DIY: Changing Oil & Filter in a 35d - new pics added

[FunfDreisig]

Tools Required:
17 mm socket w/ a breaker bar
1 1/4" socket w/ ratchet & short torque wrench. Its probably 32mm but I'm to cheap to buy metric sockets above 24mm
Long thin screw driver (approx 12in) - optional

Supplies:
8 Qts OEM Oil - Castrol SLX Professional OE 5W-30
1 OEM Filter kit w/ large oil filter cap O ring and small brass drain pan washer
1 empty 1 qt Yogurt container or 1 lb coffee can

Procedure:
1 - Warm up the engine to operating temp

Underneath-
2- Remove the ROUND plastic cover form the aluminum stiffener plate. You just press in on driver's side and it will hang straight down. But you can completely remove it by unhooking the other side to make it easier if you are not on a lift.
3- Position a min. 8 qt drain pan (a 10-12qt drain pan is much better) under the 17mm drain plug (AKA drain bolt) which drains straight down.
4- Remove the 17mm drain plug. It has nearly an inch of threads. So your fingers will get pretty hot unless you take a break mid way.
5- Let the engine drain. Keep the drain OPEN while you change the filter, because the filter canister holds an additional quart that does not appear to drain into the oil pan until you remove the filter

In the Engine compartment-.
6- Remove the plastic air tube on the drivers side (US) of the engine. This just clips off. But it helps to remove the front first. Then use a long thin screw driver to unhook the left under side clips BEFORE you unclip the easy ones to the upper right. These clips are symmetrical. Two on the upper right and two just like them on the lower left.
7- Unscrew the plastic oil filter cap using the 1 1/4" socket and ratchet. Unscrewing the cap is easier with a ratchet because the cap is connected to a long plastic 'cage' that goes through the paper oil filter. Even though the large O ring clears the housing pretty quickly there are two more small O rings at the bottom of the cage that remain 'engaged' until you completely unscrew the cap.
8 - Pull up the filter cap just a little and wait until the housing drains. Other wise the filter will be full of oil and make a mess on the second urea filler fitting.. Don't ask how i know
9- After the housing and filter has had a little time to drain, quickly pull the cap/filter/cage assembly out of the canister and into the empty coffee can.

At your workbench-
10- Remove the filter from the cap/cage assembly and clean the plastic parts.
11- Remove the old O ring and Install the new one. Its easier if you do this over the top of the cap
12- Install the filter over the cage until you hear it snap into place.

Back in the engine compartment-
13- Insert the Oil Filter/Cap/Cage assembly and hand tighten.
14- Use the 1 1/4" socket and ratchet to seat the O rings. Stop as soon as it meets any resistance.
15- Switch to the short torque wrench set to 25 Nm (roughly 220 in/lbs). It will probably click almost immediately. IMHO BMW marked the plastic cap at 25Nm to keep mechanics from over tightening this plastic cap.

Back underneath-
16- Clear away the drain pan and clean up any mess.
17- If the previous brass washer has stuck to the oil pan, remove it.
18- Install the drain plug with the new brass washer and tighten it 'snugly'. Snugly to me is pretty tight using a 3/8 Craftsman breaker bar. But your definition is as good as mine.
19- Replace the plastic cover.

Back in the engine compartment-
20- Fill the engine with 7 quarts of oil. Be sure to check the oil level with the dipstick. At 7 quarts the dipstick should show FULL.
21- Start the engine and let it idle a few minutes to fill the oil filter canister.
22- Shut off the engine and let it rest a few minutes before checking the oil using the dip stick which should show 1 qt low.
23- Fill till it reaches the full mark (should require 1 more quart). DO NOT OVERFILL. Diesel engines can self destruct if over filled. It is better to be a little too low than a little too full.
24- Replace the plastic air tube.
25- Run the engine for a few minutes and check for leaks.
26- If there are no leaks, you are entitled to a beer (or maybe more depending on the size of the mess you made)

Funf Dreisig

p.s. the picture of the new and old filters shows why BMW prints the oil filter part number in yellow

Edit: Added pics of air tube and the oil filter housing. The gray stuff over the filter housing that looks like cast aluminum in the pic is actually flexible foam rubber sound deadening material.