is very easy on these cars.

[Helihover]

You can also buy your OE oil filter and your oil seperate and then take those items to a JL. I would however do it myself.

And a BMW coolant.......
This coolant was designed for European water tables. European water has a higher mineral content compared to the US. This formula to my knowledge was not designed/made for, the US. To each their own.

For the record, I use generic "green stuff" in both my bimmers.

[Bouchedag84]

Ok thanks guys.

I usually change my own oil but I no longer have many tools or the space to do it these days.
Maybe I'll just take it to BMW for an oil change and they should top off the coolant at the same time, I would assume haha

this is probably ok, right?
http://answers.canadiantire.ca/answe.../questions.htm

as you can tell, i'm paranoid haha

[Bouchedag84]

Yeah I know how to change oil, i used to work in a lube bay way back in the day, just a hassle to buy everything and I don't have much room to store this stuff.
Called a shop and it'll be $158 for an oil change.

if I do decide to do it myself, do we have to use a certain BMW-Approved Oil? Canadian Tire?
(this is the first time in awhile I actually care about what I put into my vehicle haha)

[BigBlack48is]

Originally Posted by Bouchedag84

Yeah I know how to change oil, i used to work in a lube bay way back in the day, just a hassle to buy everything and I don't have much room to store this stuff.
Called a shop and it'll be $158 for an oil change.

if I do decide to do it myself, do we have to use a certain BMW-Approved Oil? Canadian Tire?
(this is the first time in awhile I actually care about what I put into my vehicle haha)

I use 5w40 full synthetic and have no problems doing 7k mile change intervals and it hlpes with the valve stem seal issue that our N62's have. as for the coolant... only use the BMW blue and I would suggest looking into the lower bar rated cap. I feel it is the secret to not having to add coolant and will help prevent doing the dreaded bimmerpipe fix

[Bouchedag84]

i picked up oil, filter and coolant from the dealer.
is it common for the e53s to burn/leak/run low on coolant?