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Oil Change

2003 - 2009, roadster, coupe, facelift
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timscuba
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Oil Change

Post by timscuba » Wed May 07, 2008 4:44 pm

My Z is out of warranty. Although I was able to get new latches for top replaced because I took it in for the problem before warranty was up. I took the car in and ask service manager how much an oil change was. She told me $160.00 I like to flip out.
Is the normal or are they way out of site on this? I just couldn't believe it. :headbang:

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Re: Oil Change

Post by BlackSapphireZ » Wed May 07, 2008 4:53 pm

i'll do it for half of that...u provide oil ;)

the mobile 1s' are like $6 a quart ...ours require 7 quarts appoximately so $42+tax just for that and then filter is like $10(from dealer) so ur talking $60+ just on parts(including taxes) labor, like 30min but i'm sure they like to charge minimum of an hour fro anything so $160 sounds about right
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Re: Oil Change

Post by Aebous » Wed May 07, 2008 5:13 pm

In Vegas it was around $130 for oil an filter
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20ducks
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Re: Oil Change

Post by 20ducks » Wed May 07, 2008 5:58 pm

I get 2 oil filters from my dealer then I watch for a Castrol or Mobil 1 sale at WalMart. It will go on sale for $19.95 for a 5 quart jug (I think it is 5 quarts, if not then it is 4 quarts, whatever). I get several at one time. Every 5k miles I get the floor jack under the car, use jack stands so I don't get crushed if the jack fails, unscrew the screw to lower the panel that covers the oil pan bolt. Drain the oil into a pan for recycling, replace the oil filter (make sure you have a tool to retighten at the proper torque setting), replace the 6.8 qts of oil.
This takes me 10 minutes to initiate, 15 minutes for the oil to drain, 10 minutes to complete.

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Re: Oil Change

Post by Kurts05Z4 » Wed May 07, 2008 9:18 pm

Mine's still under warranty but I just changed my oil for the second time since buying my car last October. Sorry, but I don't abide by the 15k service interval on the oil and filter. I'll change it twice at my expense and they can do the third one at theirs! :thumbsup:
Cost was $46.00 for the oil (Valvoline Synpower) and $10.00 or so for the filter. Cheap insurance.
I have a lift so it's no trouble at all to change. :D Plus I can clean the backside of my wheels while it's draining! :thumbsup:

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Re: Oil Change

Post by azroadie » Wed May 07, 2008 10:12 pm

Sorry I don't have pics, but here a DIY I wrote up...

BMW Z4 Oil change (Performed on a 2003 BMW Z4 2.5i)

1. Start with hot engine as oil will drain faster.
2. Put car on blocks, jack stands, etc. ***DO NOT work under the car with the jack supporting the vehicle! The jack may fail! This central point is a good spot to jack the car. Then you can put jack stand on both of the jack points.
3. Using the 36mm socket, loosen the oil filter housing to let air in and allow all the oil to drain out of the housing. Don’t remove the filter yet as you’ll have a mess. However, the top portion of the housing can actually be completely loosened and if you don’t remove it, oil won’t spill. (If you don’t do this step, approximately 0.5 quarts of dirty oil will be trapped in the filter. This will add to the clean oil later and will end up giving you 7.5 quarts of oil when finished.)
4. Loosen the oil cap to ensure air can get in.
5. Loosen the panel that reveals the oil drain plug.
6. Loosen drain plug and drain oil into receptacle for disposal. There will be a copper washer on the drain plug. This can be discarded as a new one should have come with your new filter. Be sure to let all the oil drain out before continuing.
7. Now remove the oil filter housing and replace filter and o-ring.
8. Insert the new filter and o-ring into place and reinstall the filter housing. You don’t need to crank it super tight…just snug.
9. Install the new washer that came with the filter on the drain plug and reinstall the drain plug.
10. Fill with 7 Quarts bmw oil or Castrol Syntec 5w-30 oil (cheapest at Walmart in 5 quart containers for about $20)

Parts
-7 Quarts Oil, BMW or Castrol Syntec 5w-30 oil oil (cheapest at Walmart in 5 quart containers for about $20)
-36mm socket (Get a 6 point instead of a 12 point as the 12 doesn’t grip on plastic cap very well and may end up stripping it). I purchased mine from\
-“300” series filter, available from www.germanfilters.com I used Mann HU 925/4 x (BMW part number 11 42 7 512 300)
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Re: Oil Change

Post by ZetaTre » Thu May 08, 2008 12:20 am

azroadie wrote:1. Start with hot engine as oil will drain faster.
I personally don't do this: reason is the engine block is aluminum while the bolt is steal. I'm afraid to ruin the tread on the oil pam...
azroadie wrote:Castrol Syntec 5w-30
Based on the datasheet on Castrol Website, 5W-30 SOLD IN THE US (i.e. is not the bottle that says Made in Germany on the back) is not approved by BMW since is not ACEA A3 or BMW LL-98/LL-01 (I know the second LL-01 surclasses the LL-98, but I'm not sure which approval is required on the Z4s). Castrol Syntec 5W-40 is LL-98 while 0W-30 is LL-01 (again I'm not sure, but I think is LL-01), while Mobil 1 0W-40 is BMW LL-01. Between the two I would suggest Mobil 1 since it's a real syntetic oil. BMW approval have changed from LL-98 to LL-01 when they extended the oil change intervals (LL stands for longlife, or something like that)
But if you are a BMW CCA member I would go with the dealership oil (I think is a german made Castrol). Once again Europe and US have different standards and what is considered "Syntetic Oil" in the US (what is called hydrocracked or Group III syntetic oil) is not in Europe. I believe Mobil 1 is a Group IV "true" syntetic oil while Castrol Syntec is a Group III.
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azroadie
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Re: Oil Change

Post by azroadie » Thu May 08, 2008 1:27 am

ZetaTre wrote:
azroadie wrote:1. Start with hot engine as oil will drain faster.
I personally don't do this: reason is the engine block is aluminum while the bolt is steal. I'm afraid to ruin the tread on the oil pam...
azroadie wrote:Castrol Syntec 5w-30
Based on the datasheet on Castrol Website, 5W-30 SOLD IN THE US (i.e. is not the bottle that says Made in Germany on the back) is not approved by BMW since is not ACEA A3 or BMW LL-98/LL-01 (I know the second LL-01 surclasses the LL-98, but I'm not sure which approval is required on the Z4s). Castrol Syntec 5W-40 is LL-98 while 0W-30 is LL-01 (again I'm not sure, but I think is LL-01), while Mobil 1 0W-40 is BMW LL-01. Between the two I would suggest Mobil 1 since it's a real syntetic oil. BMW approval have changed from LL-98 to LL-01 when they extended the oil change intervals (LL stands for longlife, or something like that)
But if you are a BMW CCA member I would go with the dealership oil (I think is a german made Castrol). Once again Europe and US have different standards and what is considered "Syntetic Oil" in the US (what is called hydrocracked or Group III syntetic oil) is not in Europe. I believe Mobil 1 is a Group IV "true" syntetic oil while Castrol Syntec is a Group III.
These instructions and parts (filter and oil) were from given to me by the BMW mechanic at the dealership who would always work on my car. I just added some better wording. If it's what the dealer recommends, it's hard to go wrong.

...But I'm sure all the oil spec talk will cause some chatter on this thread ;-)
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timscuba
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Re: Oil Change

Post by timscuba » Thu May 08, 2008 1:42 am

I bought 7 quarts of oil & filter when I picked up my car today. I have about 3000 miles to go for oil change. You mentioned o ring for filter. Does that come with filter or is that a seperate part. Thanks Guys

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Re: Oil Change

Post by Shipkiller » Thu May 08, 2008 2:52 am

This is what I have learned over the years....

Based on a lawsuit several years ago, US oil manufactures can market Group III oils as a 'true synthetic'.

Based on all my findings over the years, Mobil 1 0W30 is the only Mobil 1 product that is actually a 'true' synthetic, but it is still considered a Group III product. Not sure why yet. I will find out.

True synthetics are PAO or Ester based and NOT hydrocracked...
Costs of synthetics vary considerably. The most expensive are the “Ester” types originally only used in jet engines. These cost 6 to 10 times more than high quality mineral oils. The cheapest synthetics are not really synthetic at all, from a chemists point of view. These are in fact specially refined light viscosity mineral oils known as “hydrocracked”. These have some advantages over equivalent mineral oils, particularly in lower viscosity motor oils such as 5w-30 or other oils with a low “W” rating such as 5w-50 etc and they cost about 1.5 times more than good quality mineral fractions.

This is the “synthetic” which is always used in cheap oils that are labelled “synthetic”.
Yes it’s a cruel world, you get what you pay for!

Now, you may ask, why are these special mineral oils called “synthetic”?

Well, it was all sorted in a legal battle that took place in the USA about ten years ago. Sound reasons (including evidence from a Nobel Prize winning chemist) were disregarded and the final ruling was that certain mineral bases that had undergone extra chemical treatments could be called “synthetic”.

Needless to say, the marketing executives wet their panties with pure delight!
They realized that this meant, and still does, that the critical buzz-word “synthetic” could be printed on a can of cheap oil provided that the contents included a few percent of “hydrocracked” mineral oil, at a cost of quite literally a few pence.

So, the chemistry of “synthetics” is complex and so is the politics!

The economics are very simple. If you like the look of a smart well-marketed can with “synthetic” printed on it, fair enough, it will not cost you a lot; and now you know why this is the case.

But, if you drive a high performance car, and you intend to keep it for several years, and maybe do the odd “track day”, then you need a genuine Ester/PAO (Poly Alpha Olefin) synthetic oil.


Until recently in the US, Castrol did not make a true synthetic. BMW is a Castrol oil that is made in Germany, but it is NOT German Castrol or it's slang name of GC. GC is a better oil than the BMW oil... not by much but it is better... also, I think GC has a Green top/cap.

In bearing shear tests, the top of the line (and most expensive) Mobil 1 0W30 and 0W40 do worse (1540psi) than the Mobil 1 Synth S (6389psi). That was a real shocker....
Valoline DuraBlend has a shear test pressure of 23858psi..... Redline shear pressure is 6389psi.
The best shear tested oil is RoyalPurple. It does not start to shear until 131,432psi. RoyalPurple R51 shear is an amazing 295,722psi.....
I don't have the shear test ratings for Amzoil.

Amzoil, and Redline are a group IV oil. RoyalPurple is the only readily available oil that I can find that is a Group V.

Also Redline oils carry no API, ACEA, or manufacturer certifications/approvals.
Their website lists the "API Service Class" of each oil, but does not actually claim API certification. Checking API's engine oil licensees database shows that no Redline products have been certified.
No mention whatsoever is made on Redline's website of ACEA or manufacturer specific approvals.
While I realize API, ACEA, and manufacturer approval testing is expensive and not necessarily the holy grail of engine oil performance, I do think it is an interesting data point.


The LL-98 spec. was provided because the gasoline sulfur content in the US (before 2003) was up around 80ppm and had some problems with that LL-01 spec. Due to the new EPA regulations US gasoline is now down around 30ppm which is on par with what is sold in Europe and in all reality, the LL-01 and LL-04 specs work fine in the US with no adverse effects.

BMW specifies different grades of engine oil, depending on the engine and vehicle model. Specifications or descriptions other than those given here, for example "high lubricity oil, fully synthetic" etc. bear no
relevance to their suitability for use in engines of the BMW Group.

Longlife-04 oils
These have been developed to guarantee an optimum service life for the particulate filter in diesel engines. These oils are stipulated for all diesel engines with particulate filter, but may also be used in
almost all other BMW engines. Like Longlife-01 and Longlife-01 FE oils, they satisfy currently BMW's most stringent quality requirements. Longlife-04 oils must not be used in BMW spark-ignition engines in
countries outside Europe (EU plus Switzerland, Norway and Liechtenstein).

Longlife-01 oils
The quality of these oils is comparable to that of Longlife-04 and Longlife-01 FE oils and these oils can be used in most BMW engines.

Longlife-01 FE oils
Because of their particularly low viscosity, these oils are able to favourably influence fuel consumption. However, they are only to be used in engines that have been specially designed to run with such lowviscosity
oils (spark-ignition engines with Valvetronic).

Longlife-98 oils
Satisfy specific requirements for extended oil change intervals that were introduced in 1998. Their quality is no longer adequate for the current range of spark-ignition and diesel engines.

The M54 engine is approved for LL-01 spec'd oil....
Drives 2008 Z4MC (His) & 2003 Z4 Roadster (Her's)

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Re: Oil Change

Post by Shipkiller » Thu May 08, 2008 2:55 am

timscuba wrote:I bought 7 quarts of oil & filter when I picked up my car today. I have about 3000 miles to go for oil change. You mentioned o ring for filter. Does that come with filter or is that a seperate part. Thanks Guys
The O-Ring should be included in the filter box. I have changed my filter three times in the last eight months and I am still using the same O-ring. I have spares now....
Drives 2008 Z4MC (His) & 2003 Z4 Roadster (Her's)

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Re: Oil Change

Post by WaZZZZman » Thu May 08, 2008 3:13 am

Ok what do you use? :?

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Re: Oil Change

Post by Shipkiller » Thu May 08, 2008 3:26 am

I use RoyalPurple....

When I bought the car, it had 46K on the odometer. I needed to establish a baseline for maintenance and especially trends. So I changed the oil with Amzoil. This was for a cleaning effect, and I don't like Castrol....and will under no circumstances use Penzoil or Quakerstate... long story.

With about 2K left on my oil, (4k run time) I put a bottle of Auto-RX in to clean the sludge and varnish out of the engine. I did two filter changes during this time. I changed the oil again with Amzoil for a good flush at approx. 3k of run time and now as of last week, I am running RoyalPurple....

I will not change the oil/filter again until I have 7K on it or four months.... which ever comes first. I don't like the acids to build up over time....
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20ducks
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Re: Oil Change

Post by 20ducks » Thu May 08, 2008 3:45 am

Shipkiller wrote:I use RoyalPurple....

When I bought the car, it had 46K on the odometer. I needed to establish a baseline for maintenance and especially trends. So I changed the oil with Amzoil. This was for a cleaning effect, and I don't like Castrol....and will under no circumstances use Penzoil or Quakerstate... long story.

With about 2K left on my oil, (4k run time) I put a bottle of Auto-RX in to clean the sludge and varnish out of the engine. I did two filter changes during this time. I changed the oil again with Amzoil for a good flush at approx. 3k of run time and now as of last week, I am running RoyalPurple....

I will not change the oil/filter again until I have 7K on it or four months.... which ever comes first. I don't like the acids to build up over time....

Where is a good source for Royal Purple (brick and mortar preferred but not mandatory), please.

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Re: Oil Change

Post by BlackSapphireZ » Thu May 08, 2008 5:03 am

it'll run with wal-mart's recycled supertech oil just fine

not that i do it but old cars with dino oil has run well over 200k with proper oil changes.
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