Having good, clean oil in your engine, in this case a BMW 328i, is one of the more important things you can do to ensure a long lasting engine. This is the most common starter DIY because there is minimal difficulty and not much that can truly be messed up, yet is still challenging enough to feel rewarding after completion.
- Your preferred oil (for 6 cylinders you will need to have 7 quarts on hand)
- Oil Filter
- Washers/rubber ring
- Funnel
- 35 mm and 17 mm socket with short extension
- Drain pan
- Paper towels & Safety glasses
Verify online or in a repair manual that you have the correct parts before draining the oil. Once you are sure you are ready to drain, take the car for a drive - 20-25 minutes is what I like to get the oil to operating temperature.Remember: Oil takes longer to heat up than coolant. The hot oil drains easier and any particles will be able to drain with the oil.
After returning home, jack the car up and get it on jack stands. I prefer to put it on all four so I can crawl underneath the car easier, this also facilitates a full drain of the oil pan when the vehicle is level. Once you are under, locate the oil pan drain plug, get your drain pan underneath and remove the drain plug with a 17mm socket. Once it is broken free, I use an extension as a spinner to remove the drain plug quickly and pull it away from the oil pan. It’s a safer way to not get burnt from the hot oil, and you're also less likely to drop the oil plug into the drain pan.
Get out from under the car and go under the hood. I start by pulling off the oil fill cap to allow it to drain faster. For the E36 like our 328i or even a BMW 325i, the oil filter is in a housing at the front of the engine in front of the intake manifold, you will more than likely need to use the 35 mm socket to remove the housing, be careful not to damage the plastic or spill anything. While the housing is off, check the rubber o-ring and replace, remove the filter and replace with new.
Note: I recommend cleaning the inside of the housing with a good paper towel, including the threads of the housing before replacing the filter.
After the car has drained all of the old oil it is time to replace the drain plug, put a new washer and tighten. Grab a funnel and start filling with oil, put about 5 quarts in and check the dip stick, add the 6th and check the stick again. Crack open the 7th and pour about a quarter of the bottle in and check the dipstick, stop when it is at the second mark.
Make sure everything is cleaned up and tightened and sealed, start the car and go for another drive, 15-20 minutes, come back and check the oil level and add if necessary. Do not over fill. Congratulations on changing your own oil! As I save money doing the labor myself, I go with a little bit more expensive oil. Whether or not it is truly better, I do not know, but I like to think it is worth it.
