Did my Oil change

Foxland · 05-01-2011, 08:07 AM

the first time on the Z4, have a couple of comments, I did it myself because I didn't want to pay $130 to the local dealer and thought I'd save some $ doing it myself. OK so $69 for oil and filter with free shipping, bought ramps on sale $32, justified by saying I would use over and over on other projects. Firstly the Rhino ramps move on a garage floor when attempting to drive up, haven't solved that one yet, secondly they are too high and hit the lower bumper when attempting to drive up them. I ordered my oil and filter thru get BMW parts and received the wrong filter, had to jack car up anyway, used the ramps instead of jack stands, had to drive to a BMW dealer to get the right filter, another $12, BUT when Googling the BMW dealer to get the number and to see if I could get the filter, I notice that a local dealer has a summer oil change special for $79!

Now I have a leftover filter for the wrong car, ramps that are useless, lots of dirty rags from wiping the garage floor, oil drain bucket to bring to the local car parts guy and a used filter that needs to be disposed of somehow, probably the local dump (another trip) the auto parts stores no longer take filters. Oh yeah, I followed the instructions on resetting the computer....guess what...didnt work. Bottom line..... I'm pissed!
Mo

-c- · 05-01-2011, 09:10 AM

Similar thing happened to my sister with her mini cooper...her boyfriend kept telling her to not take it to the dealer as it would be cheaper for him to do it. She initially didn't like the idea as she likes the mini inspection they give her and the car wash but she let him anyway and he ended up stripping the drain plug nut on the pan. So a trip to the dealer it went and over 800 bucks later I told her she just wasted almost 8 years of oil. Changes ....I got the stink eye for that lol......sorry about your experience man.

ski_rush · 05-01-2011, 10:43 AM

Is that just for your local dealership or others? Where was that at?

Foxland · 05-01-2011, 11:01 AM

That special is Brahman BMW in West Palm Beach Florida, Vista which is the stealer I would normally go to wanted $129. It pays to look on the net for specials, usually I do but missed that one.
Mo

boondocksaint · 05-01-2011, 02:05 PM

Ask them if they'll change M oil for that $79.

Expensive oil is expensive.

VinnieAces · 05-01-2011, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boondocksaint

Ask them if they'll change M oil for that $79.

Expensive oil is expensive.

this^ lol, still i liked changing the oil my self, did it for the first time two days ago, everything went smoothly,

got the TWS oil for 12.99/liter and the filter for 19.00 CAD bringing the total to change my oil to around 96, stealership actually quoted me for 200 something so i think i did good, plus i bonded that much more with the car

Caddyshk · 05-01-2011, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VinnieAces

this^ lol, still i liked changing the oil my self, did it for the first time two days ago, everything went smoothly,

got the TWS oil for 12.99/liter and the filter for 19.00 CAD bringing the total to change my oil to around 96, stealership actually quoted me for 200 something so i think i did good, plus i bonded that much more with the car

$12.99? Where?

Foxland · 05-01-2011, 03:48 PM

Boondock, you'd almost have to get another oil change by the time you got back home

Mo

ANUSTART · 05-01-2011, 04:24 PM

Mo, thanks for the chuckle. I can relate to everything there. Seems to be the way it goes some time. Good luck with the next project.

mhughett · 05-01-2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caddyshk

$12.99? Where?

ECS tuning as an oil change special that includes six liters of TWS oil plus a filter for $74.95. If you assume $10 for the filter, that's less than $11/liter for the oil. Shipping costs are about $12 for one special, $17 for two to my area. Still a good deal to me.

santov · 05-01-2011, 04:47 PM

Sucks that our cars won't drive up the ramps without scraping. I jack the car up and set it back down at the top of the ramps. It's easy to get to the service door and drain bolt at ramp height.

The tool and supplies are hard to justify, especially when things don't go to plan. But I've used the ramps with several other cars and I feel safer going under a car on ramps then sitting on stands (NEVER on jack).

For costs though I'm using Mobil1 0w-40 Euro spec, 7 qts @ $6.49 + $10 for filter = ~$56 and I don't have to worry about the fools at the dealership touching, scratching, underfilling, overfilling or overtightening anything. Plus I get to bond with my car. I even use my MityVac and suction hose to suck out the old oil in the filterhousing so it doesn't drain back down into the engine.

As far as the frustraing oil spills...I'm with you there. 3 out of 4 oil changes go well for me, the 4th one is when I kick over the bucket, forget to open the drain plug on the catch pan, something like that. Last major incident I had was when the oil pan "plug" fell down into the closed position and my dad's Toyota pickup drained about 4 quarts into the cement. By the time I got done changing spark plugs and air filter I realized that most of the oil had flowed into the cracks in the cement and flowed in every f$@%ing direction.

Kitty litter and paint thinner plus the mess and time and frustraion. My trash company gladly takes used up to 2 gallons of used oil and 2 oil filters. They even leave gallon bottles with screw tops and heavy duty ziploc bags to place the filters.

Caddyshk · 05-01-2011, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mhughett

ECS tuning as an oil change special that includes six liters of TWS oil plus a filter for $74.95. If you assume $10 for the filter, that's less than $11/liter for the oil. Shipping costs are about $12 for one special, $17 for two to my area. Still a good deal to me.

We're in Canada X 1.7 for everything up here...

ANUSTART · 05-01-2011, 06:19 PM

On a Honda I had years ago I forgot to make sure the oil filter seal came off with the filter. So when I put the new filter on there were two seals stacked, but offset. When I started the car it became a reenactment of the Exxon Valdez. Have never done that again.

Finnegan · 05-01-2011, 06:27 PM

I can totally relate on the spill and ramps and a bunch of other stuff. My rhino ramps are useless except as an additional safety measure for any of our cars. (Maybe they work for rhinos, but not on cars with low clearance.) To even jack the car requires I jack each side first, get some 2x4s under the tires, then jack from the center jack point (I did see one really cool DIY ramp with 2x4s--but I don't have space to store anything that long). It's a major production getting under the car and then there's the actual work to do!

And, since I don't work on the car often enough to keep in practice so I always do something stupid. (Unlike HS/college where I could do an oil change/filter on my Honda in about 20 minutes on a bad day since I drove so much the miles racked up.) The "what" differs each time, but I usually kick a tool or bolt or nut or something across the garage and under the workbench while I'm wriggling about like a damn snake under the car. (And just like a snake I shed quite a bit of skin as well--on my elbows and forearms.) Of course it doesn't help I weigh 60 more pounds than I did in college of course. (Yessir, deadlifts and lifting pays off but not when it comes to being under a car!)

I've since come to the conclusion my indie shop gets my business for potentially messy things that require under-car work. Brakes and other things I can do, but after being under the car yesterday a good long while yesterday I was reminded why I had the indie gets my business policy. At some point if I'm smart

I'll get a lift like Intgr8r....

VinnieAces · 05-01-2011, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caddyshk

$12.99? Where?

PM'd

Finnegan · 05-01-2011, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hogzilla

On a Honda I had years ago I forgot to make sure the oil filter seal came off with the filter. So when I put the new filter on there were two seals stacked, but offset. When I started the car it became a reenactment of the Exxon Valdez. Have never done that again.

OMG! I did exactly the same thing on my Honda too! But it held for 2,500 miles and blew on the freeway about 90 miles from home (I pulled off before I lost all the oil and the engine.)

ski_rush · 05-01-2011, 06:51 PM

I wanted to do my own oil change too. But, what's the deal with the service reset not working? Why is that so hit or miss?

Caddyshk · 05-01-2011, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VinnieAces

PM'd

Replied - Thanks!

esqu1re · 05-01-2011, 06:57 PM

OP: Sorry about your luck. If you search around, you'll see some work-arounds for how to get the car on the ramps. You could always use the ramps when you get a car that sits higher, so it's not an absolute loss---but I know how it feels when you do things to save money only to have it backfire.

ANUSTART · 05-01-2011, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Finnegan

OMG! I did exactly the same thing on my Honda too! But it held for 2,500 miles and blew on the freeway about 90 miles from home (I pulled off before I lost all the oil and the engine.)

Yikes! THAT sucks. Glad I just lost it in the driveway.

Quickid · 05-01-2011, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caddyshk

$12.99? Where?

I'd like to know too... Last year, BMW Mississauga was selling 10W60 for $12 and filter for $10.

r4gs · 05-01-2011, 07:33 PM

interesting story there OP, i can definitely relate to diy and associated frustrations when things go awry/take longer than expected/just don't work out as planned.

visited san antonio this weekend for cars and coffee and met up with txz4 to help with a cdv delete. he'd also bought a brand new set of rhino ramps the day before and we both found it impossible to use without scraping/damaging the front bumper. ended up driving about town to find a solution aka perhaps renting a lift somewhere and came up short.

i haven't realized how blessed i am to be in the military with a car shop on base with six full platform lifts for rent at $3 an hour including the use of any tools necessary. it's how i changed my oil and swapped my mufflers. easy does it

05-01-2011, 08:07 AM	#1
Foxland Private 3 Rep 60 Posts Drives: Merlot Red Z4 3.0 Roadster Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Boca Raton, FL iTrader: (0)	Did my Oil change the first time on the Z4, have a couple of comments, I did it myself because I didn't want to pay $130 to the local dealer and thought I'd save some $ doing it myself. OK so $69 for oil and filter with free shipping, bought ramps on sale $32, justified by saying I would use over and over on other projects. Firstly the Rhino ramps move on a garage floor when attempting to drive up, haven't solved that one yet, secondly they are too high and hit the lower bumper when attempting to drive up them. I ordered my oil and filter thru get BMW parts and received the wrong filter, had to jack car up anyway, used the ramps instead of jack stands, had to drive to a BMW dealer to get the right filter, another $12, BUT when Googling the BMW dealer to get the number and to see if I could get the filter, I notice that a local dealer has a summer oil change special for $79! Now I have a leftover filter for the wrong car, ramps that are useless, lots of dirty rags from wiping the garage floor, oil drain bucket to bring to the local car parts guy and a used filter that needs to be disposed of somehow, probably the local dump (another trip) the auto parts stores no longer take filters. Oh yeah, I followed the instructions on resetting the computer....guess what...didnt work. Bottom line..... I'm pissed! Mo
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05-01-2011, 09:10 AM	#2
-c- Colonel 902 Rep 2,742 Posts Drives: bmw Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chicago iTrader: (5)	Similar thing happened to my sister with her mini cooper...her boyfriend kept telling her to not take it to the dealer as it would be cheaper for him to do it. She initially didn't like the idea as she likes the mini inspection they give her and the car wash but she let him anyway and he ended up stripping the drain plug nut on the pan. So a trip to the dealer it went and over 800 bucks later I told her she just wasted almost 8 years of oil. Changes ....I got the stink eye for that lol......sorry about your experience man.
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05-01-2011, 10:43 AM	#3
ski_rush Private 10 Rep 57 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 3.0i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 [7.00]	$79 oil change special! Is that just for your local dealership or others? Where was that at? __________________
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05-01-2011, 11:01 AM	#4
Foxland Private 3 Rep 60 Posts Drives: Merlot Red Z4 3.0 Roadster Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Boca Raton, FL iTrader: (0)	That special is Brahman BMW in West Palm Beach Florida, Vista which is the stealer I would normally go to wanted $129. It pays to look on the net for specials, usually I do but missed that one. Mo
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05-01-2011, 02:05 PM	#5
boondocksaint Penfold, shush! 4 Rep 132 Posts Drives: 07 Z4MC Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Charlotte iTrader: (0)	Ask them if they'll change M oil for that $79. Expensive oil is expensive.
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05-01-2011, 03:48 PM	#8
Foxland Private 3 Rep 60 Posts Drives: Merlot Red Z4 3.0 Roadster Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Boca Raton, FL iTrader: (0)	Boondock, you'd almost have to get another oil change by the time you got back home Mo
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05-01-2011, 04:24 PM	#9
ANUSTART Captain 36 Rep 956 Posts Drives: Z4 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: IL iTrader: (0)	Mo, thanks for the chuckle. I can relate to everything there. Seems to be the way it goes some time. Good luck with the next project.
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05-01-2011, 04:47 PM	#11
santov Lieutenant 66 Rep 483 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 3.0si White over Beige Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bay Area, Calif iTrader: (8)	Sucks that our cars won't drive up the ramps without scraping. I jack the car up and set it back down at the top of the ramps. It's easy to get to the service door and drain bolt at ramp height. The tool and supplies are hard to justify, especially when things don't go to plan. But I've used the ramps with several other cars and I feel safer going under a car on ramps then sitting on stands (NEVER on jack). For costs though I'm using Mobil1 0w-40 Euro spec, 7 qts @ $6.49 + $10 for filter = ~$56 and I don't have to worry about the fools at the dealership touching, scratching, underfilling, overfilling or overtightening anything. Plus I get to bond with my car. I even use my MityVac and suction hose to suck out the old oil in the filterhousing so it doesn't drain back down into the engine. As far as the frustraing oil spills...I'm with you there. 3 out of 4 oil changes go well for me, the 4th one is when I kick over the bucket, forget to open the drain plug on the catch pan, something like that. Last major incident I had was when the oil pan "plug" fell down into the closed position and my dad's Toyota pickup drained about 4 quarts into the cement. By the time I got done changing spark plugs and air filter I realized that most of the oil had flowed into the cracks in the cement and flowed in every f$@%ing direction. Kitty litter and paint thinner plus the mess and time and frustraion. My trash company gladly takes used up to 2 gallons of used oil and 2 oil filters. They even leave gallon bottles with screw tops and heavy duty ziploc bags to place the filters.
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05-01-2011, 06:19 PM	#13
ANUSTART Captain 36 Rep 956 Posts Drives: Z4 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: IL iTrader: (0)	On a Honda I had years ago I forgot to make sure the oil filter seal came off with the filter. So when I put the new filter on there were two seals stacked, but offset. When I started the car it became a reenactment of the Exxon Valdez. Have never done that again.
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05-01-2011, 06:27 PM	#14
Finnegan Dog Listener 711 Rep 7,850 Posts Drives: Z4M/. Z3M, E36/46 M3 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Teaching the dog to slalom iTrader: (22)	I can totally relate on the spill and ramps and a bunch of other stuff. My rhino ramps are useless except as an additional safety measure for any of our cars. (Maybe they work for rhinos, but not on cars with low clearance.) To even jack the car requires I jack each side first, get some 2x4s under the tires, then jack from the center jack point (I did see one really cool DIY ramp with 2x4s--but I don't have space to store anything that long). It's a major production getting under the car and then there's the actual work to do! And, since I don't work on the car often enough to keep in practice so I always do something stupid. (Unlike HS/college where I could do an oil change/filter on my Honda in about 20 minutes on a bad day since I drove so much the miles racked up.) The "what" differs each time, but I usually kick a tool or bolt or nut or something across the garage and under the workbench while I'm wriggling about like a damn snake under the car. (And just like a snake I shed quite a bit of skin as well--on my elbows and forearms.) Of course it doesn't help I weigh 60 more pounds than I did in college of course. (Yessir, deadlifts and lifting pays off but not when it comes to being under a car!) I've since come to the conclusion my indie shop gets my business for potentially messy things that require under-car work. Brakes and other things I can do, but after being under the car yesterday a good long while yesterday I was reminded why I had the indie gets my business policy. At some point if I'm smart I'll get a lift like Intgr8r.... Last edited by Finnegan; 05-01-2011 at 06:59 PM..
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05-01-2011, 06:51 PM	#17
ski_rush Private 10 Rep 57 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4 3.0i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Z4 [7.00]	What about resetting the Service indicator? I wanted to do my own oil change too. But, what's the deal with the service reset not working? Why is that so hit or miss? __________________
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05-01-2011, 06:57 PM	#19
esqu1re Lieutenant Colonel 47 Rep 1,855 Posts Drives: M Coupe Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: East Coast iTrader: (0)	OP: Sorry about your luck. If you search around, you'll see some work-arounds for how to get the car on the ramps. You could always use the ramps when you get a car that sits higher, so it's not an absolute loss---but I know how it feels when you do things to save money only to have it backfire. __________________ ///M Coupe: RPI Scoop, OE Strut, CDV, Volk RE30, SS Brake Lines, Stromung Exhaust
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05-01-2011, 07:33 PM	#22
r4gs Viper Driver 36 Rep 1,311 Posts Drives: F-16 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Singapore iTrader: (2)	interesting story there OP, i can definitely relate to diy and associated frustrations when things go awry/take longer than expected/just don't work out as planned. visited san antonio this weekend for cars and coffee and met up with txz4 to help with a cdv delete. he'd also bought a brand new set of rhino ramps the day before and we both found it impossible to use without scraping/damaging the front bumper. ended up driving about town to find a solution aka perhaps renting a lift somewhere and came up short. i haven't realized how blessed i am to be in the military with a car shop on base with six full platform lifts for rent at $3 an hour including the use of any tools necessary. it's how i changed my oil and swapped my mufflers. easy does it
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