318i Tech Procedure -
Oil and Filter Change

Changing the oil in your car is one of the most basic and one of the most important preventative maintenance tasks you can do to keep your car running in good condition. The Service Indicator lights on the dash are an easy way to remember when to change the oil. The exact mileage when the SI lights tell you to change the oil depends on many factors including your driving techniques and the driving conditions.

I decided to change over and use full synthetic oil in the 318i despite the fact that it has over 140K miles on it and it has probably only been serviced with conventional oil. This is a risky proposition because conventional oil can gunk up seals and when replaced with synthetic oil, these seals can be can cleaned out and the engine may leak. Overall, I am a firm believer in the properties of synthetic oil. I decided to use Mobil 1 5W-30. I am comfortable running synthetic for at least 7,500 miles and up to 10,000 miles between changes.

Required tool list:
Wrench, 13mm and 17mm socket
5 Quarts of oil
Replacement Mahle Filter

Click on the thumbnails for larger pictures.

	Drive the car around a bit to warm up the oil. Warm oil traps contaminants better than cold oil. Don't get the oil too hot or it will burn you. Jack the car up or put it on ramps. Secure it properly.
	Use a 17mm socket and empty out the old oil.
	Use a 13mm socket and open the oil filter cap.
	Remove the old oil cap seal and replace with the new one in the oil filter kit.
	Remove the old oil filter and replace with the new one.
	Replace the old crush washer with the new one from the kit.
	Replace the old small seal at the end of the post with the new one.
	Tighten the drain plug using a new crush washer that comes with the kit.
	Clean the area around your oil cap. You don't want dirt falling into the ending when you take the cap off.
	Pour in the new oil. Use a funnel to prevent spillage.
	Check the dip stick. Put the car back down. Turn it on and check for leaks. Check the stick again and add oil if necessary. Check weekly for low oil as these older engines can burn oil.
Date	Mileage	Oil Type
6/2005	173,000	Mobil 1 15W-50
5/2006	191,200	Mobil 1 5W-30

Difficulty:
1 /5

Disclaimer: I am not a professional mechanic. Information this page should be used at your own risk and discretion. Different models and model years may be different than my 1991 318i. Read: If you screw your car up following my instructions, sorry. Isn't it sad that in this sue crazy world you have to put a disclaimer on your web page?