["S62"]

Im changing my oil tomorrow and I just want to make sure I have all of the tools that I need. Are there any parts that you guys would recommend changing? Is it essential that I change the washers on the oil plug? Any tips or recommendations would be helpful to me.
Thanks Will

 

[technician117]

Theres probably some information in the FAQ about this. From my past days as a mechanic I can give the opinion that you do not have to change the washer unless it looks damaged or shows signs that the drain plug is leaking oil.
Another general tip that does not pertain to any particular vehicle is that you should make sure the engine is warmed up prior to changing the oil. You can't be afraid of hot oil or you should have someone else do it for you.

My 2 cents, good luck!

 

[Nabio]

The copper crush washer on the plug should most definitely be changed. You get a new one in the BMW filter kit, along with a new o ring for the oil filter housing cap, so if you get a BMW filter kit you wont' have to worry about getting anything else besides the oil.

My other piece of advice is hand tighten the drain plug ONLY, do not use any kind of wrench!!!

 

[lothar]

The most unusual thing you'll need, assuming you want to torque your filter cover which is a good idea to prevent overtightening, is a 36(?)mm socket. I'm going by memory here, so if this is the wrong size hopefully someone will jump in.

 

[technician117]

As an M5 "newbie", but not a mechanical newbie, could you please explain the hand tighten? I think the point of a copper washer is to be crushed into a perfect seal. How can you achieve that by hand?

 

[AmpliFyre]

The copper crush washer on the plug should most definitely be changed. You get a new one in the BMW filter kit, along with a new o ring for the oil filter housing cap, so if you get a BMW filter kit you wont' have to worry about getting anything else besides the oil.

My other piece of advice is hand tighten the drain plug ONLY, do not use any kind of wrench!!!

i would say otherwise on hand tightening the drain plug. it can back out from vibration(happened to a friends civic)
it needs to be torqued (not much) but hand tight is not enough.

 

[technician117]

Unless this has some magic bolt for a drain plug I think every bolt on a car has a torque spec that doesn't include "hand tightening". A light tug to seat it should be sufficient, or if your real unsure of yourself use a torque wrench. Of course always be careful when working with aluminum.

These are just my opinions.

Thanks,

 

[s4kebomb]

i would say otherwise on hand tightening the drain plug. it can back out from vibration(happened to a friends civic)
it needs to be torqued (not much) but hand tight is not enough.

+1
I think the spec said 25Nm (221 in-lbs) torque.

The belly pan is aluminum and the drain plug is steel, so you don't want to over torque it.
I would say hand tight it, and then turn it with a wrench at most 1/4 turn.

 

[Blackrain]

36 mm socket to loosen the oil filter is spot on. Extra rags to wipe off you beautiful engine is also a requirement.

 

[ard]

Use a torque wrench. It will seem WAY too weak, but avoid the impluse to give it 'a bit more for good measure'

You should ALWAYS replace the crush washer- every time. The old washer will be in a different rotational orientation when reinstalled and cannot be 'recrushed' to fit.

OP- the oil filter from the BMW dealer should have a new crush washer in the box and a new o-ring for the oil filter cover.

 

[Nabio]

i would say otherwise on hand tightening the drain plug. it can back out from vibration(happened to a friends civic)
it needs to be torqued (not much) but hand tight is not enough.

Fair enough. When I hand tighten, it involves putting a socket over it and using that to get a grab on the drain plug and then tightening hard just via the hand. I've tried the wrench thing before... and everything was great until the next time I did an oil change and I turned and turned the drain plug and it never came out. The crucial thing here is to err on the side of not too tight unless you want to replace your lower oil pan. I know I'm not the only one here with that advice.

 

[gsfent]

I always replace the crush washer. It is a 50 cent part. It is designed to be CRUSHED to help seal. IMHO it should only be used once. So I simply replace it.

As to tightening the drain plug, it has a torque spec. I use it.

I don't remember that the oil filter has a torque spec, that is hand tight, plus a "little". Usually around 1/4 turn. Put some oil on the gasket. As long as it is not leaking, I have never had a filter vibrate loose.

Regards,
Jerry

 

[lothar]

I always replace the crush washer. It is a 50 cent part. It is designed to be CRUSHED to help seal. IMHO it should only be used once. So I simply replace it.

As to tightening the drain plug, it has a torque spec. I use it.

I don't remember that the oil filter has a torque spec, that is hand tight, plus a "little". Usually around 1/4 turn. Put some oil on the gasket. As long as it is not leaking, I have never had a filter vibrate loose.

Regards,
Jerry

Maybe not necessary, but torque spec on the filter cover is 25Nm. To the OP... forgot to mention, based on the number of threads I've read here about replacing the mounts, holding the cannister while tightening is a must whether you use a wrench or hand-tightening.

 

[sor118]

Use a good set of ramps to get under the car. I place 2 3-4 foot length 2x6's partially on my ramps so my front end doesn't bottom out on the ramps and I use a big mirror to help guide me on the ramps safely.


Make sure the car has been warmed up (just do it after a good drive) so the oil drains freely along with any debris or sludge.

Put on some nitril gloves to protect your hands from the toxic used oil. They are cheap to buy a 100 in a box.

Open up the oil filter cover first with 36mm socket before opening up the oil plug to let air in for best drainage. I also partially remove the dip stick.

Let her drain as much as possible. No need to rush things and unnecessarily leave old oil in the system.

Have plenty of rags or paper towel on hand when removing the filter just in case.

Hold the filter housing with one hand while removing the filter as the filter snaps into place and can be a bit of a bear to get it free.


If you don't have a torque wrench, hand tighten oil plug with new copper washer installed and with socket wrench add approximately 1/8 of a turn.

Note: I bought a magnetic oil plug from eBay and was very impressed with the strength of the magnetism and thought it is cheap to offer even more protection but the damn thing leaked! Upon the next oil change, I replaced it with the OE plug and the leak stopped.

Install new filter with new rubber gasket and torque to 25 NM. I also pour oil in the filter cannister. Pour it in after you install the filter or you'll probably add too much!

Reinstall dipstick.

Fill but do not overfill with oil of choice. (Let's not discuss which is best ; /).

If you have any kind of engine cleaner to add in, you'll need to factor in the volume of it and subtract some oil from the total volume of liquids to put in engine.

When I fill it with new oil, I measure it out in a large measuring cup and agitate the oil with a screw driver to get any air bubbles out and try to pour it as smoothly as possible into a funnel and into the filler hole.

Check the dip stick! Make sure the new oil is at the top of the notches. I think our engines call for 6.5L.

Take her for a nice drive and bask in your glory that you did it yourself.

Easiest car I have ever changed oil on.

Good luck but you won't need it.

Cheers,

Scott

 

["S62"]

thanks everyone that makes me feel a lot more confident

 

[rated ///M]

So... I hope your using the proper oil for your precious S62 engine... hihacherrsagai

 

["S62"]

lol of course, we dont need any more oil arguments. just went and picked up 10w-60 today and an oil filter

 

["S62"]

it was a success. I changed my cars oil and my dads 740il oil also

 

[IRISH M5]

Find me a cheaper M5 part...:grinyes:

I always replace the crush washer. It is a 50 cent part....