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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Carefree, AZ
    Posts
    78
    My Cars
    2000 528, 2015 X5

    2015 X5 Oil and Filter Change

    The first time I tried an oil change on my 26 month old X5 I had a heck of a time finding the oil drain plug. To make sure I was getting the right plug, I jacked the vehicle and pulled the HUGE aluminum skid plate off the bottom of the vehicle. Thankfully, that was not necessary for routine changes but it confirmed that the plug that appeared to come out of the bottom for the front differential was in fact the engine oil plug. (It appears the lower engine pan is actually a casting that is part of the front differential.)The second oil change was very much a "gentleman's" oil change and a very simple affair. No jacking of the vehicle required. NOTE: This is written in infinite detail for people who have never done an oil change. Hopefully more will do their own and know they saved money and it was done right -with the right type oil. If you are experienced, just skip to the pictures. Also, my plastic "engine lid" is not shown in these pictures. I leave it off as its toasty enough here in Phoenix. To remove yours, lift up on the front and it will snap out of two grommets. Then, pull it toward you and it will pop right out. Beware the rubber grommets in the back will fall out if you drive around with them in place. If you are gonna pull the cover, pull the rear grommets and store them as well.

    Not to start a poo-fling or suggest my way is "best..." I started doing cold engine oil changes many years ago after getting much cleaner oil after changes. My logic was: Why spread dirty oil all over my engine when I really want all that suspended gunk out of the motor? Plus, a cold motor is easier to work on. So, I park the vehicle where I will do the oil change the next day. If you have to start it to position it for the oil change, letting it sit for an hour or two will achieve nearly the same result and get 80-90% of the "goo" into the pan ready for draining. Hey, we are splitting hairs here. BMW tries to tell us we can drive safely for 15,000 miles before changing our oil and most of us change it on the "5's" (5000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, etc) so doing a hot or cold change is truly splitting hairs. (But my way is right and anyone disagreeing is wrong! )

    BEFORE CHANGING YOUR OIL: Buy the oil! I use the Castrol synthetic 5-30 for my climate (AZ) and I buy it in the 5 qt jug at WallyMart. Note: The vehicle takes nearly 7+ quarts doing a cold engine oil change. Thanks to the BMW engineers removing the dip stick (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!), you are going to have to warm up your engine after swapping out the filter and adding 6 qts of oil to run the stupid engine oil level diagnostics. The engine has to be warm and idling to get the diagnostic to run in your car. Go to VEHICLE INFO and then the VEHICLE STATUS page to find your oil level diagnostic. It takes about sixty seconds to tell you "ADD A QUART OF OIL IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID ENGINE DAMAGE!" Add another quart and then re-run the diagnostic. Eventually, you will get the green light for a satisfactory engine oil level. Using this wanky testing method the engine must not have too critical an oil level. ALSO: GET A LARGE SOCKET THAT FITS THE OIL HOUSING COVER. I do not know the MM size but one I had for a Volvo S40 fit it perfectly. (Mine measures at approximately 87 mm...) The socket is a must as you cannot get much of a grip on the housing cover and you do not want to damage it. The socket is driven by a 3/8 socket wrench using a short extension. And if you don't have an oil funnel for adding oil, get one. They make adding the oil far less messy. And, get a nice sealable drain container that will hold your oil for safe transport to a re-cycling location without getting it all over your car. I wipe mine down good before transport and place it on a piece of cardboard just to be safe. I throw a wad of windex-soaked towels in to catch drips and keep everything clean during transport and after recycling.

    Here is a note I wrote on my skid plate to remind me. This is looking back at the skid plate from the front of the vehicle (right hole). The drain plug is accessible without jacking the vehicle. I used a piece of cardboard to lay on and only had to slide back 18" or so to easily reach the plug. It is a standard "bolt" type plug. DO NOT REMOVE SUNKEN HEX PLUGS. These are gear oil for your front end! Just feel for the nut. Can't miss it. If you are unsure, loosen the drain nut two turns. In a minute, if you see black oil dripping off the nut, you are on the right nut. If you see red or yellow oil, you need to re-tighten that nut!

    You can just see the drain nut in this picture... (For EXPANDED pictures click on pics at bottom of post)



    Crack the drain nut loose and then get your oil pan in place before spinning off the nut. Have a wad of paper towels handy. Pull the nut away laterally when loose and make sure the oil is hitting the center of your drain pan. Wipe off your drain nut and place on a clean towel. Then go up to the top of the engine and unscrew the oil cap to let air into the engine. Double check your drain pan as the flow may increase for a minute or two. Let oil drain for five minutes until it just drips. Wipe the drain bolt mating surface clean on the bolt and the drain location before re-installing. NOTE: Most oil filter kits come with new drain plug washers. I swap my washers out about every three changes and by removing the washer and wiping the surface and the bolt, I have never had a leak in 30 years. You can reattach the bolt into the drain opening while its dripping, just keep the drain pan handy. Tighten the bolt good and snug but don't over tighten as you can strip the threads. I don't know the actual torque but its very low, something like 16-18 inch lbs or so. (I have been doing this so long, I have the feel.)

    Now, with the oil out and the drain plug secure, you can remove the drain pan and seal it up for transport to your local oil drop off location.

    Getting the oil into the engine is easy but first remove the filter housing cover. It's the one on the right. The oil service cap is on the left marked "CASTROL."



    Pull the filter element out being careful not to drip and wrap in paper towels and then place back in the box the new filter came in. The bottom of the filter sits in about an inch of old oil so it will drip. Packaging it will keep it from bleeding into your garbage. Swap the lower housing silicone washer out if your new filter came with one and also swap out the large gasket washer that came with your new filter. Mop out as much old oil from the filter housing as you can. I write the mileage and the date on the top of the new filter, then drop it into the filter housing. wipe a little oil on the large gasket O-ring on the oil housing before re-tightening it until it just snugs up, then tighten no more than 1/4 to 1/2 turn tighter. If it leaks a little, you can always tighten it more but that shouldn't be an issue. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN!

    Now, with the drain plug on and the new filter in, its time to add oil. Open the oil service cap (CASTROL) and, using a wide mouthed funnel. add in the 5 quart jug of your oil. That won't be enough so either add another quart from a quart jug or pour in about a quart from another 5 qt jug. Then wipe up any drips and replace the oil cap. Start the engine and let it warm up for a few minutes while you look for the oil level diagnostic in VEHICLE INFO and then VEHICLE STATUS -look for the oil level indicator. If it's ghosted the engine is not yet warm enough for the test. Once it goes bold, trigger the test, which takes about a minute. If the test comes back low, shut the engine off and add a quart or less. Restart and re-test until the computer is happy. DO NOT OVER FILL.

    That's it. Hope this helped someone.

    Please take your oil to any local oil sales location like an auto parts store for recycling.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by CaptainStark; 03-30-2019 at 07:08 PM. Reason: Addition...

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