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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > Mechanical Maintenance: Break-in / Oil & Fluids / Servicing / Warranty > E92 Coupe Oil change questions



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      12-15-2012, 09:10 AM   #23
Efthreeoh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sammk View Post
Yep agreed, it's really as simple as that and there's nothing more to it. The extra qt is only if the display reads below the max mark. But actually, the volume of oil that drains out does depend on a number of factors like the oil/engine temp, inclination (ramp vs no ramp), whether or not the filter is pulled first, and of course duration. 95% of the oil will drain out in the first few mins but I have a tried and tested way of doing this which I will stick to, thank you!
That's what I'm trying to explain. The E-dipstick will show full if you have 6.4 quarts in the engine or 7.2 quarts (using numbers just for example). It does not measure like a mechanical dipstick that indicates the static level of oil in the sump. The e-dipstick measures the oil level electrically using a capacitor setup in the sensor unit in the oil pan, and only when the engine is running, up to temperature, and has passed a few other running parameters. If you add in 7 quarts of oil and the e-dipstick doesn't read full on the first reading (after the oil change) after the engine is at the proper temperature and has achieved the other perimeters that the system uses to properly measure the oil level, DON'T add any more oil. Drive the car for a few hours or days and the level will finally read full (assuming then engine has no major oil leaks). If you completely drained the oil and added 7 quarts back in, then the engine has 7 quarts in it and doesn't need any additional oil, regardless of what the e-dipstick says. Trust me, I've changed my oil 12 times now and my car has 198,000 miles on it.

The E-dipstick just shows, as does a mechanical dipstick, the reading (quantity) of the "last", or "top" (i.e. the 7th quart) quart of oil. Many people here get confused about this and think the bar graph on the dash represents the level of the full load of oil in the engine. It is not good practice to try and top off the oil level using the e-dipstick just after an oil change, because it provides an average of the oil level. Even on ramps you'll get all the residual oil in the engine out unless the incline is rather drastic. Just add in 7 quarts. It is always better to have a bit less oil in the engine rather than too much. The engine is designed to run just fine with less than a full load of oil between 6.0 to 7.0 quarts. BMW recommends adding new oil in 1-quart increments after the CBS provides notification the engine is 1 quart low.

If your oil changing technique prevents all of the oil being drained, then you need to re-think your technique; such as lifting the rear of the car to make it level when draining.

Peace.
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      12-15-2012, 09:22 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh View Post
If you add in 7 quarts of oil and the e-dipstick doesn't read full on the first reading (after the oil change) after the engine is at the proper temperature and has achieved the other perimeters that the system uses to properly measure the oil level, DON'T add any more oil. Drive the car for a few hours or days and the level will finally read full (assuming then engine has no major oil leaks).
Thanks for that snippet of info, I'll watch the oil level over a few days before deciding whether to top off or not..
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      12-15-2012, 09:49 AM   #25
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Originally Posted by BOBKUR View Post
Maybe you should go to the dollar store and see if they have some oil. You bought a BMW not a Honda, if you are that cheap trade it in a get a HONDA.
haha, I use Castrol 0w30 on my Honda and Mobil1 0w30 for my wife's Civic
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      12-15-2012, 11:05 AM   #26
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Oil Change Kit Bought!

so I gave in and bought the full oil change kit from Tischer. It was $76, plus another $12.95, plus another $3.95 for handling, came out to a total of about $92.

That beats the $172 BMW Southwest wants to charge for an oil change.

I also purchased the oil filter cap wrench tool mentioned, got it on ebay for $6.90. It said it was for volvo but it was the correct size of 86 mm so it should work out.

I just wanted thank you all for your feedback and input!

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      12-15-2012, 11:53 AM   #27
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My indy shop charges $92 for oil and filter change, not even worth it to do myself.
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      12-15-2012, 12:20 PM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BOBKUR View Post
My indy shop charges $92 for oil and filter change, not even worth it to do myself.
Must be nice. I live in Dayton and it's about 37 miles NE of Houston, so it's too far to go to an indy shop. I really don't trust the locals around here in Dayton with my car so better to do it myself for that peace of mind and accountability.

Last edited by Benstuck; 12-15-2012 at 12:28 PM..
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      12-15-2012, 01:00 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by Kolyan2k View Post
You get free oil changes at the dealer
Only every 15,000 miles or 12 months if within the 4/50 warranty period. Anyone who might want to do them more often or after that has to pay.
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      12-15-2012, 09:40 PM   #30
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You guys should keep an eye out for oil deals, they are always out there. This past summer I got 7 quarts of Mobil 1 0w-40 for under $30 before taxes. It was on sale for $5.69/qt., plus Mobil had a $2/quart rebate on the first 5 quarts. So the first 5 quarts were only $3.69 each.
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      12-15-2012, 09:56 PM   #31
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For the record, Castrol syntec 5w-30 is not recommended. It is not LL-01 certified. It is not the same as the BMW 5w-30. Read the back of the bottle, it will not have BMW LL-01.

Use Castrol Edge with Syntec 0w-30 (5w-40 also works)
M1 0w-40
BMW 5w-30
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      12-18-2012, 08:41 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skhmund View Post
so I gave in and bought the full oil change kit from Tischer. It was $76, plus another $12.95, plus another $3.95 for handling, came out to a total of about $92.

That beats the $172 BMW Southwest wants to charge for an oil change.

I also purchased the oil filter cap wrench tool mentioned, got it on ebay for $6.90. It said it was for volvo but it was the correct size of 86 mm so it should work out.

I just wanted thank you all for your feedback and input!

Our oil change kits ship at no charge - so the $12.95 shipping is removed when we process/ship the order.

If we forgot to remove this on your order, please PM me your order # asap so I can credit the charge to your card. Thanks again!
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      12-25-2012, 04:58 PM   #33
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So I just did an oil change on the E92. Everything went fine, along expected lines. The eBay tool referenced earlier worked out fine, no unexpected surprises. If anyone is interested in getting a non-OE tool that seems to work well, here's the link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VOLVO-Cap-St...item56502d8526

Merry Christmas!
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